Languages such as Nyishi, Apatani and Bokar are spoken in which state?

Arunachal Pradesh, India's north-easternmost state, is one of the most linguistically diverse regions of the world. More than 30 major languages and many dialects are spoken by its numerous tribes. Most of these languages belong to the Tibeto-Burman branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family.

Nyishi is spoken by the Nyishi tribe, the largest tribal group of Arunachal Pradesh, living mainly in the Papum Pare, East Kameng, Kurung Kumey and Kra Daadi districts.

Apatani is spoken by the Apatani people of the Ziro valley in the Lower Subansiri district. The Apatanis are known for their unique system of wet rice cultivation combined with fish farming, and their traditional facial tattoos and nose plugs worn by women. The Apatani cultural landscape of the Ziro valley is on UNESCO's tentative list of World Heritage Sites.

Bokar is a dialect of the Adi group, spoken in the West Siang and Shi-Yomi districts near the border with Tibet.

Other important languages of the state include Adi, Galo, Tagin, Mishmi, Monpa, Sherdukpen, Tangsa, Nocte and Wancho. Many of these languages had no traditional script and are now written in the Roman or Devanagari script. Several are considered endangered, as younger generations increasingly speak Hindi, English or Assamese. Interestingly, Hindi has become a common link language among the different tribes of Arunachal Pradesh.

English is the official language of Arunachal Pradesh. The state is known as the "Land of the Rising Sun" (Dong, in Anjaw district, sees India's first sunrise). Its capital is Itanagar. The state has many festivals, such as Losar (Monpa), Solung (Adi), Nyokum (Nyishi), Dree (Apatani) and Mopin (Galo).

Why not the other options?

• ✗Nagaland has languages such as Ao, Angami, Sema and Lotha, with Nagamese as a link language.
• ✗Mizoram's main language is Mizo.
• ✗Meghalaya's main languages are Khasi and Garo.