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Uttarakhand (Hindi: उत्तराखंड Uttarākhand) is a state
located in the northern part of India. It was carved out of Himalayan and
adjoining districts of Uttar Pradesh on 9 November 2000, becoming the 27th
state of the Republic of India [1]. It borders Tibet on the north, Nepal on
the east, the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh to the south, Haryana on the west
and Himachal Pradesh on the north west.
The region is traditionally referred to as Uttarakhanda in Hindu scriptures
and old literature, a term which derives from Sanskrit uttara (उत्तर) meaning
north, and khaṇḍa (खंड) meaning country or part of a country. It has an area
of 20,682 sq mi (53,566 km²).
In January 2007, the name of the state was officially changed from Uttaranchal,
its interim name, to Uttarakhand. The provisional capital of Uttarakhand is
Dehradun which is also a rail-head and the largest city in the region. The
small hamlet of Gairsen has been mooted as the future capital owing to its
geographic centrality but controversies and lack of resources have led
Dehradun to remain provisional capital. The High Court of the state is in
Nainital.
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