It consists of a Plateau with a mean elevation of 1600 ft above sea level, The average rainfall ranges from 45 to 90 cm. The climate is temperate, breezy in the plateau, extreme in the north and hot and humid in the southern and eastern plains. A third of the State's area is covered by forests. Madhya Pradesh has the largest population of Scheduled Tribes of all states and a high proportion of scheduled Castes. Together they constitute nearly one-third of the population.
Agriculture is the main stay of the economy.
The important commercial crops are oilseeds, cotton and sugarcane. The 9851 industrial units provide employment to nearly 0.4 million people. Nearly 27 kinds of minerals are being mined in the state. Among these the state is very rich in natural resources like iron ore, manganese ore, coal, limestone and tin. Bhillai Steel Plant near Durg is one of the six major steel mills in India.