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{{About|the town in India|the province of Burkina Faso|Ziro Province}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2016}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                    = Ziro
| native_name             = 
| native_name_lang        = 
| other_name              = 
| nickname                = 
| settlement_type         = Town
| image_skyline           = A cross section of luch green valley of Ziro.jpg
| image_alt               = 
| image_caption           = A cross-section of the lush green valley of Ziro
| pushpin_map             = India Arunachal Pradesh#India
| pushpin_label_position  = right
| pushpin_map_alt         = 
| pushpin_map_caption     = Location in Arunachal Pradesh, India
| coordinates             = {{Coord|27|33|59|N|93|49|53|E|display=title}}
| subdivision_type        = Country
| subdivision_name        = {{flag|India}}
| subdivision_type1       = [[States and territories of India|State]]
| subdivision_name1       =  [[Arunachal Pradesh]]
| subdivision_type2      = District
| subdivision_name2       = [[Lower Subansiri district|Lower Subansiri]]
| established_title       = <!-- Established -->
| established_date        = 
| founder                 = 
| named_for               = 
| government_type         = 
| governing_body          = 
| unit_pref               = Metric
| area_footnotes          = 
| area_rank               = 
| area_total_km2          = 
| elevation_footnotes     = 
| elevation_m             = 1,688
| population_total        = 12,806
| population_as_of        = 2011
| population_rank         = 
| population_density_km2  = auto
| population_demonym      = 
| population_footnotes    = 
| demographics_type1      = Languages
| demographics1_title1    = Official
| demographics1_info1     = [[English language|English]]
| timezone1               = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]]
| utc_offset1             = +5:30
| postal_code_type        = <!-- [[Postal Index Number|PIN]] -->
| postal_code             = 
| registration_plate      = AR-06
| blank_name              = [[Köppen climate classification|Climate]]
| blank_info              = [[Humid subtropical climate|Cwa]]
| website                 = 
| footnotes               = 
}}

'''Ziro''' is a [[census town|town]] in and the district headquarters of the [[Lower Subansiri district]] of the [[India]]n [[States and territories of India|state]] of [[Arunachal Pradesh]]. The part of the town which is the centre of economic activities and where the administrative offices are located is called [[Hapoli]], or locally known by the [[Apatani people|Apatanis]] as "Hao-Polyang". Ziro is home to the [[Apatani people|Apatani]] tribe. Ziro is included in the [[World Heritage Site|Tentative List for UNESCO's World Heritage Site]] for the ''[[Apatani people|Apatani cultural landscape]]''.<ref name=zirocu1/><ref name=zirocu2/><ref name=zirocu3/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.northeasttoday.in/our-states/arunachal-pradesh/arunachals-ziro-valley-talley-valley-for-unesco-word-heritage-site/ |title=Arunachal's Ziro Valley, Talley Valley for UNESCO Word Heritage Site &#124; Northeast Today |access-date=13 December 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121218100724/http://www.northeasttoday.in/our-states/arunachal-pradesh/arunachals-ziro-valley-talley-valley-for-unesco-word-heritage-site/ |archive-date=18 December 2012 }}</ref> 

Ziro is 115&nbsp;km from the state capital, [[Itanagar]], 112&nbsp;km from [[North Lakhimpur]] in [[Assam]] and 96&nbsp;km from [[Naharlagun railway station]]. [[Indian Air Force]]'s [[India-China Border Roads#Border airport and Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) projects|ALG]] airstrip is at [[Ziro Airport|Ziro]].<ref name=ziroalg2/><ref name=ziroalg1/>

[[File:Old Ziro.jpg|alt=Old Ziro view|thumb|View of the Old Ziro settlement, with the runway of [[Ziro Airport]] visible on the left side]]

==Geography==
Ziro is the district headquarter of Lower Subansiri district and one of the oldest towns in Arunachal Pradesh. It is located at {{Coord|27.63|N|93.83|E|}}<ref>{{cite web | title=Maps, Weather, and Airports for Ziro, India | website=Falling Rain | date=2021-12-12 | url=http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/30/Ziro.html | access-date=2022-10-02}}</ref> at an elevation of 1688&nbsp;[[metre]]s (5538&nbsp;[[foot (length)|feet]]) to 2438&nbsp;[[meter]]s (8000&nbsp;[[foot (length)|feet]]). Its cool weather in summer is its major attraction. It is famous for its surrounding pine-clad gentle hills and its rice fields. 

