Meghalaya is a state in India that is located in the country’s northeast. It is bordered on the north and northeast by the Indian state of Assam, and on the south and southwest by Bangladesh. Shillong, a hill town in east-central Meghalaya, serves as the state capital.
Meghalaya—alaya means “abode” and megha means “clouds”)—is a hilly plateau with stunning scenery. In 1972, it became a state. 8,660 square kilometres of land (22,429 square km). The population was 2,964,007.
Except for records of the more prominent Khasi kingdoms in the annals of the neighbouring Ahoms and Kacharis, little is known about Meghalaya before the British period. However, in the early nineteenth century, the British intention to connect Bengal and Assam by building a road through the region led to a treaty (1827) with the ruler (syiem) of the Khasi principality of Nonkhlaw. Opponents of the treaty persuaded the syiem to reject it in 1829, and a subsequent attack against the British forced the British to intervene militarily against the Khasis. Most of the local rulers had surrendered to the British by the mid-1830s. For the next century, the British maintained political power over the Garrows and Cossiya (Khasi) region. The British maintained political sovereignty over the territory, which was then known as the Garrows and Cossiya (Khasi) States, for the following century, but the tribes were able to maintain their traditional way of life in seclusion if they were left alone.
The region’s rulers acceded to India’s newly independent country in 1947. Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister, devised a programme to conserve and protect tribal peoples’ way of life. The territory was given special protection under the Indian constitution, along with other tribal territories, and it preserved a large measure of autonomy while being part of the state of Assam.
When Assamese was made the official language of the state in 1960, demand for autonomy and self-rule grew. This movement, unlike many others in northeastern India’s hill regions, was mostly peaceful and constitutional. In 1970, Meghalaya was established as an autonomous state inside Assam, and on January 21, 1972, it was granted full statehood.
Physiographic Regions:
Meghalaya is a highland region formed by a disconnected Deccan plateau block. Its peaks range in altitude from 4,000 to 6,000 feet (1,220 to 1,830 metres). The Garo Hills rise abruptly to roughly 1,000 feet (300 metres) in the west from the Brahmaputra River basin, merging with the Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills, two nearby highland systems that create a single massif of tablelands divided by a series of eastward-trending ridges. The plateau’s southern flanks, which overlook the Bangladesh lowlands, are exceptionally steep. Many rivers and streams pour out of the plateau, forming deep, narrow valleys with steep sides; the most notable being the Umiam-Barapani, which is Assam and Meghalaya’s main source of hydroelectric power.
Weather Pattern:
Meghalaya’s climate is generally mild. The average temperature of Shillong (in the Khasi Hills) in August is in the low 70s F (approximately 21–23 °C); in January, it is in the upper 40s F (about 8–10 °C).
Facts about Meghalaya:
Capital: Shillong
Districts: 11
Formed on: Emergence of Meghalaya as an Autonomous State on 2nd April 1970 and as a full-fledged State on 21st January 1972 marked the beginning of a new era of the geo-political history of North Eastern India.
Official Language: English, Khasi, Garo
Known as: The Scotland of East, Living root bridge, Higest rainfall Cherrapunji and Mawsynram
State Animal: Clouded Leopard
State Bird: Hill Myna
State Flower: Lady Slipper Orchid
State Tree: White Teak
Questions and Answers for Meghalaya GK Quiz Meghalaya Current Affairs & General Knowledge:
Q: How many districts are there in Meghalaya?
Ans: 11
Q: How many Lok Sabha seats does Meghalaya have?
Ans: two
Q: How many Rajya Sabha seats does Meghalaya have?
Ans: 1
Q: What is the official language of the state of Meghalaya?
Ans: English, Khasi, Garo
Q: What is Meghalaya’s literacy rate?
Ans: 62.56
Q: Where does Meghalaya rank in India in terms of literacy?
Ans: 24th
Q: Where does Meghalaya rank in India in terms of population?
Ans: 23rd
GK questions and answers for Meghalaya state symbols:
Q: What is the state animal of Meghalaya?
Ans: Clouded leopard
Q: What is the state flower of Meghalaya?
Ans: Lady Slipper Orchid
Q: What is the state tree of Meghalaya?
Ans: White teak
Q: What is the state bird of Meghalaya?
Ans: Hill Myna
GK Questions about Dams and Cities on Rivers in Meghalaya
Q: How many dams are there in Meghalaya?
Ans: 7
Q. The Khandong Dam was built on which river?
Ans: Kopili
Q. The Kyrdemkulai (Umiam st-III) Dam was erected on which river?
Ans. Umtru
Q. The Mawphlang Dam was built on which river?
Ans: Umiew River
Q. The Myntdu-Leshka Dam was built on which river?
Ans: Myntdu
Q. The Nongkhyllem Dam was built on which river?
Ans: Umtru
Q. The Umiam Dam was built on which river?
Ans: Umiam
Q: Where is the Subansiri Dam?
Ans: Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh
General Information about Meghalaya Questions and answers about the National Park and the Meghalaya Wildlife Sanctuary
Q. In Meghalaya, the total number of national parks is
Ans: 2
Q. Meghalaya’s total number of wildlife sanctuaries
Ans: 3
Q: Where is the Baghmara Pitcher Plant Wildlife Sanctuary?
Ans: Meghalaya
Q. What is the location of Nokrek Ridge National Park?
Ans: Ans: Meghalaya
Questions & Answers for the Meghalaya History GK Quiz (General Knowledge).
Q: When was Meghalaya established as a state?
Ans: 21 January 1972
Q: Who was Meghalaya’s first Chief Minister?
Ans: Williamson A. Sangma
Q: Who was Meghalaya’s second chief minister?
Ans: Darwin Diengdoh Pugh
Q: Who was Meghalaya’s first governor?
Ans: Braj Kumar Nehru
Q: Who was Meghalaya’s third governor?
Ans: Prakash Chandra Mehrotra
Questions & Answers for Meghalaya Geography Gk Quiz
Q: What is Meghalaya’s capital city?
Ans: Shillong
Q: What state is to the east of Meghalaya?
Ans: Assam
Q. Shillong is also known as the_______________________________________
Ans: Scotland
Q: Which of Meghalaya’s peaks is the highest?
Ans: Shillong Peak
Q: What is the size of the state of Meghalaya?
Ans: 8,660 sq. mi.
Q: What does Meghalaya stand for?
Ans: Abode of clouds
