Bihar is in Eastern India, and boarders Nepal. Its capital is Patna which is the centre of commerce and learning. During the colonial days there was large scale migration of people from this area to the West Indies and Mauritius and many still maintain links. The languages are Hindi, Bhojpuri and Magadhi. The state is very populous and provides manpower for various jobs around the country today.

The state also has Buddhist religious and cultural centres especially at Budh Gaya which was the birthplace of Gautama Buddha and in Nalanda. This attracts foreign pilgrims and tourists especially from South East Asia and Japan.

There are a number of medium sized cities with an emerging middle class. The State Government is promoting investment and development of infrastructure especially through railway workshops at Jamalpur.