Assam

Assam, state in northeastern India, bordered by the nations of Bhutan and Bangladesh. Assam (which means “Peerless” in the ancient Ahom language) has an area of 78,438 sq km (30,285 sq mi).

The most important river in the state is the Brahmaputra, which enters in the northeast and flows in a southwesterly direction. The river is navigable from the Bay of Bengal to the city of Dibrugarh. The state of Assam has a humid, subtropical climate, with extremely heavy rainfall that ranges from about 1,800 to nearly 2,500 mm (about 70 to nearly 100 in) per year. The average temperatures in January range from 10° to 23° C (50° to 73° F); in July average temperatures range from 26° to 32° C (79° to 90° F). Assam is subject to floods and earthquakes. Much of the state is covered with dense tropical forests of bamboo and, at higher elevations, evergreens. Common animals of Assam include the elephant, tiger, leopard, rhinoceros, and bear.

The population of Assam was 22,400,000 at the 1991 census, giving it an average density of 340 persons per sq km (881 persons per sq mi). By 2001 it had grown to 26.6 million. The state capital is Dispur. The Assamese have many different origins, although the majority originally migrated from the region that is now Myanmar. The population is mostly rural, engaging in an agricultural lifestyle. Their language, which is called Assamese, is closely related to Bengali. The majority of the population is Hindu, with a large minority of Muslims; there are also Buddhists and Christians. In 2001 about 63 percent of the population was literate. Assam Agricultural University (founded in 1969) in Jorhāt, Dibrugarh University (1965) in Dibrugarh, and Gauhati University (1948) in Gauhati are all located in Assam.

Assam's economy is rural and agricultural. Tea is cultivated in the hilly regions, and the state provides much of the tea grown in India. The valley of the Brahmaputra River is important for rice, the major food product of Assam. Other agricultural products are jute, sugarcane, cotton, oranges, and potatoes. The cultivation of silkworms is common in many areas. Lumber is valuable to the economy of Assam, and the extraction of crude oil is gaining in importance. The primary industries of Assam are textile manufacturing, cement production, and oil refining.

Assam has a single-chamber legislative assembly with 126 members. The state sends 21 members to the Indian national parliament: 7 to the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) and 14 to the Lok Sabha (Lower House). Local government is based on 23 administrative districts.

The Kingdom of Assam was founded in the 13th century by the Ahoms, an Asian people from Myanmar. Rule over Assam was contested until 1826, when the British took control. When India and Pakistan became independent in 1947, Assam was divided between the two countries, most of Assam going to India. The northern border of Assam has been insecure since 1959, when the Chinese invaded the region. During the late 1960s instability in the state increased as several native groups demanded greater political influence or independence from Assam. Partly as a result, the states of Meghalaya and Mizoram were formed in India from Assam in the early 1970s.