Occupying 2.39% of India’s landmass, Assam is the most vibrant of eight states comprising the Northeast. Bounded by these states, West Bengal, Bhutan and Bangladesh, its topographical asymmetry is underscored by the Barail hill range sandwiched between two valleys – Brahmaputra and Barak – named after the dominant rivers.

Assam is synonymous with breathtaking natural beauty, teeming wildlife, immaculate tea gardens and warm, beautiful people. It’s strategic location in the northeast of India, and it’s accessibility from the rest of the country makes it the gateway to the northeastern states.

Green is the predominant colour of the state with an impressive 35% forest cover and thousands of hectares under tea cultivatation. Assam has five national parks including the World Heritage Sites of Kaziranga and Manas, and 20 Wildlife sanctuaries. The great Indian one-horned rhinocerous is one of Assam's most famous denizens.

Over the centuries, people of various ethnic, religious and linguistic backgrounds have been attracted to the fertile valleys of Assam making it a mosiac of various cultures. It is no wonder then that Assam is said to be like a miniature version of the whole country itself.

Supporting the state's abundant wildlife and luscious vegetation are the monsoons which stretch from late May to September, but there are intermittent rains even in the winters. Winters begin in late November and continue till February. Winter mornings in most parts of Assam are marked by dense fog giving the land an aura of ethereal beauty.

The Brahmaputra Valley is an alluvial plain about 724 kms in length and 81 kms in breadth. It is enclosed on the north by the mighty Himalayas, south by the Garo, Khasi, Jaintia and Naga Hills. The Brahmaputra, the lifeline of the valley which shares it's name, floods the nearby land with fertile silt every year to ensure a rich harvest.

To the south of the valley are the charming hills of Karbi Anglong. Further south are the North Cachar Hills. Located here, amidst beutiful orchards, is Assam's only hill station, Haflong. The southern part of Assam is the Barak Valley, which derives its name from the Barak river. This region is a treasure trove of untouched natural beauty.

Brahmaputra, Barak and their 120 tributaries ensure a fertile land dotted with more than 3,500 wetlands, 800 expansive tea estates and 25 major wildlife preserves housing rare species of flora and fauna.

The political history of Assam is well-known since the first millennium AD when political institutions began to take shape like that of greater northern India. The Brahmaputra valley housed several kingdoms and political territories while the valley’s southern and eastern hills experimented with numerous political cultures. It was only in the early 20th century that British historians like Edward Gait or Assamese historians like Kanaklal Barua began to write about this political past. Since then there has been a clear picture of the political cultures of Assam.

Assam has four well defined seasons in a year.......summer, monsoon, winter and spring which present Assam in different moods. The state experiences high rainfall and humidity as it has bounteous forest cover almost through it's length and breadth.

The National Parks and sanctuaries are closed for monsoons between June and September. Bihu, the most important festival of Assam is celebrated three times a year but the most lavish celebrations happen during Rongali Bihu (mid- April) when the entire state erupts in festivities making it a good time for tourists to visit the state.

Assam enjoys tempertate weather with a maximum of 35 - 38 C in summer and a minimum of 6 - 8 C in winter in low lying areas, particularly the Brahmaputra and Barak Valley. However, as one ascends towards the hills, the mercury drops considerably in winters.

Many South, Eastern and Southeast Asian communities have settled in Assam over the centuries. But civilisation in the region did not necessarily begin with the fertile Brahmaputra Valley. Discoveries of stone implements and pottery reveal the existence of prehistoric communities on the highlands encircling the valley.

Anthropological accounts say Assam’s demography is marked by several waves of migration. Australoids, the first inhabitants, were absorbed or dispersed by the Mongoloids that ancient Sanskrit literature term as Kirats. The Caucasoids followed, and their four categories – Mediterranean, Alpine, Indo-Aryan and Irano-Scythian – settled in the valleys.

Many South, Eastern and Southeast Asian communities have settled in Assam over the centuries. But civilisation in the region did not necessarily begin with the fertile Brahmaputra Valley. Discoveries of stone implements and pottery reveal the existence of prehistoric communities on the highlands encircling the valley.

Anthropological accounts say Assam’s demography is marked by several waves of migration. Australoids, the first inhabitants, were absorbed or dispersed by the Mongoloids that ancient Sanskrit literature term as Kirats. The Caucasoids followed, and their four categories – Mediterranean, Alpine, Indo-Aryan and Irano-Scythian – settled in the valleys.

Assam thus is the meeting point of the oriental and occidental races speaking different languages and following diverse religious systems. The Mongoloid group is categorised into scheduled tribe (plains) and scheduled tribe (hills) but some like Ahoms, Chutiyas and Morans are not considered tribes. Among the nontribal settlers are Bengali (Hindu and Muslim), Nepali and various Hindi-speaking groups besides Adivasis (referred to as ‘tea tribe’). Assam's numerous tribes lend it a cultural identity that is multi-lingual, multi-ethnic, and multi-religious yet distinct from the rest of the country in terms of political history.

One factor that construes as the binding agent of the various Assamese people is its Bihu festival. Three varieties of it, the Bhogali, Rongali and Kati Bihu, the festival is a dogged representation of Assamese identity and its uniqueness. The local flavour of celebration, however, goes way beyond just the Assamese folklore with the large number ethnic tribes like Bodo, Mising, Karbi, Dimasa, Rabha, Tiwa, Deori, Sonowal Kachari, Garo, Hojai, Mech, Hajong, Singpho, etc. having their own distinctive cultural features, facets and forms. The sheer physical beauty of these tribal people, their intricately woven attire ensembles and the striking colors of their clothes coupled with the incredible landscape that they call their homeland makes the composition of Assam's demography one of the most desirably diverse in the world.