The state of Manipur stretches across the boder of Mayanmar and is centred on a vast lowland area. Manipur is watered by the lake system, south of its capital Imphal.Almost 70% of the land is under forest area. Earlier different people called Manipur by different names. Some called the state as Monglei, others called it as Mekhlee and still others called it by the name Cassay. The narratives of Symes and the maps of the period give the name Cassay to the country. In the maps of India, it is referred to as Meklee. The name "Mekhele" as used for Manipur is mentioned in the Mahabharata and Skanda-Purana. This is found in the treaty of king Gourayam and the British East India Company. According to the Puranas it is the place where the waist of Devi fell at the time of Daksa-Yajna. Another account declares that the outer garment, i.e., Mekhela fell to the ground in her dance in this land, Siva called it "Mekheli". Various meanings are given to the word "Manipur."

According to one critic, Manipur means "naval circle on earth." Another argument given by some is that Moni (gem) restored Arjuna to life from the nether world and hence, the land came to be known as Manipur. Another tradition says that the name of Manipur makes out that, between Nungoibi and Taibang- Thong there was a stone with supernatural power known as Mani or precious stone on account of which the place is known as Manipur.

History of Manipur
The History of Imphal can be traced back to the founding of Imphal in the first century AD. Manipur represents the inhabitants who belong to the two racial groups: the Nagas and the Meiteis. The people who inhabited the hilly areas are known as the Nagas. The people who inhabited the valleys are called Meiteis. The political capital of Manipur is Imphal. The recorded history dates back to 900 AD. The country witnessed invasions from Myanmar (Burma). Later in 1826, the Treaty of Yandavo by Raja Jai Singh brought Manipur into India. At the end of the Indo-Burmese War there was a difference of opinion regarding the succession to the throne. The dispute was settled with the intervention of the British. During the World War II Imphal was occupied by the Japanese. On 21 January 1972 (after the Indian Independence) Manipur became a Union Territory.

Geography of Manipur
The word Manipur means "A jeweled land". It is a land of natural beauty and splendor. The land surface of Manipur is 22,347 sq km. About 90% of the land is hilly. Nagaland in the North, Mizoram in the South, Assam in the West and Burma in the East surround Manipur. It lies in the corner of Northern India. It has also an enjoyable climate almost throughout the year and free from the severity of both summer and winter. Pt Jawaharlal described Manipur as the jewel of India, seeing its exquisite beauty. The major river of the land is known as Imphal after which, the capital city is named. The other rivers are the Iril, Thoubal, Irnag, Nambul etc. The important and the biggest fresh water lake is the Loktak Lake. Keibul Lamijao is the only floated national park located in Manipur.

Economy of Manipur
Manipur has about 7700 small-scale industrial units. A joint sector plant has been established for the manufacture of drugs and pharmaceuticals. Steel fabrication articles, electronic goods and plastic goods are being produced in the state. A cement plant has also been established in Manipur. Among other industries are spinning mill, ghee manufacturing unit and factories of similar kind. Training facilities has been provided to enable the men and woman to acquire technological capability and provide industries with trained manpower. Centers for electronic design, technology, plastic Engineering and Technology have been set up at Imphal.

Government and Politics in Manipur
Earlier Manipur was an independent princely state and later it became a British protectorate. The state later emerged with India and was categorized as the `C` group state. Presently it has 8 administrative units or districts. These are distributed as Valley Districts consisting of Bishnupur or Bishenpur, Imphal and Thoubal and Hils Districts includes Ukhrul, Senapati, Tamenglong, Churachandpur and Candel. Besides, there are nine other important towns and about 2089 villages in the state. It has six Autonomous District Councils. They are:
Tengnoura Autonomous District Council.
Sadar Hills Autonomous District Council.
Manipur North Autonomous District Council.
Manipur South Autonomous District Council.
Manipur East Autonomous District Council and
Manipur West Autonomous District Council.

All these administrative units are well and properly connected with the State Administration. Imphal the capital city of the State and is the largest and important city having over one and a half lakh population.

Transport in Manipur
Air, train and bus from other places connect the beautiful city of Imphal, the capital of Manipur.

