Punjab is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states
of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to
the west, it is also bounded to the north by Jammu and Kashmir. The state capital is Chandigarh. Major cities of Punjab includes Mohali,
Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Bathinda, Patiala and Jalandhar. After the partition of India in 1947, the Punjab province of British India was
divided between India and Pakistan. The Indian Punjab was divided in 1966 with the formation of the new states of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh as
well as the current state of Punjab. Punjab is the only state in India with a majority Sikh population.
Agriculture is the largest industry in Punjab; it is the largest single provider of wheat to India. Other major industries include the
manufacturing of scientific instruments, water meter, electrical goods, financial services, machine tools, textiles, sewing machines, sports
goods, starch, tourism, fertilizers, bicycles, garments, and the processing of pine oil and sugar. Punjab also has the largest number of Steel
Rolling Mill Plants in India which are located in Steel Town Mandi Gobindgarh, District Fatehgarh Sahib.
History
Punjab during Mahabharata times was known as Panchanada. Indus Valley Civilization spanned much of the Punjab region with cities such as Harrapa
(modern-day Punjab, Pakistan). The arrival of the Indo-Aryans led to the flourishing of the Vedic Civilization along the length of the Indus River
to cover most of Northern India. This civilization shaped subsequent cultures in the Indian Subcontinent and Afghanistan. Punjab was part of the
great ancient empires including the Gandhara Mahajanapadas, Nandas, Mauryas, Sungas, Kushans, Guptas, Palas, Gurjara-Pratiharas and Hindu Shahis.
Agriculture flourished and trading cities (such as Jalandhar and Ludhiana) grew in wealth.
Due to its location, the Punjab region came under constant attack and influence from the west. Punjab faced invasions by the Persians, Greeks,
Scythians, Turks, and Afghans. This resulted in the Punjab witnessing centuries of bitter bloodshed. Its legacy is a unique culture that combines
Zorastrian, Hindu, Buddhist, Persian, Central Asian, Islamic, Afghan, Sikh and British elements.
The city of Taxila, founded by son of Taksh the son Bharat who was the brother of Ram. It was reputed to house the oldest university in the world,
Takshashila University, one of the teachers was the great Vedic thinker and politician Chanakya. Taxila was a great centre of learning and
intellectual discussion during the Maurya Empire. It is a UN World Heritage site.
those of Alexander the Great, Chengiz Khan and Tamerlane. Of particular importance were the periods of contact between Punjab and various Persian
Empires when the parts of it either became integrated with the empire itself, or was an autonomous region which paid taxes to the Persian King. In
later centuries, when Persian was the language of the Mughal government, Persian architecture, poetry, art and music was an integral part of the
region's culture. The official language of Punjab remained Persian until the arrival of the British in the mid 19th century, where it was finally
abolished and the administrative language was changed over to Urdu.
Geography
Punjab is located in northwestern India, and has an area of 50,362 km2. It extends from the latitudes 29.30° North to 32.32° North and longitudes
73.55° East to 76.50° East. It is bounded on the west by Pakistan, on the north by Jammu and Kashmir, on the northeast by Himachal Pradesh and on
the south by Haryana and Rajasthan.
Most of the Punjab lies in a fertile plain, alluvial plain with many rivers and an extensive irrigation canal system. A belt of undulating hills
extends along the northeastern part of the state at the foot of the Himalayas. Its average elevation is 300 meters above sea level, with a range
from 180 meters in the southwest to more than 500 meters around the northeast border. The southwest of the state is semi-arid, eventually merging
into the Thar Desert. The Siwalik Hills extends along the northeastern part of the state at the foot of the Himalayas.
The soil characteristics are influenced to a limited extent by the topography, vegetation and parent rock. The variation in soil profile
characteristics are much more pronounced because of the regional climatic differences. Punjab is divided into three distinct regions on the basis
of soil types; southwestern, central, and eastern.
Punjab falls under seismic zones II, III, and IV. Zone II is considered a low damage risk zone; zone III is considered a moderate damage risk
zones; and zone IV is considered a high damage risk zone.
Climate
Punjab's climate is characterized by extreme hot and extreme cold conditions. Annual temperatures in Punjab range from –2 to 40 °C (min/max), but
can reach 47 °C (117 °F) in summer and –4 °C in winter. The northeast area lying near the foothills of the Himalayas receives heavy rainfall,
whereas the area lying further south and west receives less rainfall and experiences higher temperatures. Average annual rainfall ranges between
960 mm in the sub-mountain region and 460 mm in the plains.
There is a transitional period between winter and summer in March and early April, as well as a transitional season between monsoon season and
winter in October and November.