GK MAKE EASY-- MEGHALAYA

Ø Meghalaya is bound on north and east by the state of Assam ONLY, and on south and west by Bangladesh.

Ø The three physical division in the state are Garo (Western), Khasi (Central) and Jaintia (Eastern) hill divisions. In the Garo hills. the Nokrek peak is located.

Ø Meghalaya is one of the three states in India that boasts of a Christian majority of approximately 70.3%.

Ø Meghalaya is known for its oranges (Khasi Mandarian)

Ø The rich mineral deposits including mica gypsum and coal are unexploited.

Ø A five day long religious festival, known as Nongrem dance is held annually.

Ø The capital is Shillong, known as the "Scotland of the East"

Ø Meghalaya has historically followed a matrilineal system.

Ø About 70% of the state is forested.  A small portion of the forest area in Meghalaya is under what are known as "sacred groves".

Ø The town of Cherrapunji in the Khasi Hills south of capital Shillong holds the world record for most rain in a calendar month, while the village of Mawsynram, near Cherrapunji, holds the record for the most rain in a year.

Ø The largest group you can find in the state is the Khasis. After the Khasis, the second largest group you can find in the state is the grass. A few of the other groups you can find in Meghalaya include Mikir, Hmar, Boro, Jaintias and Lakhar.

Ø  is a hotspot of biodiversity in Meghalaya.

Ø All important rivers and streams of the Garo Hills region rise from the Nokrek Range, of which the river Simsang, known as Someshwari when it emerges into Bangladesh at Baghmara, is the most prominent.The major rivers of the Garo Hills namely, Simsang, Dareng and Ganol, originate from within the reserve.

Ø Nokrek Biosphere Reserve HAVING Elephant, Indian Bison, Leopard, Sambar, Barking deer, Indian wolf, and Slow Loris ANDHoolock Gibbo. Nokrek has a remnant population of the Red panda that has generated curiosity across the world

Ø Nokrek is also the only place in the world to have preserved the mother plant of oranges.The 47-sq-km Nokrek Biosphere Reserve is home to a rare variety of citrus locally known as ‘memang narang orange of the spirits’, which is considered to be the most primitive and the progenitor of all other varieties of citrus plants in the world, forest.

A biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region with a significant reservoir of biodiversity that is under threat from humans. To qualify as a biodiversity hotspot,a region must meet two strict criteria: it must contain at least 0.5% or 1,500 species of vascular plants as endemics, and it has to have lost at least 70% of its primary vegetation.