Bihar is a state in East India. It is the 13th largest state, with an area of 94,163 km2 (36,357 sq mi) and the 3rd largest by population. It is contiguous with Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West Bengal to the east, and with Jharkhand to the south. The Bihar plain is bifurcated by the river Ganges which flows from west to east.

In 2000, southern Bihar was separated from Bihar to form the new state of Jharkhand. Close to 85% of the population lives in villages. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion of young people of the population of any state in India. Hindi and Urdu are the official languages of the State. Other languages of the state are Bhojpuri, Maithili, Magahi, Bajjika, and Angika, of which only Maithili is recognized by the government of India.