States and union territories of India
| States and union territories of India | |
|---|---|
| Category | Federated states |
| Location | Republic of India |
| Number | 28 States 8 Union territories |
| Populations | States: Sikkim – 610,577 (lowest) Uttar Pradesh – 199,812,341 (highest) Union Territories: Lakshadweep – 64,473 (lowest) Delhi – 16,787,941 (highest) |
| Areas | States: Goa – 3,702 km2 (1,429 sq mi) (smallest) Rajasthan – 342,269 km2 (132,151 sq mi) (largest) Union territories: Lakshadweep – 32 km2 (12 sq mi) (smallest) Ladakh – 59,146 km2 (22,836 sq mi) (largest) |
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| Subdivisions | |
| India portal |
India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, for a total of 36 subnational entities. The states and union territories in turn are each subdivided into a total of around 800 districts, which contain further administrative subdivisions.
Under the Indian Constitution and laws, the states of India are self-governing administrative divisions, each having a state government. The legal power to manage affairs in each state is shared or divided between the particular state government on one hand and the national union government on the other. The union territories are directly governed by the union government; no state level government (and thus no division of power) exists in these jurisdictions.