Meghalaya was formed by carving out two districts from the state of Assam: the United Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills, and the Garo Hills on 21 January 1972.

The population of Meghalaya as of 2016 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.

During the British rule of India, the British imperial authorities nicknamed it the Scotland of the East.

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.

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 forests are notable for their biodiversity of mammals, birds, and plants.

The important crops are potatoes, rice, maize, pineapples, bananas, papayas, spices, etc.

The service sector is made up of real estate and insurance companies.

Meghalayas gross state domestic product for 2012 was estimated at 16,173 crore (US2.3 billion) in current prices.

The state is geologically rich in minerals, but it has no significant industries.

The state has about 1,170 km (730 mi) of national highways.

It is also a major logistical center for trade with Bangladesh.

Neolithic sites discovered so far are located in areas of high elevation in Khasi Hills, Garo Hills and in neighbouring states, where Neolithic style jhum or shifting cultivation is practised even today.

The highland plateaus fed by abundant rains provided safety from floods and a rich soil.

One of the competing theories for the origin of rice comes from Ian Glover, who states, India is the center of greatest diversity of domesticated rice with over 20,000 identified species and Northeast India is the most favorable single area of the origin of domesticated rice.

The limited archaeology done in the hills of Meghalaya suggest human settlement since ancient times.

His khanqah remains in SarpingLaurergarh on the Bangladeshi border but the part containing his mazar is in Meghalaya on top of Laur Hill.

Later, the British incorporated Meghalaya into Assam in 1835.

The region enjoyed semi-independent status by virtue of a treaty relationship with the British Crown.

When Bengal was partitioned on 16 October 1905 by Lord Curzon, Meghalaya became a part of the new province of Eastern Bengal and Assam.

However, when the partition was reversed in 1912, Meghalaya became a part of the province of Assam.

On 3 January 1921 in pursuance of Section 52A of the Government of India Act of 1919, the governor-general-in-council declared the areas now in Meghalaya, other than the Khasi states, as backward tracts.

Subsequently, the British administration enacted the Government of India Act 1935, which regrouped the backward tracts into two categories: excluded and partially excluded areas.

A movement for a separate Hill State began in 1960.

On 11 September 1968 the Government of India announced a scheme for constituting an autonomous state within the state of Assam comprising certain areas specified in Part A of the table appended to paragraph 20 of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution.

Accordingly, the Assam Reorganisation (Meghalaya) Act of 1969 was enacted for the formation of an autonomous state.

Meghalaya was formed by carving out two districts from the state of Assam: the United Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills, and the Garo Hills.

The name Meghalaya coined by geographer S.P.

Chatterjee in 1936 was proposed and accepted for the new state.

The Act came into effect on 2 April 1970, with the autonomous state having a 37-member legislature in accordance with the Sixth Schedule to the Indian constitution.

Meghalaya attained statehood on 21 January 1972, with a Legislative Assembly of its own.

Meghalaya is mountainous, and it is the rainiest state of India.

The state of Meghalaya is mountainous, with stretches of valley and highland plateaus, and it is geologically rich.

These rock formations contain rich deposits of valuable minerals like coal, limestone, uranium and sillimanite.

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.

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