India

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INDIA
Area: 1,148,000 sq.miles (2,973,000 sq.km)
Population: 935,700,000(previous census)
Currency: 1 Indian rupee = 100 paisa
Capital: Delhi
Main Cities: Bangalore, Calcutta, Bombay, Madras
Languages: Hindi, English
Religions: Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Jewish
HISTORY

From the Himalaya Mountains of the north to the palm-lined beaches of the south, India is a showcase of diversity. The cities of Bombay and Calcutta are jam-packed with people living amid industrial anarchy, while Bangalore is becoming India's own "Silicon Plateau." Seventy percent of the people in the world's second-most-populous country live in rural villages, alongside free-roaming sacred cows and the occasional snake charmer. Although the most popular religion is Hinduism, India has large numbers of Muslims. Smaller groups are Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jewish, Jain, and Parsi. Hindi is the most widely spoken of more than 75 different languages, 16 of which are official. India has maintained a continuous civilization since 2500 B.C. despite repeat cycles of invasion and assimilation from regions near (central Asia) and far (Britain). The hierarchical caste system continues to define society and politics, but it is becoming less influential in some urban centers.

GEOGRAPHY

In the northern part of India are the Himalayas, with the country's highest mountain, Kangchenjunga, rising 28,200 ft (8598 m). The rest of the country consists of plains and hilly plateaus cut through by rivers, including the Ganges and Brahmaputra. The capital is Delhi, though Bombay and Calcutta have larger populations. In far northeastern Cherrapunji, annual rainfall can exceed 450 in (1,143 cm), while in the Thar Desert, in the northwest, it is less than 4 in (10 cm).

TOURISM

India is a country of great variety and interest. Beaches in the south and west are magnets for Western travelers. The Taj Mahal at Agra is one of the world's most famous and enchanting buildings. Rajasthan's desert landscape is dotted with fortified cities and lakeside palaces. The mountains and lakes in the disputed territory of Kashmir are hard to beat for sheer beauty. At Varanasi, pilgrims bathe in the holy River Ganges while bodies are cremated on the steps along its bank. The climate varies considerably according to height and latitude.

CULTURE AND THE ARTS

India's rich cultural heritage extends as far back as 2500 B.C., when cities began to appear in the Indus River Valley, which is now a part of Pakistan. The art of the ancient Indians revolved around religion, most notably Hinduism, Janaism, and Buddhism. Sculptures and temples were built in the name of religion and sacred scriptures of great literary merit were written, including the holy text, the Upanishads (600 to 200 B.C.), and the historical epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharta (300 B.C. to 300 A.D.). India's classical and literary language is Sanskrit, and some scholars believe it originated as early as 1500 B.C. with the composing of the Rig Vega. Modern Indian culture is one of the most diverse in the world. Aside from Hinduism, Janaism, and Buddhism, many Indians practice Islam, which was brought to India during the 10th and 11th centuries. Today, the ancient caste system, imposed by Aryans around 2000 B.C., continues to dominate society, though many have challenged its rigid social order.

India's film industry, Bollywood (Bombay plus Hollywood), produces more films in a month than the American film industry produces in a year.

ECONOMICS

After 50 years of independence, India has nearly achieved its goal of industrial self-sufficiency. Today it produces most of its own chemicals, automobiles, steel, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and high-tech consumer electronics. However, the country remains heavily dependent on foreign oil. India has a substantial and growing middle class, yet much of its workforce still lives in poverty. More than 60 percent of Indians continue to earn their livelihood from agriculture. About 55 percent of the country's land is arable. Food crops reflect a traditional vegetarian diet: rice, wheat, coarse grains, and beans. In addition, commercial crops such as tea, sugarcane, cotton, spices, jute, coffee, oilseeds, and tobacco are grown. India boasts the world's largest bovine population (the cow is sacred in Hinduism). Although Indian breeds are not considered high producers, they still make the country the largest Asian producer of milk, butter, and hides. India's main exports are gems and jewelry, cotton clothing, yarn and fabric, leather manufactures, and engineering goods. In addition India legally sells raw opium paste to major pharmaceutical companies around the world.
Website of Ministry of Tourism India:

INDIAN STATES

The Union of India is made up of 28 States including the three new States formed in November, 2000 namely Uttaranchal, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh and 7 Union Territories (of which one, Delhi, is National Capital Territory).

As the data on the three new States are not available for a comprehensive survey, the information given below pertains to the 25 States and seven Union Territories as at the end of October, 2000.

Area-wise, Madhya Pradesh is the biggest state of the Union (443,446 sq km) and Goa the smallest (3,702 sq km).

Population-wise, Uttar Pradesh is the largest State in India (139,112,287) and Sikkim, the smallest (406,457). UP's population is 16 per cent of India's total.

Indian States Ranking according to area
1.Madhya Pradesh 443,446 sq km
2.Rajasthan 342,239 sq km
3.Maharashtra 307,690 sq km
4.Uttar Pradesh 294,411 sq km
5.Andhra Pradesh 275,068 sq km
6.Jammu & Kashmir 222,236 sq km
7.Gujarat 196,024 sq km
8.Karnataka 191,791 sq km
9.Bihar 173,877 sq km
10.Orissa 155,707 sq km
11.Tamil Nadu 130,058 sq km
12.West Benga l88,752 sq km
13.Arunachal Pradesh 83,743 sq km
14.Assam 78,438 sq km
15.Himachal Pradesh 55,673 sq km
16.Punjab 50,362 sq km
17.Hariyana 44,212 sq km
18.Kerala 38,863 sq km
19.Meghalaya 22,429 sq km
20.Manipur 22,327 sq km
21.Mizoram 21,081 sq km
22.Nagaland 16,579 sq km
23.Tripura 10,486 sq km
24.Sikkim 7,096 sq km
25.Goa 3,702 sq km
Union Territories
1.Andaman & Nicobar Islands 8,249 sq km
2.Pondicherry 492 sq km
3.Dadra & Nagar Haveli 491 sq km
4.Chandigarh 114 sq km
5.Daman & Diu 112 sq km
6.Lakshadweep 32 sq km
7.Delhi (National Capital Territory) 1,483 sq km

Indian States Ranking according to population
1.Uttar Pradesh 139,112,287
2.Bihar 86,374,465
3.Maharashtra 78,937,187
4.West Bengal 68,077,965
5.Andhra Pradesh 66,508,008
6.Madhya Pradesh 66,181,170
7.Tamil Nadu 55,858,946
8.Karnataka 44,977,201
9.Rajasthan 44,005,990
10.Gujarat 41,309,582
11.Orissa 31,659,736
12.Kerala 29,698,518
13.Assam 22,414,322
14.Punjab 20,281,969
15.Haryana 16,463,618
16.Jammu & Kashmir 7,718,700
17.Himachal Pradesh 5,170,877
18.Tripura 2,757,205
19.Manipur 1,837,119
20.Meghalaya 1,774,778
21.Nagaland 1,209,546
22.Goa 1,169,793
23.Arunachal Pradesh 864,558
24.Mizoram 689,756
25.Sikkim 406,457
Union Territories
1.Delhi (National Capital Territory) 9,420,614
2.Pondicherry 807,785
3.Chandigarh 642,015
4.Andaman & Nicobar Islands 280,661
5.Dadra & N. Haveli 138,477
6.Daman & Diu 101,586
7.Lakshadweep

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