The state is divided into nine districts, each with a district headquarters. Imphal is the capital of the state. Other important towns are Churachanpur, Thoubal, and Bishnupur.
Manipur is predominantly hilly, with nine-tenth of the land in the state having a mountain terrain. The state also has some plain area. The plains lie in a valley, surrounded by hills, in the center of the state. The hill-terrain is higher in the north of the state, gradually diminishing towards the south of the state.
The districts which lie in the valley are Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal and Bishnupur. These districts have a small area, but are very populous. Bishnupur district has a large population of migrants from Bihar and Orissa, apart from the ethnic tribal Meities of Manipur. The population density of the district is 341 per square kilometer. The famous Keibul Lamjo national Park falls in the district. Large areas of Manipur are under forests, especially in the north and the south. Senapati district in the north has forest cover of 80%. Other districts with a large forest cover are Ukhrul and Chandel.
Roads are a lifeline of the state as there is no rail link. The road network is most developed in the Thoubal district, with 35 kilometers of national highways and 60 kilometers of district roads. National highway 39 runs through Thoubal district connecting the state with Nagaland and the rest of the country. National Highway 53 connects Silchar in Assam with Imphal in Manipur, and ends at Tamenlong district. The sole airport in the state is at Imphal.
| S.no | District | Headquarters | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Senapati | Senapati | 354972 |
| 2 | Ukhrul | Ukhrul | 183115 |
| 3 | Chandel | Chandel | 144028 |
| 4 | Churachandpur | Churachandpur | 271274 |
| 5 | Bishnupur | Bishnupur | 240363 |
| 6 | Imphal East | Porompat | 452661 |
| 7 | Imphal West | Lamphelpat | 514683 |
| 8 | Tamenglong | Tamenglong | 140143 |
| 9 | Thoubal | Thoubal | 420517 |
Last Updated on : 15 March 2013
