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Kandhamal district

Kandhamal
କନ୍ଧମାଳ ଜିଲ୍ଲା
Phulabani (ଫୁଲବାଣୀ)
District
Jagannath temple in Phulbani, the headquarters of Kandhamal
Jagannath temple in Phulbani, the headquarters of Kandhamal
Location in Odisha, India
Location in Odisha, India
Coordinates: 20°28′N 84°14′E / 20.47°N 84.23°E / 20.47; 84.23Coordinates: 20°28′N 84°14′E / 20.47°N 84.23°E / 20.47; 84.23
Country  India
State Odisha
Headquarters Phulbani
Government
 • Collector Raghu G
 • Member of Lok Sabha Pratyusha Rajeshwari Singh, BJD
Area
 • Total 8,021 km2 (3,097 sq mi)
Elevation 700 m (2,300 ft)
Population (2011)
 • Total 731,952
 • Density 91/km2 (240/sq mi)
Languages
 • Official Odia, English
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN 762 0xx
Vehicle registration OD-12
Sex ratio 0.964 /
Literacy 65.12%
Lok Sabha constituency Kandhamal
Vidhan Sabha constituency 3, 102- Balliguda (S.T.), 103- G. Udayagiri (S.T), 104- Phulbani (S.C.)
Climate Aw (Köppen)
Precipitation 1,587 millimetres (62.5 in)
Avg. summer temperature 40 °C (104 °F)
Avg. winter temperature 5 °C (41 °F)
Website www.kandhamal.nic.in

Kandhamal(Odia: କନ୍ଧମାଳ ଜିଲ୍ଲା) is a district of the state of Odisha, India. The district headquarters of the district is Phulbani.

The Kandhmal district was created on 1 January 1994 from the former Boudh-Kandhmal district as a result of district reorganization in the state of Odisha. Before that the district was known as Phulbani.

The district lies between 83.30° E to 84-48° E longitude and 19-34° N to 20-54° latitude. The district headquarters is Phulbani, located in the central part of the district. The other popular locations are Baliguda, G. Udayagiri, Tikabali and Raikia.

The territory is rural, with scenic beauty such as waterfalls and springs, and also has a number of historical antiquities.

A majority of the land area of the district (71%) is forests, and 12% of the land is cultivable. The connectivity with other districts is poor. Kandhamal is one of the poorest districts in Orissa, ranking 29th out of 30 districts by the Human Development Index.

According to the 2011 census Kandhamal district has a population of 731,952, roughly equal to the nation of Guyana or the US state of Alaska. This gives it a ranking of 497th in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of 91 inhabitants per square kilometre (240/sq mi). Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 12.92%. Kandhamal has a sex ratio of 1037 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 65.12%.

Most inhabitants belong to the Kandha (Khonds) tribes, who are said to be "proud and aggressive" in the words of a district official. They hold 77% of the cultivable land. About 17% of the population are Panas who are designated as Scheduled Castes. They hold 9% of the cultivable land. The majority of the Panas (90%) are Christian. Frequest clashes occur between the Kandhas and the Panas and, since 2000, the clashes took on a religious aspect, leading to massive riots in August-September 2008.


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