Odisha

Odisha by 2011, Orissa ( Oriya ଓଡ଼ିଶା Orisa ), is an Indian state with an area of ​​155,707 km ² and 42 million inhabitants ( 2011 census ). The capital is Odishas Bhubaneswar. The official language of the state and the mother tongue of more than 83 percent of the population is Oriya.

• 2.1 demographics
• 2.2 languages
• 2.3 religions

Geography

Odisha borders the states of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and West Bengal ( clockwise from the south) and to the Bay of Bengal.

Largest cities

(As of 2011 census )

Population

Demography

According to the Indian census in 2011 Odisha has 41,947,358 inhabitants. Between 2001 and 2011 the number of inhabitants, slightly slower than the national average ( 17.6 percent) grew by 14.0 percent. Compared to the rest of India Odisha is relatively sparsely populated and urbanized little: The population density is 269 inhabitants per square kilometer below the Indian average of 382 inhabitants per square kilometer. Only 16.7 percent of state residents live in cities. The urbanization rate is thus lower than the all-India average of 31.2 per cent.

73.5 percent of the population Odishas can read and write ( men 82.4 percent, women 64.4 percent). The literacy rate corresponds to the national average of 74.0 percent (as of 2011 census ).

The population Odishas the Adivasi ( indigenous members of the tribal population ) account for a significant minority. The 2001 census classified 22.1 percent of the population as members of the tribal population ( Scheduled Tribes ). The Adivasi live almost exclusively in rural areas. In districts like Malkangiri, Mayurbhanj, Rayagada or Nabarangapur they represent the majority. The largest adivasi groups are the Khond, Gond, Bhumij, Bhuiya, Oraon, Paroja, Kisan, Bhumia, Binjhal and Koya.

Languages

The main language Odishas is related to the Indo-Aryan family of languages ​​Oriya. It is spoken by the 2001 census, 83.2 percent of the population as a first language and serves as the sole official language. The rest of the population speaks a variety of other languages. Under the tribal population are different Dravidian and Austro- Asiatic languages ​​spread, including Kui ( 2.5 percent), Santali ( 1.9 percent ), Ho ( 0.7 percent), Munda ( 0.7 percent), Kurukh ( 0.6 percent), Savara (0.5 percent), Gondi (0.5 percent), malto (0.4 percent ), Mundari ( 0.3 percent) and Kuwi ( 0.3 percent). There are also smaller numbers of speakers of the languages ​​of the neighboring Federal States Odishas: Hindi - speakers make up 2.8 percent of the population Odishas. This also includes the spoken parts of the Adivasi population regional languages ​​Sadri, Chhattisgarhi, Laria and Kurmali that are counted in the census as Hindi dialects. In addition, 1.9 percent and 1.3 percent of the population Telugu Bengali native speakers. Under the small Muslim minority Odishas Urdu ( 1.7 percent) is common. English is like all over India as transport and educational language omnipresent.

Religions

Odisha is heavily influenced Hindu. Hindus account for the vast majority of the population, they account according to the 2001 census, 94.4 percent more than the national average of India. Special worship enjoys among the Hindus in Odisha of God Jagannatha, the Jagannath Temple in Puri is consecrated; small copies of the cult images from the Jagannath Temple can be found in village shrines, but also on family altars. A special feature is the - in some rural regions Odishas still practiced - Adoration of the Matrikas and yoginis, both of which are to be long extinct Tantric cults in a certain proximity and differ from orthodox Brahmanism.

There are also smaller minorities of Christians ( 2.4 per cent ), Muslims ( 2.1 per cent) and " other religions " ( 1.1 percent ), among which also covers the beliefs of the Adivasis.

The minority of Christians consists mostly of converts among the tribal population and the " untouchables " ( Dalits ) together. Because of the conversions of Hindus to Christianity, there has been violence by Hindu nationalist groups against Christians. In the second half of 2008, after mistakenly first Christians were accused killing of Swami Lakshmanananda and just before elections in and around Odisha to sectarian pogroms against Christians and churches, in which at least 59 Christians were killed, around 4,000 buildings were set on fire and more than 50,000 people fled for fear of persecution.