== Transport==
===Road===
Ziro is around 115&nbsp;km from the state capital, [[Itanagar]] and takes approx. three and a half hours by road, via the improved Hoj-Potin road, along [[National Highway 229 (India, old numbering)|NH-229]], and 150&nbsp;km via the Assam route.

===Rail===
The nearest railway station from Ziro is located at [[Naharlagun railway station|Naharlagun]], near the Arunachal-Assam border, which is around 100&nbsp;km from Ziro.

===Air===
The nearest airport to Ziro is [[Ziro Airport]], which is an [[Advanced Landing Ground]] (ALG) of the [[Indian Air Force]],<ref name=ziroalg2>{{cite web | last=Karmakar | first=Rahul | title=New IAF 'airport' in Arunachal provides an alternative to walking 157 km | website=The Hindu | date=2019-09-18 | url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/new-iaf-airport-in-arunachal-is-alternative-to-walking-157-km/article29448790.ece | access-date=2022-10-02}}</ref><ref name=ziroalg1>{{cite web | last=Sharma | first=Kushal Dev | title=How India defends its border with China | website=The Economic Times | date=2020-06-19 | url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/how-india-defends-its-border-with-china/articleshow/76465059.cms | access-date=2022-10-02}}</ref> and along with it, flights are operated by [[Alliance Air (India)|Alliance Air]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Arunachal: Pema Khandu flags off commercial passenger flight to Ziro|url=https://arunachal24.in/arunachal-pema-khandu-flags-off-commercial-passenger-flight-to-ziro/|work=Arunachal24.in|date=30 October 2022|access-date=30 October 2022|language=en}}</ref>  It is located in the main town of old Ziro. Other main and major airports lying in proximity to Ziro are [[Lilabari Airport|North Lakhimpur]] in Assam (116&nbsp;km) and [[Itanagar Airport|Itanagar]] (133&nbsp;km).

==Climate==

The climatic condition of the district varies from place to place as well as season to season. Its climate is largely influenced by the nature of terrain depending upon altitude and location of the place. It could be broadly be divided into four seasons in a year:

# The cold weather season is from December to February
# March to May is the pre-monsoon season of thunderstorms
# The southwest monsoon from June to about the middle of October
# The second half of October to November, which constitutes the post-monsoon or the retreating monsoon period and is a period of transition

In the foothills or low high belt area of the district, the climatic condition is moderate in comparison to high belt areas, where during winter it is very cold and chilly, and in summer is pleasant. December and January are generally the coldest months, and July and August are warmest months.

Annual rainfall in the south is heavier than that in the northern areas of the district. During the monsoon period, more than 70 percent of the rain over the southern half occurs while in the northern portions it is about 60 percent. Variability of rainfall for the monsoon and the year, as a whole, are relatively small. Average annual rainfall of the district headquarters, Ziro recorded as 934.88&nbsp;cm during 2000.

The relative humidity is always high throughout the year except in the winter months being slightly less humid. In the cold season, the sky is obscured on many mornings due to lifted fog which clears with the advance of the day generally, moderately clouded in the period of March to May, heavily clouded to overcast in the monsoon season and clear or slightly clouded during the post-monsoon season. Winds are generally light strong katabatic winds down the valleys are experienced as the local effect produced by the nature of the terrain.

