Assam is located between 24008' N-27059' N latitude and 89042' E-96001' E longitude. Covering an area of 78, 523 sq.

km.
Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, West Bengal, Bangladesh and Bhutan surround it. The state of
Assam consists of 24 districts for administration. The geology has endowed the state with many hills and rivers. These have
tremendous influence on the soil quality, drainage pattern, landuse, vegetation pattern, population pattern, culture, etc.
The state can be divided into three distinctive geographic parts. The first one being the long and comparatively long and narrow
Brahmaputra valley or Assam valley. The river Brahmaputra flows from east to west for about 700 km within the state and has
great role in the land formation, hydrology, ecology, population distribution, culture and economy of the valley and the state.
The Barak, another largest river of the state has created the Barak Valley in the southern end of the state. Barail range and
Karbi Plateau has separated these two river systems.
Administrative Units

Sub-Division Blocks

Revenue Circles

Sl. No District

Mahakuma
Parishad

Panchayats

Villages
2001
census

(as on 31/03/2004)
1

Dhubri

14

172

1333

Kokrajhar

88

973

Bongaigaon

93

917

Goalpara

81

817

Barpeta

12

150

1073

Nalbari

12

110

827

Kamrup

17

15

178

1393

Darrang

11

10

155

1341

Sonitpur

14

158

1875

10

Lakhimpur

81

1170

11

Dhemaji

65

1315

12

Morigaon

85

636

13

Nagaon

18

11

240

1421

14

Golaghat

102

1086

15

Jorhat

111

866

16

Sibsagar

118

881

17

Dibrugarh

93

1348

18

Tinsukia

88

1151

19

Karbi Anglong

11

2843

20

North Cachar Hills

581

21

Karimganj

96

940

22

Hailakandi

62

331

23

Cachar

15

163

11051

48

219

155

42

2489

26247

Assam

District-wise Literacy Rates by Sex in Assam

[As per 2001 census (provisional)]
District
Kokrajhar
Dhubri
Goalpara
Bongaigaon
Barpeta
Kamrup
Nalbari
Darrang
Morigaon
Nagaon
Sonitpur
Lakhimpur
Dhemaji
Tinsukia
Dibrugarh
Sibsagar
Jorhat
Golaghat

Person
1991
40.47
38.38
46.81
49.06
43.24
65.04
55.9
42
47.99
54.74
48.14
58.96
53.84
50.28
58.32
64.46
65.51
58.54

2001
51.63
48.79
58.03
59.33
57.24
74.16
67.23
55.44
58.53
61.73
59.00
68.56
64.48
60.95
68.96
74.47
76.34
69.38

Male
1991
49.46
47.38
55.47
58.67
52.61
73.67
66.95
50.8
56.17
62.49
56.7
68.28
65.43
59.27
66.72
71.91
73.29
66.5

2001
60.32
55.91
64.86
67.67
64.83
81.16
76.56
63.91
65.15
68.27
67.54
77.06
74.41
70.15
77.30
81.53
83.62
77.14

Female
1991
30.83
28.79
37.58
38.72
33.2
55.01
44.19
32.53
39.19
46.3
38.6
48.85
41.12
39.99
48.89
56.14
56.88
49.75

2001
42.40
40.04
50.85
50.44
47.07
66.31
57.26
46.40
51.51
54.74
49.73
59.59
53.86
53.4
59.95
66.81
68.49
60.99

Cachar
59.16
Karimganj
54.71
Hailakandi
53.07
Assam
52.89
Source: Statistical Handbook Assam 2004

