Meghalaya

Meghalaya
State
7 Sister Falls Cherrapunji Meghalaya
Seal
Country	India
Formation	20 January 1972
Capital	Shillong
Largest city	Shillong
Districts	11
Government
• Governor	V. Shanmuganathan
• Chief Minister	Mukul Sangma (INC)
• Legislature	Unicameral (60 seats)
• Parliamentary constituency	Rajya Sabha 1 Lok Sabha 2
• High Court	Meghalaya High Court
Area
• Total	22,429 km2 (8,660 sq mi)
Area rank	23rd
Population (2014)
• Total	3,211,000
• Rank	23rd
• Density	140/km2 (370/sq mi)
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
ISO 3166 code	IN-ML
HDI	0.585 (medium)
HDI rank	19th (2005)
Literacy	75.84% (24th)
Official language	English,Khasi, Garo
Website	meghalaya.gov.in
It received the status of a full-fledged State in 1971 by the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act 1971

Meghalaya (/meɪɡˈɑːləjə/ or US /ˌmeɪɡəˈleɪə/;/meːɡʱaːləj(ə)/) is a state in northeast India. The name means "the abode of clouds" in Sanskrit. The population of Meghalaya as of 2014 is estimated to be 3,211,474. Meghalaya covers an area of approximately 22,430 square kilometers, with a length to breadth ratio of about 3:1.

The state is bounded to the south by the Bangladeshi divisions of Mymensingh and Sylhet, to the west by the Bangladeshi division of Rangpur, and to the east by India's State of Assam. The capital of Meghalaya is Shillong. During the British occupation of India, foreign British imperialist "authorities" nicknamed it the "Scotland of the East". Meghalaya was previously part of Assam, but on 21 January 1972, the districts of Khasi, Garo and Jaintia hills became the new state of Meghalaya. English is the official language of Meghalaya. The other principal languages spoken include Khasi, Pnar and Garo. Unlike many Indian states, Meghalaya has historically followed a matrilineal system where the lineage and inheritance are traced through women; the youngest daughter inherits all wealth and she also takes care of her parents.