Get+Lost+in+India+(Book+2)

//Facts about India (Courtesy of the // US Department of State //and the // CIA __Ba__ **__**ckground/History:**__
 *  Official Name: The Republic of India




 * The Indus Valley civilization, one of the world's oldest, flourished during the 3rd and 2nd millennia B.C. and extended into northwestern India.Varanasi (below), located on the west bank of the River Ganges in the state of Uttar Pradesh, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and is often referred to as the religious capital of India. Pilgrims journey to Varanasi to cleanse their spirits in the river. [[image:IN_001.jpg width="390" height="252" align="right" caption="Varanasi, located on the west bank of the River Ganges in the state of Uttar Pradesh"]]


 * Islam spread across the subcontinent over a period of 700 years.


 * In the 10th and 11th centuries, Turks and Afghans invaded India and established the Delhi Sultanate.


 * In the early 16th century, the Emperor BABUR established the Mughal Dynasty which ruled India for more than three centuries.


 * By the 19th century, Great Britain had become the dominant political power on the subcontinent. The British Indian Army played a vital role in both World Wars. Nonviolent resistance to British rule, led by Mohandas GANDHI and Jawaharlal NEHRU, eventually brought about independence in 1947. Communal violence led to the subcontinent's bloody partition, which resulted in the creation of two separate states, India and Pakistan.


 * The two countries have fought three wars since independence, the last of which in 1971 resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh.


 * India's nuclear weapons tests in 1998 caused Pakistan to conduct its own tests that same year.


 * In November 2008, terrorists allegedly originating from Pakistan conducted a series of coordinated attacks in Mumbai, India's financial capital.

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 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Despite pressing problems such as significant overpopulation, environmental degradation, extensive poverty, and widespread corruption, rapid economic development is fueling India's rise on the world stage.
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">The Taj Mahal was built by Emperor Shah Jahan between 1632 and 1653 to honor the memory of his favorite wife. Located 125 miles from New Delhi in Agra, it took nearly 22 years, 22,000 workers, and 1,000 elephants to complete the white marble mausoleum. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 19px;">[[image:IN_020.jpg width="193" height="260" align="left" caption="Minaret at the mosque of the Taj Mahal."]]

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> **<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Geography ** <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Area: 3.29 million sq. km. (1.27 million sq. mi.); about one-third the size of the U.S.

<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Cities: //<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Capital //<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">--New Delhi (pop. 12.8 million, 2001 census). //<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Other major cities //<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">--Mumbai, formerly Bombay (16.4 million); Kolkata, formerly Calcutta (13.2 million); Chennai, formerly Madras (6.4 million); Bangalore (5.7 million); Hyderabad (5.5 million); Ahmedabad (5 million); Pune (4 million). Terrain: Varies from Himalayas to flat river valleys and deserts in the west. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">__**<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">People **__ <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Nationality: //<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Noun and adjective //<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">--Indian(s). Population (2009): 1.17 billion; urban 29%.

Annual growth rate: 1.55%. Density: 324/sq. km.

Ethnic groups: Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, others 3%. While the national census does not recognize racial or ethnic groups, it is estimated that there are more than 2,000 ethnic groups in India.

Religions: Hindu 81.4%, Muslim 12.4%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other groups including Buddhist, Jain, Parsi within 1%.

Languages: Hindi, English, and 16 other official languages.

<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Education: //<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Years compulsory- //<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">-none. //<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Literacy ////<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">-- //<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">61%.

Although India occupies only 2.4% of the world's land area, it supports over 15% of the world's population.
 * <span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">Interested in learning more about ** <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">**<span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">the mythology, imagery, and pilgrimage places of the Hindu great god Shiva? Join Diana L. Eck, Professor of Comparative Religion and Indian Studies at Harvard University as she discusses Indian civilization through her exploration of Shiva and his holy family, grounding understanding of this culture in the landscape of India. Click here for her on-line lecture.  **

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