Ri-Bhoi district
Ri-Bhoi district is an administrative district in the state of Meghalaya in India. The district headquarters are located at Nongpoh. The district occupies an area of 2378 km² and has a population of 258,840. As of 2011 it is the second least populous district of Meghalaya, after South Garo Hills.
Etymology
The name is derived from the Bhoi sub-tribe of the Khasi people.History
The district was upgraded from subdivisional level to a full-fledged district on 4 June 1992. The new district, was created from a Civil Sub-division of the East Khasi Hills district.Geography
The district lies between 90°55’15 to 91°16’ latitude and 25°40’ to 25°21’ longitude. It is bounded on the north by Kamrup District, on the east by Jaintia Hills and Karbi Anglong District of Assam, and on the west by West Khasi Hills District. There are three C and RD Blocks and one administrative unit at Patharkhmah, and the number of villages is 561. Ri Bhoi District covers an area of.The headquarters of the District is at Nongpoh located from the state capital Shillong and from Guwahati in Assam.
The District is characterized by rugged and irregular land surface. It includes a series of hill ranges which gradually slope towards the north and finally join the Brahmaputra Valley. The important rivers flowing through this region includes the Umtrew, Umsiang, Umran and Umiam rivers.
Flora and fauna
In 1981 Ri-Bhoi district became home to the Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary, which has an area of.Economy
In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Ri-Bhoi one of the country's 250 most backward districts. It is one of the three districts in Meghalaya currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme.Administration
Administrative divisions
Ri-Bhoi district is divided into three blocks:| Name | Headquarters | Population | Location |
| Jirang | Wahsynon | ||
| Umling | Nongpoh | ||
| Umsning | Umsning |