Uttar Pradesh, ‘Northern Region’, the fertile plains watered by the holy Ganga and all its tributaries. Uttar Pradesh is home to two of the best known Universities of the country - Benares Hindu University and Aligarh Muslim University.

   Lucknow, capital city, offers the tourist palaces of the Nawabs, colonial monuments of the Residency, La Martiniere Palace, and Vidhan Sabha Bhavan. The Labyrinth or Bhool bhulaiya (bhul-bhulaiya) is the most interesting spot.

   The Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world and the fort at Agra, the capital city built by the Emperor Akbar - Fatehpur Sikri, Akbar Mausoleums at Sikandra and ruins of the Kushan kings at Kannauj, the forts and ruins of Chunar, Jaunpur, Jhansi, and Rampur, and Muslim monuments of Faizabad and fort at Ramnagar are popular tourist destinations.

   Varanasi, one of the seven sacred cities of Hindus; Triveni sangam of the rivers Ganga, Yamuna, and the unseen Saraswati at Allahabad, known as Prayag; the Ramayana trail of Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Rama, and Chitrakut, where he spent his exile; Lord Krishna trail of Mathura, His birthplace, Gokul, where he was brought up in secrecy, Vrindavan, the scene of his dalliance with the gopis and Radha, Govardhan, the hillock Krishna held up to protect people of Braj from rains; temples of Misrikh Neemsar, Batesar, and Naimisharanya and the retreat for meditation at Garhmukteshwar form the Hindu trail; Deva Sharief near Lucknow and Dargah of Sheikh Salim Chishti at Fatehpur Sikri and Moradabad mosque are sacred to Muslims. Kushinagar, Shravasti and Sarnath have Buddhist stupas, and other ruins.

   Chandraprabha, Dudhwa, and Nawabganj bird sanctuary are the best known.

   Kanpur and Bareilly are industrial centres of the state.