History

In classical Indian history there existed the state of Kalinga, which was conquered by Emperor Ashoka so bloody that it supposedly came from repentance to Buddhism. After the end of the Mauryan Empire ( from 183 BC) Kalinga rose by King Kharavela again, a conqueror who conquered in his twelfth year Pataliputra and simultaneously adhered to Jainism.

But this state development Kalingas was by external compulsion, has been promoted to the influence of Magadha, and had no existence. At the time of Gupta existed in the part of the country again several small principalities which had no state-building approaches. Only gradually began from chiefdoms small Hindu kingdoms to develop, for example, that the Mathara (2nd half of the 4th century) and the Sailodbhava ( early 7th century).

In the 8th century, began in Orissa with the Bhaumakara Dynasty to consolidate a political system, which already had a fully developed administrative system of civil servants and copper plate inscriptions, but the communities still conceded autonomy. The Somavamshi Dynasty continued this policy and was in the 10th - 12th Unite century five family seat in Orissa under its management.

At the time of the Islamic invasion ( Delhi Sultans ) to Odisha claimed under the Gajapatis ( Lords of the elephants) of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty, especially Anangabhima III. (reigned 1216-39 ) and his son Narasimha I ( reigned 1238-64 ). Last built the Sun Temple of Konark. Also featured in the 14th century the Ganga kings nor a power factor that until they were replaced in 1435, founded by the king of Kapilendra (reigned about 1435-1468 ) Suryavamshi Dynasty, which lasted until 1534.

The time of the Hindu kings ended in 1568 with the conquest of Orissa by the ( Afghan ) Karani rulers of Bengal, which in turn by Mughal emperor Akbar (r. 1556-1605 ) was eliminated, so that Orissa was annexed to the Mughal Empire. After the end of Marathenkriege the area was British, and came partly under direct management, partly remained the princely states as protectorates exist.

1912 from the western area of the Bengal Presidency was formed the province of Bihar and Orissa. On April 1, 1936, this province was divided and Orissa attained the status of a province. When India became independent, was born on August 15, 1947, the province of Orissa, which were incorporated most of the together in the Eastern States Union princely states on January 1. On January 26, 1950 Orissa became a state of the Indian Union ( see History of India). Since November 4, 2011 it bears the name Odisha.

Policy

Acting Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik since 2000.

Administrative divisions

Odisha 's 30 districts divided (population and population density according to the 2011 census ):

Economy

Odisha is a resource-rich region and holds 20 % of India's known coal reserves, 25 % of India's iron ore, a third of the bauxite reserves and most of the stocks of chrome ore. Odisha has large iron and steel works and makes substantial ongoing investment in the development and expansion of aluminum plants, steel plants, oil refineries and port capacity. Odisha has driven the first Indian state, the privatization of the electricity networks. Eight Special Economic Zones ( SEZ, Special Economic Zones) have been established. The intensive industrialization has caused some resistance in the largely agricultural population rooted. Above all, the company Mittal, Tata, Vedanta Resources and Birlas are misbehaving because of allegations of human rights violations. The gross domestic product of Orissa rose, according to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation from 1990 to 2005 by more than 500%.

In Odishas s only major sea port in Paradip 33 million tonnes of cargo were handled in the reporting year 2005/2006, in the reporting year 2006/2007, 38.5 million. Of these, about a third firing coal and nearly 30% of iron ore, ie the port handles most of the exports to Odishas main raw materials. This is the port after total throughput of the eight largest port of India (2007), for the period 2004 to 2007 the fastest growing. The industrial area of Padang is one of the six petrochemical investment regions ( PCPIRs ) of India. It will offer the utmost to 284 km ² Odishas refinery complex. In addition, the smaller ports of the two cities Dhamra and Gopalpur are expanded.