Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram statehood day is celebrated each year on February 20 as these two northeastern states attained statehood on February 20, 1987 following the 53rd Amendment of the Indian Constitution in 1986.
The mountainous frontier state of Arunachal Pradesh, which in Sanskrit means ‘land of the rising sun’, is situated in the northeastern part of the country. It was formerly known as the North East Frontier Agency (NEFA)
Until it was made a union territory in 1972 and a full-fledged state on February 20, 1987, it was part of Assam.
Arunachal Pradesh is bordered by Bhutan to the west, Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the north, Myanmar and Nagaland to the south and southeast and Assam to the south and southwest.
Mizoram meanwhile is bounded by Myanmar to the east and south, Bangladesh to its west, Tripura to the northwest, Assam to the north, and Manipur to the northeast.
The ‘Land of Mizos’ was earlier called as the Lushai hills district of Assam before it was renamed as the Mizo hills District in 1954 and became union territory in 1972 and it achieved statehood on February 20, 1987.
On 21st February (1987), these two states came into being as the 23rd and 24th states of the Indian Union respectively.
Mizoram Facts
- Capital: Aizawl
- Sex Ratio: 975 female per 1000 male (National: 943)
- Literacy: 91.58 % (National: 74.04%)
- Mizoram shares the International Border with Myanmar and Bangladesh.
- It has the highest concentration (percentage) of tribal population among all states of India.
- According to the ISFR 2019, Mizoram has the maximum forest cover as a percentage of their own geographical area at (85.4%).
Arunachal Pradesh
- Capital: Itanagar
- Sex Ratio: 938 female per 1000 male (National: 943)
- Literacy: 65.38 % (National: 74.04%)
- Arunachal Pradesh shares an international border with Bhutan, China and Myanmar.
- It is the largest state area wise in the north-eastern region, even larger than Assam which is the most populous.
- It is inhabited by the world’s largest variety (diversity) of ethnic tribal groups and subgroups.
