Bihar, On 15 November 2000, southern Bihar was ceded to form the new state of Jharkhand.[15] Only 11.3% of the population of Bihar lives in urban areas, which is the lowest in India after Himachal Pradesh.[16] Additionally, almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25,[17] giving Bihar the highest proportion of young people of any Indian state.
In ancient and classical India, the area that is now Bihar was considered a centre of power, learning, and culture.[18] From Magadha arose India's first empire, the Maurya empire, as well as one of the world's most widely adhered-to religions, Buddhism.[19] Magadha empires, notably under the Maurya and Gupta dynasties, unified largIt is the thirteen-largest Indian state, with an area of 94,163 km2 (36,357 sq mi). As the third-largest state by population, it is contiguous with Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West Bengal to the east, with Jharkhand to the south. The Bihar plain is split by the river Ganges which flows from west to east.[10] Bihar is an amalgamation of three distinct regions: Magadh, Mithila, and Bhojpur.
In ancient and classical India, the area that is now Bihar was considered a centre of power, learning, and culture.[18] From Magadha arose India's first empire, the Maurya empire, as well as one of the world's most widely adhered-to religions, Buddhism.[19] Magadha empires, notably under the Maurya and Gupta dynasties, unified large parts of South Asia under a central rule.
Regions—the coastal plain, the hill ranges (the Western Ghats), the Bihar Plateau to the east, and the black-soil tract to the northwest. The coastal plain represents a northward continuation of the Malabar Coast, with sand dunes giving place inland to small alluvial plains and lagoons. The coast itself is difficult to access, except by sea.