Geography

According to the geography of Meghalaya, it is located in between Bangladesh in the south and the Brahmaputra valley in the north, in the north-eastern portion of India. The area of Meghalaya is 22,429 square kms. It has a total population of 1,774,778.

The rivers form an important part of the geography of Meghalaya. In the Garo hills, the major rivers are the Ringgi, Kalu, Ajagar, Sanda, Daring and Simsang. Among them, the navigable rivers are Kalu, Krishnai and Nitai. In the eastern and central parts of Meghalaya Plateau, the major rivers are Digaru, Umkhri Kynchiang and Myntdu.

Meghalaya is geographically termed the Shillong Plateau or the Meghalaya Plateau. An important aspect of the geography in Meghalaya is its rock formations-some of which are the oldest. Meghalaya includes the Khasi, the Garo, the Jaintia hills and the Assam ranges at its border. Meghalaya represents the extension of peninsular India towards the north-east. The height of the dissected Meghalaya Plateau is 150 meters - 1961 meters above sea level.

The height and physical features greatly influence its climate, a major aspect of Meghalaya geography. The four major seasons of the state of Meghalaya are: the winter season (December � February), the rainy season (May - early October), the summer season (March � April) and again the cold season (early October � November).

The geography at Meghalaya also tells that it has diverse natural vegetation - the Garo hills tropical mixed forests to the high-altitude pine forests. Unplanned cutting and grazing has destroyed the natural vegetation of the place. Some forests are totally destroyed, while some other inaccessible ones are unaffected. Pine, sal, bamboo, etc are rampant in the region. The major crops are rice, potato, pineapple, maize, banana, etc. The subtropical forests of the region have birds, mammals and plants. The tiger has probably entered India through this region.

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Meghalaya Geography