India has 28 states and 8 union territories, 36 units in all, grouped here into 6 regions: Northern, Central, Eastern, Western, Southern and North Eastern. The regions are the Zonal Councils set up by the Government of India. The country has 1,423,437,000 people (government projection for 1 March 2026) and 795 districts. On the interactive map of India above, click any region or unit to see its capital, population, area, districts, top cities and UNESCO World Heritage sites, or type a city name in the search box to find which state it is in.
How to use this interactive map of India
This India map with states draws all 36 states and union territories, and every one is clickable.
- Explore a region: click or tap it to open its states and union territories, population, area, landmarks and food. Switch the Regions / States toggle to see the full India states map with all 36 units.
- Compare data: use View by to color the map by region, population, density, area, GDP per capita, UNESCO sites or unit type (state or union territory).
- Find a place: type a city or district in the search box to see its state and region. Old names such as Bombay, Madras, Calcutta and Bangalore work too.
- Test yourself: the Quiz asks you to find states and regions against the clock. Start it with the quiz link.
- Take it with you: Export downloads the data as CSV with a citation. Printables has labelled and blank maps of India in A4.
We publish the same kind of map for other countries: regions of Italy, regions of Japan and regions of Brazil. For the continent, see Asia.
The 6 regions of India (Zonal Councils)
On this page a region is a Zonal Council. The Zonal Councils are the only formal grouping of Indian states and union territories, and they are the basis for the regions of India on the map. Five were created under the States Reorganisation Act 1956. The sixth, the North Eastern Council, was created by the North Eastern Council Act 1971. Each is an advisory body where neighbouring units discuss shared issues such as water, power and transport. Click a column heading to sort by population, area or number of units.
| Region | Council | Members | Population | Share | Area (km²) | Largest city |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern | Northern Zonal Council | 8 | 191,846,000 | 13.5% | 716,319 | Delhi (DMC) |
| Central | Central Zonal Council | 4 | 375,736,000 | 26.4% | 737,847 | Kanpur |
| Eastern | Eastern Zonal Council | 4 | 318,422,000 | 22.4% | 418,336 | Kolkata |
| Western | Western Zonal Council | 4 | 206,534,000 | 14.5% | 508,040 | Mumbai |
| Southern | Southern Zonal Council | 6 (+2 invitees) | 277,293,000 | 19.5% | 644,520 | Chennai |
| North Eastern | North Eastern Council | 8 | 53,606,000 | 3.8% | 262,179 | Guwahati |
Population is the projection for 1 March 2026, with Census 2011 shown for comparison. The Central region holds 26.4% of the population on 22.4% of the area. The Eastern region is the most crowded, with 761 people per km² on 12.7% of the area. The North Eastern region has 3.8% of the population on 8.0% of the area, a density of 205 per km². The Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep sit in the Southern row but are not members of any council. They attend the Southern Zonal Council as special invitees, so it has 6 members and 8 units on the map.
Regions of India: official zones versus North, South, East and West India
Everyday names such as North India and Central India have no official definition, so they differ from the Zonal Councils in places. The table shows what each label usually covers and how the council grouping compares. This page uses administrative regions. Physical regions, such as the Himalayas, the Indo-Gangetic Plain, the Deccan Plateau and the coasts, cross state lines and are a separate topic.
| Everyday label | Zonal Council | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| North India | Northern: Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Punjab and Rajasthan | Everyday use usually adds Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, which belong to the Central council. Rajasthan is sometimes placed in the west. |
| Central India | Central: Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand | Everyday use often means only Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. |
| East India | Eastern: Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal | Matches. The Northeast is a separate council. |
| West India | Western: Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | Rajasthan is sometimes added. |
| South India | Southern: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Puducherry | Matches. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep attend as special invitees. |
| Northeast India and the Seven Sisters | North Eastern: the seven sisters plus Sikkim | Matches. Sikkim is not one of the seven sisters. |
So the north India states depend on the definition. Under the Northern Zonal Council there are 8 units, 4 of them states: Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan. Counting Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand as well gives 6 states. The east India states and south India states are the same under both readings.
The regions of India one by one
Northern (4 states and 4 union territories: Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Chandigarh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh) covers the Himalayan north, the Punjab plains and the Thar Desert. It includes the national capital and the Kashmir Valley. Rajasthan, at 342,239 km², is the largest state in India. Ladakh has the lowest density in the country, 1.8 people per km².
