Transcript India INDIA India • • • • • • • • • • Fact File Official symbols Geographical position History timeline Political structure Sights and cities Famous people Natural world Entertainment Links Fact File • • • • • • • • • Official Name: Republic of India, Bharat Form of Government: Federal republic Capital:

India
INDIA
India
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Fact File
Official symbols
Geographical position
History timeline
Political structure
Sights and cities
Famous people
Natural world
Entertainment
Links
Fact File
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Official Name: Republic of India, Bharat
Form of Government: Federal republic
Capital: New Delhi
Population:1,095,351,995
Official Languages: Hindi, English, 21 others
Money: Rupee
Area: 1,269,345 sq mi (3,287,590 sq km)
Major Mountain Range: Himalaya
Major Rivers: Ganges, Yamuna, Indus, Brahmaputra
Official Symbols
India's flag was adopted on
July 22, 1947, after India
became independent from
Great Britain. Each colour
represents
something
different:
• Saffron represents stands
for courage and sacrifice
• White represents peace,
unity and truth.
• Green stands for faith and
fertility.
• The blue symbolizes the
sky and the ocean.
Geographical Position
India is part of the
continent of Asia. Most
of
India
forms a
peninsula, which means
it is surrounded by water
on three sides. The
world's
highest
mountain range, the
Himalaya, rises in the
north. The southeast is
bordered by the Bay of
Bengal,
and
the
southwest is bordered
by the Arabian Sea.
Landscape
India's terrain varies
widely, from the Thar
Desert in the west to
jungles in the northeast.
A fertile area called the
Ganges Plain covers
much of northern India.
This formation was
created from soil that
was deposited by rivers
running
from
the
Himalaya.
In
some
places, this layer of silt is
over 25,000 feet (7,620
meters) deep.
History Timeline
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2500 B.C.:
The Indus Valley civilization develops around the valley of the Indus River (now in Pakistan). Its trade is
based on crops grown on the fertile river plains. It reaches the height of its power and is larger than any
other ancient empire, including that of Egypt.
2000 B.C.:
The Indus Valley civilization collapses, possibly due to severe floods or a change in the course of the
Indus River.
Around 1500 B.C.:
The Aryan people, who come from the region between and including India and Europe, invade India
from the north. They spread through the Indus Valley and down into the Ganges Valley.
326 B.C.:
Alexander the Great of Macedon (northeastern Greece) crosses the Indus River into India.
A.D. 50:
Trade flourishes between India and the Roman Empire. Romans eagerly buy Indian pearls, ivory, silk,
spices, cloth and precious stones.
320-550:
After centuries of being split into small kingdoms and republics, India is ruled by the Gupta Empire.
Under the rule of the Gupta kings, Hinduism becomes the major religion of the empire. Literature, art,
architecture and science flourish during this "classical age" of peace and prosperity.
1526:
The rule of the Mogul Empire begins, unifying much of south India with the north for the first time.
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1600s: Eager to gain access to India's spices, rice, silk, tea and jewels, Holland, Great Britain and France
establish key trading posts in India.
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1638: Mogul Emperor Shah Jahan begins construction of the Taj Mahal in memory of his wife Mumtaz.
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1858: The British overthrow the Moguls and take control of India.
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1915: After studying law in Britain and fighting for Indian rights in South Africa, Mohandas Gandhi
launches a campaign of nonviolent resistance against British rule in India. Gandhi is called Mahatma,
meaning "Great Soul."
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1947: India gains independence from the British and is divided into two countries, India and Muslimcontrolled Pakistan.
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1948: Mahatma Gandhi is assassinated.
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1966: Indira Gandhi (not related to Mahatma) becomes Prime Minister and one of the first women
elected to lead a nation.
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1983: India wins the cricket world cup.
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1998: India tests its first nuclear weapon, one of only seven nations to have done so.
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2000: India's population exceeds 1 billion.
Political structure
India's parliamentary
government
was
inherited from the
British.
After
independence in 1947,
one party, the Congress
Party, and one family,
the
Nehru
family,
dominated politics in
India for decades. Now,
however, many parties
compete for elected
positions.