Districts of Manipur
Manipur has nine administrative districts. A district is an administrative geographical unit, headed by a district magistrate or a deputy commissioner. The district magistrate or the deputy commissioner is assisted by a number of officials belonging to different wings of the administrative services of the state. The superintendent of Police is entrusted with the responsibility of upholding law and order. The nine districts of Manipur state are: Bishnupur, Churachandpur, Chandel, Imphal East, Senapati, Tamenglong, Thoubal,Ukhrul and Imphal East.

Demography of Manipur
The people live in complete harmony. Their myths, legends, games and martial arts and handicrafts are filled with the mystery of nature. The three major ethnic groups of Manipur are the Meiteis, the Meitei Pangals, the Nagas and the Kuki- Chins. The Meiteis inhabit in the valleys. The Meitei Pangals form a minority community. The Nagas and the Kuki Chins inhabit in the hills. People from other states of India also inhabit here. People speak Tibeto- Burman. The Meitei language is the mother tongue of the Meitei groups of people.

Festivals of Manipur
Manipur is a land of festivals. People are found of merriments and mirth making. There are various cycles of festivals in a year. For them festivals are the symbols of cultural, social and religious aspirations and removes the monotony of life by providing relaxations to them. The different festivals celebrated by the people are:Lal Haroba, Jatra, Ratha Jatra, Ramjan Eid, Kut, Gang-Ngai, Chumpha, Christmas, Cheiraoba, Heikru Hidongba, Ningol Chakouba, Lui Ngai Ni, etc.

Economy of Manipur
There are 2.71 lakh looms in Manipur. It is believed that a goddess discovered the cotton and she also produced the yarn. An important feature is that women are the main weavers here. The famous weavers belong to Wangkhei, Bamon Kampu, Kongba, Khongman, Utlou etc. the fabrics and shawls of Manipur are greatly in demand in the national and international market.

Basketry is the popular occupation of the people as cane and bamboo are available in plenty. Baskets of different shapes and sizes are manufactured. Heijing Kharai, Phiruk & Lukmai are exclusively meant for ceremonies such as wedding, birth and death. For domestic purposes baskets like Likhai, Sangbai, Chengbon, Meruk, Morah etc. are made. Fishing equipments are also made out of cane and bamboo. People also engage in pot making. Pottery culture is very old in Manipur. Women are very good potters and pots of different colors are made.

Flora and Fauna of Manipur
Manipur is blessed with an amazing variety of flora and fauna. Sixty seven percent of Manipur is covered with forests. The wet forests and pine forests occur between 900-2700 m and they have a host of rare plant and animal life. Orchids of different variety can be seen here. There are 500 varieties of orchids of which 472 have been identified. The climatic condition varies from tropical to sub-alpine. The different varieties of animal species found here are Ukhrul, the Hoolock, salamander, Gibbon, the Sloe Loris, the Clauded Leopard, the Spotted Linshang, Mrs. Hume`s Barbacked Pheasant, Blyths Tragopan, Burmese Pea-Fowl, four different species of Hornbills etc. th emost unique among them is the dancing deer.

Education in Manipur
The state`s educational policy is based on univerzalisation of elementary education. The Education Department has the authority of administration and inspection, framing of curriculum and syllabi and choice of textbooks. The Education Department of Manipur has four different entities as: Department of education that includes university and higher education, Department of educations, State Council of Educational Research and Training and the department of Adult Education. The University of Manipur came into existence on June 5, 1980. It is set up under the Manipur University Act, 1980 i.e. (Manipur Act No VIII of 1980). The Varsity has the authority of affiliated colleges and 3 permitted colleges. In total, Manipur has two universities, which imparts quality education to students.

Media in Manipur
Meitei Chanu was the first print journal in Manipur, which was edited by Hijam Irabot Singh during 1925-26. In 1937 another newspaper `Manipur Matam` was published and was also circulated in Assam. Later a bi-weekly paper `Manipur Paojel` was launched. The State of Manipur witnessed a sudden increase of newspapers and magazines after the attainment of full-fledged state in 1972. The people of Manipur started to understand the importance of media in development. A new trend of journalism took shape with political parties taking keen interest in media.
Sports in Manipur
There are different sports in Manipur of different variety and diversity. They are: Manipuri Polo, Manipuri Rugby, Hiyang Tannaba (Boat Race), Mukna (Manipuri Wrestling, Kang, Thang-Ta & Sarit Sara.

Cities of Manipur
Folk Dances of Manipur
Museums Of Manipur
Tribes of Manipur