Arunachal Pradesh Facts

Most of Arunachal Pradesh is covered by the Himalayas. However, parts of Lohit, Changlang and Tirap are covered by the Patkai hills. Kangto, Nyegi Kangsang, the main Gorichen peak and the Eastern Gorichen peak are some of the highest peaks in this region of the Himalayas.

The land is mostly mountainous with the Himalayan ranges running north south. These divide the state into five river valleys: the Kameng, the Subansiri, the Siang, the Lohit and the Tirap (kasuSI loti).

All these are fed by snow from the Himalayas and countless rivers and rivulets. The mightiest of these rivers is Siang, called the Tsangpa in Tibet, which becomes the Brahmaputra after it is joined by the Dibang and the Lohit in the plains of Assam.

Patkai hills
The Pat-kai hills are on India's north-eastern border with Burma. They were created by the same tectonic processes that resulted in the formation of the Himalayas. They are not as rugged as the Himalayas and its peaks are much lower in height.

Three hill ranges come under the Patkai. The Patkai-Bum, the Garo-Khasi-Jaintia, and the Lushai Hills. The Garo-Khasi range is in the Indian state of Meghalaya. Mawsynram and Cherrapunji, on the windward side of these hills are the world's wettest places, having the highest annual rainfall.

Tawang Town
Tawang is a town in the northwestern part of Arunachal Pradesh of India. It was historically part of Tibet inhabited by the Monpa people. The area is claimed by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China (Taiwan) as a part of South Tibet. The 1914 Simla Accord defined the McMahon Line as the new boundary between British India and Tibet. By this treaty Tibet relinquished several hundred square miles of its territory, including Tawang, to the British, but it was not recognised by China.

During the Sino-Indian war of 1962, Tawang fell briefly under Chinese control, but China voluntarily withdrew its troops at the end of the war. Tawang again came under Indian administration, but China has not relinquished its claims on most of Arunachal Pradesh including Tawang.

Until 2003, the Dalai Lama said that Arunachal Pradesh was "actually part of Tibet". He reversed his position in 2008, acknowledging the legitimacy of the McMahon Line and the Indian claim to the region

Inner Line Permit
Inner Line Permit is an official travel document issued by the government of India to allow inward travel of an Indian citizen into a protected/restricted area for a limited period. It is obligatory for Indian citizens from outside those States to obtain permit for entering into the protected State. The document is an effort by the government to regulate movement to certain areas located near the international border of India. States which need IPL - Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland.

Points to Remember

  1. Patkai hills- Patkai-Bum + Garo-Khasi-Jaintia + Lushai Hills
  2. Gorichen peak
  3. kasuSI loti - 5 river valleys
  4. North East Frontier Agency (NEFA) became Arunachal Pradesh in 1987

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