Nagaland
| Nagaland India | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Area | 16,579 km² (6,401 sq mi) |
| Capital | Kohima |
| Largest city | Dimapur |
| District(s) | 11 |
| Population • Density |
1,988,636 (24th) • 120 /km² (311 /sq mi) |
| Language(s) | English |
| Governor | Kateekal Sankaranarayanan |
| Chief Minister | Neiphiu Rio |
| Established | 1963-12-01 |
| Legislature (seats) | Unicameral (60) |
| ISO abbreviation | IN-NL |
| Website: nagaland.nic.in | |
| Seal of Nagaland | |
Coordinates: Nagaland (Hindi: नागालैंड) pronunciation ▶ is a state of India located in the far north-eastern part of the country. It borders the states of Assam to the west, Arunachal Pradesh to the north, and Manipur to the south. It also contains India's border with Myanmar to the east. The state capital of Nagaland is Kohima, while the largest city is Dimapur. The state has a population of nearly two million people, and a total land area of 16,579 km, making it one of the smallest states in India. Nagaland, along with the other states in India's northeast, has a culture that is quite distinct from the rest of mainland India, leading all of the northeast's states to have the nickname, "The Seven Sister States" due to their cultural separation from the rest of India.
History
The earliest references to Nagaland can be found in the Indian epic Mahābhārata. Several characters from the region, such as Princess Ulupi and Prince Iravan, are referred to as members of the Naga people in the epic. The word Naga is derived from Nag, which means "snake", and has been used to refer to individuals who believe in various deities who take the physical form of a snake. The people living in the region were originally referred to as Chingmee (Hill People) or Hao (Tribes) in the history of Manipur.
Before the arrival of the British Raj, Nagaland was administered as part of Manipur under the Thibomei and Thimbong districts. With the permission of a Manipuri king, the East India Company explored deep inside the naga hills in search of trade routes and other physical resources. In the process, the British brought many Assamese and Bengali traders into the region, from whom the Naga eventually adopted their dialect called Nagamese, which is a mixture of both the Assamese and Bengali dialects.
The early history of Nagaland consists of the customs and economic activities of the various Naga tribes that lived in the region. These Naga tribes had socio-economic and political links with tribes in Assam and Myanmar, and even today a large population of Naga people inhabits Assam. Following an invasion in 1816, the area along with Assam came under the direct rule of Myanmar. This period was noted for its oppressive rule and the turmoil it created, both in Assam and Nagaland. When the British East India Company took control of Assam in 1826, they steadily expanded their domain over modern Nagaland as well. By 1892, all of modern Nagaland except the Tuensang area in the northeast was governed by the British. It was politically assimilated into Assam, which was considered as part of the province of Bengal for a long period of time. The British Christian missionaries that spent time in Nagaland played an important part in transforming the culture of the region. As a result of their missionary work, many Naga tribes embraced Christianity, and especially the Baptist faith, making Nagaland into the largest Baptist state in the world as of today.
After the independence of India in 1947, the area remained a part of the province of Assam. Nationalist activities arose amongst Naga tribes during this period, as they began to demand a political union of their ancestral and native groups. They focused their efforts on damaging government and civil infrastructure as well as attacking government officials and Indians from other states. The Union government sent the Indian Army into the area in 1955, to attempt and restore order. In 1957, the Government began diplomatic talks with representatives of Naga tribes, and the Naga Hills district of Assam and the Tuensang frontier were united into a single political entity that became a Union territory directly administered by the Central government with a large degree of autonomy. This was not satisfactory to the tribes, however, and soon agitation and violence increased across the state, including attacks on Army and government institutions, as well as civil disobedience and the refusal to pay taxes.
