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Jowai
Jwai | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 The serene Thadlaskein Lake is located at the outskirts of Jowai town | |
  Jowai Location in Meghalaya, India  Jowai Jowai (India) | |
| Coordinates: 25°18′00″N 92°09′00″E / 25.30000°N 92.15000°E | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Meghalaya |
| District | West Jaintia Hills |
| Government | |
| • MLA | Wailadmiki Shylla (NPP) |
| • MP | Mr. Vincent Pala (INC) |
| Elevation | 1,380 m (4,530 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 28,430 |
| • Density | 77/km2 (200/sq mi) |
| Languages | |
| • Regional | Pnar, Khasi |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 793 150 |
| Telephone code | 91 03652 |
| Vehicle registration | ML-04 |
| Climate | Cwb |
Jowai (IPA: ʤəʊˈwaɪ) is the headquarters of the West Jaintia Hills district of the state of Meghalaya, India, and is home to the Pnar, a sub-tribe of the Khasi people. It is located on a plateau surrounded on three sides by the Myntdu river bordering Bangladesh to the south (about 50 km from the Indo-Bangladesh border). Due to its high altitude of 1365 m above sea level, Jowai experiences warm summers with cool to chilly winters.
Jowai is an important business and education hub for the entire district, catering to local students as well as those from the adjacent parts of Assam and Bangladesh. It is well equipped with infrastructure including schools, colleges, hospitals, and a postal service. As with the Nongphlang (Khynriams), Pnars too have a matriarchal society where daughters inherit the family property.[citation needed]