Dibrugarh derived its name from Dibarumukh. Either the name "Dibru" evolved from Dibaru river or from the Bodo-Kachari word "Dibru" which means a "blister" and "Garh" meaning "fort". Both "Dibru" and "Dibaru" are Bodo-Kachari words. The Bodo-Kacharis add the prefix "Di-" wherever there is small stream, a river, or a large river in a town or city.
History
Dibarumukh was a renowned encampment of Ahoms during Ahom-Chutia conflict. It was part of the Chutia kingdom until 1523 A.D. After the defeat of the Chutias, the Ahom king placed an official named as Chaolung Shulung to control the region. Dibrugarh became a separate district when it was split from Lakhimpur on 2 October 1971. On 1 October 1989 Tinsukia district was split from Dibrugarh.
Geography
Dibrugarh district occupies an area of, comparatively equivalent to Russia's Vaygach Island. The district extends from 27° 5' 38" N to 27° 42' 30" N latitude and 94°33'46"E to 95°29'8"E longitude. It is bounded by Dhemaji district on the north, Tinsukia district on the east, Tirap district of Arunachal Pradesh on the south-east and Sibsagar district on the north and south-west. The area stretches from the north bank of the Brahmaputra, which flows for a length of 95 km through the northern margin of the district, to the Patkai foothills on the south. The Burhi Dihing, a major tributary of the Brahmaputra with its network of tributaries and wetlands flows through the district from east to west. There is a large tract of Tropical Rainforest in its eastern and southern regions, which is a part of the Dehing Patkai wildlife sanctuary.
Economy
Tea and oil are the major revenue earners for the district. Beside these many rice and oilseed mills exist. Also there are some coal mining and petroleum production industries.
Agriculture
The majority of the population are occupied in farming of rice, sugar-cane, pulses, and fish farming. Dibrugarh has the world's largest area covered by tea gardens. The entire district is surrounded by tea plantations and has tea factories. Many tea gardens are more than 100 years old.
Dibrugarh is well linked by roads, railway, airway and waterway. There are four airfields, which were used by the British against Japanese forces in Burma during World War II.
Demographics
According to the 2011 census Dibrugarh district has a population of 1,326,335, roughly equal to the nation of Mauritius or the US state of Maine. This gives it a ranking of 367th in India. The district has a population density of . Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 12.04%. Dibrugarh has a sex ratio of 961 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 76.05%, 82.82% in males and 68.99% in females. Hindus 1,075,878, Muslims 53,306, Christians 45,040. The main indigenous Assamese communities inhabiting the district includes Ahoms, Chutia, Sonowal Kacharis, Muttock, Moran people, etc. There are also some indigenous Assamese TaiBuddhist communities like Tai Phake, Khamti and Khamyang. More than half of the district's population consists of Tea-Tribe Adivasi community.
Flora and fauna
In 1999 Dibrugarh district became home to Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, which has an area of. It shares the park with Tinsukia district. It is also home to the Padumani-Bherjan-Borajan Wildlife Sanctuary, which was established in 1999 and has an area of.
Education
The district is the pivot of higher education in the entire North East India. Right from the British India period the district has been a center for learning. The Assam Medical College was established by a personal grant from Dr. John Berry White after he retired as the civil surgeon of Lakhimpur district. The medical school, "John Berry White Medical School" was set up in 1900 at Dibrugarh, and thus this premier institute started its history, and marked a new era in education. Assam Medical College has the pride of having the first Radiology department in India, as in 1910 two X-Ray machine was bought from England, only 15 years after the discovery of X-Rays by Professor Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen in 1895-96. These two were the first X-Ray machines in India. Apart from medical, the other higher fields of learning in the district are Pharmacology, Geology and Applied Geology and Petroleum Technology. All these courses are offered by Dibrugarh University, which was established in 1965. Beside the University, other centres for learning are:
