Explore Indialand: Landlocked States In India

Landlocked States In India

Landlocked countries or states are surrounded by land on all sides or share their only coastlines with closed seas. Generally, being landlocked creates economic and political handicaps for countries but less so for states belonging to the same country. History has thus witnessed past wars, territorial conflicts, and colonization of lands located along the coasts. Such lands are also more densely populated than inland areas and have a milder climate due to the influence of the sea.

In India, nearness to the sea definitely provides some advantages to the coastal states of the country while the landlocked ones are less involved in international trading activities. However, India has a vast wealth of natural resources. Large snow-fed river and navigable river systems in northern India make the northern landlocked states of the country like Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Bihar rich agricultural belts. The presence of the Himalayas, dense forests, and rich wildlife in the other states of northern India like the Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, etc., a popular hub of tourism. Rajasthan, a landlocked state in western India has rich heritage and culture that is again a tourist magnet. Thus, despite being landlocked, the Indian states each have their unique attributes and potential that if harnessed properly will make them prosperous and self-sufficient.