Meghalaya

Meghalaya is an Indian state with an area of ​​22,429 km ² and almost 3 million inhabitants ( 2011 census ). The capital of Meghalaya is Shillong, the main languages ​​are Khasi, Garo and English. The name comes from the Sanskrit Meghalaya ( मेघालय Meghālaya ), meaning " home of the clouds."

  • 3.1 demographics
  • 3.2 languages
  • 3.3 religions
  • 4.1 Political system
  • 4.2 parties

Geography

Meghalaya is bordered to the north by the state of Assam, and on the south by Bangladesh.

Largest cities

(As of 2001 census )

History

The state of Meghalaya was created on January 21, 1972 spin-off of two mountain districts with a predominantly tribal population from Assam, who had semi-autonomous since 1970. Meghalaya took over here also the capital of Assam, Shillong. The tribes in the Khasi and the Jaintiabergen had already enjoyed in British India autonomy.

Population

Demography

According to the 2011 census, Meghalaya has 2,964,007 inhabitants. The population density is 132 inhabitants per square kilometer, well below the all-India average of 382 inhabitants per square kilometer. 20.1 % of the population live in urban areas of Meghalaya. From the population of the state belongs to a large majority of 85.9 % ( 2001 census ) of the tribal population ( scheduled tribes ). The two largest recorded among the 17 tribes in Meghalaya are the Khasi, which settle in the eastern part of the state, and the Garo of Meghalaya in the west. Together, these two ethnic groups of more than 90 % of the tribal population. Other tribes are the Hajong, Raba, cook and Synteng ( Jaintia ).

Languages

The two main languages ​​of Meghalaya are Khasi and Garo, the languages ​​of the two main branches of the same name. Khasi is spoken according to the 2001 census, 47.0 % of the population belongs to the branch of the Mon-Khmer languages ​​of the Austro-Asiatic language family. Garo belongs to the Tibeto-Burman languages ​​and is spoken by 31.4 % of the population of the state. Also tibetobirmanisch are the smaller tribal languages ​​Maram (1.5%), Rabha (1.0%) and cooking ( 0.9%). Under the non-indigenous population, the Indo-Aryan languages ​​Bengali ( 8.0%), Nepali (2.3%), Hinduism (2.2%), Marathi (1.7%) and Asamiya are common (1.6%). As official languages ​​are Khasi, Garo and English.

Religions

Meghalaya Nagaland and Mizoram is next to one of three predominantly Christian states of India. Through the missionary activity of Baptists, a large part of the tribal population has converted to Christianity. According to the 2001 census 70.3 % of the inhabitants of Meghalaya are Christians. 11.8% practice animistic beliefs. Primary among the non-indigenous population Hinduism are prevalent (13.3%) and Islam ( 4.3%).

Policy

Political system

The Legislature of the State of Meghalaya consists of a unicameral parliament, the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly. The 60 Members of Parliament are determined every five years by direct universal suffrage. The Parliament is based in Shillong. The Chief Minister ( Head of Government ) Meghalaya, is elected by Parliament. At the head of the state, however, is appointed by the President of India Governor ( Governor ). Its main tasks include the appointment of the Chief Minister and his commission to form a government. Highest Court of Meghalaya Meghalaya is the High Court in Shillong.

Meghalaya provides two MPs in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament, and one in the upper house, the Rajya Sabha.

Parties

The political landscape of Meghalaya is dominated by the Congress party on one side and a number of regional parties on the other side. As a result of the general election in February 2013, the Congress party won 29 of 60 constituencies. Five regional parties are represented in Parliament: The United Democratic Party (UDP) with eight, the Hill State People's Democratic Party ( HSPDP ) with four, the National People's Party (NPP ) with two and the Garo National Council ( GCC) and the North East Social Democratic Party ( NESDP ), each with a deputy. These cross-regional nationalist Congress Party come with two seats and thirteen independent MPs. As a result of the election, the Congress politician Mukul Sangma, who exercises the office of the Chief Minister since 20 April 2010 were confirmed with the support of the NCP and eleven independent MPs in office. At the all-India general election in 2009 went from the two constituencies in Meghalaya of the Congress Party and the NCP.

Administrative divisions

The state of Meghalaya is in the following seven districts subdivided (population and population density according to the 2011 census ):

Movies

  • Bettina Witte: Khasi - In the Land of Women. Nima Productions for ARTE / ZDF, Germany 2012 ( 43 min; lifestyle of the Khasi; video on YouTube ).
  • Uschi Madeisky, Klaus Werner: The daughters of the seven huts - matriarchy of the Khasi in India. Colorama film for ARTE / ZDF, Germany 1997 ( 56 min; info ).
  • Uschi Madeisky, Klaus Werner: Drums Of Love - groom robbery in the Garo in India. Colorama film for NDR, Germany 2001 ( 60 min; info )
  • Uschi Madeisky, Klaus Werner: Where the husband only, the night belongs - walking marriages in the Jaintia in India. Colorama film for NDR, Germany 1999 ( 60 min; info )
Khasi language Garo language List of current Indian governors List of current Indian chief ministers States and union territories of India Nathan Jawai British Raj Garo people Hindi Marathi language Christianity in India Animism Islam in India List of Governors of Meghalaya Districts of India Khasi people Andhra Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh Bihar Karnataka Odisha Union territory Andaman and Nicobar Islands Dadra and Nagar Haveli Daman and Diu Integrated Authority File
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