The State of Meghalaya was carved out of Assam as an autonomous State in April 1970 and was declared a full-fledged State in January 1972.Meghalaya, situated in the north eastern region of India is a narrow stretch of land, running between Bangladesh on the South and West and Assam on the North and East, Meghalaya lies between 24° 58' N to 26° 07' N latitudes and 89° 48' E to 92° 51' E longitudes. It covers an area of 22,429 sq. km. The State has most of its land covered by hills interspersed with gorges and small valleys. Endowed with dense forests and rivers cascading down undulating terrain, this region is one of the most scenic of the North Eastern States.