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India is the seventh
largest country in the world. The countrys official name, India is
derived from the Old Persian version of Sindhu, the historic local
appellation for the river Indus. The Constitution of India and general
usage also recognises Bharat, which is derived from the Sanskrit name
of an ancient Hindu king, whose story is to be found in the
Mahabharata, as an official name of equal status. A third name,
Hindustan, or land of the Hindus in Persian, was used from Mughal
times onwards, though its contemporary use is unevenly applied due to
domestic disputes over how representative it is as a national
signifier.
North India
Located in the upper part of India in the foothills of the Himalayas,
the northern region of India is enriched with different cultures,
religions, marvelous monuments, immense wildlife parks and
sanctuaries, holy rivers, majestic Himalayas, and diversified climate
conditions. The whole of north India borders countries like Pakistan,
China, Nepal and Bhutan from northwest to northeast. Geographically
north India has great diversity. The towering majesty of the
Himalayas, the breathtaking mountainous beauty of Himachal Pradesh and
Kashmir, the agriculturally rich plains of Punjab, Haryana and the
Ganga basin of Uttar Pradesh that has nurtured many ancient
civilisations form an incredibly rich visual extravaganza. This rich
cultural tapestry is woven with brilliant strands of many hues-dance,
music, food, costumes, languages, customs, festivals -a variety
staggering in its appeal. The origin of sacred river Ganga, Yamuna and
sources of many other important rivers are in northern India.
South India
The southern part of India touches the Indian Ocean and is rich in
wild life, flora & fauna and temples. South India is a geographic and
linguistic-cultural region of India. Geographically, South India is a
vast triangular peninsula, bounded on the west by the Arabian Sea, and
on the east by the Bay of Bengal. The Vindhya and Satpura ranges and
the Narmada River are the traditional boundary between northern and
southern India. South of the Satpuras, at the center of the peninsula,
is the Deccan plateau, defined by the Western Ghats mountain range,
which runs along the western edge of the peninsula, and the Eastern
Ghats along the eastern edge. The great rivers of south India, the
Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri (Cauvery), rise in the Western Ghats and
flow across the Deccan and through gaps in the Eastern Ghats to empty
into the Bay of Bengal. As a linguistic-cultural and political region,
South India consists of the five south Indian states of Andhra
Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, and the union
territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry & Andaman and Nicobar
Islands. Natives of these states are referred to as South Indians.
South India is also called Dakshina Nad (Dakshina = South + Nad =
land), Dravida Nad (Dravida = Dravidian + Nad = land), or simply
Dravida. The dance forms of South India are Bharathanatyam, Kuchipudi
and Mohiniaattam which literally translates as 'the dance of the
enchantress'. The music of the South Indian people is called as
Carnatic music. The dominant features of south India are the tropical
climate less harsh than the northern States, lush green tropical
vegetation in the coastal areas and the architecture, culture,
languages and lifestyle which had remained essentially Dravidian at
the core in spite of repeated exposures to alien influences. This is a
land of temples, a land of the devout, the profusion of jasmine and 'kanakambaram'
flowers and the soft beat of distant drums as yet another festival
starts. Main languages includes Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and
Tulu, among many others. The chief dressing of South Indian women is
the Sari and of Men is Lungi, which is also an unstitched drape like
the sari. Rice is the staple diet, with fish being an integral
component of coastal South Indian meals. Coconut is an important
ingredient in many of the dishes of the south Indian people. The
people are largely agrarian, dependent on monsoons, as are most people
in India. Some of the main crops cultivated in South India include
paddy, sorghum, millet, pulses, cotton, chilli, and ragi. South India
was and still is the "promised land" as far as spice cultivation is
concerned. Areca, coffee, pepper, tapioca, and cardamom are widely
cultivated on the Nilgiri Hills and Coorg. Education is highly valued
in the south Indian community, and is seen as a gateway to a better
livelihood.
Climate
Because of India's size, its climate depends not only on the time of
year, but also the location. In general, temperatures tend to be
cooler in the north, especially between September and March. The south
is coolest between November to January. In June, winds and warm
surface currents begin to move northwards and westwards, heading out
of the Indian Ocean and into the Arabian Gulf. This creates a
phenomenon known as the south-west monsoon, and it brings heavy rains
to the west coast. Between October and December, a similar climatic
pattern called the north-east monsoon appears in the Bay of Bengal,
bringing rains to the east coast. In addition to the two monsoons,
there are two other seasons, spring and autumn.
Occupation
India is mainly an agricultural country, though it also has a large
iron and steel industry and produces every type of manufactured goods.
In the last few years India has gotten more and more involved in
information technology and every year over 100,000 software
professionals leave India to work in other countries, mainly the
United States. India produces the world's highest number of films
annually. The most recognisable face is that of Bollywood, based in
Mumbai, which produces mainly commercial Hindi films. Education is
highly regarded by members of every socio-economic strata. India is
also known for it's beautiful jewelry and fashion
Population
India is also home to a large and diverse population that has added to
its vibrant character since ages. Its population is one billion (one
thousand million), making it the second most populous country after
China. It is more than three times the population of the United States
though its area is only about one-third. It is the largest democracy
in the world. India, it is often said, is not a country but a
continent. From North to South & East to West the people are
different, the culture is different, the moods are different. A
pluralist, multilingual and multicultural society, Indians are largely
tolerant and peaceful. Religious practices of various faiths are an
integral part of everyday life in society. In 2001, India had 35
cities / urban areas with a population of more than one million
people. In total, some 108 million Indians, or 10.5 per cent of the
national population, live in the country's 35 largest cities. Mumbai
(Bombay) with a population of more than 16 million is now the world's
fourth-largest urban area followed by Kolkata (Calcutta) in fifth
place. The United Nations now estimates that by 2050 India will have
overtaken China as the most populous country in the world. Today,
Indians make up 16.7 per cent of the world's population with an annual
growth rate of close to two per cent while the world population is
growing at an annual rate of 1.4 per cent. In 2001, the sex ratio for
the whole of India stood at 933 females to 1,000 males. Based on their
physical type and language, we can easily divide Indian people into
four broad classes. First, a majority of high class Hindus, who live
in North India and whose language is derived from Sanskrit. Secondly,
those who live in that part of India that is south of the Vindhyas and
whose languages - Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam - are entirely
different from Sanskrit. These are known by the generic name of
"Dravidians". Thirdly, primitive tribes living in hills and jungles of
India, who as mentioned above constitute eight percent of the total
population in India. The Kols, Bhils and Mundas belong to this class.
Fourthly, there are a people with strong Mongolian features inhabiting
within India the slopes of the Himalayas and mountains of Assam. The
Gorkhas, Bhutiyas and Khasis are striking examples of this. It is
impossible to speak of any one Indian culture, although there are deep
cultural continuities that tie its people together. English is the
major language of trade and politics, but there are fourteen official
languages in all. There are twenty-four languages that are spoken by a
million people or more, and countless other dialects. India has seven
major religions and many minor ones, six main ethnic groups, and
countless holidays. |
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