Brief Outline of the District
The West Siang District derives its name from ever-cascading Siang river (Siang Ane) under whose fertile valleys and plains the tribal civilization and culture flourished from the time immemorial. The West Siang District located in the central part of Arunachal Pradesh extends between 93.57° to 95.23° East longitude and 27.69° to 29.20° North longitude. It is bounded on the North by China, on the East by East Siang and Upper Siang districts, on the South by North Lakhimpur district of Assam on the West by Upper Subansiri and Lower Subansiri districts of Arunachal Pradesh.

The history of the formation of this district as separate administrative unit dates back to the year 1914, when undivided Siang was a part of the administrative division called Central and Eastern Sections, North East Frontier Track. In 1919, this was re-designated as Sadiya Frontier Track, which was, in 1948, bifurcated into administrative charges called Abor Hill District and Mishmi Hill District.

In 1954, the Abor Hill District came to be known as the Siang Frontier Division, which in turn was renamed as the Siang District in 1965. Under the provision of the Arunachal Pradesh (Reorganisation of the district) Act No. 3 of 1980 coming into force from June, 1, 1980, the district of West Siang came out as a separate administrative unit under the charge of a Deputy Commissioner. The West Siang district was an unknown land and people lived in isolation during the British rule. It was difficult in the pre-independence days to have access to the interior areas of the present West Siang district mainly due to the lack of communication. The people of the district lived in their scattered hilly abodes in isolation for generations, depending primarily on a sustenance nature of cultivation called Jhum. They exchanged their bare necessities of life through barter trade. The socio-economic and political development dawned in this region only after Independence

Topography
Topography of the district is mountainous. Northern part of it falls within higher mountain zone consisting a mass of tangle peaks and valleys. The foothill range which lies in Southern part have hills of low altitude. The district is divided into 4 regions on the basis of physiography viz., Likabali-Gensi Region, Tirbin-Basar Region, Lower Siyom River Basin Regionand Upper Siyom River Basin Region. The rocky and high hills and mountains with beautiful green valleys decked with wooded forest and drained by innumerable rivulets and mighty rivers flowing from upper elevations presents a splendid view of scenic beauties and diversities.

Due to mountainous terrains, the climate vary from place to place depending upon the elevation and no generalization can be made on it. The year can be divided into four seasons. The Winter season starts from December to February, pre-monsoon season from March to May, the South-West monsoon season from June to September and post-monsoon on transition period during October and November.

Land & Its People
It is the home-land of various tribes like Galo, Minyong, Bori, Bokar, Pailibo, Ramos and the peaceful Buddhist tribes of Membas and Khambas in the northern part of the district. Donyi - Poloism is the main religion of the tribes in the district. Of late, Christianity has its deep influence on the people and it has made inroads into various villages of the district.

The district at present is also primarily a rural area with a few exceptions of urban area that have grown up. Cultivation is the chief occupation of the people in the villages and economy is agrarian characterized mainly by a form of jhumming and popular wet cultivation practised at present. Since agriculture is evidently mainstay of the people, a high percentage of people engage in cultivation. All the ceremonies and festivals are also associated with fertility cult. Weaving, fine arts and craft are indispensable part of their pattern of life as they meet vital requirements of clothing besides fetching income for their sustenance. People by and large are confined to their traditional methods of cottage industry. Various tribal groups till now settle their local disputes through highly organised and powerful self-governing body called "Kebang".

After more than five decades of our Independence, West Siang as a part of Arunachal Pradesh stands in the threshold of tremendous socio-economic and political development. The centrally sponsored schemes like poverty alleviation programmes under DRDA, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Community Drinking Water Mission, Border Area Development Programme and MPLADs have quickened up the pace of development in this region and it has percolated to the nook and corner of the district. It has a rich naturally endowed hydro-power potential and if exploited fully, a vistas of transformation in all spheres of life among people is a near dream.