It is believed that Assam is only the anglicized version of ‘Asom’- the name the Ahoms gave to the country, when they conquered it.
Geographically Assam is a shadow of its former self. It has been reduced to one-third of its original size in thirty years.
Assam, as it is today, may be divided into two important physical regions – the Barak valley and the Brahmaputra valley.
Assam is dominated by the Brahmaputra river (length: 2900 km).
Its drainage area is roughly 935,5000 sq km. Rainfall, one of the highest in the world (between 178 and 305 cm), is concentrated in 4 months, June to September.
The principal food crop is rice.
The cash crops are jute, tea, cotton, oilseeds, sugarcane, potato, etc.
Noteworthy horticulture items are orange, banana, pineapple, areca nut, coconut, guava, mango, jack fruit and citrus
fruits. Assam is known for her rich forest harvest. The State is also rich in minerals: oil, coal, limestone, refractory clay, dolomite, and natural gas.
Assam contributes 15.6% of the world’s tea production and 55% of the country’s tea output.
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Assam is the first state in the country where oil was struck in 1889 at
Digboy.
The state has two oil refineries and the third with petrochemical complex is underway.
Other industries are sugar, jute, silk, paper, plywood, rice and oil drilling.
Important cottage industries are handloom, sericulture, manufacture of cane and bamboo articles, etc.
Assam is the largest producer in the world of the golden colored ‘mug’ silk.
Guwahati
- Kaziranga - Sibsagar and Guwahati - Manas are two travel circuits promoted by the
Union Government.
Additional circuits proposed by the state are Guwahati -
Bhairabkunda - Orang - Bhaluking - Tezpur, and Guwahati -Diphy -
Haflong - Silchar. Kazranga National Park, famous for rhinos
and elephants and Manas are two important national parks.
Kenyan Crisis Boosts Indian Tea Prospects
Media organisations in Manipur face frequent interference from insurgent groups but they do not compromise on ethics. (Press Under Pressure, Frontline, Iboyaima Laithangbam, Nov 07, 2007)
Major disasters were averted on Tuesday in Upper Assam's Sibsagar district with the recovery of a powerful Improvised Explosive Device (IED) on an ONGC oil pipeline and a bottle bomb near the office of Superintendent of Police here . . . . . (Ulfa’S Attempts To Blast Ongc Pipeline Foiled, Ied, Bomb Found, New Indian Express, Correspondent or Reporter, Nov 07, 2007)
An event occurred unnoticed on January 31, 2006. Since it will continue to affect every aspect of our economic life for years, I have thought it appropriate to take note of it even so late.
(Haircuts For Camels, Telegraph, Ashok V. Desai, Nov 06, 2007)
A galaxy of senior Congress leaders on Monday demanded that the Union Government and Governor Rameshwar Thakur dissolve the lower House in the State and hold elections to save the people from the “communal” Bharatiya Janata Party leaders in the . . . . (“Dissolve Assembly, Hold Elections In Karnataka” , Hindu, Correspondent or Reporter, Nov 06, 2007)
There are four main aspects to the China-Tibet-India problem over the last century, some of which are only now becoming apparent. (China’S India Aggression, Statesman, Correspondent or Reporter, Nov 05, 2007)
Why a Union Minister from West Bengal is opposed to the deployment of the Central Reserve Police Force in Nandigram as sought by the State government when those belonging to States such as Andhra Pradesh and Assam, are agreeable to . . . . . (Nandigram: Brinda Karat Sees A Conspiracy, Hindu, Correspondent or Reporter, Nov 05, 2007)
MANY years ago, when on assignment with the International Control Commission in Vietnam, one of the first sights that one witnessed in down town Saigon was that of a Buddhist monk protesting the State’s religious discrimination practiced . . . . . . (When Buddhists Are A Minority, Tribune, Maj Gen (retd) Himmat Singh Gill, Nov 05, 2007)
Seven paramilitary troopers died on Friday in an ambush by tribal separatists in India’s restive northeastern state of Assam, police said.
(Indian Rebels Kill Seven Troopers , Dawn, Correspondent or Reporter, Nov 03, 2007)
Given runaway international crude oil prices, India's top energy firms are gearing up massive expansion and exploration plans both at home and abroad.
(India's Oil Majors In Global , Singapore Times, Correspondent or Reporter, Nov 03, 2007)
Mayawati’s call for trifurcation of Uttar Pradesh may have evoked no political reaction and very little media attention but it certainly comes as a surprise. (Special Article, Statesman, Sumer Kaul, Nov 03, 2007)
Tribal militants attacked a Central Reserve Police force (CRPF) convoy killing seven CRPF personnel in a remote part of North Cachar Hill district of Assam at around 10 a.m today while a tea garden executive was kidnapped by militants . . . . (Ultras Kill 7 Crpf Men , Tribune, Bijay Sankar Bora, Nov 03, 2007)
Separatist rebels have killed seven personnel of India's Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in the north-eastern state of Assam.
(Rebels Kill Seven Police In Assam , British Broadcasting Corporation, Correspondent or Reporter, Nov 03, 2007)
In an unprecedented move, the Assam Cricket Association (ACA) has made an appeal to the banned United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) among others to facilitate smooth holding of the November 5 Indian-Pakistan one-day international cricket . . . . . . (Organisers Seek Ulfa’S Blessings, Tribune, Bijay Sankar Bora, Nov 03, 2007)
The proscribed ULFA received yet another blow, as 66 of its militants laid down weapons before top police officials in Guwahati on Thursday. (66 Ulfa Rebels Surrender, Hindu, Correspondent or Reporter, Nov 02, 2007)
Series of surrenders and a string of encounter deaths during the past month has crippled the ULFA, with security forces saying the morale of the outfit has hit an all-time low.
(Ulfa Morale Hit As More Cadres Surrender, Indian Express, Samudra Gupta Kashyap, Nov 02, 2007)
Two ULFA militants were killed in an encounter with the Army inside a forest area in Arunachal Pradesh bordering upper Assam while 11 revellers were injured in a blast triggered by unidentified militants at a Lakshmi Puja fair at Orang in . . . . (Army Kills 2 Ultras; 11 Revellers Hurt In Blast , Tribune, Bijay Sankar Bora, Oct 30, 2007)
Mentally ill undertrial prisoners can now hope for some respite thanks to a recent Supreme Court ruling. (Ray Of Hope , Deccan Herald, Correspondent or Reporter, Oct 30, 2007)
In an attempt to make light of the last week’s surrender of its 31 cadres before the Army and police, the banned United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) today stated that such “surrender dramas” “enacted” by security forces and the . . . . . . (Ulfa Puts Up Brave Front On ‘Surrender Dramas’ , Tribune, Bijay Sankar Bora, Oct 29, 2007)
ONGC has lined up Rs 7,750-crore investment to revamp the age-old installations and pipelines of its onshore assets, which produce over 8 million tonnes of oil and oil equivalent a year. (Ongc Lines Up Rs 7,750 Cr To Revamp Onshore Assets, Business Line, Pratim Ranjan Bose, Oct 29, 2007)
Reminiscent of the Scottish highlands, it leaves you spellbound (Scotland Of The East!, Hindu, A N Sudarsan Rao , Oct 27, 2007)
More Assam stories
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