Deoria is the 144th largest Hindi speaking city of India with a total population of 1,29,479. The highest employment in Deoria district is in the sectors of Food, Machinery and Miscellaneous manufacturing Industry. 60% of the workforce is employed in the Agricultural Sector, 34% in the Industrial Sector and the remaining 6% are Household workers. There are three main rivers, the Ghaghara, Rapti & Chhoti Gandak. The district is primarily agrarian with 79% of the geographical area under cultivation. Agro-climatic conditions of the district are suitable for commercial cultivation of horticulture crops. Major commercial crops are Wheat, paddy, pulses and sugarcane etc. and the major horticulture crops are Potato, tomato mango, guava, banana, etc. The area now known as the Deoria District was once a part of the Kosala Kingdom - a prime centre of ancient Aryan culture. Apart from the many legends told about this area, archaeological remains, such as statues, coins, bricks, temples, and Budh Maths, have been discovered at many locations in this district, showing that there was a developed and organised society long ago. This area was under the control of the Maurya rulers, the Gupta rulers, the Bihar rulers, and then the Garhwal ruler Govinda Chandra from 1114 AD until 1154 AD. The Deoria district came into existence on March 16, 1946, being separated from the Gorakhpur District. It is believed that the name Deoria is derived from Devaranya or possibly Devpuria.
