India Travel GuideVisas and Immigration | Entry | Customs | Currency | Climate | Dress | Language|Health | Maps Background InformationIndia History | India Culture | Independence | The Economy and BusinessIndia FactsIndia civilisation stretches back 5,000 years making it the oldest in the world, pre-dating Egypt. Successive waves of migration were absorbed into the fabric of Indian life, creating a multi-cultural nation with a rich diversity of languages, customs, cuisines, religions, literature and arts. India is a third of the land mass of the United States but it has three times the population. It is the largest democracy in the world; the seventh largest country by area with the second largest population. The population of 1.1 billion accounts for one in six people in the world. The country lies across the Tropic of Cancer and is entirely in the Northern Hemisphere, extending from the Himalayas in the north for 2,000 miles to its southern tip in the Indian Ocean. There are 17 official languages with 700 regional dialects and at least seven major religions.
Ancient India history has resulted in an intriguing country with a considerable culture heritage. Despite its great age, India is, paradoxically, also a young democracy, struggling to form an egalitarian and democratic society. The passions and turmoil of great antiquity are intertwined with the challenges and benefits of modern technology. The resulting images are confusing, both to outsiders and to Indians themselves. Its cultural and religious heritage has resulted in a people who are friendly, gentle and helpful and where the quality of service for tourists is exemplary. |