Begusarai has a total population of 2,52,008 and ranks 69th in terms of Hindi speakers. Highest employment in Begusarai is in the Agriculture sector, Oil refinery, Thermal Power station and in dairy. Out of entire the workforce, 61% are employed in Agriculture sector, 33% are employed in the above mentioned Industrial segment and remaining 6% are Household workers. Begusarai is a good agricultural belt because of the Ganga plain. Major rivers of Begusarai district are Ganga, Burhi Gandak, Bagmati and Balan. The main cash crops of Begusarai district are oilseeds, aniseed/ tisi, tobacco, jute, potato, red chillies, tomato and rape-seed. In fruits, Litchi, Mango, Guava and Banana are mainly produced. The name of the district apparently comes from "Begum" (queen) + "Sarai" (inn) as "Begum" of Bhagalpur used to come to the "Simaria Ghat" of Ganga for a month of pilgrimage which later took the present slang form Begusarai.
