Meghalaya
State of northeast India, bordered to the north by Assam, to the south by Bangladesh; area 22,489 sq km/8,683 sq mi; population (2001 est) 2,306,100, mainly Khasi, Jaintia, and Garo. The capital is Shillong. The state is upland with hills reaching 2,000 m/6,500 ft, rising steeply in the south away from its border with Bangladesh. There is heavy monsoon rainfall. Minerals in the area include coal, limestone, white clay, and corundum, which are mainly unexploited. Industries include mineral extraction, which includes 95% of India's sillimanite, a mineral from which high-grade ceramic clay is derived. Agricultural products include cotton, potatoes, fruit, rice, maize, timber, and jute. 70% of the population are Hindu.
History
The state was created in 1972 from the
Khasi, Jaintia,
Garo districts of
Assam, which were formerly small kingdoms inhabited by separate tribal groups.
