| Language |
The official language is Hindi, which is spoken by about 30 per cent of the population; English is also often used for official or commercial purposes. In addition, 17 regional languages are recognised by the constitution. These include Bengali, Gujarati, Oriya and Punjabi, which are widely used in the north, and Tamil and Telegu, which are common in the south. Other regional languages are Kannada, Malayalam and Maralti. The Muslim population largely speak Urdu. |
| Highlights |
India could be classed as a continent not a country. Throughout its 1,222,582 square miles and population of over 1 billion, it has many languages, religions and customs. Located in Western Asia India is one of the only countries in the world to offer such a huge variety of cultures, landscapes, religions and history stretching back thousands of years. Highlights are too numerous to mention - suffice to say that wherever you go you will find fascinating historical sites, ancient temples, stunning scenery, idyllic sandy beaches and amazing wild life. Food is full of fragrance with plenty of fresh spices and delicious tea is readily available as one of India's most popular drinks. Shopping is enormously diverse with a wide selection of curios from all corners of India; silks, cottons, leather, antiques, paintings, wood carvings, jewellery, pottery, carpets, lacquer ware, papier-mâché, brass, marble, textiles, spices ... to name but a few. A visit to the desert state of Rajasthan in the north should include the cities of Jaipur, Udaipur, Jaisalmer and Jodhpur as well as the magnificent Taj Mahal and of course Delhi, India's capital city. In the south, the state of Kerala offers a superb variety including beautiful beaches in Kovalam, the famous back-waters, the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary and spectacular hill stations. Varanasi on the River Ganges is India's holiest Hindu location and Mumbai, Cochin, Madurai, Mysore, Bangalore and Chennai are all unique with places of interest in and around the cities. India has wildlife sanctuaries all over the country with a huge range of birds and mammals. There is something for everyone in India and several trips are necessary to even scratch the surface of this vast country.
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| Country Facts |
India is bounded by many countries; to the North West lies Pakistan, bordering the North you find China, Bhutan Nepal and the Bay of Bengal, to the East the frontiers of Bangladesh, Burma and the Arabian sea. Down in the South lies the Indian Ocean. India is unfortunately one of the world's less prosperous countries, however, investment in the economy is well developed being in the top dozen in the world. Much of India's wealth has been invested in industrial projects. India is predominantly an agricultural economy with the main crops being tea, cotton, tobacco and coffee. |