MORENA

also called Pech Morena town, administrative headquarters of Morena district, Madhya Pradesh state, central India. An agricultural trade centre, it is connected by rail and national highway with Gwalior and Agra. Oilseed milling and cotton weaving are the chief industries. The town has three colleges affiliated with Jiwaji University. Morena district (4,473 sq mi [11,586 sq km]), constituted in 1948, comprises the former Sheopur and Tonwarghar princely states. In the lower Chambal Basin, it consists of an alluvial tract in the north, cut by numerous ravines, and a forested area toward the south. Wheat and oilseeds are the main crops; building stone is quarried. The district has a cement factory, and Sheopur (q.v.) is an important trade centre. Pop. (1981) town, 69,864; district, 1,303,213.