ManipurManipur(English pronunciation:i/mnpr/) is astatein northeasternIndia, with the city ofImphalas its capital. Manipur, is sometimes referred to, by alternative names such asKangleipakorSanaleibak.[2]It is bounded byNagalandto the north,Mizoramto the south, andAssamto the west;Burmalies to its east. The state covers an area of 22,327 square kilometres (8,621sqmi). Its people include theMeetei,Kuki,Naga, andPangalpeoples, who speak different types ofSino-Tibetan languages.Manipur has been at the crossroads of Asian economic and cultural exchange for more than 2,500 years.[3][pageneeded]It has long connected the Indian subcontinent toSoutheast Asia, enabling migration of people, cultures and religions.[4][pageneeded]It has also witnessed many wars, including fighting duringWorld War II.During theBritish Raj, theKingdom of Manipurwas one of theprincely states.[5][pageneeded]Between 1917 and 1939, the people of Manipur pressed for their rights against the British Rule. By the late 1930s, the princely state of Manipur negotiated with the British administration its preference to be part of India, rather thanBurma.[6][pageneeded]These negotiations were cut short with the outbreak of World War II. On 21 September 1949,Maharaja Budhachandrasigned a Treaty of Accession merging the kingdom into India. This merger is disputed by various groups in Manipur as having been completed without consensus and under duress.The dispute and differing visions for the future has resulted in a 50-year insurgency in the state for independence from India, as well as in violence between different ethnic groups within the state.[7]Over 20102013, the militant insurgency was responsible for the violent death of about 1 civilian per 100,000 people, each year.[8]The world's average annual death rate from intentional violence has been 7.9 per 100,000 people.[9]TheMeetei ethnic group,[10]constitute a plurality of the population, with 27% of the total. The language of the Meetei people,Meitei(orManipuri), is thelingua francain Manipur. By comparison, indigenoustribal peoplesconstitute 30% of the state population; they are distinguished by dialects and culture that are often village-based. Manipur's various ethnic groups practice a variety of religions, including Christianity.[11]Manipur has primarily an agrarian economy, with significant hydroelectric power generation potential. It is connected to other areas by daily flights throughImphalairport, the second largest airport in northeastern India.[12]Manipur is credited with introducingPoloto Europeans.HistoryTheKingdom of Manipurwas one of the many hundreds of kingdoms in south and southeast Asia.[citation needed]Ancient Manipur dates to 50 BC.[citation needed]Manipur then included present-dayNagaland, and some parts ofAssamandMizoram. There is no recorded data about the early history of Manipur. Legendary chronicles claim that "Ningthou Kangba", the first King of Manipur, ruled from Kangla at Imphal in 33 AD. He is also known as Meidingu Nongdaa Lairen Paakhangba.[citation needed]Manipur came underBritish rulein the eighteenth century as a princely state (Kangleipak). Europeans first observed local people playingpolohere and were taken by the game.Geography and climateManipur is one of the seven states ofNortheast India. The state is bound by the states ofNagalandin the north,Mizoramin the south,Assamin the west, and by the countryBurmain the east as well as in the south. The state capital of Manipur isImphal.The state lies at a latitude of 2383N 2568N and a longitude of 9303E 9478E. The total area covered by the state is 22,347km. The capital lies in an oval-shaped valley of approximately 700 square miles (2,000km2) surrounded by blue mountains, and is at an elevation of 790 metres above the sea level.[26]The slope of the valley is from north to south. The mountain ranges create a moderated climate, preventing the cold winds from the north from reaching the valley and barring cyclonic storms originating from theBay of Bengal.FloraThe natural vegetation occupies an area of about 14,365km which is nearly 64% of the total geographical area of the state. The vegetation consists of a large variety of plants ranging from short and tall grasses, reeds and bamboos to trees of various species. Broadly, there are four types of forests Tropical Semi-evergreen, Dry Temperate Forest, Sub-Tropical Pine and Tropical Moist Deciduous.Teak,pine,oak, uningthou, leihao,bamboo,cane, etc. are important forest resources growing in plenty. In addition, rubber, tea, coffee, orange, andcardamomare grown in hill areas. Rice is a staple food for Manipuris. Rice and cash crops make up the main vegetation cover in the valley.ClimateThe climate of Manipur is largely influenced by the topography of this hilly region. Lying 790 meters above sea level, Manipur is wedged among hills on all sides. This northeastern corner of India enjoys a generally amiable climate, though the winters can be a little chilly. The maximum temperature in the summer months is 32 degrees C. In winter the temperature often falls below zero, bringing frost. Snow sometimes falls in some hilly regions due to theWestern Disturbance. The coldest month is January, and the warmest July. The ideal time for tourism in the state, in terms of climate, is from October to February, when the weather remains bright and sunny without the sun being too hot.The state is drenched in rains from May until mid-October. It receives an average annual rainfall of 1467.5mm. However, the rain distribution varies from 933mm inImphalto 2593mm inTamenglong. The precipitation ranges from light drizzle to heavy downpour. The normal rainfall of Manipur enriches the soil and helps in agricultural processes and irrigation. The South WesterlyMonsoonpicks up moisture from theBay of Bengaland heads toward Manipur, hits the eastern Himalaya ranges and produces a massive amount of rain in the state. The climate of the State is salubrious with approximate average annual rainfall varying from 933mm at Imphal to 2593mm at Tamenglong. The temperature ranges from sub-zero to 36C.DemographicsManipur has a population of 2,721,756. Of this total, 58.9% live in the valley and the remaining 41.1% in the hilly regions. The hills are inhabited mainly by theNaga,ZomiandKuki, and smaller tribal communities and the valley mainly by theMeitei, Bamons (Manipuri Brahmin) andPangal(Manipuri Muslim). SomeBishnupriya Manipuri, Naga and Kuki settlements are also found in the valley region. Racially, Manipuri people are unique; they have features similar toSoutheast Asian.[32]The Nagas are the second largest people in terms of population next to the Meitei people. Few of them living in the plain area but most of them living in the hill area from generation to generation.The distribution of area, population and density, literacy rate, etc. as per the 2001 Census provisional figures are as below:TribesTheMeetei,[10]constitute a plurality, 47% of the state's ethnic groups. According to 1891 census Meetei or Meitei are recorded as forest tribes, in 1901 Meetei are listed as main tribe of Manipur.[33]They live primarily in the state's valley region.Hilly people constitute 30% of the state population.[citation needed]Besidea the Meetei people, the Kukis have the second highest percentage of the population. The third is the Nagas who are further sub-divided into sub-tribes: Rongmei, Tangkhul, Poumai, Mao, Maram, Liangmai, and Zeme.LanguagesThe term Meitei includesMeetei Sanamahi, Meetei Christians, Meitei Hindus andMeetei Brahmins(locally called "Bamons"). The language of Meetei people,Meithei(orManipuri), is thelingua francain Manipur and is one of the languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. Manipur has a diverse group of ethnic groups speaking different languages and dialects, variously practicing Hinduism, Christianity,Sanamahism, Buddhism, Islam and other folk religions.[11]The languages spoken in Manipur as per 2001 census are Manipuri (1,266,098), Thado (178,696), Tangkhul (139,979), Kabui (87,950), Paite (48,379), Hmar (43,137), Vaiphei (37,553), Gangte (13,752), Kom (14,558), Kuki (12,900), Liangmei (32,787), Maring (22,154), Anal (22,187), Simte (10,028), Zou (20,626), Bengali (27,100), Hindi (24,720), etc.