India

India

India is a large country in Southern Asia. It has more people than any other country in the world except China. India is bordered by Pakistan and the Arbanian Sea in the west. China, Nepal, and Bhutan lie on the north. To the east are Bangladesh, Myanmar, and the Bay of Bengal. The Indian Ocean lies to the south. The capital of India is New Delhi in northern India. New Delhi was built in the early 1900's. It is a modern city with skyscrapers and wide, tree-lined streets. The city has mnay gardens, parks, and fountains too. Mumbai which used to be called Bombay, is India's largest city. It is also the country's chief western seaport. Mumbai lies on an island off western India. Bridges link the city with the mainland of India.

Land

The northern half of India is made the Himalaya region and the Northern Plains. The Himalaya region stretches across northeast India. The Himalaya are the highest mountains in the world. Snow covers the tallest peaks the yaer around. tigers, deer, and rhinoceroses roam the lower slopes. South of the Himalaya region lie the Northern Plains. This is a low, flat area with wide valleys made by teh Brahmaputra, Indus, and Ganges rivers. India's richest farmland is found in these river valleys. The Thar Desertlies in the western part of trhe Northern Plains. The Ganges River is India's greatest river. It starts high in the Himalaya and flows into the Bay of Begal. The southern half of India is a peninsula that juts into the Indian Ocean. A peninsula is land that has water on three sides. The Deccan Plateau forms most of India's southern peninsula. Mountains called the Eastern Ghats rise along the east coast. The Western Ghats stretch along the west coast. Elephants monkeys, and other wildlife roam in the forests of the mountains.

People


India has many different groups of people. The two largest are the Dravidians and the Indo-Aryans. Most Dravidians live in the south. Most of the Indo-Aryans live in the north. Smaller groups live in the country's forest and hill area. More than 1,000 languages are spoken in India. Almost half the people speak Hindi, India's national language. Most of India's people live in villages and farm the nearby fields. These farmers often live in small houses made of dried mud and straw. In recent years, many country people have moved to the cities to look for work. As a result, the cities are now overcrowded. There aren't enough homes, water or electric power for all the people. Many people live on the streets or in one-room shacks. Religion is inmportant to the Indian people. Most are Hindus, but there are some Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, Jains, and Sikhs.

Resources and Products

Most people in India are farmers. They grow crops mainly to feed their families. Rice is the biggest crop, but they grow wheat, corn, and many other crops, too. India is the world's leading producers of many plant products. These include cauliflower, mangoes, sesame seeds, and tea. India has more cattle than any other country. In most of India , farmers use cattle to plow the land. Dairy farmig is also important. Farmers sell milk from thier water buffaloes and use animal skins to make leather goods. India is one of the world's top producers of iron and steel. Indian factories use the iron and steel to make airplanes, cars, bicycles, and other products. India has many cotton mills too. Many Indians make handcrafted items at home or in small factories. These include carpets, brass objects, jewlery, leather goods, and wood carvings. India is rich in iron ore, coal, and petroleum. The country has smaller deposits of many other minerals. It also has deposits of diamonds, emeralds, gold, and silver.

History


India is an ancient land. About 4,500 years ago, a group of people in the Indus River Valley built cities. They had ways of writing, counting, measuring, and weighing things. About 3,700 yers ago, the Indus Valley people died out, but no one knows why. About 3,500 years ago, Aryan people from central Asia settled in northern India. When they arrived, they found people called the Dravidians. The warlike Aryans took over the Dravidians' land and pushed some of them south. The Aryans built villages and developed the Hindu religion. For hundreds of years, India was controlled by a series of dynasties, or ruling families. One of these dynasties was founded by Babur, a muslim, in 1526. When this dynasty ruled India, it was known as the Mughal Empire. In 1498, Vasco de Gama, a Portuguese explorer, reached India. the Portuguese took over areas on the western coast. During the 1600's the British became very powerful in India. In the 1700's and 1800's they expanded their control over most of India. In 1857, the Indian people reblled against teh British. But the British quickly stopped the rebellion. In the late 1800's and early 1900's, more Indians began speaking out against British rule. By 1920, Mohandas K. Ghadhi was a leader in the struggle for the independence of India. During this time, there was much fighting between India's Hindus and Muslims. the Muslims wanted their own country called Pakistan. In 1947, Indian and British leaders divided India into two independent nations- India and Pakistan.