SURMA, or BARAK  , a river of Assam, India . It is one of the two chief rivers of the province, watering the southern valley as the Brahmaputra waters the northern and larger valley . It rises in the Barail range to the north of Manipur, its sources being among the southern spurs of Japvo . Thence its course is south with a slight westerly bearing, through the Manipur hills to British territory . The name of Barak is given to the upper part of the river, in Manipur and Cachar . A short distance below Badarpur in Cachar it divides into two branches . One of these, which passes Sylhet, is called Surma . The other is called Kusiara till it subdivides into (a) a branch called Bibiana or Kalni, which joins the Surma near Ajmiriganj, and (b) a branch which resumes the name of Barak and joins the Surma near Habiganj . At Bhairab Bazar in Mymensingh the Surma unites with the old Brahmaputra and becomes known as the Meghna . The river is navigable by steamers as far as Silchar in the rains . Total length about 56o m . The SURMA VALLEY AND HILL DISTRICTS DIVISION IS a division of the province of Eastern Bengal and Assam .

It includes the five districts of Sylhet Cachar, Lushai hills, Naga hills, and Khasi and Jaintia hills, with a total

area of 25,481 sq. m. and a population in 1901 of 3,084,527 .