Meghalaya History, Geography, Economy, Polity and Districts

Through this chapter, we will know the detailed and important information of Meghalaya, in which important and interesting information like history, geography, economy, education, culture and world famous tourist places located in the state have been added. Apart from this, the recent developments and changes in the state of Meghalaya have also been explained in detail. This chapter is full of interesting facts for the competitive aspirants as well as the readers.

Quick General Knowledge

State Level	State
Capital	Shillong
Statehood	21 January 1972
Largest City	Shillong
Total Area	22,429 sq km
Districts	11
Current Chief Minister	Conrad Kongkal Sangma
Current Governor	Fagu Chauhan
State Bird	Common hill myna
State Flower	Paphiopedilum insigne
State Animal	Clouded leopard
State Tree	Aquilaria malaccensis
Languages	English
State Dance	Laho, Baala, Ka Shad Suk Mynsiem and Nongkrem.

Meghalaya (मेघालय)

Meghalaya is a state located in the northeast of India. The capital of Meghalaya and the largest city of the state is Shillong. Assam is situated in the north of the state and Bangladesh in the south. The total area of Meghalaya is about 22,429 square kilometers.

Meghalaya History

During the partition of Bengal in 1905, Meghalaya became part of Assam and East Bengal. Lord Curzon was responsible for the partition of Bengal. When partition was canceled in 1912, Meghalaya became an integral part of the state of Assam. At the time of India's independence in 1947, Meghalaya with two districts enjoyed true autonomy within Assam itself. After the approval of the North East Act area in 1971, Meghalaya was recognized as a state. Meghalaya was given the status of a semi-autonomous state in 1970, before attaining full statehood. On 21 January 1972, the Jaintia Hills and the United Khasi Hills were merged to form the state of Meghalaya.

Meghalaya Geography

Meghalaya means the cloud of Megho, the fountain of clouds. There are many rivers here including Ganol, Umiam, Mingot, Mikhem and Darang. Apart from these rivers, you can find many more rivers like Umiam, Mavpa and Khari here. There are wide plains, hills and rivers, valleys. A narrow strip of flat land at the foothills of the mountain is along the international border of Bangladesh. The state flower of Meghalaya is 'Lady Slipper Orchid'. The state bird of Meghalaya is 'Pahari Myna'. The state tree of Meghalaya is 'white teak'. The official animal of Meghalaya is 'Malin Leopard'. The highest peak of Meghalaya is Shillong peak, which is 1966 meters high.

Meghalaya Climate

The climate of Meghalaya is subtropical (between hot and cold) and humid. The state receives annual rainfall from 1200 cm annually, due to which this state is called the most "moist" state of the country. The temperature here ranges from 20 degree to 29 degree in summer and between 11 degree to 21 degree in winter.

Meghalaya Politics and Government

The Chief Minister of Meghalaya is the head of the government of the north-eastern state. According to the Constitution of India, the Governor of Meghalaya is the judiciary of the state, but the de facto executive authority is the Chief Minister. Mizoram has 60 seats in the Legislative Assembly, 02 in the Lok (Parliamentary) Assembly and 01 in the Rajya Sabha.

The major political parties of the state are United Democratic Party, Meghalaya Democratic Party, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Indian National Congress.

The state currently has a government of the Indian National Congress. The current Chief Minister of Meghalaya is Conrad Sangma. Williamson A., the first person to become the Chief Minister of Meghalaya. Was Sangma. He was sworn in as the Chief Minister of the state on 02 April 1970.

The current Governor of Meghalaya is Satya Pal Malik. Satya Pal Malik was sworn in as the Governor of Meghalaya on 18 August 2020.

Meghalaya Economy

Like almost all other north-eastern states, Meghalaya is largely dependent on timber and wood based industries. The mining sector also contributes significantly to the state's income, and private entrepreneurs are involved in the process. Meghalaya is basically an agricultural state with about 80% of the population completely dependent on agriculture for their livelihood. About 10% of the geographical area of Meghalaya is under cultivation.

Meghalaya Agriculture

Agriculture is the mainstay of Meghalaya's economy. About 80% of the people of Meghalaya depend on agriculture and allied activities. Rice and maize are one of the major crops of this state. Other crops of the state include potato, turmeric, ginger, black pepper, betel nut, pan tapioca, short fiber cotton, jute and mesta, mustard and rapeseed, oilseeds (peanuts, soybeans and sunflower), cashews, strawberries, tea and coffee, mushrooms , Herbs, orchids etc. are also cultivated. Oranges (Khasi Mendarian), pineapple, banana, jackfruit and potato bukhara, pear and peach crops are also grown in the state in various fruits.

Meghalaya Education System

According to the 2011 census, the literacy rate of this state is 75.48%. Meghalaya is one of the least developed states of India. There are about 5,517 educational institutions in the state. The state also has a polytechnic and a university. There are also several secondary and higher level educational schools.

