The district of Gajapati was formed out of the district of Ganjam on 2nd October, 1992. The district spreads over the geographical coordinates of 18.45 degrees to 19.40 degree East latitude and 85.48 degree to 84.27 degree North longitude. The small district derives its name from Maharaja Sri Krushna Chandra Gajapati Narayan Deb who was the former king of the princely state of Paralakhemundi and the first prime minster of Orissa.
The district of Gajapati is bound in the north by the districts of Phulbani. On the south lies the state of Andhra Pradesh while on the north and east lies the district of Ganjam. Rayagada district borders Gajapati on the west.
Gajapati is inhabited by tribal people who reside in the mountainous regions of the district. 2,351.11 square kilometers of land area is covered with forests. Only 446.12 square kilometers of the total forested area have been declared as reserve forest. The tribal people derive various forest products from the wooded forest of Gajapati. Patala Garuda, Timber, Hill Broom, B. Kaliakhali, Genduli gum, Dhatuki flowers, Bamboo, Kochila seeds, Marsinga leaf, Siali leaves and Kathalai are some of the products yielded by the forests of the region. The district is yet to achieve a growth in the industrial sector. Only a few agro based small scale industries are present in the district. A part of the hilly terrain is under cultivation.
Although the Gajapati district was a part of the well developed district of Ganjam, the infrastructure of the district is yet under developed. A low rate of literacy prevails in the district of Gajapati.
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Orissa-district-map
angul baleshwar bauda
bhadrak cuttack deogarh
dhenkanal gajapati ganjam
jagatsinghpur jajpur jharsuguda
kalahandi kendrapara khordha
kendujhargarh koraput malkangiri
mayurbhanj nabarangapur nayagarh
nuapada phulabani rayagada
sambalpur sonapur sundargarh
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