In July of 1960, a further political accord was reached at the Naga People's Convention which stated that Nagaland should become a constituent and self-governing state in the Indian union. Statehood was officially granted to the area in 1963 and the first state-level democratic elections were held in 1964. While resistance still remained at this point, most of the insurgencies were quelled in the early 1980s. However, violence re-erupted in the late 1990s, creating conflict between rebel group factions. On 25 July, 1997, the Prime Minister, Mr. I. K.Gujral announced that the national Government had declared a cease-fire after talks with the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN]. The group had agreed on a cessation of operations starting from August 1st, 1997 and lasting for a period of three months. Since that point, the cease-fire has since been extended, but there is still resistance related conflict going on in the region, largely due to the belief by the tribal groups that they are under the dominion of "Indian imperialism". [1]
Geography and Climate
Nagaland is largely a mountainous state. The Naga Hills rise from the Brahmaputra Valley in Assam to about 2,000 feet and rise further to the southeast, as high as 6,000 feet. Mount Saramati at an elevation of 12,552level is the state's highest peak - this is where the Naga Hills merge with the Patkai Range in Myanmar. Rivers such as the Doyang and Dhiku to the north, the Barak river in the southwest and the Chindwin river of Myanmar in the southeast, dissect the entire state.
Nagaland is rich in flora and fauna. About one-sixth of Nagaland is under the cover of tropical and sub-tropical evergreen forests - including palms, bamboo and rattan as well as timber and mahogany forests. While some forest areas have been cleared for jhum - cultivation - many scrub forests, high grass, reeds and secondary dogs, pangolins, porcupines, elephants, leopards, bears, many species of monkeys, sambar, deers, oxen and buffaloes thrive across the state's forests. The Great Indian Hornbill is one of the most famous birds found in the state.
Nagaland has a largely monsoon climate with high humidity levels. Annual rainfall averages around 70-100 inches - concentrated in the months of May to September. Temperatures range from 70 degrees to 104 degrees Fahrenheit. In winter, temperatures don't generally drop below 39 degrees Fahrenheit, but frost is common at high elevations.
Administrative divisions
The Governor of Nagaland is the constitutional head of state, representative of the President of India. He possesses largely ceremonial responsibilities. A 60-member Vidhan Sabha is the state of ministers, led by a Chief minister - all elected members of legislature - forms the government executive. Unlike most Indian states, Nagaland has been granted a great degree of state autonomy, as well as special powers and autonomy for Naga tribes to conduct their own affairs. Each tribe has a hierarchy of councils - at the village, range and tribal levels dealing with local disputes. There is a special regional council for the Tuensang district, elected by the tribes of the area.
The state is divided into eleven districts. Mokokchung District is Nagaland's Most Advanced District.
Districts
|
District Headquarters
|
Urban centers
Major cities and towns
- Dimapur
- Kohima
- Mokokchung
- Tuensang
- Wokha
- Mon
- Zunheboto
Urban Agglomerations
There are four urban agglomeration areas with population of more than 40,000 in the state which are:
| Rank | Metropolitan/Agglomeration Area | District | 2001 Population Census |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dimapur-Chumukedima | Dimapur District | 230,106 |
| 2 | Greater Kohima | Kohima District | 99,795 |
| 3 | Mokokchung Metropolitan Area | Mokokchung District | 60,161 |
| 4 | Greater Wokha | Wokha District | 43,089 |
Economy
Macro-economic trend
This is a chart of trend of gross state domestic product of Nagaland at market prices estimated by Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation with figures in millions of Indian Rupees.
| Year | Gross State Domestic Product |
|---|---|
| 1980 | 1,027 |
| 1985 | 2,730 |
| 1990 | 6,550 |
| 1995 | 18,140 |
| 2000 | 36,790 |
Nagaland's gross state domestic product for 2004 is estimated at $1.4 billion in current prices.
Agriculture is the most important economic activity in Nagaland, with more than 90% of the population employed crops include rice, corn, millets, pulses, tobacco, oilseeds, sugarcane, potatoes and fibres. However, Nagaland still depends on the import of food supplies from other states. The widespread practice of jhum - clearing for cultivation - has led to soil erosion and loss of fertility, particularly in the eastern districts. Only the Angami and Chakesang tribes in the Kohima and Phek districts use terracing techniques. And most of the Aos, Lothas and Zeliangs in Mokokchung, Wokha and Peren districts respectively cultivates in the many valleys of the district. Forestry is also an important source of income. Cottage industries such as weaving, woodwork and pottery are also an important source of revenue. Tourism is important, but largely limited due to insurgency since the last five decades.
Transportation
The railway network in the state is minimal. The length of broad gauge lines is 7.63 km, while that of the metre gauge lines is only 5.22 km. The length of National Highway roads is 365.38 km and state roads is 1094 km. There is one airport in dimapur and another is being planned for Kohima, the state capital.
