Meghalaya Natural Features

The Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills, comprising the central and eastern part of Meghalaya constitute an imposing plateau with rolling grasslands, hills and river valleys. The southern face of the plateau is marked by deep gorges and abrupt slopes at the foot of which runs a narrow strip of plain-land along the international border with Bangladesh.
The height of the central plateau of the Khasi hills hovers around 1,500m with Shillong Peak (1965m), the highest point in the plateau overlooking Shillong Town. The Garo Hills west of the Khasi and Jaintia hills are lower in elevation but Nokrek Peak (1412 m), east of Tura is the second highest peak in Meghalaya.
           
Meghalaya’s rivers include the Manda, the Damring, the Jinjiram, the Ringge, the Ganol, theBhogai. The Simsang draining into the Bay of Bengal via Bangladesh is Garo Hills’ largest river. Khasi and Jaintia Hills rivers incluedKhri, Umtrew, Umiam, Umkhen and Kupli. Kynshi, Umiam-Mawphlang and Umngot flow south into Bangladesh. Nature is at its artistic best in Meghalaya, sculpting some of the most awe- inspiring topographical features, waterfalls and cave systems found in abundance.

Racial origin of the people: Austric, Tibeto-Burman