Economy
India's economy is
growing so fast that
experts predict it will
soon become one of
the world's leading
markets. Indians are
hard workers. And
though many are
poorly
educated,
there are many others
who
are
highly
trained
college
graduates.
Sights and Cities
Agra
The Taj Mahal in the
city of Agra is perhaps
India's
most
famous
landmark. In 1638, Emperor
Shah Jahan began building it
as a marble tomb for his
beloved
wife
Mumtaz
Mahal. With precious gems
and stones pressed into its
walls, the Taj Mahal took
22,000 workmen 22 years
to complete. It is known as
the eighth wonder of the
world.
Jodhpur
This famous city is
located on the edge of
India's
Thar
Desert.
Jodhpur is known as the
"blue city" because many
of its houses are covered
with a special bluish paint
that is known to repel
mosquitoes.
Jodhpur's
graceful palaces, forts and
temples reflect its rich
history as a 16th century
trade center.
Kerala
Fishermen in the port city of
Cochin use large nets to
catch shrimp and fish that
live in shallow waters.
Cochin is located in Kerala, a
tropical region in India. For
thousands of years, Arabs,
Chinese, Europeans and
other explorers from around
the world have come here
for its black pepper,
cardamom and other spicy
treasures.
Varanasi
For over 2000 years, Varanasi
has been the religious capital
of India. Known as the
"eternal city," it is built on the
banks of the Ganges River,
which Indians consider the
holiest of rivers. Many of them
come to the edge of the
Ganges for a ritual bath, to
offer blessings, sell flowers,
have a swim and arrange boat
trips.
K2
Also called Mount Godwin
Austen, K2 is the world's
second highest peak after
Mount Everest. A section of
it runs through India's
northern tip as part of the
Himalayan mountains. Many
tribes and cultures have
developed in the Himalayas,
the highest and most rugged
terrain in the world.
Kanha National Park
Author Rudyard Kipling
made Kanha the setting of
his classic story The Jungle
Book. It is one of India's
largest and most remote
national parks. Kanha's
forests,
wooded
grasslands and rivers offer
food and shelter to
leopards, deer and, most
famously, tigers.
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore (7 May 1861 –
7 August 1941), sobriquet Gurudev,
was a Bengali poet, novelist,
musician, painter and playwright
who reshaped Bengali literature and
music. As author of Gitanjali and its
"profoundly sensitive, fresh and
beautiful verse", he was the first
non-European to win the Nobel
Prize for Literature in 1913. His
poetry in translation was viewed as
spiritual, and this together with his
mesmerizing persona gave him a
prophet-like aura in the west but his
"elegant prose and magical poetry"
still remains largely unknown
outside the confines of Bengal.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
He was the pre-eminent political and
ideological leader of India during the
Indian independence movement. He
started resistance to tyranny through
mass civil disobedience. This concept
helped India to gain independence,
and inspired movements for civil
rights and freedom across the world.
He is officially honoured in India as
the Father of the Nation; his
birthday,
2
October,
is
commemorated there as a national
holiday, and worldwide as the
International Day of Non-Violence.
Gandhi was assassinated on 30
January 1948 by a Hindu Nationalist.
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa (26 August
1910 – 5 September 1997), born
Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu was a
Catholic nun of Albanian
ethnicity and Indian citizenship,
who founded the Missionaries
of Charity in Calcutta, India in
1950. For over 45 years she
ministered to the poor, sick,
orphaned, and dying, while
guiding the Missionaries of
Charity's
expansion,
first
throughout India and then in
other countries. Following her
death she was beatified by Pope
John Paul II and given the title
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta.
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi
19 November 1917 – 31
October 1984),
was the
Prime Minister of the
Republic of India for three
consecutive terms from 1966
to 1977 and for a fourth term
from
1980
until
her
assassination in 1984, a total
of fifteen years. She is India's
only female prime minister to
date. She is the world's all
time longest serving female
Prime Minister.
Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan, born
Amitabh
Harivansh
Bachchan on 11 October
1942), is an Indian film
actor and producer. He first
gained popularity in the
early 1970s as the "angry
young man" of Bollywood
cinema, and has since
become one of the most
prominent figures in the
history of Indian cinema.
