Meghalaya is a state in northeast India known as the "Abode of Clouds". It has a population of nearly 3 million people and is bounded by Assam and Bangladesh. The capital is Shillong, which has a population of around 143,000. Meghalaya has predominantly an agrarian economy and is also known for its biodiversity of forests, plants, and animals.

2. Meghalaya is a state in the north east of
India. The name means "The Abode of
Clouds" in Sanskrit and other Indo-Iranian languages.
As of 2011, the state has a population of 2,964,007
and is the 23rd most populous in the
countrry. Meghalaya covers an area of approximately
300 kilometres in length and about 100 kilometres in
breadth. This state is bounded to the north
by Assam and by Bangladesh to the south. The capital
is Shillong, known as the "Scotland of the East“ , and
which has a population of 143,007

4. About one third of the state is forested. The Meghalaya
subtropical forests ecoregion encompasses the state; its
mountain forests are distinct from the lowland tropical forests
to the north and south. The forests of Meghalaya are notable
for their biodiversity of mammals, birds, and plants.
Meghalaya has predominantly an agrarian economy. The
important crops are potatoes, rice, maize,pineapples, bananas,
etc. The service sector is made up of real estate and insurance
companies. The state has become a hub of illegal mining
activity. Meghalaya's gross state domestic product for 2004
was estimated at $1.6 billion in current prices.

5. Religion in Meghalaya is closely related to ethnicity. Close to 90% of
the Garo and nearly 80% of the Khasi are Christian, while more than
97% of the Hajong, 98.53% of the Koch are Hindu.
Out of the 689,639 Garo living in Meghalaya, only 49,917 follow their
original religion (Songsarek) as of 2001 Census (down from 90,456 in
1991). 9,129 of the Garo were Hindu (Up from 2,707 in 1991) and 999
were Budhist (Up from 109 in 1991). There were also 8,980 Muslims.
A number of minor tribes live in Meghalaya, including Hajong (31,381 –
97.23% Hindu), Koch (21,381 – 98.53% Hindu), Synteng (18,342 – 80%
Christian), Rabha (28,153 – 94.60% Hindu), Mikir (11,399 – 52%
Christian and 30% Hindu), and Kuki-Chin (10,085 – 73% Christian and
26% Hindu).

6. The main tribes in Meghalaya are the Khasis, the Garos, and the Jaintias. One of the unique
features of the state is that a majority of the tribal population in Meghalaya follows
a matrilineal system where lineage and inheritance are traced through women. The Khasi
and Jaintia tribesmen follow the traditional matrilineal norm, wherein the "Khun Khadduh"
(or the youngest daughter) inherits all the property and acts as the caretaker of aged
parents and any unmarried siblings.
In the Garo lineage system, the youngest daughter inherits the family property by default,
unless another daughter is so named by the parents. She then becomes designated as
'nokna' meaning 'for the house or home'. If there are no , a chosen daughter-in-law (bohari)
or an adopted child (deragata) comes to stay in the house and inherit the property. The
tribal people of Meghalaya are a part of what may be the world's largest surviving
matrilineal culture.
Spirituality
According to legend, from the 13th century, a Shivalinga (called "Hatakeswarat") has
existed in the Jaintia Hills under the reign of Ranee Singa. Several members of the Jaintia
tribe even participate in the Hindu festival of Shivratri (Night of Lord Shiva).

8. Meghalayan cuisine is the local cuisine of the Indian state
of Meghalaya. Meghalaya is also one of theseven sisters and
home of three Mongoloid tribes, has a unique cuisine of its
own, different from other states in the north east of India.
The staple food of the people is rice with spicy meat and fish
preparations. They rear goats, pigs, fowl, ducks and cows
and relish their meat.
The popular dishes of Khasis and Jaintia are Jadoh, Ki Kpu,
Tung-rymbai,and pickled bamboo shoots, whereas for Garos
they eat almost any animals besides domesticated, but in
day to day life they usually have a simple foods such as rice
with kapa(cook with special ingredient called karchi which is
made up of filtered ash water), kapa can be of different kinds
such as with various kind of meats, vegetables,etc.

10. Cherrapunji
With average annual rainfall as high as 1200 cm in some areas,
Meghalaya is the wettest place on earth. The western part of the
plateau, comprising the Garo Hills Region with lower elevations,
experiences high temperatures for most of the year. The Shillong
area, with the highest elevations, experiences generally low
temperatures. The maximum temperature in this region rarely goes
beyond 28 °C (82 °F), whereas sub-zero winter temperatures are
common.
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 the town of Cherrapunji, holds the
record for the most rain in a year. The best time to visit Meghalaya is
during the months of March to July

12. The state is also a horticultural State and produces substantial
quantities of oranges, pineapples, peaches, pears, plums, guavas and
bananas.
Marketable Surplus Horticultural Crops in Meghalaya are given
hereunder :

13. As per the State of Forest Report 2003, published by the Forest Survey of
India, Meghalaya has a forest cover of 9,496 km2, which is 42.34% of the
total geographical area of the state. The Meghalayan subtropical forests
are considered to be among the richest botanical habitats of Asia. These
forests receive abundant rainfall and support a vast variety of floral and
faunal biodiversity.
A small portion of the forest area in Meghalaya is under what is known as
“sacred groves” (see Sacred groves of India). These are small pockets of
ancient forest that have been preserved by the communities for hundreds
of years due to religious and cultural beliefs. These forests are reserved for
religious rituals and generally remain protected from any exploitation.
These sacred groves harbour many rare plant and animal species.
In addition, Meghalaya has three wildlife sanctuaries. These are the
Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary, the Siju Sanctuary and the Bhagmara
Sanctuary, which is also the home of the insect eating pitcher
plant Nepenthes

15. Meghalaya also has a large variety of mammals, birds, reptiles and insects.The
important mammal species include elephants,
bear, civets, mongooses, weasels, rodents, gaur, wild buffalo, deer, wild boar and a
number of primates. Meghalaya also has a large variety of bats. The limestone caves
in Meghalaya such as the Siju Cave are home to some of the nation's rarest bat
species. There is an interesting population of red pandas in Garo Hills.
Prominent bird species in Meghalaya include the Magpie-Robin, the Red-vented
Bulbul, the Hill Myna is usually found in pairs or in flocks in the hill forests of
Meghalaya, the Large Pied Hornbill and the Great Indian Hornbill, which is the
largest bird in Meghalaya. Other birds include the Peacock Pheasant, theLarge
Indian Parakeet, the Common Green Pigeon and the Blue Jay.Meghalaya is also
home to over 250 species of butterflies.
Common reptiles in Meghalaya are lizards, crocodiles and tortoises. Meghalaya also
has a number of snakes including the python, Copperhead, Green Tree Racer, Indian
Cobra, King Cobra, Coral Snake andVipers.