India Information that You Need To Know

The Republic of India is the second most populous country in the world. Home to 1.2 billion people it boasts an incredibly diverse range of cultures, languages and religions and is one of the most fascinating countries in the world.

The country is surrounded by Pakistan in the west, Bhutan, Nepal and Chine in the north east, as well as Myanmar and Bangladesh in the east.

India has been called the cradle of civilization based on archaeological findings in the Indus Valley and has been an integral part of trade routes than span the entirety of Asia for thousands of years.

India plays host to a variety of religions, including Hinduism and Buddhism. Both Jainism and Sikhism are said to have originated in the country. Later arrivals included Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity and Islam.

In the 18th century, the country was under the control of the British East India Company, however, after the Indian Rebellion of 1857 that control was ceded to Britain. By 1947 after a campaign of nonviolent resistance led by Mahatma Gandhi it became an independent nation and is today the largest democracy in the world consisting of 29 states as well as seven union territories

Today India boasts the seventh largest economy in the world, but is still regarded as an emerging nation. People want to learn more about India information and the status of its economy. It still has to cope with the ongoing challenges of widespread poverty, health issues, as well as widespread corruption.

India has one of the longest coastlines in the world at 4,700 miles in length (including offshore islands), 43% of this coastline being sandy beaches. This geographical wealth is expected to contribute significantly to tourism efforts which continue to provide the country with large amounts of foreign capital.

The diversity of Indian flora and fauna is also the result of a varied climate. Different parts of India have tropical dry, tropical wet, subtropical humid and montane climates.

Today India is a nuclear power and has maintained open relations with the majority of the countries in the world. However relations with Pakistan continue to be strained and violence has flared up over the disputed Kashmir region which both India and Pakistan claim as their own.

India boasts a workforce of over 486 million people which makes it the second largest in the world. The Indian economy is largely based on textiles, chemicals, food processing, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, transport equipment, steel, cement, mining, machinery, petroleum and software.