Eastern India contains the state of Bihar. In terms of population, it ranks third, while in terms of area and GDP it ranks 12th and 15th, respectively, in 2021.[ Bihar shares boundaries with the northern region of West Bengal to the east, Nepal to the north, Uttar Pradesh to the west, and Jharkhand to the south. The Ganges River, which runs from west to east, divides Bihar. Southern Bihar was given up to create the new state of Jharkhand on November 15, 2000.[ In Bihar, only 11.27% of people reside in cities, according to a 2020 report. Bihar also has the biggest percentage of young people of any Indian state, with about 58% of its population being under 25. Hindi is the official language..which is recognized officially with Urdu. The three primary native tongues are Magahi, Bhojpuri, and Maithili. However, there are a number of additional languages that are spoken at a lesser degree.
In ancient and classical India, the area that is now Bihar was considered a sanctuary of learning, a hub of political and cultural power.[From Magadha came the first Indian kingdom, the Maurya, and one of the most widely practiced religions in the world, Buddhism.[17][Insufficient substantiation] The Mauryan and Gupta dynasties, among others, were among the Magadha empires that ruled over vast regions of South Asia. Another region of Bihar, Mithila, was the seat of the Videha empire and an early center of scholarship.