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Northeast India

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Northeast India is a special part of the country located in the far east.

SevenSisterStates
SevenSisterStates

It is made up of seven different states often called the "Seven Sisters." These states are Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura. The state of Sikkim is also part of this region and is known as the "Brother" state. This area is very important because it sits right against five other countries. It shares borders with China, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan.

Brahmaputra-river-basin
Brahmaputra-river-basin

A narrow path called the Siliguri Corridor connects this region to the rest of India.

The land here is very diverse and changes a lot as you travel.

Ganges.A2001296.0425.1km
Ganges.A2001296.0425.1km

Most of the area is filled with hilly terrain and deep valleys. There are also flat plains, such as the Brahmaputra and Barak valleys. The weather is usually hot and humid with very heavy monsoon rains. In the high mountains of Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, the winters are cold and snowy.

Kanchenjunga
Kanchenjunga

Some places even have rainforests that are among the last left in India. These wet forests are home to many different plants and animals.

History shows that many different people have lived in this region for a long time.

Joppen1907BritishBengalBritishBurmaA
Joppen1907BritishBengalBritishBurmaA

Early settlers may have come from Southeast Asia or China. Long ago, Chinese explorers even found trade routes through this land. In the 7th century, a Buddhist monk named Xuanzang visited a place called Kamarupa. He described the people there as having a different way of speaking. Later, during the 19th century, the British took control of much of the area. This changed how the states connected to their neighbors like Bhutan and Myanmar.

This region is famous for many important things and records.

Rhinoceros unicornis, Kaziranga (2006)
Rhinoceros unicornis, Kaziranga (2006)

It is very rich in minerals, including oil and natural gas. In fact, India's very first oil well was dug in Digboi, Assam, in 1865. The region also has the world's third highest mountain, Kangchenjunga.

A scene from Kanchenjunga National Park, Sikkim (1)
A scene from Kanchenjunga National Park, Sikkim (1)

This huge peak stands at 8,586 meters tall. During World War II, the area saw fierce battles at Imphal and Kohima. Many people fought there in 1944 during a very difficult time.

Today, Northeast India is a place where many cultures live together. It is one of the most linguistically diverse places in the whole world. This means people speak many different languages there. The states work together through a group called the North Eastern Council.

SevenSisterStates
SevenSisterStates

This group was started in 1971 to help the states grow and develop. New projects are also working to connect the region to East Asia. This helps the area stay connected to the rest of the world.

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🖼️ Images & Media (51)
File:Joppen1907BritishBengalBritishBurmaA.jpg
Joppen1907BritishBengalBritishBurmaA.jpg
File:1907-east-bengal-assam3.jpg
1907-east-bengal-assam3.jpg
File:SevenSisterStates.svg
SevenSisterStates.svg
File:Ganges.A2001296.0425.1km.jpg
Ganges.A2001296.0425.1km.jpg
File:Kanchenjunga.JPG
Kanchenjunga.JPG
File:Brahmaputra-river-basin.png
Brahmaputra-river-basin.png
File:Riverteesta.jpg
Riverteesta.jpg
File:India map of Köppen climate classification.svg
India map of Köppen climate classification.svg
File:IndianPlate.png
IndianPlate.png
File:A scene from Kanchenjunga National Park, Sikkim (1).jpg
A scene from Kanchenjunga National Park,...
File:Asiatic buffalo.jpg
Asiatic buffalo.jpg
File:One-Horned Rhino at the Kaziranga National Park, Assam.jpg
One-Horned Rhino at the Kaziranga...

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