|
 One-third the area of the United States, the Republic of India occupies most of the subcontinent of India in southern Asia. It borders on China in the northeast. Other neighbors are Pakistan on the west, Nepal and Bhutan on the north, and Burma and Bangladesh on the east.
The country can be divided into three distinct geographic regions: the Himalayan region in the north, which contains some of the highest mountains in the world, the Gangetic Plain, and the plateau region in the south and central part. Its three great river systems—the Ganges, the Indus, and the Brahmaputra—have extensive deltas and all rise in the Himalayas
Crowned by the world's highest mountain range “The Himalayas” and surrounded by Pakistan, Nepal, China, Bhutan and Bangladesh, stands India, the South Asian region's largest sovereign, democratic, republic. India’s coastline stretches over a distance of seven thousand kilometers. It is surrounded by the Arabian Sea in the west, the Bay of Bengal in the east and the Indian Ocean in the South. Comprising of 28 states, 7 Union Territories and one National Capital Territory, Delhi, India is the seventh largest country of the world, and second most populated country in the world. India has a population of 1,126,000,000 according to last recorded figures. Each state of India has its own regional language but Hindi has been declared as the national language of the country.
 India has a glorious history, which dates back to 3200 B.C. It is marked as the period of the Indus Valley Civilization in India. It is during this period that Hinduism took birth. India was the richest nation of the world and was famously known as ‘The Golden Bird”. The rich natural resources, the rich culture and wealth of India attracted many foreign invaders. Some came to settle for business or studies and some to loot its wealth. It is also during this period that different foreign cultures and religions were introduced in India. Similarly, some religions like Buddhism and Jainism, which took birth in India, were spread far and wide all over the world.
The diverse religion, cultures, customs, languages and religions portray a colorful picture of India . As a result of this many tourists are attracted to visit India and experience its natural beauty and rich cultural heritage. Today, India is the one of the most famous and favored tourist destinations of the world. It possesses immense Natural beauty and beautiful cities with historical monument that boast of India’s rich architecture and craftsmanship.
India is listed amongst the developing countries of the world. In the past few years it has shown rapid growth in almost all its service sectors and industries earning the title “India Shining”
 The flora of India is made up of around 45,000 species of plants, 33 percent of which are native. There are 15,000 flowering plant species, accounting to 6 percent of the world's total flora. Out of these, about 3,000 to 4,000 are believed to be in danger of extinction. The fauna of India is made up of almost 5,000 species of larger animals. Tiger, panther, Asiatic lion, Asiatic cheetah, snow leopard, jungle cat, and clouded leopard can be found is some parts of the country. Besides this, India is home to elephants, rhinoceros (presently under threat of extinction), black bear, wolf, jackal, dhole (wild Asian dog), wild buffalo, wild hog, antelope, and deer. Several species of monkeys live throughout the country. The pygmy hog, bandicoot rat, and tree mouse are typical types of smaller native quadrupeds; bats are also abundant. Venomous reptiles, including the cobra, krait, and saltwater snake, are especially numerous in India, and pythons and crocodiles are also found. Tropical birds of India include the parrot, peacock, kingfisher, and heron. The rivers and coastal waters of India are filled with fish.
|