Why are villages and farmsteads often scattered across Arunachal Pradesh?

The prevalence of scattered villages and isolated farmsteads in Arunachal Pradesh is primarily a result of the state's rugged, mountainous geography and the traditional lifestyles of its indigenous tribal populations.1

The terrain of Arunachal Pradesh is defined by deep valleys, high plateaus, and steep ridges that rise to the peaks of the Great Himalayas. This challenging landscape, combined with the state having the lowest population density in India, naturally leads to the formation of dispersed upland communities rather than large urban centers.21

Furthermore, many of the state's hill peoples engage in shifting agriculture (jhum), a practice where land is cleared, cultivated for a few years, and then abandoned for a new site when soil productivity declines. This agricultural method, alongside a reliance on hunting, fishing, and gathering forest products, necessitates a lifestyle that is often spread across the landscape rather than concentrated in dense settlements.31