The frontiers and boundaries of Northeast India comprise both
from mountain ranges and hill to the fleet plain of cropland and swamps.
Northeast India is consists of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim. The region is located between latitudes 290 and 220 North and longitudes about 89.46 and 97.5/ East.
The States of Northeast India is surrounded by China, Bangladesh,
Myanmar and Bhutan. In fact, the region has a long international border of (5182
km), which is more than 99% of its total geographical boundary.
International Border of Northeast Indian States
The Northeast Indian states have an international border with China (1395 km), Bhutan (455 km), Myanmar (1640 km), Bangladesh (1596 km) and Nepal (97 km).
On
the other hand the region is connected with the mainland India through a very
narrow strip of land with a width of about 22 km called ‘chicken neck’.
The shape of northeast India is like that of a reverse
triangle with its apex at the southernmost tip of Mizoram, there is no district
Southern boundary of the region.
The north of the region lays the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan
of China from India. The international boundary between Bhutan and India runs
along the junction between the plains and hills, but there are plains.
Therefore, the Indo-Bhutanese boundary, although largely
physical, has certain parts (like the eastern Duars and Subankhata area)
determined through political negotiations.
There are several routes linking the two countries, which are
traditionally known as ‘Duars’ (door).
The eastern part of the northern boundary runs from the
north-eastern corner of Bhutan to the tri-junction of China, Myanmar and India
for a distance of 1140 km.
This boundary is known as the McMahon Line and was determined
as per the Shimla Agreement of 1914 between India Tibet.
It runs along the highest Himalayan Range, much above the
snow line. The passes like Bumla, Yangiya la, Chang Kang, Kaya La, Diphu,
etc. Connect Arunachal Pradesh of India
with Tibet of china across the Himalayan Range.
The south-eastern boundary follows the alignment of the hill
ranges and runs partly over the Patkai Range and partly over the ranges lying
in the same alignment as the Patkai in Manipur and Mizoram.
The ranges enter into Myanmar in the name of Arakan Yoma.
Although the south-eastern boundary separating Myanmar from India runs mostly
along with high ranges, it is cut across by many rivers that flow into the Chindwinand
a number of passes.
The important passes across this boundary are jumjawng,
Pungn, Panchow, Hukwang, Tuzu and Taungup. It is Hukwang Pass-Through which the
‘Allied Forces’ built the famous ‘Stilwell Road’ from Lekhapani in India to china in World War
II and it is Tuzu Pass through which the India National army, marched into India during the same period.
The south-western and boundary is man-made and hence run
mostly along an arbitrary line over villages and crop fields.
It separated Mizoram, Tripura and Karimganj district of
Assam, Meghalaya and part of Dhuburi district of Assam From Bangladesh.
In the northern most part of this boundary, the line separate west bangle from Assam. It is through this part that Northeast India is connected with the rest of the country by roads and railways.