Indian States Quiz

Match each Indian state to its capital city.

India's states and union territories — a large, frequently redrawn map organised largely along linguistic lines.

States and union territories

India has twenty-eight states and eight union territories. States have their own elected governments with substantial powers. Union territories are administered by the central government, though a few have their own legislatures.

The count changes. Union territories have been merged, states have been split, and the status of some areas has been reorganised — which is why sources published a few years apart disagree, and why a quiz may not match what you learned.

Organised by language

India's internal boundaries were substantially redrawn in 1956 along linguistic lines, so most states correspond to a major language: Tamil Nadu to Tamil, West Bengal to Bengali, Karnataka to Kannada, Kerala to Malayalam, Maharashtra to Marathi, Gujarat to Gujarati, Punjab to Punjabi.

That makes the map far more learnable than an arbitrary one, because the state name and the language reinforce each other.

The largest and the smallest

Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state, with a population larger than most countries in the world — it would rank among the most populous nations if it were independent.

Rajasthan is the largest by area.

Sikkim and Goa are among the smallest, and Goa, a former Portuguese colony rather than British, has a distinct history from the rest of the country.

The capital

New Delhi is India's capital, and it is technically a district within the larger metropolitan area of Delhi, which is itself a union territory with a special status. Mumbai is the largest city and the financial centre, and is the usual wrong answer.

The newer states

Several states were created relatively recently by splitting larger ones — Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand and Telangana among them. Older maps and older memories do not include these, which is a common source of confusion.

Why this is worth learning

India holds a very large share of the world's population, so its internal geography covers more people than most continents. A single Indian state can hold more people than a large European country, which recalibrates what "state" means.

Where to go next

Asian Capitals covers New Delhi alongside the rest of the continent, and Higher or Lower: Population puts India's scale in context against other countries.

Frequently asked questions

How many states does India have?

Twenty-eight states and eight union territories, though the count has changed several times through reorganisation, so sources published a few years apart can disagree.

Why are Indian states organised by language?

India's internal boundaries were substantially redrawn in 1956 along linguistic lines, so most states correspond to a major language — Tamil Nadu to Tamil, Kerala to Malayalam, Karnataka to Kannada and so on. It makes the map far more learnable than an arbitrary one.

What is the most populous state in India?

Uttar Pradesh, whose population is larger than that of most countries. If it were independent it would rank among the most populous nations in the world.

Is New Delhi or Delhi the capital of India?

New Delhi is the capital. It is a district within the larger metropolitan area of Delhi, which is itself a union territory with special status. Mumbai is the largest city and the most common wrong answer.

Play Indian States offline in the app

Indian States Quiz and the rest of the arcade are in the free Geography Quiz Arcade app: Get it on Google Play · Download on the App Store.