{{Weather box
|location = Ziro
| metric first = Yes
| single line = Yes
| Jan record high C = 21.5
| Feb record high C = 19.7
| Mar record high C = 26.2
| Apr record high C = 28.3
| May record high C = 30.3
| Jun record high C = 33.4
| Jul record high C = 31.9
| Aug record high C = 32.3
| Sep record high C = 32.3
| Oct record high C = 30.2
| Nov record high C = 28.9
| Dec record high C = 25.2
| year record high C = 33.4
| Jan high C = 12.9
| Feb high C = 13.2
| Mar high C = 16.8
| Apr high C = 19.1
| May high C = 21.0
| Jun high C = 23.3
| Jul high C = 25.0
| Aug high C = 25.1
| Sep high C = 24.0
| Oct high C = 23.4
| Nov high C = 18.3
| Dec high C = 15.8
| year high C = 19.8
| Jan low C = -0.2
| Feb low C = 2.3
| Mar low C = 4.7
| Apr low C = 8.3
| May low C = 12.4
| Jun low C = 14.7
| Jul low C = 15.8
| Aug low C = 15.1
| Sep low C = 13.7
| Oct low C = 10.1
| Nov low C = 4.4
| Dec low C = 0.4
| year low C = 8.5
| Jan record low C = -6.7
| Feb record low C = -3.0
| Mar record low C = -0.4
| Apr record low C = 1.4
| May record low C = 3.4
| Jun record low C = 7.6
| Jul record low C = 9.2
| Aug record low C = 10.2
| Sep record low C = 9.0
| Oct record low C = 2.0
| Nov record low C = -4.2
| Dec record low C = -5.7
| year record low C = -6.7
| rain colour = green
| Jan rain mm = 88.7
| Feb rain mm = 106.1
| Mar rain mm = 78.6
| Apr rain mm = 169.0
| May rain mm = 199.5
| Jun rain mm = 292.5
| Jul rain mm = 249.0
| Aug rain mm = 232.4
| Sep rain mm = 199.9
| Oct rain mm = 64.1
| Nov rain mm = 51.2
| Dec rain mm = 13.6
| year rain mm = 1744.3
|unit rain days = 2.5 mm
| Jan rain days = 5.2
| Feb rain days = 7.3
| Mar rain days = 6.8
| Apr rain days = 10.8
| May rain days = 13.1
| Jun rain days = 15.7
| Jul rain days = 14.5
| Aug rain days = 14.6
| Sep rain days = 12.8
| Oct rain days = 4.8
| Nov rain days = 3.4
| Dec rain days = 1.5
| year rain days = 110.5
|time day = 17:30 [[Indian Standard Time|IST]]
| Jan humidity = 75
| Feb humidity = 76
| Mar humidity = 78
| Apr humidity = 79
| May humidity = 75
| Jun humidity = 77
| Jul humidity = 76
| Aug humidity = 77
| Sep humidity = 77
| Oct humidity = 81
| Nov humidity = 79
| Dec humidity = 75
|year humidity = 77
|source 1 = [[India Meteorological Department]]<ref name=IMDnormals>
{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200219043716/http://imdpune.gov.in/library/public/Climate%20of%20North%20Eastern%20States.pdf
| archive-date = 19 February 2020
| url = https://imdpune.gov.in/library/public/Climate%20of%20North%20Eastern%20States.pdf
| title = Climate of North Eastern States
| work = Climatological Summaries of States Series - No. 19
| publisher = India Meteorological Department
| date = December 2013
| pages = 264–269
| access-date = 8 March 2020}}</ref>
}}

==Demography==
{{As of|2011}} India [[census]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999|archive-date=16 June 2004|title= Census of India 2011: Data from the 2011 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)|access-date=1 November 2008|publisher= Census Commission of India}}</ref> Ziro had a population of 12,806. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. In Ziro, 17% of the population is under 6 years of age.

===Languages===
 
{{Pie chart
|thumb = right
|caption = Languages spoken in Ziro (2011)<ref name="censusindia.gov.in">{{cite web|title=C-16: Population by mother tongue, Arunachal Pradesh - 2011|url=https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/10194|website=Census Digital Library: Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India|date=2011}}</ref>
|label1 = [[Apatani language|Apatani]]
|value1 = 63.00
|color1 = yellow
|label2 = [[Bengali language|Bengali]]
|value2 = 8.62
|color2 = red
|label3 = [[Assamese language|Assamese]]
|value3 = 5.87
|color3 = gold
|label4 = [[Nepali language|Nepali]]
|value4 = 5.82
|color4 = teal
|label5 = [[Bhojpuri language|Bhojpuri]]
|value5 = 5.68
|color5 = silver
|label6 = [[Hindi language|Hindi]]
|value6 = 3.08
|color6 = green
|label7= Others
|value7 = 13.75
|color7 = blue
}}
According to the 2011 census, Apatani was the most spoken language in Ziro with 10,867 speakers followed by Bengali at 1,104, Assamese at 752, Nepali at 746, Bhojpuri at 728 and Hindi at 395.

