Rajasthan

views updated May 14 2018

Rajasthan State in nw India, on the border with Pakistan; the capital is Jaipur. Other major cities include Udaipur, Jodhpur, and Jaisalmer. Rajasthan was the homeland of the Rajputs. The state formed in 1950, and enlarged in 1966. Pastoral nomads inhabit the Thar Desert in the w. The e is part of the Deccan plateau, where wheat, millet, and cotton grow with the aid of irrigation. There are coal, marble, mica, and gypsum mines. Industries: handicrafts, cotton milling. Area: 342,266sq km (132,149sq mi). Pop. (2001) 56,473,122.