ETLAWM ZOGAM means "Beautiful Zogam (Zoland)". ZOGAM is the name for a territory, approximately 60,000 square miles (160,000 km2) in size, in Burma , India and Bangladesh . It is the traditional home of the Zomi , who lived in this area before the colonial period under British rulership. The area extends from latitude 25° 30’ North in the Somra tracts facing Mount Saramati, and in Nagaland across
the Namtakik River and the North Cachar Hills, to about 20° 30’ North Latitude. The longitudinal extension is
between 92° 10’ East and 94° 20’ east. The
North-South length of the Zoram is roughly
350 miles (560 km) and East-West is generally about 120 miles (190 km) wide. One Zomi folksong delineates the area of
Zogam as follows:
“Penlehpi leh Kangtui minthang,
A tua tong Zota kual sung chi ua;
Khang Vaimang leh tuan a pupa
Tongchiamna Kangtui minthang aw”
Free translation:
(The famous Penlehpi and Kangtui
Between the two is the Zomi country
The Southern King and our forefathers
Made an agreement at the famous Kangtui)
This old folk song tells of the area of the
Zomi ancestral homeland, for Penlehpi is a
Burmese word for the Bay of Bengal and
Kangtui is identified with Tuikang (Chindwin
River). Zogam is within the land inhabited by the
Zomi State in Myanmar and further the land
inhabited by the Zomi in India and Bangladesh. Chinland is the founding name
for the whole Zomi inhabited areas of land
spread across three political and separate
country/international boundaries. Lairam is
another name used by the townships the
Southern Chin Sate in Myanmar. Zogam
tributary tribes who too called their land
according to their own dialects. And all of
them put together makes up a Greater
Chinmi or Zomi. The Whole Chin State,
2. Plain chins (lower lands),
3. Some part of Bangladesh until it reaches
to the Bay of Zogam (Bay of Bengal),
4. Mizoram
5. Manipur (Churachanpur). Therefore, Zogam is an indigenous identity
of the Chin peoples together with the Kukis
(Thado), Lushai(Lusei or Mizo ), Pawi,
Khalkha, Phalam and all Chinmi. Chinland
(Zoram) thus equals to all the lands inhabited by these hill tribes collectively
known as Chin people(Zomi), and they
comprise of the Laimi, Tedimmi, Mara,
Khumi, Zophei, Senthang, Lautu, Zotung,
Manipur, Thado, the Zou, Simte, Paite,
Milhiem and other tributary tribes. The land occupied by the majority of the Zo
people extends from a latitude of about 25
degrees 30 minutes North in the Somra
Tracts facing Mt. Saramati, and in Nagaland
across the Namtaleik River and the North
Cachar Hills, to about 20 degrees 30
minutes North. The Asho live further south of the Arakan
Yomas, Irrawaddy valleys and Pegu Yomas
(below Procne and Sandaway). All these
areas fall between 92 degrees 10 minutes
East and 94 degrees 20 minutes East. The
north-south length of the Zo country is
roughly 350 miles (500 km) and it is
generally about 120 miles (192 km) wide. The majority of the people occupy the Indo-
Burman ranges, a series of parallel
mountain chains trending north-south along
the India-Burma boundary. The mountain
ranges are a continuation of the Naga and
Patkoi hills, extending as far south as
Arakan Yomas. East Zogam lies in the eastern part of these
mountains and is higher than the western
mountains (West Zogam or Mizoram). The highest peaks in these ranges are
Ngulluvum, Innbuk. Thuamvum (Kennedy
peak), Lentlang, Kharantlang, Rungtlang, and
Arterawttlang (Mt. Victoria), which is the
highest peak in Zo country at 10.400 feet or
3412 meters. The other peaks are in average
about 8700 feet or 2854 meters high. In
West Zogam the highest peak is Phawngpui
(Blue Mountain), which is 6598 feet or
2164 meters high. At the north and south
ends of Zo country the land is less rugged
and rises from 2000 to 4000 feet, or 656 to
1312 meters. The capital of West Zogam (Zoram), Aizawl,
lies at 3700 feet or 1214 meters above sea
level, whereas Tiddim (Tedim), the capital of
East Zogam, is at 7500 feet or 2460 meters. Set on an altitude of 844 metres is the
Lamka city, the home of 174,138 residents
which is largest city in the Northern Zogam. The city overlooks a patch of flat land which
happens to be the largest plain area in
Zogam. The valleys between ranges are mostly v-
shaped gorges, and there are very few flat
areas to serve as, agricultural land. Because
the elevations can vary quite extensively
temperatures also vary greatly. In the
valleys of the larger rivers, such as the Guun
or Manipur Rivers, the climate is sub-tropical. Ten miles or 16 kilometers away, however,
at an elevation of 6000 feet (20W meters)
and at the top of mountain ranges, the
climate is rather moderate. The climate is
“monsoon” and rain falls from May to
October. Average rainfall for the year is
between 70 inches (178 cm) and 170 inches
(432 cm). Average yearly rain in Aizawl is 82
inches (208 cm), Lunglei 138 inches (350 cm),
Tedim 90 inches (228 cm), and Kanpetlet 109
inches (276 cm). In one year Tedim had 118
rainy days and Kanpetlet 127 days. Summer
temperatures range between 17 to 29°C, and
winter temperatures are between 3 to 24°C. Some places, like the town of Tedim, are chilly
in winter and temperatures can drop below the
freezing point in the night and frost form on
the grass. Snow falls very rarely, and when it
does the people call "the mountain has
vomited".