Central (4 states: Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand) is the most populous region, with 375,736,000 people. Uttar Pradesh alone has 242,859,000, which is 17.1% of India. The region runs from the Ganges plain and the Himalayan foothills to the central plateau.
Eastern (4 states: Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal) stretches from the Ganges plain to the Bay of Bengal. Bihar has the highest density of any state, 1,405 people per km². For the coast, see our list of bays in India.
Western (3 states and 1 union territory: Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu) lies on the Arabian Sea. It has Mumbai, the financial capital, and Maharashtra's 7 World Heritage properties, the most of any state. Goa is the smallest state in India at 3,702 km².
Southern (5 states and 3 union territories: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Puducherry, Lakshadweep and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands) has 277,293,000 people. Lakshadweep and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands attend as special invitees and are not council members. Tamil Nadu has 5 World Heritage properties, the most in the region.
North Eastern (8 states: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura) is the only region made up entirely of states. Seven of them are the Seven Sisters. Sikkim joined the North Eastern Council in 2002 and is the “brother”. Assam has 36,717,000 of the region's 53,606,000 people.
The regions also differ in language and speech. For how that varies across the country, read dialects in India.
28 states and 8 union territories: what is the difference?
India has 36 first-level units: 28 states and 8 union territories. The count was 29 states and 7 union territories from 2014 to 2019, which is why older pages still say 29. Telangana became the 29th state on 2 June 2014. On 31 October 2019 Jammu and Kashmir stopped being a state and became a union territory, and Ladakh was split from it as a second one. Briefly there were 9 union territories, until Dadra and Nagar Haveli merged with Daman and Diu on 26 January 2020. That left 28 states and 8 union territories.
- A state has an elected government headed by a chief minister, with a governor as the constitutional head. India has 28.
- A union territory is administered by the central government through an administrator or lieutenant governor. Three have their own elected legislatures: Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir. The other five do not.
- A district is the next level down. The 795 districts on the map range from 75 in Uttar Pradesh and 55 in Madhya Pradesh to one each in Chandigarh and Lakshadweep.
The newest state is Telangana, formed on 2 June 2014 from part of Andhra Pradesh. The newest union territories are Ladakh (2019) and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (2020).
All 8 union territories of India
The table gives each union territory with its capital, region, population and area. Jammu and Kashmir has two capitals, Srinagar from May to October and Jammu from November to April.
| Union territory | Capital | Legislature | Population 2026 (projected) | Area (km²) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar | Yes | 13,896,000 | 55,538 |
| Chandigarh | Chandigarh | No | 1,267,000 | 114 |
| Delhi | New Delhi | Yes | 22,540,000 | 1,483 |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | Daman | No | 1,541,000 | 603 |
| Lakshadweep | Kavaratti | No | 70,000 | 32 |
| Puducherry | Puducherry | Yes | 1,757,000 | 480 |
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Sri Vijaya Puram | No | 406,000 | 8,249 |
| Ladakh | Leh | No | 305,000 | 166,698 |
Delhi is the most populous union territory (22,540,000) and the most densely settled, with 15,199 people per km². Lakshadweep has the fewest people (70,000) and is the smallest by area at 32 km². Ladakh is the largest by area at 166,698 km², on the official map. Its administered area is 59,146 km².
All 28 states of India
The table lists every state and union territory with its capital, region, population and area. Open it, then click a heading to sort.
