Upper Siang is an administrative district in the state of Arunachal Pradesh in India. It is the fourth least populous district in the country (out of 640)
History
Majority of the people are Adi of tribe while the Memba, Khamba Idu Mishmi tribe also exist there. There are 7 plants in the district.[clarification needed] The district was formed in 1999 when it was split from East Siang district.
Geography
The district headquarters are located at Yingkiong. Upper Siang district occupies an area of 6,118 square kilometres (2,362 sq mi),
The district is the location of the massive Upper Siang Hydroelectric Project.
Transport
The 2,000-kilometre-long (1,200 mi) proposed Mago-Thingbu to Vijaynagar Arunachal Pradesh Frontier Highway along the McMahon Line, (will intersect with the proposed East-West Industrial Corridor Highway) and will pass through this district, alignment map of which can be seen here and here.
Divisions
There are two Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly constituencies in this district: Tuting-Yingkiong and Mariyang-Geku. Both are part of Arunachal East Lok Sabha constituency.
Demographics
According to the 2011 census Upper Siang district has a population of 35,320, roughly equal to the nation of Liechtenstein. This gives it a ranking of 637th in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of 5 inhabitants per square kilometre (13/sq mi) . Its population growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 5.77%. Upper Siang has a sex ratio of 891 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 59.94%.
Various tribal groups of the Adi people and the Memba tribe live in the district. The Adi follow generally follow Donyi-Polo, and the Memba are followers of Tibetan Buddhism.
Languages
Languages spoken include Adi, a Sino-Tibetan tongue with approximately 140 000 speakers, written in both the Tibetan and Latin scripts.
Flora and fauna
In 1986 Upper Siang district became home to Mouling National Park, which has an area of 483 km2 (186.5 sq mi). A new mammal to science, Mebo giant flying squirrel (Petaurista siangensis) has been reported from this district
Places of Interest
Almighty God has been generous enough to bestow all His grandeurs and natural beauty to Upper Siang. The cascading waterfalls, profound valleys and mejestic snow-capped mountains, boisterous streams, silent lakes and pristine forests are yet to be touched by the mortal hands.
Mempa tribe of Mechuka in Upper Siang district
The natural surroundings, exotic and locale present a perfect destination for tourists. Upper Siang is inhabited by four main groups of tribes, viz. Adi, Memba, Khamba and Mishmis. Though they have distinctive socio-cultural life, they have co-existed with each other from the time immemorial. The Adis and Mishmis are animists who are believers of the Sun and the Moon, while the Membas and Khambas are Mahayana Buddhists.
Hence, a diverse type of culture in terms of dances, festivals, dresses can be seen in this district. Besides, many holy places, caves, shrines are located, which are accessible through foot tracks. A few years back, His Holiness the Dalai Lama and His Holiness Penor Rinmpoche of Mysore had visited Tuting and laid the foundation stone of of a Gompa / Monastery.
Adventure sports like trekking, water rafting, angling have immense scope for development in this area. For the last couple of years, International White Water Rafting Expedition is being conducted in Upper Siang on the mighty Siang river. In the presence of this beautiful landscape, diverse cultural background, large number of buddhist pilgrimages, Upper Siang deserves its rightful place as a tourist destination. The following 6 tourists circuits / destinations have been identified for religious, cultural, ecological and adventure tourism.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_Siang_district
