Assam is a land of several cultures. Agriculture, horticulture and allied activities provide livelihood to about 80 per cent of the people. Forests cover almost 25 per cent of the total area. About 3.944 million hectares of land is under irrigation. Tea, rice, jute, cotton, oilseeds, potato and fruits like orange, pineapple, guava and beetlenut are grown on a large scale. The State has rich deposits of oil and natural gas, coal and limestone. The cottage industries include silk and handloom textiles, cane and bamboo articles and furniture and metal craft. Winters are cold and summers are moderately hot and humid. The average annual rainfall is 252 cm.