All 36 states and union territories
| ISO code | Name | Type | Capital | Region | Population 2026 (projected) | Population 2011 | Area (km²) | Districts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IN-JK | Jammu and Kashmir | Union territory (with legislature) | Srinagar | Northern | 13,896,000 | 12,267,013 | 55,538 | 20 |
| IN-HP | Himachal Pradesh | State | Shimla | Northern | 7,579,000 | 6,864,602 | 55,673 | 12 |
| IN-PB | Punjab | State | Chandigarh | Northern | 31,318,000 | 27,743,338 | 50,362 | 23 |
| IN-CH | Chandigarh | Union territory | Chandigarh | Northern | 1,267,000 | 1,055,450 | 114 | 1 |
| IN-UK | Uttarakhand | State | Dehradun | Central | 11,993,000 | 10,086,292 | 53,483 | 13 |
| IN-HR | Haryana | State | Chandigarh | Northern | 31,299,000 | 25,351,462 | 44,212 | 23 |
| IN-DL | Delhi | Union territory (with legislature) | New Delhi | Northern | 22,540,000 | 16,787,941 | 1,483 | 13 |
| IN-RJ | Rajasthan | State | Jaipur | Northern | 83,642,000 | 68,548,437 | 342,239 | 41 |
| IN-UP | Uttar Pradesh | State | Lucknow | Central | 242,859,000 | 199,812,341 | 240,928 | 75 |
| IN-BR | Bihar | State | Patna | Eastern | 132,265,000 | 104,099,452 | 94,163 | 38 |
| IN-SK | Sikkim | State | Gangtok | North Eastern | 708,000 | 610,577 | 7,096 | 6 |
| IN-AR | Arunachal Pradesh | State | Itanagar | North Eastern | 1,604,000 | 1,383,727 | 83,743 | 27 |
| IN-NL | Nagaland | State | Kohima | North Eastern | 2,294,000 | 1,978,502 | 16,579 | 17 |
| IN-MN | Manipur | State | Imphal | North Eastern | 3,311,000 | 2,855,794 | 22,327 | 16 |
| IN-MZ | Mizoram | State | Aizawl | North Eastern | 1,272,000 | 1,097,206 | 21,081 | 11 |
| IN-TR | Tripura | State | Agartala | North Eastern | 4,260,000 | 3,673,917 | 10,486 | 8 |
| IN-ML | Meghalaya | State | Shillong | North Eastern | 3,440,000 | 2,966,889 | 22,429 | 12 |
| IN-AS | Assam | State | Dispur | North Eastern | 36,717,000 | 31,205,576 | 78,438 | 35 |
| IN-WB | West Bengal | State | Kolkata | Eastern | 100,522,000 | 91,276,115 | 88,752 | 27 |
| IN-JH | Jharkhand | State | Ranchi | Eastern | 40,958,000 | 32,988,134 | 79,714 | 24 |
| IN-OD | Odisha | State | Bhubaneswar | Eastern | 44,677,000 | 41,974,218 | 155,707 | 30 |
| IN-CG | Chhattisgarh | State | Raipur | Central | 31,211,000 | 25,545,198 | 135,191 | 33 |
| IN-MP | Madhya Pradesh | State | Bhopal | Central | 89,673,000 | 72,626,809 | 308,245 | 55 |
| IN-GJ | Gujarat | State | Gandhinagar | Western | 74,086,000 | 60,439,692 | 196,022 | 34 |
| IN-DH | Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | Union territory | Daman | Western | 1,541,000 | 586,956 | 603 | 3 |
| IN-MH | Maharashtra | State | Mumbai | Western | 129,308,000 | 112,374,333 | 307,713 | 36 |
| IN-AP | Andhra Pradesh | State | Amaravati | Southern | 53,709,000 | 49,577,103 | 162,970 | 28 |
| IN-KA | Karnataka | State | Bengaluru | Southern | 68,962,000 | 61,095,297 | 191,791 | 31 |
| IN-GA | Goa | State | Panaji | Western | 1,599,000 | 1,458,545 | 3,702 | 3 |
| IN-LD | Lakshadweep | Union territory | Kavaratti | Southern | 70,000 | 64,473 | 32 | 1 |
| IN-KL | Kerala | State | Thiruvananthapuram | Southern | 36,207,000 | 33,406,061 | 38,863 | 14 |
| IN-TN | Tamil Nadu | State | Chennai | Southern | 77,546,000 | 72,147,030 | 130,058 | 38 |
| IN-PY | Puducherry | Union territory (with legislature) | Puducherry | Southern | 1,757,000 | 1,247,953 | 480 | 4 |
| IN-AN | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Union territory | Sri Vijaya Puram | Southern | 406,000 | 380,581 | 8,249 | 3 |
| IN-TS | Telangana | State | Hyderabad | Southern | 38,636,000 | 35,003,674 | 112,077 | 33 |
| IN-LA | Ladakh | Union territory | Leh | Northern | 305,000 | 274,289 | 166,698 | 7 |
Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state (242,859,000, or 17.1% of India), ahead of Bihar (132,265,000), Maharashtra (129,308,000), West Bengal (100,522,000) and Madhya Pradesh (89,673,000). Sikkim has the fewest (708,000). By area, Rajasthan is the largest at 342,239 km², followed by Madhya Pradesh (308,245 km²) and Maharashtra (307,713 km²). Goa is the smallest at 3,702 km², followed by Sikkim (7,096 km²) and Tripura (10,486 km²).
