Manipur
State in northeastern India / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Demographics of Manipur?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
Manipur (/ˌmʌnɪˈpʊər/,[8] US also /ˌmænɪˈpʊər/;[9] Meitei: Kangleipak[lower-alpha 1][10][11][12]) is a state in northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital.[13] It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It also borders two regions of Myanmar, Sagaing Region to the east and Chin State to the south. The state covers an area of 22,327 km2 (8,621 sq mi). The official and most widely spoken language is the Meitei language (officially known as Manipuri). Native to the Meitei people, it is also used as a lingua franca by smaller communities, who speak a variety of other Tibeto-Burman languages.[14] Manipur has been at the crossroads of Asian economic and cultural exchange for more than 2,500 years.[15] This exchange connects the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia to Southeast Asia, East Asia, Siberia, regions in the Arctic, Micronesia and Polynesia enabling migration of people, cultures and religions.[16][17]
During the days of the British Raj, Manipur was one of the princely states.[18] On 11 August 1947, Maharaja Bodhachandra Singh signed an Instrument of Accession, argued by many that the king was in no legal position to sign the instrument of accession at the time,[19][20][21] under the agreement Bodhachandra Singh accede to the Indian Union.[22][23] Later, on 21 September 1949, he signed a Merger Agreement, disputed as having been done without consultation of the popular ministry under Manipur State Constitution Act 1947 and denial of the king's request to return to Manipur to discuss the same with his people.[24][25][26][27] Under 'duress' and 'coercion' Bodhachandra Singh signed the merger agreement merging the kingdom into India, which led to its becoming a Part C State.[28][29][30] Followed by contestation of the merger by groups in Manipur, resulting in a 50-year insurgency in the state for independence from India.[31] From 2009 through 2018, the conflict was responsible for the violent deaths of over 1000 people.[32]
The Meitei people[33] represent around 53% of the population of Manipur state, followed by various Naga tribes at 20% and Kuki-Zo tribes at 16%.[34] Manipur's ethnic groups practice a variety of religions.[35] According to 2011 census, Hinduism and Christianity are the major religions of the state.[35][36] Between the 1961 and 2011 censuses of India, the share of Hindus in the state declined from 62% to 41%, while the share of Christians rose from 19% to 41%.[37][better source needed]
Manipur has primarily an agrarian economy, with significant hydroelectric power generation potential. It is connected to other areas by daily flights through Imphal Airport, the second largest in northeastern India.[38] Manipur is home to many sports and the origin of Manipuri dance,[39] and is credited with introducing polo to Europeans.[40]