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar (born 24 April
1973) is an Indian cricketer widely regarded as
one of the greatest batsmen in the history of
cricket. He is the leading run-scorer and
century maker in Test and One Day
International cricket. He is the only male
player to score a double century in the history
of ODI cricket. In 2002, just 12 years into his
career, Wisden ranked him the second greatest
Test batsman of all time, behind Donald
Bradman, and the second greatest one-dayinternational (ODI) batsman of all time, behind
Viv Richards. In September 2007, the
Australian leg spinner Shane Warne rated
Tendulkar as the greatest player he has played
with or against. Tendulkar was the only player
of the current generation to be included in
Bradman's Eleven. He is sometimes referred to
as Little Master or Master Blaster. Tendulkar is
taken as an inspiration not only by cricketers
but also by different international sportsmen
Aishwarya Rai
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (née
Aishwarya Rai, Tulu; born 1
November 1973) is an Indian
actress and former Miss World.
Before starting her acting
career, she worked as a model
and gained fame after winning
the Miss World title in 1994.
During her career, Rai has acted
in over 40 movies in Hindi,
English, Tamil and Bengali,
which include a number of
international productions.
Natural World
For thousands of years, since
the Hindu religion first
evolved, respect for animal
life has been an important
part of Indians' beliefs. Cows
in particular are sacred and
cannot be harmed. They are
even allowed to wander
through city streets, which
often causes traffic jams!
India's varied climate zones
support about 65,000 animal
species, including elephants,
pythons, river dolphins, and
rhinos, and 12,000 types of
flowering plant. It is the only
country in the world with
both lions and tigers. It's also
a bird watcher's paradise.
Natural World
On the coast of the Bay of Bengal is
the Sundarbans, the world's largest
mangrove forest. Here, tigers swim in
the same rivers as dolphins, sea
turtles, sharks, and saltwater
crocodiles. This unique landscape is
constantly under threat as sea levels
rise and humans hunt illegally and
clear trees for firewood. The
Himalaya mountains provide a home
for some of India's rarest animals
and plants. The most elusive animal
is the snow leopard. Bears and black
buck live lower down, and in the
northeast, the tiger and one-horned
rhinoceros can be found.
People and Culture
Society throughout India is
divided into social ranks,
called castes. Caste is
determined by birth and there
is almost no way to change it.
High castes include priests,
landowners, and soldiers. Socalled Untouchables have no
caste and do the most menial
jobs. India is a very spiritual
country. It has no official
religion, but more than 80
percent of Indians are Hindu.
About 13 percent are Muslim.
Other
religions
include
Buddhism,
Sikhism,
and
Jainism, which all began in
India.
Costumes and Clothing
Indian clothing is very colorful.
Each state has its own special
costumes, but there are several
styles common throughout the
country. Women traditionally wear
the sari with a stitched blouse, a
long skirt called a ghaghra, or
loose pants and a tunic known as a
salwar khameez. But women
today, especially in cities, may also
wear western styles such as skirts
or dresses, blouses, and pants.
Men have their traditional
costumes as well, but most now
wear a light shirt and pants just as
in western countries.
Festivals in India
India is a land of festivals and fairs.
The most widely known and
popular celebrations include the
Hindu festivals of Diwali, Holi, and
Dussehra. Pongal in Tamil Nadu
and Onam in Kerala are harvest
festivals celebrated by people
belonging to all religions. The food
of India is extremely diverse, as
ingredients, spices and cooking
methods all vary from region to
region. Spicy food and sweets are
popular in India. Rice and wheat
(in bread forms) are the staple
foods of India.
Sport in India
Field Hockey is the national
Sport in India, in which the
country has an impressive
record with 8 Olympic gold
medals. Other popular
Sports are Football, Cricket,
Tennis,
Volleyball, and
Badminton
and
many
people make an emotional
investment
in
their
favourite Spectator Sports.
Cricket is the most popular
Sport in India. After the
1982 Asian Games hosted in
New Delhi, India, the capital
city now has modern sports
facilities. Such facilities are
also being developed in
other parts of the country.
Links
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www.200stran.ru/hymns.html
www.lonelyplanet.com/
www.timeforkids.com/
www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/
www.greetingindia.tripod.com
www.lonelyplanet.com/europe