By density, Bihar is the densest state at 1,405 per km², then West Bengal (1,133) and Uttar Pradesh (1,008). Arunachal Pradesh is the sparsest at 19 per km². The largest cities in each state are in our alphabetical list of cities and towns in India, and richest cities in India and smallest cities in India by area rank them by other measures.
States and capitals of India
Every state and union territory has a capital. Several have two:
- Jammu and Kashmir: Srinagar (May to October) and Jammu (November to April).
- Himachal Pradesh: Shimla, with Dharamshala as a second, winter capital since 2017.
- Maharashtra: Mumbai, with Nagpur as the second capital for the winter legislative session.
- Uttarakhand: Dehradun, with Bhararisain (Gairsain) as the summer capital since 2020.
- Ladakh: Leh, with Kargil also listed as a capital.
- Chandigarh is the capital of both Punjab and Haryana, and a union territory in its own right.
Three capital changes are recent. Since 2 June 2024 Hyderabad is the sole capital of Telangana, after ten years as a joint capital with Andhra Pradesh. Amaravati is the sole capital of Andhra Pradesh under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Act 2026. The capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands was renamed from Port Blair to Sri Vijaya Puram on 13 September 2024. Kerala is also changing its name: Parliament passed the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Act in August 2026, renaming the state Keralam from a date the central government will notify. The map still shows Kerala until the name takes effect.
Delhi is a union territory, and New Delhi, its capital, is the seat of the Government of India. New Delhi is not a state.
How the map of India changed
The present set of states comes from repeated redrawing, mostly along language lines. Each step below changed the count.
| Year | Change |
|---|---|
| 1956 | States Reorganisation Act: states redrawn largely by language, leaving 14 states and 6 union territories. Kerala, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh took their present form on 1 November. |
| 1960 | Bombay State split into Maharashtra and Gujarat on 1 May. |
| 1963 | Nagaland became a state. |
| 1966 | Punjab divided into Punjab and Haryana, with Chandigarh shared and made a union territory. Parts of Punjab went to Himachal Pradesh. |
| 1971 to 1975 | Himachal Pradesh (1971), Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura (1972) and Sikkim (1975) became states. |
| 1987 | Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram (20 February) and Goa (30 May) became states. |
| 2000 | Chhattisgarh (1 November) from Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand (9 November) from Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand (15 November) from Bihar. |
| 2014 | Telangana separated from Andhra Pradesh on 2 June. |
| 2019 | Jammu and Kashmir reorganised into two union territories, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, on 31 October. |
| 2020 | Dadra and Nagar Haveli merged with Daman and Diu on 26 January. |
Why the population figures are projections
India's last census count was in 2011, when the population was 1,210,854,977. The map shows the government's projection for 1 March 2026, 1,423,437,000, which comes from the Technical Group on Population Projections (National Commission on Population, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, report of July 2020). Census 2011 figures appear beside it in the tables.
The next count is Census 2027. House listing runs from April to September 2026. Population enumeration is in February 2027, with a reference date of 1 March 2027. Ladakh and the snow-bound areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand have a reference date of 1 October 2026. Results are not yet published. Other estimates of India's population, such as those of the United Nations, use different methods and differ from this projection.
World Heritage sites by state
India has 45 UNESCO World Heritage properties. Maharashtra has the most with 7, followed by Tamil Nadu with 5, then Rajasthan, Gujarat, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh with 4 each. Properties that cross a boundary, such as the Western Ghats, count once nationally and once in each unit they touch. The newest is the Ancient Buddhist Site of Sarnath, inscribed in 2026. For reasons to visit and live in the country, see benefits of living in India.
Frequently asked questions
How many states are in India?
India has 28 states and 8 union territories, which makes 36 units. The count was 29 states and 7 union territories between 2014 and 2019, before Jammu and Kashmir became a union territory.
What are the regions of India?
India has 6 regions in the official grouping: Northern, Central, Eastern, Western, Southern and North Eastern. They are the Zonal Councils. Everyday labels such as North India and Central India overlap with them but differ in places, for example Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand sit in the Central council.
What are the 8 union territories of India and their capitals?
