Orissa is a state in eastern India located on the Bay of Bengal. It has an area of 155,707 km2 (60,119 mi2) and a population of 41,947,358 (2011 prov.). The capital is Bhubaneswar; Cuttack is the largest city, and Puri is an important center of Hindu pilgrimage. The temple of Konarak is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Most of Orissa is hilly except for a narrow, fertile coastal plain. The Eastern Ghats in the south are an important source of timber. In the north are valuable deposits of iron, manganese, coal, and mica. The state is chiefly agricultural, with rice, sugarcane, tobacco, and jute its main crops. Manufactures include iron and steel, aluminum, textiles, glass, and paper.
Orissa was a center of the Kalinga kingdom as early as the 4th century B.C.. As the Kalinga's power declined, Orissa became the seat of Hindu dynasties. In 1568 it was invaded by the Afghans, but it soon passed under Mogul control. The British conquered Orissa in 1803. Following Indian independence, Orissa's area was increased, and it became a constituent state of India in 1950.
In October 1999 the state was hit by one of its worst natural disasters ever, a cyclone that is estimated to have killed as many as 20,000 people and left another 10 million homeless or without their livelihoods. Officials said that economic development had been set back by about 20 years due to the destruction of infrastructure.
In 2000 a severe drought reduced crop yields and caused drinking-water shortages. The following summer severe flooding affected millions of people in Orissa, blocking deliveries of emergency food and medical supplies, destroying crops, and contaminating sources of drinking water.
Most of Orissa is hilly except for a narrow, fertile coastal plain. The Eastern Ghats in the south are an important source of timber. In the north are valuable deposits of iron, manganese, coal, and mica. The state is chiefly agricultural, with rice, sugarcane, tobacco, and jute its main crops. Manufactures include iron and steel, aluminum, textiles, glass, and paper.
Orissa was a center of the Kalinga kingdom as early as the 4th century B.C.. As the Kalinga's power declined, Orissa became the seat of Hindu dynasties. In 1568 it was invaded by the Afghans, but it soon passed under Mogul control. The British conquered Orissa in 1803. Following Indian independence, Orissa's area was increased, and it became a constituent state of India in 1950.
In October 1999 the state was hit by one of its worst natural disasters ever, a cyclone that is estimated to have killed as many as 20,000 people and left another 10 million homeless or without their livelihoods. Officials said that economic development had been set back by about 20 years due to the destruction of infrastructure.
In 2000 a severe drought reduced crop yields and caused drinking-water shortages. The following summer severe flooding affected millions of people in Orissa, blocking deliveries of emergency food and medical supplies, destroying crops, and contaminating sources of drinking water.
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