Uttaranchal came into being on Nov 9th, 2000 as the 27th state of India. The state shares common boundaries with Tibet (China) to the north and Nepal to the east, Himachal Pradesh to the west and Uttar Pradesh (of which it formed a part before 2000) in the south. In Hindu scriptures the land has been described as Uttarakhand, a term derived from Sanskrit which means northern region.

Apart from the Terai region in the Shivalik foothills, the entire state of Uttaranchal is a part of the Himalayan ranges. At 7,817 m above sea level, Nanda Devi in the district of Chamoli is the highest point in the state. The region has many glaciers, passes, meadows, and trekking routes with several major rivers like Ganga and Yamuna originating from here. A major part of the state comes under rainforests and alpine forests that are home to some of the highly endangered wildlife species of India.

The alpine and tropical rainforests that cover most parts of the state make natural habitats of some of the best-known wildlife creatures. The Jim Corbett National Park is home to Royal Bengal Tigers and ground for the plot of Jim Corbett’s Man-eaters of Kumaon. Another rainforest in the region is Rajaji National Park famous for its large number of pachyderms. Alpine forests in the region include Valley of Flowers National Park (known for its amazing variety of flowers), Nanda Devi National Park, Govind National Park, Gangotri National Park, and many more.