India (another name - Bharata) is one of the largest states in the world in terms of territory. Moreover, it is a country with such a long tradition that it can rightfully be called the "cradle of civilization." Achievements of India in ancient and Middle Ages in the field of medicine, culture, philosophical and religious teachings had a huge impact on the emergence and further development of the civilization of the East.
Some statistics
The area of India is quite vast. The country, 3214 km long from north to south and 2033 km from west to east, is located not only on the Hindustan Peninsula (in South Asia), a triangular wedge protruding into the Indian Ocean, but also occupies the islands in the southeast of the Arabian Sea. If we compare the area of India in square. km and population, it becomes clear that this is a very densely populated country. It takes the second place in the world in terms of population, and only seventh in the territory.
India Square km - over 3,000,000. Population - 1,220,800,359 people (according to 2013 data). For fans of specific figures, we’ll clarify that the area of India for 2014 is 3,287,263 square meters. km The country borders on the following countries: Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Bhutan, Nepal, Burma and Bangladesh. In addition, sea straits separate India from Sri Lanka and Indonesia.
Population
The national composition is diverse. A vast area of India is inhabited by Dravids, Telugu, Marathi, Hindustanis, Bengalis and many small tribes and nationalities. About 80% of them are Muslims, about 14% are Christians, there are also Sikhs and Buddhists. Of the many languages spoken by the population of India, 18 are recognized as state languages. The official national languages of the country are English and Hindi.
Life expectancy for men in India is on average 58 years, for women - 59. Since the beginning of the last century, there have always been slightly more men than women (1000 to 929). In the last decades of the twentieth century, thanks to the development of medicine and improving the standard of living, the life expectancy of Indians has almost doubled.
At the same time, the country continues to maintain a high birth rate, due to moral and religious norms and a low literacy rate, which leads to a tense demographic situation.
State today
Geographically, the entire area of India is divided into states (there are 28 in total), and there are also 7 union territories. The state division remaining from the time of colonial dependence was reorganized in 1956. The borders of the new states were formed on the basis of national linguistic characteristics. Despite a gradual increase in living standards in the country, Indians are still mostly living below the poverty line. 2/3 of the world's lowest income people live in India. The main occupation of the country's population is agriculture. India is the homeland and the main supplier to the world agricultural market of many crops: sugarcane, rice, and cotton. She also has a leading role in the production of tea, peanuts, etc. In addition, the state is rich in natural resources. Coal and manganese ore reserves here are among the record-breaking in the world.
Economy
India's light industry is represented by both modern and handicraft enterprises. Indian cotton fabrics, magnificent silk, leather, furs, jewelry are famous all over the world. The leading place in the export belongs to products made of precious and semiprecious stones, the beauty of which the country is rightfully proud of.
In each state, city and each locality, there are crafts. The Government of India is stimulating the development of diverse industries by creating industrial parks - areas with lower taxes and land prices. The monetary unit of the country is the Indian rupee.
A bit of geography
Almost the entire area of India is occupied by the Deccan Plateau. In the northern part of the state is the highest mountain system in the world - the Himalayas. Approximately 3/4 of the territory of the peninsula are plains and plateaus, framed by mountains from the west and east. The main rivers are the Ganges, Indus and Brahmaputra, their fertile deltas are among the most densely populated areas of the country.
The climate on the peninsula is mostly tropical. In the summer monsoon spills from 70 to 90% of the total rainfall. Shillong Plateau in India is considered the wettest place on the continents of the globe.
Vegetation is represented by savannas, steppes and mountain meadows, as well as forests: from conifers to tropical evergreens, which cover about 1/4 of the entire territory.
The animal kingdom in India is as diverse as anywhere else in the world. Many representatives of the fauna in the country are revered as sacred, their killing is prohibited, so often in the cities and on the roads you can see freely located cows, monkeys, various birds.
Herds of wild elephants are still preserved in the southern forests of the country, and almost extinct rhinos and even tigers are occasionally found. India is the owner of the world's largest livestock (cows, goats, buffalos, camels). Elephants are also considered sacred animals, which have been trained here since antiquity.
India is a beautiful exotic country, unusually attractive for tourists, each of whom will find something different in it.