Garo Hills

Garo Hills, physiographic region, western Meghalaya state, northeastern India. It comprises the western margin of the Shillong Plateau and rises to a top elevation of about 4,600 feet (1,400 metres). Drained by various tributaries of the Brahmaputra River, it has extremely high rainfall and is heavily forested. The region has an agricultural economy, with rice, cotton, sal (genus Shorea), bamboo, and lac as the principal products. Large quantities of coal and limestone and some petroleum have been found. Local clans practice a complex matrilineal social system. The population is mainly Garo. Nokrek National Park, in the western part of the region, protects a highly diverse plant and animal community that includes the Indian wild orange (Citrus indica), thought to be a progenitor of citrus fruits. In 2009 the park was designated a biosphere reserve by UNESCO.