Meghalaya

Capital

Shillong

Official Language

English

Area

22,429 km²

Districts

12

Largest City

Shillong

Geography & Nature

The Khasi, Jaintia and Garo hills contain limestone caves, forested slopes and exceptionally wet monsoon landscapes.

• Reported area: 22,429 km². Survey of India — Administrative Boundary Data.
• Forest and tree cover: 17,687.40 km²; India State of Forest Report 2023.

Districts & Cities

12 districts listed by the NIC directory on 2026-10-14.

• Major urban centres: Shillong, Tura, Jowai, Nongstoin.
• Largest city/town: Shillong. Largest city/town using Census 2011 municipal or town boundaries; urban-agglomeration rankings can differ. Current city names are used.

State Administration

Meghalaya has a Governor and an elected government led by a Chief Minister. Its legislature has a Legislative Assembly. The capital is Shillong.

• Administrative capital: Shillong.
• Principal official language(s): English. Khasi and Garo have associate official status in specified areas under the state language framework.

Government Institutions

Government institutions in Meghalaya include executive departments, district administration, public agencies and local bodies. The official directory provides routes to their published websites.

• The Legislative Assembly provides the elected legislative institution.
• District administrations and municipal or village institutions provide local public services.

People & Demographics

The official MoEFCC profile reports approximately 0.30 crore people on a Census 2011 basis. This is a historical, rounded population figure rather than a current population estimate.

• Principal official language(s): English.
• Khasi and Garo have associate official status in specified areas under the state language framework.
• Census tables provide the detailed rural/urban, literacy, age and mother-tongue breakdowns.

Economy & Industries

Agriculture, horticulture, tourism, trade and small industries are important; livelihoods vary between hill regions.

• Economic centres include Shillong, Tura, Jowai.
• Use the government's economic surveys and departmental publications for dated output, employment and investment figures.

Infrastructure

National highways, Shillong's airport and local road networks connect settlements across the plateau and hills.

• Transport, electricity, water and digital networks support public services and economic activity.
• Project status and operational details are published by the responsible government departments and operators.

Education & Healthcare

North-Eastern Hill University, IIM Shillong and NIT Meghalaya are major institutions; NEIGRIHMS supports medical education and care.

• Schools, universities, government hospitals and primary care facilities serve different parts of the region.
• Check the relevant institution or department for current programmes, admissions and services.

Culture & History

Living-root bridges, Khasi and Jaintia traditions and the Garo Wangala festival demonstrate diverse community heritage.

• Heritage sites, languages, crafts and community traditions vary across districts.
• The official tourism and culture portal provides place-specific information.

Schemes & Public Services

The Meghalaya government and citizen-service portal provide access to applications, certificates, departmental services and scheme information.

• Common service areas include revenue certificates, welfare applications, education, transport and local-government services; availability varies by portal.
• Open the official service listing for the current application process and requirements.