Bihar is a land-locked state with Nepal in the north. West Bengal, U.P., Madhya Pradesh and Orissa are the states surrounding it. It is geographically divided into two strikingly different physical regions – the northern fertile plains and the southern regions of Chota Nagpur plateau which is a succession of plateaus, hills and valleys.

In the north, Bihar is a fertile, alluvial plain, the Gangetic Valley; and a rocky, incredibly mineral rich plateau in the south, the Chhotanagpur Plateau- Bihar. The northern plain of this state extends from the foothills of the Himalayas in the north to a few miles south of the river Ganges as it flows through the State from the west to the east. The Chhotanagpur plateau occupies roughly 1/3rd of the south, extending up to the southern border with Orissa. The southern plateau is among the world's richest source of mineral. In the north, rich farmland and lush orchards extend throughout .

Bihar is the single most important source for coal, iron ore and bauxite in India. The south is also a forested area.

Hindi is by far the most common language of the state, understood by all. In addition people speak many dialects in different regions such as Bhojpuri, Magahi and Maithili. Bhojpuri is spoken in the districts of Champaran (East and West), Saran, and Shahabad. Magahi is the dialect of Central Bihar, i.e., the districts of Patna, Gaya and Bihar. Maithili, and its variants, is the dialect of the people in the north-east, i.e., the districts of Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, Darbhanga, Samastipur, Saharsa, Purnia and Bhagalpur.Of all the dialects and languages, only Maithili can be classified as a distinct and uniquely Bihari language.

Bihar Fact File:

Area :  94,163 sq.km.
Population :  8,28,78,796. It is the second-most populous state after U.P.
Main Language : Hindi
Capital : Patna, founded by Sher Shah Suri. It stands on the site of the ancient capital, Pataliputra of the Mauryan empire.
Literacy rate : Lowest in the country (38.48%)