The district of Rae Bareli comes under Lucknow division of
Uttar Pradesh. It is bounded by
Lucknow District and
Bara-Banki District in the north,
Sultanpur District in the east,
Unnao District in the west,
Pratapgarh District in the south-east, and the river
Ganges in the south. Rae Bareli has a population of about 2.8 million, occupying an area of 4,609 sq km.
Rae Bareli District got its name after its headquarters town, Rae Bareli. Earlier, the town was known as Bharauli or Barauli which in course of time got changed into Bareli. The prefix, Rae resembles the name of a village, called Rahi which is situated 5 km west of the town. Literarily, Rae is the common title of the Kayasths who were masters of the town for a short period of time.
Economy depends on both agriculture and industries. Paddy, wheat, pulses, juar, sugarcane, and potato are the main crops produced. There are large, small, and medium scale industrial units such as Nandganj Sirohi sugar mill, Birla cement factory, Concepta cables, and the traditional manufacturing units of brassware, shoes, and earthen toys.
Samaspur bird sanctuary,
Dalmau, Indira Gandhi Memorial Botanical Garden, and Jais are some of the noteworthy places.