==Culture==
[[File:Apatani tribal women.jpg|thumb|Apatani tribal women in Hija Village, Ziro.]]

=== Apatani culture ===

The [[Apatani people|Apatanis]] have a few unique characteristic features which differ from other tribes in Arunachal Pradesh and India. Unique characteristic features are:

(A) Apatanis practice permanent wet paddy cultivation whereas other tribes practice shifting cultivation called Jhom cultivation. 
(B) Apatanis cultivate permanent wet land cultivations whereas other tribes practice dry land cultivations by clearing the forests by burning the jungles.
(C) Apatanis once practiced the art of facial tattoos.

===UNESCO world heritage cultural sites===
[[File:Ziro valley - a possible world heritage site.jpg|thumb|Ziro is known for a four-season tourist place and gives a pleasant feel in every season with variant colors in different seasons.]]
{{See also | List of World Heritage Sites in India | l1 = World Heritage Sites in India }}

''Apatani cultural landscape'' in Ziro Valley in Lower Subansiri district and ''[[Thembang]] Dzong'' in West Kameng district have been included in the Tentative List for UNESCO's World Heritage Site. The Arunachal Pradesh government has undertaken conservation works at these sites with the aim of ensuring inclusion of these sites in UNESCO's final list.<ref name=zirocu1>[https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/arunachal-pradesh-seeks-unesco-world-heritage-tag-for-two-sites-1810636 Arunachal Pradesh Seeks UNESCO World Heritage Tag For Two Sites], NDTV, 9 Fb 2018.</ref> Apatani cultural landscape comprises 32 sq km2 cultivable areas out of 1058 km<sup>2</sup> plateau.<ref name=zirocu2>[https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5893/ Apatani cultural landscape], UNESCO tentative list, UNESCO, site submitted to UNESCO on 15 April 2014. Accessed: 14 November 2020.</ref> Apatani tribe, which has inhabited this region for centuries, is known for practicing ecologically sustainable existential sustenance.<ref name=zirocu3>{{cite web | last=Das | first=Gaurav | title=Heritage cloud on land of the dawn-lit mountains | website=Telegraph India | date=2018-07-21 | url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/north-east/heritage-cloud-on-land-of-the-dawn-lit-mountains/cid/1455491 | access-date=2022-10-02}}</ref> Thembang Dzong is a 3.2 acres fortified village of [[Monpa people|Monpa tribe]].<ref name=zirocu1/>

==Education==
[[File:St Claret College Ziro.JPG|thumb|[[St Claret College, Ziro]]]]
Ziro has one university and one undergraduate arts college namely [[Indira Gandhi Technological and Medical Sciences University]] and [[St Claret College, Ziro|Saint Claret College]] respectively. As of the 2001 census, Ziro had an average literacy rate of 66%, lower than the national average of 74.04%: male literacy was 72%, and female literacy was 60%. The older generation hadn't been exposed to formal education, but with the rapid pace of education of younger generations, the education scenario of Ziro grew tremendously and is poised to grow further.

Urban populace of Lower Subansiri district mainly reside in Ziro and as per 2011 census,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.census2011.co.in/census/state/arunachal+pradesh.html|title=Arunachal Pradesh Population Sex Ratio in Arunachal Pradesh Literacy rate data 2011-2021}}</ref> average urban literacy rate in Lower Subansiri district is 85.52% of which males and females are 89.81% and 81.26% literates respectively. As per the 2011 census, 84.58% population of Lower Subansiri districts lives in rural areas of villages. The literacy rate in rural areas of Lower Subansiri district is 72.27%. Still, the combined literacy rate is 74.35%, which is second in Arunachal Pradesh, next only to Papumpare District where the capital city of Itanagar is located.{{cn|date=December 2024}}

== Notable people ==
* [[Robin Hibu]], Special Commissioner of the [[Delhi Police]]

==See also==
* [[New Palin]], a town in the Kurung Kumey district

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
* [https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5893/ whc.unesco.org - Apatani Cultural Landscape]

{{Commons category}}
{{Indian Air Force}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Lower Subansiri district]]
[[Category:Cities and towns in Lower Subansiri district]]
[[Category:Hill stations in Arunachal Pradesh]]
[[Category:Ziro|*]]