The 8 union territories are the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Sri Vijaya Puram), Chandigarh (Chandigarh), Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (Daman), Delhi (New Delhi), Jammu and Kashmir (Srinagar in summer, Jammu in winter), Ladakh (Leh), Lakshadweep (Kavaratti) and Puducherry (Puducherry).
What are the states and capitals of India?
Each of the 28 states has its own capital, for example Lucknow for Uttar Pradesh, Mumbai for Maharashtra and Chennai for Tamil Nadu. Chandigarh is the capital of both Punjab and Haryana. The full list is in the states table above.
Which states are in North, South, East, West and Central India?
Under the Zonal Councils, the Northern region has Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan plus 4 union territories. The Southern region has Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana. The Eastern region has Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal. The Western region has Goa, Gujarat and Maharashtra. The Central region has Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The North Eastern region has the 8 northeastern states, Sikkim included. Everyday usage varies, mainly for Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan.
What are the Seven Sisters of India, and is Sikkim one of them?
The Seven Sisters are Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura. Sikkim is not one of them. It joined the North Eastern Council in 2002 and is often called the “brother”, so the North Eastern region has 8 states.
What is the largest state in India, and the smallest?
Rajasthan is the largest state by area at 342,239 km². Goa is the smallest at 3,702 km². By population, Uttar Pradesh is the largest with a projected 242,859,000 people and Sikkim the smallest with 708,000.
What is the most populated state in India?
Uttar Pradesh has the most people, a projected 242,859,000 on 1 March 2026 or 17.1% of India, up from 199,812,341 in Census 2011. Bihar is second with 132,265,000 and Maharashtra third with 129,308,000.
What is the newest state in India?
Telangana is the newest state, formed on 2 June 2014 from Andhra Pradesh. The newest union territories are Ladakh, created on 31 October 2019, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, merged on 26 January 2020.
What is the difference between a state and a union territory?
A state has its own elected government and chief minister. A union territory is administered by the central government through an administrator or lieutenant governor. Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir are exceptions that also have elected legislatures.
How many Zonal Councils are there, and are the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in one?
There are 6: five Zonal Councils created in 1956 and the North Eastern Council created in 1971. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep are not members of any council. They attend the Southern Zonal Council as special invitees.
How many districts does India have?
This map counts 795 districts as notified by the states and union territories. Uttar Pradesh has the most at 75, then Madhya Pradesh at 55 and Rajasthan at 41. The Local Government Directory shows 784 because it lags new notifications.
Sources and methodology
- Population: Report of the Technical Group on Population Projections 2011-2036, National Commission on Population, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, July 2020, Table 8, projected population on 1 March 2026. The report rounds to thousands. The 36 units sum to 1,423,437,000, against 1,423,435,000 in the report's India row. Ladakh, Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli are separate rows in the report, and the last two are summed. These are projections, not a count.
- Census 2011: Census of India 2011 counts by state and union territory, total 1,210,854,977. Figures for Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu are derived from district counts.
- Area: Survey of India figures from the MoSPI state-wise table. The official national total is 3,287,263 km². The 36 unit areas sum to 3,287,241 km², a 22 km² residual because state figures come from different editions. Density divides population by these areas. The boundary on the map follows the Government of India's official map. The official areas of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh include territory administered by Pakistan and China. The areas under Indian administration are 42,241 and 59,146 km².
- Zonal Councils: Ministry of Home Affairs, Zonal Councils and the Inter-State Council Secretariat composition as listed on Wikipedia. The MHA page is out of date for Telangana, Ladakh and Sikkim, so current membership follows the Secretariat listing. Sikkim was added to the North Eastern Council in 2002.
- Districts: 795, from the per-state lists on Wikipedia checked on 7 October 2026. The Local Government Directory shows 784 because it lags recent notifications. State and union territory codes come from the same directory.
- GDP per capita: Reserve Bank of India, Handbook of Statistics on Indian States 2024-25, Table 9, per capita net state domestic product at current prices, 2023-24. Ladakh, Lakshadweep and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu are not in the table.
- World Heritage: UNESCO World Heritage Centre, 45 properties in India (37 cultural, 7 natural, 1 mixed).
- Boundaries: state outlines are the Local Government Directory polygons from the Survey of India, dated 11 December 2023, as republished under CC0 by ramSeraph/indian_admin_boundaries. Cities come from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) and Census of India 2011 town tables.
- Census 2027: schedule and reference dates as announced by the Government of India and reported by PIB.
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