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| The customary greeting is done by putting your palms together and with a slight nod of the head, saying "Namaste (Hello)." |
| India lies in south Asia, between Pakistan, China and Nepal. To the north it is bordered by the world's highest mountain chain. Do you know the name of the chain of mountains? |
The capital of India is New Delhi, and the country’s largest cities are Mumbai (formerly Bombay), Delhi, and Kolkata (formerly Calcutta).}
India is the seventh largest country in the world.
India's population is one billion making it the second most populous country after China.
India is the largest democracy in the world.
India is mainly an agricultural country, though it also has a large iron and steel industry and produces every type of manufactured goods. |
| Location: Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan |
| Geographic coordinates: 20 00 N, 77 00 E |
| Area: |
total: 3,287,590 sq km
land: 2,973,190 sq km
Water: 314,400 sq km |
| Capital City: New Delhi |
Population: 1,065,070,607 (July 2004 est.)
Its population is one billion (one thousand million), making it the second most populous country after China. It is more than three times the population of the United States though its area is only about one-third. |
| Languages: 17 major languages, 844 dialects |
| Religion: |
| The two main religions are Hinduism (80%) and the Muslim religion (10%) but there are also small numbers of Buddhists, Christians, Sikhs, Parsees and Jains. |
| Climate: varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north |
| Government: federal republic |
| Head of State: President Mrs. Pratibha Patil |
| Head of Government:Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh |
| Fast Facts |
| Much information but few pictures. |
| Languages spoken in India |
India has about 15 major languages and 844 different dialects.
Hindi spoken by about 45 per cent of the population is the national language. |
| Quick Fact:The two main religions are Hinduism (80%) and the Muslim religion (10%) but there are also small numbers of Buddhism, Christians, Sikhs, Parsees and Jains. |
| History and Religions of India |
| India's history goes back to 3,200 BC when Hinduism, was first founded. Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity and Islam all exist within the country today. |
| Quick Fact: Cows are sacred in India |
| Festivals of India |
India is a land of festivals and fairs. The most widely known and popular celebrations include the Hindu festivals of Diwali, Holi, and Dussehra.
Pongal in Tamil Nadu and Onam in Kerala are harvest festivals celebrated by people belonging to all religions. |
