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| It
is not clear how the name Assam came into existence. The name "Assam"
may be derived from the Sanskrit term "Asom" that means unparalleled,
or one with no equal. The term "Asom" in Sanskrit also means undulated
or uneven. The rugged nature of the land of Assam may also be a reason
for her name. In addition, the Ahoms ruled Assam for six hundred years
till the early part of the 19th century. The words "Ahom" and "Asom" are
pronounced similarly, and hence the Ahoms may also have given Assam its
names. Assam comprises an area of 78,523 square kilometers (30,318 square miles). Modern Assam has 22 districts . Except for the districts of Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills, Assam is generally composed of plains and river valleys. It can be divided into three principal geographical regions: the Brahmaputra Valley in the north; the Barak Plain in the south; and the Mikir (Karbi Anglong) and Cachar Hills that divide the two regions. The northern part of Assam is wholly occupied by the elongated valley of the mighty river Brahmaputra. Most of Assam's population lives in this valley. The Brahmaputra valley is bounded by the foothills of the Himalayas to the north and another lower range of hills and mountains to the south. In the center part of Assam, to the south of the hills is the Barak Valley which is contiguous with the densely populated country of Bangladesh. The Brahmaputra Valley is the dominant physical feature of Assam. |
 Map of Assam |
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The
Brahmaputra enters Assam near Sadiya at the extreme northeast corner and
runs westward for nearly 450 miles before turning south to enter the plains
of Bangladesh. The river valley, rarely more than 50 miles wide, is studded
with numerous low, isolated hills and ridges that abruptly rise from the
plain. The valley, surrounded on all sides, except the west, by mountains
and is intersected by many streams and rivulets that flow from the neighboring
hills to converge into the Brahmaputra. The average temperature is moderate, about 84 degrees F (29 degress C) in the hottest month of August. The average valley temperature in January is 61 degrees F (16 degrees C). In this season, the climate of the valley is marked by heavy fogs and a little rain. Assam does not have the normal Indian hot, dry season. Some rain occurs from March onwards, but the real force of the monsoon winds is faced from June onward. Rainfall in Assam ranks among the highest in the world; its annual rainfall varies from 70 inches in the west to 120 inches per year in the east. Large concentrated during the months from June to September, it often results in widespread destructive floods. Assam's forests cover about 20 percent of the total area. The Kaziranga National Park, the stronghold of the fast-disappearing great Indian one-horned rhinoceros, is its most famous wildlife refuge. The most important forest products are timber and bamboo, firewood and lac (the source of shellac). There are about 74 species of timber, of which two-thirds are commercially exploited. The forests are inhabited by wild animals such as elephants, tigers, deer and wild pigs. Name of the Districts : Barpeta , Bongaigaon , Cachar , Darrang , Dhemaji, Dhubri ,Dibrugarh ,Goalpara ,Golaghat, Hailakandi, Jorhat , Kamrup, Karbi Anglong, Karimganj, Lakhimpur, Marigaon, Nagaon, North Cachar Hills, Nalbari, Sibsagar , Sonitpur, Tinsukia. |
