ARUNACHALPRADESH

Arunachal Pradesh is a state in Northeastern India. It was formed from

the erstwhile North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) region, and became a
state on 20 February 1987. It borders the states of Assam and Nagaland to
the south. It shares international borders with Bhutan in the
west, Myanmar in the east, and a disputed border with China in the north at
the McMahon Line. Itanagar is the state capital of Arunachal Pradesh.
Arunachal Pradesh is the largest of the Seven Sister States of Northeast
India by area. Arunachal Pradesh shares a 1,129 km border
with China's Tibet Autonomous Region.

As of the 2011 Census of India, Arunachal Pradesh has a population of

1,382,611 and an area of 83,743 square kilometres (32,333 sq mi). It is an
ethnically diverse state, with predominantly Monpa people in the west, Tani
people in the centre, Mishmi and Tai people in the east, and Naga
people in the southeast of the state. About 26 major tribes and 100 sub-
tribes live in the state .The main tribes of the state are Adi, Nyshi, Singpho,
Galo, Tagin, Apatani, and so forth. The Mishmi tribe has three sub-tribes,
namely Idu-Mishmi, Digaru-Mishmi and Miju-Mishmi.

Climatic conditions

The climate of Arunachal Pradesh varies with elevation. The low-altitude

areas have a humid subtropical climate. High-altitude areas (3500–5500 m)
have a subtropical highland climate and alpine climate. Arunachal Pradesh
receives 2,000 to 5,000 millimetres (79 to 197 in) of rainfall
annually,[52] 70%–80% obtained between May and October.
 Geographical Distribution

Arunachal Pradesh is located between 26.28° N and 29.30° N latitude and

91.20° E and 97.30° E longitude and has an area of
83,743 km2 (32,333 sq mi).

The highest peak in the state is Kangto, at 7,060 metres (23,160 ft). Nyegi
Kangsang, the main Gorichen peak, and the Eastern Gorichen peak are
other tall Himalaya peaks. The state's mountain ranges, in the extreme
East of India, are described as "the place where the sun rises" in historical
Indian texts and named the Aruna Mountains, which inspired the name of
the state. The villages of Dong (more accessible by car, and with a lookout
favoured by tourists) and Vijaynagar (on the edge of Myanmar) receive the
first sunlight in all of India.
Major rivers of Arunachal Pradesh include the Kameng, Subansiri, Siang
(Brahmaputra), Dibang, Lohit and Noa Dihing rivers. Subsurface flows and
summer snow melt contribute to the volume of water. Mountains until the
Siang river are classified as the Eastern Himalayas. Those between the
Siang and Noa Dihing are classified as the Mishmi Hills that may be part of
the Hengduan Mountains. Mountains south of the Noa Dihing
in Tirap and Longding districts are part of the Patkai Range.

Religion
The religious landscape of Arunachal Pradesh is diverse with no single
religious group representing the majority of the population. A relatively
large percentage of Arunachal's population are nature worshippers
(indigenous religions), and follow their own distinct traditional institutions
like the Nyedar Namlo by the Nyishi, the Rangfrah by the Tangsa & Nocte,
Medar Nelo by the Apatani, the Kargu Gamgi by the Galo and Donyi-Polo
Dere by the Adi under the umbrella of the indigenous religion the Donyi-
Polo.
Economy

Gross Domestic Product

Year
(Billion ₹)

1980 1.070

1985 2.690

1990 5.080

1995 11.840

2000 17.830

2005 31.880

2010 65.210

2014 155.880

Arunachal Pradesh's gross state domestic product was estimated at

US$706 million at current prices in 2004 and US$1.75 billion at current
prices in 2012. Agriculture primarily drives the economy. Jhum, the local
term used for shifting cultivation is being widely practised among the tribal
groups, though owing to the gradual growth of other sources of income in
the recent years, it is not being practised as prominently as it was earlier.
Arunachal Pradesh has close to 61,000 km2 of forests, and forest products
are the next most significant sector of the economy.
MEGHALAYA

Meghalaya meaning "abode of clouds"; from Sanskrit megha, "cloud" + ā-

laya, "abode") is a state in northeastern India. Meghalaya was formed on
21 January 1972 by carving out two districts from the state of Assam: (a)
the United Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills and (b) the Garo Hills. Meghalaya
was previously part of Assam, but on 21 January 1972, the districts of
Khasi, Garo and Jaintia Hills became the new state of Meghalaya. The
population of Meghalaya as of 2014 is estimated to be
3,211,474. Meghalaya covers an area of approximately 22,430 square
kilometres, with a length-to-breadth ratio of about 3:1.