Railways
Railway: North East Frontier Railway
- Broad Gauge-7.63 km
- Metre Gauge-5.22 km
- Total-12.85km
Highways
National Highways with the towns served:
National Highways:
Length: 365.38 km
- NH-61 - Kohima, Wokha, Tseminyu, Wokha, Mokokchung, Changtongya, Tuli
- NH-39 - Kohima, Dimapur, Chumukedima, Medziphema
- NH-36 - Dimapur
State Highways
Length: 1094.60 km
- Chakabama-Mokokchung Via Chazuba and Zunheboto
- Kohima-Meluri
- Mokokchung-Mariani
- Mokokchung-Tuensang
- Namtola-Mon
- Tuensang-Mon-Naginimora
- Tuensang-Kiphiri-Meluri
- Wokha-Merapani Road
Airways
- Name of the airport - Dimapur
- Distance from the State Capital - 70.0 km
- Town Nearest to the Airport - Dimapur
For further details, refer Dimapur airport
Culture
The tribes of Nagaland are Lothas, Angami, Ao, Chakhesang , Chang, Khiamniungan, Konyak, Phom, Pochury, Rengma, Sumi, Sangtam, Yimchungru, Zeliang of which the Angamis, Aos, Lothas and Sumis are the largest Naga tribes. Tribe and Clan traditions and loyalties play an important part in the life of Nagas. Weaving is a traditional art handed down through generations in Nagaland. Each of the major tribes has its own unique designs and colors, producing shawls, shoulder bags, decorative spears, table mats, wood carvings and bamboo works. Tribal dances of the Nagas give an insight into the inborn reticence of the people. War dances and dances belonging to distinctive tribes are a major art form in Nagaland. Some of these are Moatsu, Sekrenyi, Tuluni and Tokhu Emong. More than 80% of the people live in rural areas. Nagas speak 60 different dialects belonging to the Sino-Tibetan family of languages. Nagamese, a variant language form of Assamese and local dialects is the most widely spoken market language. One interesting part is every tribe has their own mother tongue language and these tribes communicate with each other in Nagamese. As such Nagamese is not a mother tongue of any of the tribes and nor is it a written language. English, the official state language is widely spoken in official circles and is the medium for education in Nagaland. Hindi, the official language of the entire nation, is also spoken by many individuals in the state.
Religion
Christianity is the predominant religion of Nagaland. The census of 2001 recorded the state's Christian population at 1,790,349 (90.02% of the state's population), making it one of the three Christian-majority states in India, and the only state where Christians form 90% of the population. The state has a very high church attendance rate in both urban and rural areas. The largest of Asia's churches dominate the skylines of Kohima, Dimapur and Mokokchung. Among Christians, Baptists are the predominant group constituting more than 75% of the state's population.
Nagaland is known as "The most populated Baptist state in the world." The state's population is 1.988 million, out of which 90.02% are Christians[2]. 75% of the state's population profess the Baptist faith, thus making it more Baptist than Mississippi, where 52% of its population is Baptist.[citation needed]
Catholics, Revivalists, and Pentecostals are the other Christian denomination numbers. Catholics are found in significant numbers in parts of Wokha district as also in the urban areas of Kohima and Dimapur.
Hinduism and Islam are minority religions in state, at 7.7% and 1.8% of the population respectively [3]. A small minority, less than 0.3%, still practise the traditional religions and are mainly concentrated in Peren and the Eastern districts.
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- ↑ http://www.nagaland.nic.in/profile/history/peace.htm
- ↑ http://www.censusindia.net/religiondata/ 2001 Indian Census Data
- ↑ http://www.censusindia.net/religiondata/ 2001 Indian Census Data
External links
- Official Nagaland Government website Retrieved December 16, 2007.
- The First News Daily of Nagaland Retrieved December 16, 2007.
- Nagaland International Support Center Retrieved December 16, 2007.
- Nagaland tourism Retrieved December 16, 2007.
See also
- Northeast Indian Railways during World War II
- Battle of the Tennis Court
- Indian XXXIII Corps
- Battle of Kohima
- Mukti Bahini
- Rani Gaidinliu
| Districts of Nagaland |
|---|
| Dimapur | Kiphire | Kohima | Longleng | Mokokchung | Mon | Peren | Phek | Tuensang | Wokha | Zunheboto |
| ||||||||||
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