State

Population (millions)

Key Towns/
Cities

Literacy Rate
(% of adults)

Arunachal Pradesh

1.1

Chnglang

54.3

Lohit

Assam

26.6

Guwahati

63.3

Manipur

2.2

Imphal

70.5

Meghalaya

2.3

Shillong

62.6

Nagaland

2.0

Kohima

66.6

Parts of this region have more in common with South East Asia as it borders Myanmar ( Burma ) and is almost cut off from the main parts of India by Bangladesh. The hilly terrain that links this region to West Bengal is only 50km (30miles) wide in places. Roads are under-developed and a lack of regional airports does not help. Some of the key cities are however vibrant.

Other borders are with Bhutan and China are also Himalayan.

It is, however, a fascinating region embracing evergreen and semi-evergreen rain forests, moist deciduous monsoon forests, riparian forests, swamps and grasslands.