History
Arunachal Pradesh is the only state in India with no documented history prior to the 16th century when the Ahom dynasty of Assam conquered it. The Ahoms and later the British imperialists followed a policy of non-interference with the hill tribes. After India’s independence in 1947, Jawahar Lal Nehru, the first Prime Minister tried to gradually bring in modernization. Chinese invasion of this area in 1962 led to installation of military bases and facilities. Arunachal Pradesh became a Union Territory of India in 1972 and achieved statehood only on 20th February 1987. It used to be called NEFA- North East Frontier Agency for a long time. Today tourism is being encouraged to salvage the economy, which has slumped since 1997 when logging was banned in the state forests.
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Economy
Arunachal Pradesh is predominantly an agrarian economy with forest products coming a close second. 95% of its population is rural. It has rich bio-reserves and hydel power resources. Among the crops grown here are rice, maize, millet, wheat, pulses, sugarcane and oilseeds. Arunachal is also ideal for horticulture and fruits like pineapple, orange, lemon, plum, pear, cherries, and peaches are grown in orchards. Besides an abundant forest cover, it has deposits of dolomite, limestone, graphite, quartzite, kainite, mica, iron and copper. Its major industries are sawmills, plywood, rice mills, fruit preservation units, and handloom handicrafts. However, most of the state’s natural resources are lying untapped.
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