town, southern Nagaland (Nāgāland) state, northeastern India. It lies 75 miles (121 km) east of Kohima. Phek is a rural town whose inhabitants practice shifting cultivation. Weaving is the important cottage industry. The people of the region belong to different ethnic groups of Mongolian descent; they are referred to as Kirats in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. Pop. (2001) 12,864.