Before Independence, this entire region was collectively called as Assam and the different states were segregated later. The entire north-east region is a sensitive border area where India s frontiers meet with those of China, Burma, Bangladesh and Bhutan. Assam is bounded in the north by Bhutan and Arunachal Paradesh, in the east by Nagaland and Manipur, in the south by Mizoram, Tripura and Meghalaya and in the west by West Bengal and Bangladesh. The 23 districts of Assam are Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Cachar, Darrang, Dhemaji, Dhubri, Dibrugarh, Goalpara, Golaghat, Hailakandi, Jorhat, Kamrup, Karbi Anglog, Karimganj, Kokrajhar, Lakhimpur, Marigaon, Nagaon, North Cachar Hills, Nalbari, Sibsagar, Sonitpur and Tinsukia. The whole region is entirely mountainous except for a thin strip of land, which adjoins Assam.
Dense forests cover more than two-thirds of the territory.
The districts are West Kamang, East Kamang, Tawang, Papum-Pare, Lower Subansiri, Upper Subansiri, West Siang, East Siang, Upper Siang, Dibang Valley, Lohit, Changlang and Tirap. Manipuri was recognised as a national language in 1992. The districts in Manipur are Bishnupur, Chandel, Churachandpur, Imphal, Senapati, Tamenglong, Thoubal and Ukhrul. Mizoram means the Land of the Mizos and the word Mizo itself means highlander. Under British administration, Mizoram was known as the Lushai Hill district.