Situated in the northern part of India in the Western Himalayas, Himachal Pradesh occupies a region of scenic splendor and breathtaking landscapes. It is bounded by the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in the north, Punjab in the west, Haryana in the southwest, and Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand in the south. Himachal Pradesh also shares its border with the Tibet Autonomous Region in China in the east. This mountainous state is home to the most beautiful hill stations, rivers, valleys, high-altitude mountain passes, glacier lakes, and biodiverse national parks. It is one of the richest reservoirs of biological diversity in the world. The state animal is Snow Leopard, which is a rare and endangered species and can be found in Spiti Valley.