Assam

Assam is the gateway to north-east India, a green land shaped by the mighty Brahmaputra river. It is famous for its tea gardens, which produce a large share of India's tea, for the one-horned rhinoceros of Kaziranga, and for Majuli, one of the largest river islands in the world.

Guwahati, with the Kamakhya temple on Nilachal hill, is the largest city of the region. Dispur, part of Guwahati, is the state capital.

The Ahom kingdom ruled the Brahmaputra valley for about six centuries from the 13th century and famously resisted Mughal expansion at the Battle of Saraighat in 1671. The region came under British control after the Treaty of Yandabo in 1826. Several states of the north-east – including Meghalaya, Nagaland and Mizoram – were later carved out of the original state of Assam.

The state consists mainly of the Brahmaputra and Barak river valleys, separated by the Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao hills. Annual monsoon floods renew the soil but also cause great hardship. Protected areas include Kaziranga, Manas and Nameri national parks.

Tea, oil and natural gas have long been the pillars of Assam's economy – Digboi is home to one of the oldest oil refineries in Asia. Agriculture, silk and tourism are also important.

Assamese, Bodo and Bengali are official languages. Bihu, celebrated three times a year, is the heart of Assamese culture, with Bihu dance and songs. The state is known for Muga and Pat silk, the Sattriya classical dance from the Vaishnavite monasteries (sattras) of Majuli, and the gamosa, a woven cloth offered as a mark of respect.