67.82
66.24
59.64
63.25

68.79
64.05
64.08
64.28

75.73
74.69
68.47
71.28

48.76
44.76
41.04
43.03

59.41
57.28
50.46
54.61

Drainage Basins
The Central Assam hill range in the state forms approximately the watershed for Brahmaputra and Meghna Basins. The large
part of the state including Brahmaputra valley falls under Brahmaputra basin while the Surma valley falls under the Meghna
Basin. The Brahmaputra Basin is presently confined by the Eastern Himalayas on the north and east, the Naga- Patkai range on
the southeast, Mikir Hills and Shillong Plateau on the southern and southwestern side. The Brahmaputra River is one of the
largest rivers of the world and discharges about 30% of the total water resources of the world. The total length of river
Brahmaputra from its origin in Tibet to its outfall in the Bay of Bengal is about 2880 km. It traverses its first 1625km in Tibet,
the next 918km in India and the rest in Bangladesh. River Brahmaputra is joined by 40 tributaries on its north bank and 20 on
its south bank. All the north bank tributaries originate in the sub - Himalayan ranges except Subansiri, Jiabharali and Manas,
which are Trans Himalayan. The Subansiri, the Badeng- Pubnai, the Kameng- Jiabharali, the Dhansiri, the Manas and the
Champamati are some of the important rivers on the north bank which are known as sub-basins. On the south bank, the Dholai,
the Burhi Dihing, the Disang, the Dhansiri, the Kopili -Kalang and the Kulsi- Jinjiram rivers from separate sub- basins. These
southern tributaries out crop from Khasi Hills and are generally not perennial nature. Most of these rivers maintain meagre base
flow during dry winter months.
Rainfall
Physiographically, the State of Assam can be divided into:
1. The vast alluvial plains of the Brahmaputra valley in the north, comprising the districts of Goalpara, Kamrup, Darrang,
Nagaon, Sibsagar, North Lakhimpur and Dibrugarh.
2. The Central Assam hills comprising Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills districts.
3. The hilly and alluvial terrain in the south covering the Cachar district (Barak valley).
Ranging in average elevation from 50 to 120 m above mean sea level the Brahmaputra valley represents a unique landscape
about 800 km long and 130 km wide valley separated from the comparatively low lying Barak valley in the south by the Mikir
Hills and Barail range in the central part. Thus bounded by the hill ranges in the north, east and south, Assam experiences the
predominant influence of the south-west tropical monsoon which reigns from April to October with occasional winter showers.
The low clouds of the southwest monsoon after being intercepted by the N.C. Hill range and Naga Patkai range, cause heavy
rainfall in the southern part of Assam and precipitate in the Brahmaputra valley; their intensity increasing towards the foothills
of the Himalayas. The approach of the monsoon is marked by strong winds, overcast skies and occasional thunder showers,
hailstorm and cyclones during April and May and it starts its full play of heavy showers from June.
Click here to view Rainfall Distribution in Assam (in mm)
Soil
The state of Assam, which treasures geological formations of wide age range, and has undergone diversified pedogenesis
depending upon the composition of the parent materials, paleogeographical conditions and climatic conditions to which it was
subjected. The soil groups can be broadly classified into the following:

Forest and hilly lateritic soil, deep reddish in colour, developed over the geological formations belonging to
Archaean, Precambrian and Upper Tertiary age. The soil is characterized by low nitrogen, low phosphate and medium to
high potash and pH is acidic.
Low level terrace, red and yellow soil, formed due to laterisation process of Upper Pleistocene fluvial sediments
under favourable climatic conditions. Soil pH is acidic due to intensive leaching of bases and formation of clay minerals
and ferric hydroxides.
Alluvial plain soil, light grey to dark grey of Recent age occuring along the major river valleys.

Based on the Russian system of classification, soils of Assam have been classified into zonal and azonal based mainly upon soil
genesis.
Zonal

Older Alluvial Soil, are developed almost entirely in Cachar district and is light grey to dark grey in colour. It is
unaltered alluvium representing a broad spectrum of sand, silt and humus rich bog clay depending on land form
component.
Red Loamy Soil, are developed in the entire Karbi Anglong district, parts of N.C.Hills and a little fringe in the northern
border of North Lakhimpur district. These are deep red loamy soils with clay rich latasol profile.
Red and Yellow Soil, low level terrace, red yellow to brick red soil, restricted mainly in the northern border of the N.
C. Hills is having clayey plastic latasol with sedimentary structures and texture totally obliterated in the solum. Mottling
and incipient development ferruginous nodules at places are quite common.
Lateritic Soil, the forested and lateritic Soils are brick red to brownish red in colour. They are developed in the vicinity
of Haflong in N.C. district, southern parts of Kamrup and Nagaon districts.

Azonal

Alluvial Soil, are alluvial plain soils, developed along vast places of Brahmaputra basin. These are yellow to yellowish