Assam is the cosmopolitan state of the North East of India. Connected to mainland India
by a 27 km chicken neck and bordered by the hills of Arunachal to the North, Kingdom of Bhutan in the North East, Nagaland to the east, Manipur in the South east, Meghalaya
in the South West, Mizoram and Tripura to the south, the local population comprising of the Assamese people, the plains tribes of Bodos, Mishing, Lalungs, Koch Rajbongshis, Rabha, Moran, Chutias, Ahoms, Karbis, Deuris, Dimasas co-exist with people from mainland India, who have either migrated or is part of the huge floating population earning a livelihood here.
There are over 45 languages spoken by various local communities in Assam. Assam is one of the richest biodiversity zones in the world. There are number of tropical rainforests in Assam. Moreover, there are riverine grasslands, bamboo orchards and numerous wetland ecosystems. Many of these areas have been protected by developing national parks and reserved forests. Kaziranga National Park and Manas National Park are the two UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Kaziranga is conservations success story as far as the great Indian one horned rhino is concerned while Manas is a tiger sanctuary located in the beautiful foothills of the Assam – Bhutan border.
Assam is also known for its orchids. The British introduced tea to Assam over 100 years ago and Assam Tea is well known all over the world. It petroleum deposits boasts of India’s oldest refineries in Digboi.