Arunachal Pradesh

Arunachal Pradesh is one of the most sparesely populated states of India, borders China, Bhutan and Myanmar. There are five major rivers - Kameng, Subansiri, Siang (later the Brahmaputra in Assam), Lohit and Tirap and the mountain ranges follow the river systems. Home to a complex mix of communities, its people are friendly, colourful and simple. Its rich flora ranges from the Alpine to the subtropical, from rhododendrons to orchids. Its verdant forests, turbulent streams, lofty mountains and snow clad peaks make it a unique place.

The region that is now Arunachal Pradesh is mentioned in the Puranas (Sanskrit writings about the beginning of time), but little else is known of the state's early history. Part of Arunachal Pradesh was annexed by the Ahom kings of Assam in the 16th century. In 1826 Assam became part of British India, but efforts to bring Arunachal Pradesh under British administration did not begin until the 1880s. In 1912 the region became an administrative unit within Assam, called the North Eastern Frontier Tract; in 1954 the NEFT became the North East Frontier Agency. Its northern boundary with Tibet has been disputed since 1913, when China rejected British proposals that the border should follow the crest of the Himalayas. This proposed border, known as the McMahon line, has served as the de facto boundary since. After the independence of India in 1947, China made claims to practically the whole area covered by the districts of East and West Kameng, Lower and Upper Subansiri, East and West Siang, and Lohit, arguing that the McMahon Line had never been accepted by China and was the result of British "aggression."