The state is bound to the south by the Bangladeshi divisions

of Mymensingh and Sylhet, to the west by the Bangladeshi division
of Rangpur, and to the north and east by India's State of Assam. The
capital of Meghalaya is Shillong. During the British rule of India, the British
imperial authorities nicknamed it the "Scotland of the East". [12] English is
the official language of Meghalaya. Unlike many Indian states, Meghalaya
has historically followed a matrilineal system where the lineage and
inheritance are traced through women; the youngest daughter inherits all
wealth and she also takes care of her parents.

The state is the wettest region of India, with the wettest areas in the
southern Khasi Hills recording an average of 12,000 mm (470 in) of rain a
year. About 70 per cent of the state is forested.The Meghalaya subtropical
forests eco region encompasses the state; its mountain forests are distinct
from the lowland tropical forests to the north and south. The forests are
notable for their biodiversity of mammals, birds, and plants.
Climate
With the average annual rainfall as high as 12,000 mm (470 in) in some
areas, Meghalaya is the wettest place on Earth.[30] The western part of the
plateau, comprising the Garo Hills region with lower elevations,
experiences high temperatures for most of the year. The Shillong area, with
the highest elevations, experiences generally low temperatures. The
maximum temperature in this region rarely goes beyond 28 °C
(82 °F),[31] whereas sub-zero winter temperatures are common.
The town of Sohra (Cherrapunji) in the Khasi Hills south of capital Shillong
holds the world record for most rain in a calendar month, while the village
of Mawsynram, near Sohra (Cherrapunji), holds the record for the most rain
in a year.

Geography

Meghalaya is one of the Seven Sister States of northeast India. The state
of Meghalaya is mountainous, with stretches of valley and highland
plateaus, and it is geologically rich. It consists mainly of Achaean rock
formations. These rock formations contain rich deposits of valuable
minerals like coal, limestone, uranium and sillimanite.
Meghalaya has many rivers. Most of these are rainfed and seasonal. The
important rivers in the Garo Hills region are Ganol, Daring, Sanda, Bandra,
Bugai, Dareng, Simsang, Nitai and the Bhupai. In the central and eastern
sections of the plateau, the important rivers are Khri, Umtrew, Digaru,
Umiam or Barapani, Kynshi (Jadukata), Umngi, Mawpa, Umiam Khwan,
Umngot, Umkhen, Myntdu and Myntang. In the southern Khasi Hills region,
these rivers have created deep gorges and several waterfalls.
The elevation of the plateau ranges between 150 m (490 ft) to 1,961 m
(6,434 ft). The central part of the plateau comprising the Khasi Hills has the
highest elevations, followed by the eastern section comprising the Jaintia
Hills region. The highest point in Meghalaya is Shillong Peak, which is a
prominent IAF station in the Khasi Hills overlooking the city of Shillong. It
has an altitude of 1961 m. The Garo Hills region in the western section of
the plateau is nearly plain. The highest point in the Garo Hills is Nokrek
Peak with an altitude of 1515 m.

Religion

Meghalaya is one of three states in India to have a Christian majority.

About 75% of the population practices Christianity,
with Presbyterians, Baptists, Church of God, and Catholics the more
common denominations. The religion of the people in Meghalaya is closely
related to their ethnicity. Close to 90% of the Garo tribe and nearly 80% of
the Khasi are Christian, while more than 97% of the Hajong, 98.53% of the
Koch, and 94.60% of the Rabha tribes are Hindu.
Hindus are the largest religious minority in Meghalaya with 11.52% of the
total state's population as of 2011 census Hindus are concentrated mainly
in West Garo Hills, East Khasi Hills and Ri-Bhoi with 19.11 per cent, 17.55
per cent and 11.96 per cent respectively. The Nartiang Durga Temple is a
major Hindu temple in Meghalaya and it is one of the 51 Shakti peethas on
Earth.
Muslims constitute 4.39 % of the population . The Muslims are
concentrated mainly in West Garo Hills with 16.60 %.
Conversion from indigenous to Christianity began in the 19th century during
the British colonial era. In the 1830s, American Baptist Foreign Missionary
Society had become active in Northeast India to convert indigenous tribes
to Christianity.[47] Later, they were offered to expand and reach into
Cherrapunji Meghalaya, but they declined out of the lack of resources.
Economy

Meghalaya is predominantly an agrarian economy. Agriculture and allied

activities engage nearly two-thirds of the total workforce in Meghalaya.
However, the contribution of this sector to the State's NSDP is only about
one-third. Agriculture in the state is characterised by low productivity and
unsustainable farm practices. Despite the large percentage of the
population engaged in agriculture, the state imports food from other Indian
states. Infrastructural constraints have also prevented the economy of the
state from creating high-income jobs at a pace commensurate with that of
the rest of India.
Meghalaya's gross state domestic product for 2012 was estimated
at ₹16,173 crore (US$2.0 billion) in current prices.[As of 2012, according to
the Reserve Bank of India, about 12% of total state population is below the
poverty line, with 12.5% of the rural Meghalaya population is below the
poverty line; while in urban areas, 9.3% are below the poverty line.