EXPLORE INDIA

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Fast  Facts

Population: 1.13 billion

Capital: Delhi; also called New Delhi

Location: Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea

Area: Roughly 1/3 the size of the U.S.

Government: Federal Republic

Legal System: Based on English common law; Separate personal law codes apply to Hindus, Muslims, and Christians

History

The Indus Valley civilization, dating back at least 5,000 years, is one of the oldest in the world. Additionally, India has always been rich in natural resources. Arab invasions started in the 8th century, followed by the Turkish in the 12th century and European traders in the late 15th century. By the 19th century, Britain had assumed political control of virtually all Indian lands. Mohandas Gandhi led a nonviolent resistance to British colonialism, resulting in independence in 1947. The subcontinent was divided into the state of India and the smaller Muslim state of Pakistan. A third war between the two countries in 1971 resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. India has recently seen an impressive gain in education, economic investment and technology.

Religion

The most common religion in India is Hinduism.  Here are the breakdowns of religion population percentage:

Hindu - 80.5 %

Muslim - 13.4%

Christian - 2.3%

Sikh - 1.9%

Other - 1.9%

Language

Hindi is the national language and primary tongue for 30% of Indians. However, there are 14 other official languages, including Gujarati, Tamil, Punjabi and Sanskrit.  English is commonly spoken throughout India. In fact, most children, particularly in the cities, learn English first in school. It is the most important language for commercial, national and political status.

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