Kiphire district was carved out of Tuensang district in 2003, becoming the eleventh district of Nagaland.[4][3] An administrative headquarters at Kiphire was created on 16 June 1952 after surveys were done to open more administrative headquarters. The district was formally created in 2003 with 7 subdivisions, namely, Seyochung, Pungro, Amahator, Kiphire Sadar, Longmatra, Sitimi and Kiusam.[3][5] Another subdivision, namely, Khongsa was carved out of Pungro subdivision taking the total number of subdivisions of Kiphire district to 8.[3] The first Base Area Superintendent of the district was S.D. Lakhar. The district was earlier part of the Tuensang district which was under the NEFA.[4]
Geography
The district comprises an area of 1,130 square kilometres (440 sq mi).[3] It is bounded by Tuensang and Noklak districts in the north, Zünheboto district in the west, Phek district in the south and Myanmar in the east. It is headquartered at Kiphire, which is at an altitude of 896 m above sea level. The major towns of this district are Seyochung, Sitimi, Pungro and Kiphire. Nagaland's highest peak, Mount Saramati (3826 metres) is located in this district. Kiphire also has an earth station. Kisatong village is another tourist destination in the district.
Climate
The overall climate of the district is hot and humid during the summers and cold during winter. The temperature during the winter months touches a low of 2.7 degrees Celsius while in summer it reaches a high of 37.0 degrees Celsius. The district enjoys south-east Monsoon with average rainfall between 1500 mm to 1800 mm occurring over about 6
months from May to October.[6]
Administration
The district headquarters is at Kiphire. The district has 8 subdivisions namely Kiphire Sadar, Pungro, Seyochung, Khongsa, Amahator, Kiusam, Longmatra and Sitimi. The present Deputy Commissioner of the district is John Tsulise Sangtam.[2]
The district is predominantly inhabited by the Sangtam, Chirr, Makware, Yimkhiung and Sümi tribes. The tribal population constitutes 96.5% of the entire district.[3]
Religion
Christianity is the largest religion in the district, followed by 97% of the people. Hinduism is the second-largest religion with 1.41% adherents. Islam and Buddhism form 0.76% and 0.28% of the population respectively.[5]
Languages
In 2011, the language distribution in Kiphire district was 67.7% Sangtam, 17.45% Yimkhiungrü, 2.86% Hindi, 1.7% Bengali, and 1.1% Sümi with a very small minority of Chirr and Makury speakers.[9]
Government and politics
An old couple at a polling booth in Kiphire district, Nagaland
Jhum Cultivation in Kiphire districtKholar Beans of Nagaland
Agriculture
Around 70% of the population of Kiphire district is engaged in agriculture.[6] The main agricultural system practised in the district is Shifting cultivation or Jhum cultivation. Rice, Maize, a local variety of kidney beans called Kholar and Soya beans constitutes the major crops in the jhum fields. About 32 groups of crops are widely grown in the district. Out of these, cereals such as Rice, Maize, millets are the most widely cultivated crops in terms of production and area coverage. Other crops grown are varieties of pulses and cash crops such as potatoes. Oranges. Papayas, Bananas and Pineapples are the major fruits grown throughout the district.
Industry
Wooden house in Fakim, NagalandA traditional Naga basket
There are no major industries in the district. However, weaving forms the most important industry in the district. Basket weaving and Woodworking are common household industries practised by many people in Kiphire district and throughout Nagaland.[6]
Tourist footfall in Kiphire district is low. Connectivity and communication infrastructure is very limited in the district. The number of tourists visiting Kiphire has seen growth in the past few years. Below are few of the tourist attractions in the district:[6][12]
The limestone caves at Saluni, Mimi and other villages in Pungro subdivision are yet to be explored. The Tizu/Zungki River is a national waterway. It was declared a national waterway in 2016.[13]
Transportation
Air
The nearest airports are Dimapur Airport and Imphal Airport located 307 and 318 kilometres from the district headquarters Kiphire. There are two helipads in the district.[14] One is in Kiusam and the other is in Pungro.
The district is connected with roads and highways. The NH 202 passes through the district alongside other intra-district roads. Nagaland State Transport buses are available from Dimapur for Kiphire and Pungro. Private taxis can be availed as well.[15]
.svg)
