FACTS ABOUT INDIA (part 1)

India is a country located in South Asia that is known as the seventh largest country in the world. It is also the second most populated country in the world, and is home to over 1.2 billion people. Bordering its southern border is the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. The country also shares its borders with Pakistan, China, Bhutan, Burma, Bangladesh and Nepal. The Indian flag is comprised of four colors. Orange, white and green stripes encompass the flag, and there is a small blue emblem in the middle of the white stripe. This emblem is a wheel that has 24 spokes on it, and the entire flag was designed by Pingali Venkayya. Its capital city is New Delhi and it has a population of 21.75 million. The two official languages of the country are Hindi and English, however there is not a recognized national language. The primary religion in India is Hinduism; however four major religions originated in the country. Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism all began in India, and helped create the diverse culture of India today. The Indian currency is known as the Indian rupee, and the country has an estimated nominal GDP of 1.947 trillion dollars.

India Facts

1	India’s government is a federal parliamentary constitutional republic. They have a President, Vice President, Prime Minister, Speaker of the House and Chief Justice.
2	India is the 7th largest country in the world and has over 3 million square kilometers of land, but only 9.6% of their land is occupied by water.
3	India has the 10th highest GDP in the nation with $1.947 trillion; however, their per capita GDP is ranked 140th in the world and is only $1,592.
4	In 1991, India adopted a market based economy and has since become one of the fastest growing economies in the world.
5	India’s army is the third largest in the world, and they have been ranked as the seventh best armies in the world.
6	The country has 28 states and 7 territories and is home to many different cultures and ethnic groups.
7	India’s official name is the Republic of India.
8	India is a part of the Asian continent, along with China, Japan and many other countries.
9	It is estimated that over 850 languages are spoken in India on a daily basis, and that there are over 1600 languages total that are known in the country.
10	India experiences Monsoon season each year. During this time, India receives large amounts of rain that can cause flooding.
11	Cricket is a thriving sport in India, and many Indian children love to play the game with their families. The country won the Cricket World Cup in 2011.
12	The British ruled India from 1858 until 1947. Since gaining its independence from the United Kingdom, India has become an autonomous country.
13	The Bengal Tiger is India’s official national symbol.
14	Indians believe that cows are sacred due to their religious beliefs; therefore cows can often be found wandering the streets.
15	India is home to over one million millionaires; however a large part of the country still lives on less than two dollars per day
16	Indian widows are often considered to be bad luck. Some Indians believe this so strongly, that they won’t invite widows to any of their social events.
17	India has the largest postal service in the world. Its postal network contains over 150,000 post offices, yet it is also considered one of the slowest postal networks in the world.
18	India is home to all of the major world religions. Every major world religion is practiced in the country, bringing diversity to the country.
19	Even though cows are considered to be sacred, Indians still use cows for milk. They are the largest dairy producers in the world.
20	Wasting food in India is considered to be a horrible sin, and is looked down upon in society.
21	There are six recognized weather seasons in India: summer, fall, winter, spring, summer monsoon, winter monsoon.
22	India produces the most tea in the world, and is the largest exporter of the product.
23	The Taj Mahal in India was built by a Mughal Emperor in the sixteenth century for his wife. The legend of the magnificent building states that once the builders were finished, their hands were cut off in order to prevent them from ever building anything that was more beautiful than the Taj Mahal. Today, it is a thriving tourist attraction that draws crowds every day of the year.
24	Diwali is a festival that is celebrated by Hindus in India every year. It signifies the beginning of the new Hindu year, and is also known as the festival of lights. For five days each year, Hindus light candles, lamps, and set off fireworks to represent how good has succeeded over evil.
25	Holi is an Indian festival that also celebrates the victory of good over evil. It is a two day festival that is colloquially known as the Festival of Colors. During Holi, people throw colored powder at each other and have many parties.

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