India Profile

IndiaFacts

India States and Capitals

Crowned by the world’s highest mountain range “The Himalayas”and surrounded by Pakistan, Nepal, China, Bhutan and Bangladesh, stands India. It is the largest sovereign, democratic, republic in South Asia. India’s coastline stretches over a distance of seven thousand kilometers. It is surrounded by the Arabian Sea in the west, the Bay of Bengal in the east and the Indian Ocean in the South. Comprising twenty-eight states, seven Union Territories and one National Capital Territory, Delhi, India is the seventh-largest country of the world. With a population of 1,210,193,422, India is the second-most populated country in the world.

India has a glorious history, which dates back to 3200 B.C. Beginning with the Indus Valley Civilization in India when Hinduism took birth, India has had a rich historical lineage. India was the richest nation of the world and was known as “The Golden Bird”. The rich natural resources, the rich culture and wealth of India attracted many foreign invaders. Some came for business or studies and some to plunder. It is also during this period that different foreign cultures

Physical Map of India

India can be divided into seven regions- Northern mountain ranges which includes the Himalayas and the North-eastern mountain ranges; Indo-Gangetic plain; deserts; Central highlands and Peninsular plateau; east coast; west coast; bordering seas and islands. The rivers can be divided into three groups: the great Himalayan rivers of the north, the westward-flowing rivers of central India, and the eastward-flowing rivers of the Deccan Plateau and the rest of peninsular India.

Climate of India

Most of the parts in India have a tropical or subtropical climate, with little variation in temperature between seasons. The northern plains, however, have a greater temperature range, with cooler winters and hotter summers. The mountain areas have cold winters and cool summers. As elevations increase sharply in the mountains, climate type can change from subtropical to polar within a few miles.

People of India

Owing to its ability to adopt people from all types of background, India is home to diverse population. The country had inherited a civilization that began more than 4,500 years ago. They are culturally diverse and religion plays an important role in each one’s life. About 83 percent of the people practice Hinduism. Another 12 percent are Muslims, and millions of others are Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains.
India does not have any national language. Hindi has the largest number of speakers and is the official language of the government. English is also used as a used “subsidiary official language”; it is used for educational, business and administrative purposes. The eighth schedule of the Indian Constitution recognizes twenty-two regional languages as official Indian languages.

Economy of India

Since its independence from the British rule in 1947, India has been making considerable progress in the economic sector. Under the British, the cottage industries and the then thriving trades of India were virtually destroyed due to import of European manufactured goods, which the government paid for with the exports of agricultural products such as cotton, opium, and tea.