India at a Glance
India is a vast country with a history that goes back five
thousand years. Its vast geographical diversity, heritage
and culture, fairs and festivals, and monumental attractions
that span a sub- continent cannot be condensed between the
two covers of any book. The sub- continent of India lies
in South Asia, between Pakistan, China and Nepal. To the
north, it is bordered by the world’s highest mountain chain,
the Himalayas, where foothill valleys cover the northernmost
of the country’s 26 states. Further south, plateaus, tropical
rain forests and sandy deserts are bordered by palm-fringed
beaches.
Side by side with the country’s staggering topographical
variations is its cultural diversity, the result of the
coexistence of a number of religions as well as local traditions.
Thus, the towering temples of SOUTH INDIA, easily identified
by their ornate sculptured surfaces, are associated with
a great many crafts and performing arts of the region. In
the desert of KUTCH, GUJARAT, on the other hand, a scattering
of villages pit themselves against the awesome forces of
nature, resulting in Spartan lifestyles made vibrant by
a profusion of jewelry and ornamental embroidery used to
adorn apparel and household linen. In the extreme North
is the high altitude desert of LADAKH. Local culture is
visibly shaped by the harsh terrain. Yet another facet of
India culture can be observed in the colorful tribal lifestyles
of the north eastern states of Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura
and Manipur with their folk culture. In the central Indian
states of Orissa and Madhya Pradesh tribal village life
has resulted in a variety of artistically executed handicrafts.
India’s mountains provide heli-skiing, river running, trekking
and mountaineering. Its beaches provide lazy sun bathing
as well as wind surfing and snorkeling, and its jungles
provide shooting wildlife- with a camera! Modern India is
home alike to the tribal with its anachronistic lifestyle
and to the sophisticated urban jet-setter. It is a land
where temple elephants exist amicably with the microchip.
Its ancient monuments are the backdrop for the world’s largest
democracy where atomic energy is generated and industrial
development has brought the country within the world’s top
ten nations. Today, India is a nation where fishermen along
the country’s coastline fashion simple fishing boats in
a centuries old tradition while, a few miles away, motor
vehicles glide off conveyor belts in state-of-the-art factories.
- Area : 3,287,263 sq.m.
- States: 26
- Union Territories: 6
- Districts: 463
LANGUAGE
The official language is HINDI in Devanagri script. The
States are free to decide their own regional language for
internal administration and education, so there are 14 official
languages widely spoken throughout the country. English
is widely spoken.
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