Meghalaya Industries

Many types of natural resources are also found in the state, which mainly include sillimanite, lime, coal and granite.

Major industries in the state include iron, steel, cement and industries.

Meghalaya Population

According to the 2011 census, Meghalaya has a population of 2,966,889 crore. Males constitute 1,475,057 and females constitute 27.82% of the state's population.

Meghalaya Traditional Dresses

Meghalaya is home to the Khasi, Jaintia and Garo tribes. Jansem is the traditional dress for women and is usually made of mulberry silk, a local specialty. Over the Jainsem, they wear a cotton shawl called tapa-moha. The men of the Garo tribe wear a loincloth as part of their traditional dress. The men of the Khasi tribe wear a long, unstitched cloth around their waist. During the festival of Ka Shad Suk Minsi, male dancers wear a beautiful turban made of silk, with a semi-circular plate of gold or silver around the neck.

Meghalaya Culture

Meghalaya is mainly dominated by three major tribes. There are some dance forms that are integral to the culture of Meghalaya such as Laho, Shad Nongkrem, Dorerata, Shad Sukminseem and Dokrusua. A large number of people believe that Shaad Sukminissim is the dance of 'happy heart'. The dance and drinking with the sound of buffalo horns, flutes and mridangas is an integral part of the social ceremonies and religious rituals here. The traditional dress of Meghalaya is Jimphong.

Meghalaya Offical Languages

The official language here is English. Other languages spoken by the people of Meghalaya include Garo, Khasi, Var, Cherrapunji, Hinriam and Nar.

Meghalaya Cuisines

Meghalaya has its own distinct specialty of food. Local Jadoh with Pork cuisine is from Meghalaya. Other main dishes include Jadoh, Nakhum Bitchi and Pumaloi.

Meghalaya Festivals

Pamblang-Nongkrem of Meghalaya is a major religious festival of specialties. Which is celebrated for five days. It is also known as 'Nongkrem'. Other major festivals in the state include Vangala, Behinikhalam Jaintia and Shad Suk Minseem.

Meghalaya Tribes

Most of the population of the Ghalaya is tribal people. The Khasi group has the highest number of people in the state. The Garo is the second largest group after the Khasi. Other tribes found here mainly reside in the Khasi, Jaintia and Garo tribal communities. Apart from this, there are also Jaintia and Hajong people. About 15% of the population is unborn, which includes Bengalis and Sheikhs. Meghalaya is one of the 3 states in India that has around 70.3% of the Christian community's population.

Meghalaya Tourist Places

Tourism is a very important part of Meghalaya's economy. There are many tourist places in Meghalaya, which attract tourists. Important tourist places here are Shillong, Umiam Lake, Cherrapunji, Mawsynram, Jakriyam, Myrang, Jowai, Nartiang, Thadalashin, Tura, Siju and Balpakram National Park, Nartiang Durga Temple, Sri Ramakrishna Temple, Mother Temple, Sri Ramakrishna Temple, Mahadev Khola There are Dham, Shillong Peak, Ward's Lake, Umiam Lake, Polo Ground, Elephant Waterfall, Balpakram National Park, Nokrek National Park, Lady Hydari Park, Mini Zoo and Siju Bird Sanctuary.

Meghalaya Districts

There are a total of 08 districts in the state of Meghalaya, East Khasi Hills by population is the largest district in the state with a population of 825922, while the largest district by area is West Khasi Hills.

Meghalaya consists of the following 08 districts: - East Garo Hills, West Garo Hills, North Garo Hills, South Garo Hills, South West Garo Hills, East Jaintia Hills, West Jaintia Hills, East Khasi Hills, South West Khasi Hills, West Khasi Hills and Ri Bhoi

Meghalaya Developments

Under Budget 2021-22, the state government allocated Rs 1,080 crore for the development of roads and bridges, Rs 820 crore for the health and family welfare department.
In May 2021, Chief Minister Mr. Conrad Sangma informed that the Central Government has approved a prospecting licence for coal mining in the state.
In FY21, Meghalaya Farmers Mobilisation Project will be implemented at a cost of Rs. 5.12 billion (US$ 69.55 million) over a five-year period. Programmes will be launched for the establishment of cluster-based, farmer owned and farmer-operated markets.
In currently, the Gross State Domestic Product (GDP) of Meghalaya reached Rs. 0.35 trillion in 2019-20. The state’s GDP (in Rs.) increased at a CAGR of 6.74% between 2015-16 and 2020-21.
In FY21, passenger traffic at Barapani Airport reached 5,690 and aircraft movements at the airport stood at 146.
Meghalaya ranked as the fourth best performer in the implementation of Swadesh Darshan scheme.
As of April 2021, Meghalaya had a total installed power generation capacity of 616.03 MW, comprising 354.53 MW from state utilities, 13.92 from private utilities and 247.58 MW from central utilities. Of the total installed power generation capacity, 409.27 MW was contributed by hydropower, 160.31 MW by thermal power and 46.45 MW by renewable power.