Dhalai (pron: /ˈdʰɔlai/) is an administrative district in the state of Tripura in India. The district headquarter is in Ambassa. As of 2011 it was the least populous district of Tripura (out of 8), although it is the largest district in the state. History Dhalai District was created in 1995 by bifurcating North Tripura District and including part of Amarpur Sub-Division of the South Tripura District. It was created keeping in view the administrative exigency of providing development and good governance to the largely Tribal and inaccessible areas. The district is named after Dhalai River which originates in the district. Geography In the North-eastern part of Tripura, the district covers an area of about 2426 km2. It is mainly between two hills: Atharamura Range and Sakhan Range. More than 70% area is hilly and forest covered. The terrain is mostly undulating and hilly with small water streams (), rivers and fertile valleys intervening. Major rivers originating from Dhalai are Dhalai, Khowai, Gomati and Manu. Major hills are Atharamura, Longtharai, Kalajhari and part of Sakhan. The district headquarters at Ambassa is about 85 km from the state capital Agartala. The district is bordered by Bangladesh on the northern and southern sides. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation is exploring for natural gas reserves in the district in Salema block. The district falls in Seismic Zone 5 of India and is prone to landslides, thunderstorms and lightning strikes in summer and rainy seasons. Dhalai district on Google maps Climate The district has a tropical climate with hot and humid summers, a prolonged rainy season and warm winters. Rains are frequent in March and April. Maximum temperatures in summers and winters are 36 °C and 28 °C, respectively. The minimum temperatures in summers and winters are 17 degree and 5.3 degree Celsius respectively. Demographics According to the 2011 census Dhalai district has a population of 378,230, roughly equal to the nation of Maldives. This gives it a ranking of 564th in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of . Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 22.78%. Dhalai has a sex ratio of 945 females for every 1000 males and a literacy rate of 86.82%. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 16.31% and 55.68% of the population respectively. At the time of the 2011 census, 41.57% of the population spoke Kokborok, 35.08% Bengali, 9.07%