Kiphire district borders Myanmar. It is situated at an altitude of 896.42 meters above sea level and is 254 km from Kohima. The district had been carved out of the present Tuensang district on January 24th 2004 by upgrading the Sub-Division of Kiphire.

It is home to the Yimchungers, Sangtams, Khiamniungan, Phom,, and Sumis. Under Yimchunger tribe, there are many sub tribes, such as, Tikhirs, Chirrs and Makuries. Saramati the highest peak in Nagaland, at 3,841 meters is situated in this district. It is snow clad throughout winter. According to their traditional stories they emerged from a cave in a place known as Kemephu near Waphur village. It is situated on the south of Shamatore and thus is not far away from Myanmar (Burma) border. They say that their number was great they did not want any more people to come and so they closed the cave with a huge stone and thus others were left behind. This story probably suggests that they passed through a narrow pass. However, the Yimchungers stayed around that place, Kemephu, and later on went to Yimkhiung village and stayed there for sometime. From there gradually they spread to other places. They claim their boundary Mount Saramati in the east to Hirupong, the present Helipong, in the west. If their claim of boundary from Mount Saramati has got anything to do with their migration, it can reasonably be said that they came from the east, i.e., Myanmar since Saramati is in the Indo-Myanmar border. In course of their sojourn, they were living in Longa village but being oppressed by their ruler Lakiumong who was terror, they left the village of 900 houses within one night and spread to different directions. The Yimchungers recalls that this event took place approximately seven to eight hundred years before. The Yimchunger men wear a black coloured small piece of cloth kilt, embroidered with cowries, round their waist that goes down to the knee. Another piece of cloth hanging in the front side from their lower part of the abdomen to the knee that they sometimes decorate with a small toy-shield of metal disk. A third piece of cloth they hang from their right shoulder which comes down to their left waist by covering their chest. Yimchungers are known for their attractive shawl named Rongkhim, which is very attractive. They use a headgear made of cane and goat’s hair. The women wear a long red coloured garment, looks like a chemise covering their upper part of the knee. A second piece of cloth they wear round their waist that goes down to the knee. They wear a white coloured narrow cloth-based on their head. They use earring, armlets, bracelets and several necklaces with numerous strings of red coloured cornelian beads, white cowries shells and pale red coloured beads. Some of their necklaces come down to their chest. Yimchunger shawl, Ronghkhim is an attractive one. They use a headgear made of cane and goat’s hair. The women wear a long red coloured garment, looks like a chemise covering their upper part of the knee. Medemneo their main festival observed is in the second week of August every year after the harvest of the Millet. It is during this festival that young boys and girls are engaged for wedlock. Gifts are exchanged between the betrothed. During the festivals community work like clearing of the village surroundings, footpath, etc. are performed.