Nagaland

Nagaland (nä`gəlănd), state (2001 provisional pop. 1,988,686), 6,365 sq mi (16,485 sq km), NE India. It is a wild, forested, and undeveloped region bounded by Myanmar on the east and the Indian states of Manipur on the south, Assam on the northwest, and Arunachal Pradesh on the north. The region is inhabited by Nagas, a Tibeto-Burman tribe, who formerly practiced head-hunting. More than 80% of the population is Christian. The state is governed by a chief minister and cabinet responsible to a bicameral legislature with one elected house and by a governor appointed by the president of India. Formerly the Naga Hills–Tuensang area in Assam state, Nagaland gained full state status in 1961. The mid-1990s saw increased attacks by Naga guerrillas who favored extending the state of Nagaland to include Manipur and portions of the two other bordering states, as well as a portion of Myanmar. Talks with the guerrillas began in 1997.

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Nagaland

State (pop., 2001: 1,990,036), northeastern India. It borders Myanmar (Burma) and the states of Manipur, Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh and has an area of 6,401 sq mi (16,579 sq km). Its capital is Kohima. Except for a small area of plain, the entire state is covered with ranges of hills that are northward extensions of the Arakan Mountains system. Myanmar ruled the region from 1819 to 1826, when the British began annexing its hill areas. The Naga people accepted statehood within an independent India in 1963. There are more than 20 major Naga tribes and subtribes, with different dialects and customs. About two-thirds are Christian, and most others are Hindu or Muslim. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy. Crops include rice, millet, sugarcane, potatoes, and tobacco.

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Nagaland

a state of NE India: formed in 1962 from parts of Assam and the North-East Frontier Agency; inhabited chiefly by Naga tribes; consists of almost inaccessible forested hills and mountains (the Naga Hills); shifting cultivation predominates. Capital: Kohima. Pop.: 1 988 636 (2001). Area: 16 579 sq. km (6401 sq. miles)