Manipur is located in the northeastern part of the country. It is bordered by the states of Nagaland to the north, Assam to the west, and Mizoram to the southwest and by Myanmar (Burma) to the south and east. Like other northeastern states, it is largely isolated from the rest of India. The name Manipur means “land of gems.” 

About two-thirds of the people are Meitei (Meetei), who occupy the Manipur valley and are largely Hindus. Meitei women conduct most of the trade in the valley and enjoy high social status. Indigenous hill tribes, such as the Nagas in the north and the Kukis in the south, make up the rest of the population. Divided into numerous clans and sections, the people of these tribes speak languages of the Tibeto-Burman family and practice traditional animist religions. Some of the Nagas have been converted to Christianity. More than three-fifths of the people speak Manipuri, which, along with English, is the official language of the state. Manipur’s population is largely rural, Imphal being the only city of any size. 

The hills are densely covered with mixed forests containing stands of bamboo and teak. Other trees include oak, magnolia, and chinquapin. The Luzon pine grows in the Naga Hills. Among the state’s notable plants are rhododendrons, primroses, and blue poppies. Animal life includes the Asiatic elephants, tigers, leopards, and wild buffalo. The Indian one-horned rhinoceros, once found occasionally in Manipur, has largely disappeared from the state because of illegal poaching. The brow-antlered deer is in danger of extinction. Gaurs are the largest wild bison in the world; the mithan (gayal), the domesticated form, is widely distributed in the state. 

(Video credit to Manipur tourism official https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTiaNE34IwA)