Madhya Pradesh (
MP) (, , meaning Central Province) is a state in central
India. Its
capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is
Indore. Nicknamed the "heart of India" due to its geographical location in India, Madhya Pradesh is the second-largest state in the country by area. With over 75 million inhabitants, it is the sixth-largest state in India by population. It borders the states of
Uttar Pradesh to the north-east,
Chhattisgarh to the south-east,
Maharashtra to the south,
Gujarat to the west, and
Rajasthan to the northwest.