About Manipur

The word Manipur is derived from two words, “Mani” meaning ‘Jewel’ and “Pur” meaning “City or place”. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru called Manipur the ‘Jewel of India’ while Lord Irwin described it as the ‘Switzerland of India’.

Nestling deep within a lush green corner of North East India and located 790 meters above sea level, Manipur is a wondrously beautiful paradise wedged between hills on all sides. It is an exotic landscape with green valleys, undulating hills, gleaming blue lakes and dense forests that are dotted with waterfalls, lazy streams, cascading rapids, tripping rivers and carpets of flowers. The most beautiful and precious blooms orchids have an exotic aura and are coveted across the world. In Manipur, they are found in their natural habitat and nearly 500 beautiful varieties of orchids grow here.

FAVOURABLE AGRO-CLIMATIC CONDITIONS

Manipur has rich bio-diversity and is blessed with an amazing variety of flora and fauna. It is the abode of many rare species including Shiroy Lily (LiliumMacklinae), the paradise flower and the Brow Antlered deer Cervus-eldi, locally known as Sangai. It is also home to KeibulLamjao, the only floating National Park in the world.

Hills constitute 90% of Manipur’s total area and the remaining 10%, including the State capital of Imphal, fall in the central valley portion. 78% of the total geographical area of Manipur is forested.Manipur has predominantly ahumid sub-tropical climate anddepending on the altitude of the hill ranges varies from tropical to sub-alpine. It experiences three main seasons:The average rainfall (1507mm) in the state is much higher than the Indian average and its soil cover can be divided into two broad types, viz. the red ferruginous soil in the hill area and the alluvium in the valley.

 

With a range of natural conditions, varied soil and unique topography; Manipur produces many excellent yields.

GEO- POLITICAL ADVANTAGE

Manipur is surrounded by Cachar district of Assam in the west, Nagaland in the north, Mizoram in the south and Upper Myanmar in the east. Its long international boundary of 352 kms offers enormous trade potential not only with Myanmar but also with other Asian countries.

Moreh, the international trade centre on the Manipur-Myanmar border is already popular with both the sides. To boost potential, the Surashtra-Silchar super highway is being extended to Moreh. This combined with the proposed Moreh to Mae Sat (Thailand) highway, will make Manipur the ‘Gateway to South East Asia’.

Technology Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture in NE states, India’s growing emphasis on its ‘Look East’ policy and a spate of preferential trading arrangements (PTA) and free trade arrangements (FTA) with neighboring countries like Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Myanmar are facilitating development in Manipur