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Meghalaya Map - Enlarge view |
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State |
Meghalya |
| Capital |
Shillong |
| Largest city |
Shillong |
| Area |
22,429 kmē |
| Density |
103 kmē |
| Districts |
7 |
| Time zone IST |
(UTC +5:30) |
| Official languages |
Garo, Khasi, English |
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Meghalaya is a small state in north-eastern India. The word
"Meghalaya" literally means "The Abode of Clouds" in Hindi and Sanskrit.
Meghalaya is a hilly strip in the eastern part of the country about 300 km
long and 100 km wide. About one third state of Meghalya is forested. The
forests of Meghalaya are notable for their biodiversity of mammals, birds,
and plants.
History :- Meghalaya was formed by carving out the two districts of
the state of Assam: the United Khasi and Jaintia Hills, and the Garo Hills
on 21 January 1972. Prior to attaining full statehood, Meghalaya was given a
semi-autonomous status in 1970. In 1971, the Parliament passed the
North-Eastern Areas which conferred full statehood on the Autonomous State
of Meghalaya. Meghalaya attained statehood on 21 January 1972, with a
Legislative Assembly of its own.
Culture :- The main tribes in Meghalaya are the Jaintias , the Khasis
and the Garos. One of the unique features of the State is that a majority of
the tribal population in Meghalaya follows a matrilineal system where
lineage and inheritance are traced through women. The tribal people of
Meghalaya are therefore a part of what may be the world's largest surviving
matrilineal culture. According to India's National Family Health Survey,
Meghalaya is the state where parents have shown the least interest to have a
male child - 73% less than the national average.
Geography :- The State of Meghalaya is also known as
the "Meghalaya Plateau". It consists mainly of archean rock formations.
These rock formations contain rich deposits of valuable minerals like coal,
limestone, uranium, silimanite etc. Meghalaya has many rivers. Most of these
are rainfed and are therefore seasonal. The important rivers in the Garo
Hills Region are Daring, Sanda, Bandra, Bhogai, Dareng and Simsang, Nitai
and the Bhupai. In the central and eastern section of the plateau the
important rivers are Umkhri, Digaru, Umiam, Kynchiang , Mawpa, Umiew or
Barapani, Myngot and Myntdu. In the southern Khasi Hills Region, these
rivers have created deep gorges and some of the most beautiful waterfalls.
Climate :- The climate of Meghalaya is moderate but humid. With
average annual rainfall as high as 1200 cm in some areas. Meghalaya is the
wettest state of India. Best time to visit Meghalaya is during the months of
March to July. Originally the British and Assam Tea Estate owners would
shift here during the summer months to escape the heat of the Indian Plains.
Economy :- Meghalaya is predominantly an agrarian economy.
Agriculture and allied activities engage nearly two-thirds of the total work
force in Meghalaya. Agriculture in the state is characterized by low
productivity and unsustainable farm practices giving rise to a high
incidence of rural poverty. As a result despite the large percentage of
population engaged in agriculture. The state is still dependent upon imports
from other states for most food items such as meat, eggs, food grains etc.
Transport :- Meghalaya is a land locked state with a large number of
small settlements in remote areas. Road is the only means of transport
within the state. Most of the arrivals into the Meghalaya take place through
Guwahati in neighboring Assam, which is nearly 103 km away. Assam has a
major railhead as well as an airport with regular train and air services to
the rest of the country. The State still has a large number of old timber
bridges. Meghalaya does not have any railhead. It has a small airport at
Umroi, about 40 km from Shillong on the Guwahati-Shillong highway.
Tourism :- Meghalaya has some of the thickest surviving forests in
the country and therefore constitutes one of the most important ecotourism
circuits in the country today. The Meghalayan subtropical forests support a
vast variety of flora and fauna. Meghalaya has 2 National Parks and 3
Wildlife Sanctuaries.
Meghalaya also offers many adventure tourism opportunities in the form of
mountaineering, rock climbing, trekking and hiking, water sports etc. The
Umiam lake has a water sports complex with facilities such as rowboats,
paddleboats, sailing boats, cruise-boats, water-scooters and speedboats.
Meghalaya has an estimated 500 natural limestone and sandstone caves spread
over the entire state including five of longest and deepest caves in the
sub-continent. Some of these caves also have water channels running through
them. Cavers from United Kingdom, Germany and US have been visiting
Meghalaya for exploring these caves.
Major Travel Destinations
>> Cherrapunji
>> Shillong
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