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Meghalaya (〔(【引用サイトリンク】Definition of Meghalaya )〕 or ;〔(Define Meghalaya at Dictionary.com )〕 ) is a state in north-east India. The name means ''"the abode of clouds"'' in Sanskrit. As of 2011, the state has a population of 2,964,007 and is the 23rd most populous in the country.〔 The population of Meghalaya as of 2014 is estimated to be 3,211,474.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 FACT SHEET ON MEGHALAYA )〕 Meghalaya covers an area of approximately 22,430 square kilometers, with a length to breadth ratio of about 3:1.〔(Meghalaya ) IBEF, India (2013)〕 This state is bounded to the south by the districts of greater Mymensingh and the Division of Sylhet and the west by the Division of Rangpur of the People's Republic of Bangladesh and the north and the east by India's Assam state. The capital is Shillong, known as the "Scotland of the East".〔Arnold P. Kaminsky and Roger D. Long (2011), India Today: An Encyclopedia of Life in the Republic, ISBN 978-0313374623, pp. 455-459〕 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.〔 The state is the wettest region of India, recording an average of of rains a year.〔 About 70% of the state is forested.〔(Meghalaya and Its Forests ) Government of Meghalaya (2012); Quote - total forest area is 69.5%〕 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 are notable for their biodiversity of mammals, birds, and plants. Meghalaya has predominantly an agrarian economy with a significant commercial forestry industry. The important crops are potatoes, rice, maize, pineapples, bananas, papayas, spices, etc. The service sector is made up of real estate and insurance companies. Meghalaya's gross state domestic product for 2012 was estimated at in current prices.〔 The state is geologically rich in minerals, but it has no significant industries.〔 The state has about of national highways. It is also a major logistical center for trade with Bangladesh.〔 == History == ;Ancient Meghalaya, along with neighboring Indian states, have been of archeological interest. People have lived here since neolithic era. Neolithic sites discovered so far are located in areas of high elevation such as in Khasi Hills, Garo Hills and neighboring states. Here neolithic style ''jhum'' or shifting cultivation is practiced even today. The highland plateaus fed by abundant rains provided safety from floods and a rich soil.〔MANJIL HAZARIKA, (Neolithic Culture of Northeast India: A Recent Perspective on the Origins of Pottery and Agriculture ), Ancient Asia 1:25-44〕 The importance of Meghalaya is its possible role in human history through domestication of rice. One of the competing theories for the origin of rice, is from Ian Glover, who states, "India is the center of greatest diversity of domesticated rice with over 20,000 identified species and Northeast India is the most favorable single area of the origin of domesticated rice."〔Glover, Ian C. (1985), Some Problem Relating to the Domestication of Rice in Asia, In Recent Advances in Indo-Pacific Prehistory (Misra, VN. and P. Bellwood Eds.), ISBN 978-8120400153, Oxford Publishing, pp 265-274〕 The limited archeology done in the hills of Meghalaya suggest human settlement since ancient times.〔SANKAR KUMAR ROY, Aspects of Neolithic Agriculture and Shifting Cultivation, Garo Hills, Meghalaya, Asian Perspectives, XXIV (2), 1981, pp 193-221〕 ;Modern history Meghalaya was formed by carving out two districts from the state of Assam: the United Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills, and the Garo Hills on 21 January 1972. Before attaining full statehood, Meghalaya was given semi-autonomous status in 1970.〔(History of Meghalaya State ) Government of India〕 The Khasi, Garo, and Jaintia tribes had their own kingdoms until they came under British administration in the 19th century. Later, the British incorporated Meghalaya into Assam in 1835.〔 The region enjoyed semi-independent status by virtue of a treaty relationship with the British Crown. When Bengal was partitioned on 16 October 1905 by Lord Curzon, Meghalaya became a part of the new province of Eastern Bengal and Assam. However, when the partition was reversed in 1912, Meghalaya became a part of the province of Assam. On 3 January 1921 in pursuance of Section 52A of the Government of India Act of 1919, the governor-general-in-council declared the areas now in Meghalaya, other than the Khasi states, as "backward tracts." Subsequently, the British administration enacted the Government of India Act of 1935, which regrouped the backward tracts into two categories: "excluded" and "partially excluded" areas. At the time of Indian independence in 1947, present day Meghalaya constituted two districts of Assam and enjoyed limited autonomy within the state of Assam. A movement for a separate Hill State began in 1960.〔 The Assam Reorganisation (Meghalaya) Act of 1969 accorded an autonomous status to the state of Meghalaya. The Act came into effect on 2 April 1970, and an autonomous state of Meghalaya was born out of Assam. The autonomous state had a 37-member legislature in accordance with the Sixth schedule to the Indian constitution. In 1971, the Parliament passed the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganization) Act, 1971, which conferred full statehood on the autonomous state of Meghalaya. Meghalaya attained statehood on 21 January 1972, with a Legislative Assembly of its own.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Meghalaya」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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