State Profile 1. 1. About Madhya Pradesh: Madhya Pradesh means middle province, and it is located in the geographic heart ofIndia. The state straddles the Narmada River, which runs east and west between the Vindhya and Satpura ranges; these ranges and the Narmada are the traditional boundary between the north and south of India. The state is bordered on the west by Gujarat, on the northwest by Rajasthan, on the northeast by Uttar Pradesh, on the east by Chattishgarh, and on the south by Maharashtra. Madhya Pradesh (mäd'yə prä'dĭsh), state (2001 provisional pop. 60,385,118), 119,010 sq mi (308,240 sq km), central India, between the Deccan and the Ganges plain. The capital is Bhopal. Madhya Pradeshstate is made up of 46 districts, which are grouped into seven divisions. Presently, all districts share the same names as their capitals; West Nimar has been renamed Khargone, and East Nimar has been renamed Khandwa. In 1998 and 1999, seven new districts were created: Barwani district was split from West Nimar, Dindori district was split from Mandla, Harda district was split fromHoshangabad, Katni district