India is the world's second most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and it is the seventh-largest country by area. With such a large population and land mass, it's no surprise that India is a country with a long and rich history. Here are some interesting facts about India that you may not know.
Did you know that India is the world’s largest democracy? Or that Hindi is the most widely spoken language in India? In this article, we will share some of the most interesting facts about India.
India: The Land of Wonders
India is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. The country is well known for its beauty from nature, culture and tradition. India is also one of the most diverse countries in the world with people from over 500 ethnicities and languages represented in it. In fact, one of its most famous tourist destinations in India is: Taj Mahal. This article explores the history of India and some other interesting facts.
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Ancient History of India
India has a rich and varied history with many ancient civilizations. India is a country with many hidden facts that are really interesting. Check some unknown facts about Indian history below -
Oldest Civilization
India is the world’s oldest civilization, with a history that dates back more than 5,000 years. The Indus Valley civilization, one of the world’s first, flourished in India between 2800 and 1800 BCE.
The Vedic Period
The Vedic period, which began around 1500 BCE, was the formative period for Hinduism, the religion that would come to dominate India.
First Emperor
The first great Indian empire was the Mauryan Empire, which ruled from 321 to 185 BCE. The Gupta Empire, which ruled from 320 to 550 CE, was a golden age for Indian culture, art, and science.
First Muslim Ruler
India’s first Muslim rulers were the Delhi Sultanate, who ruled from 1206 to 1526. The Mughal Empire, which ruled from 1526 to 1857, was the height of Islamic rule in India.
British in India
The British first arrived in India in the early 1600s, and by 1857 they had control of the entire subcontinent. India gained independence from the British in 1947.
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Population of India
The population of India is currently over 130 crores making it the second most populous country in the world.
Seventh Wonder of the World
India is home to the Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. These places attract many tourists from all over the world.
Origin of Yoga
India is the birthplace of Yoga. It is a spiritual and aesthetic discipline of meditating and exercising including, breath practice, posture practice etc. This helps to keep your body and mind healthy and positive.
Varied Wildlife
India is home to more than 1,000 species of wild tigers and other wild animals.
Largest Movie Industry
India has the world’s largest movie industry, producing over 1,000 films each year.
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Modern History of India
Many historical facts of India are just quite interesting to know. Along with historical places there are other historical things that will really fascinate you about India. Well, some of the real historical facts are mentioned below which you can read ahead and know about the modern history of India.
Origins of the Name ‘India’
The first recorded use of the word 'India' was by the Greek historian Herodotus in the 5th century BC. The official name of India is the Republic of India. Hindi is the official language of India, although there are 22 other official languages spoken in the country.
Official Language of India
Hindi is the official language of India, but there are 22 other official languages, including English.
Religions in India
India is the birthplace of several religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism.
Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi, one of the most influential figures in modern history, was born in India. Mahatma was not only an influential leader but a spiritual image of this country known by people across the world.
Geography of India
Geographical features of India include a variety of things, some of the important factors are mentioned below:
Longest River in India
The longest river in India is the Ganges.
Highest Mountain Range
A part of the Himalayan Mountain ranges lies in India which is known to be the highest mountain range in the world.
Peninsular Plateau to the South
Peninsular Plateau is one of the highest physical divisions of India that adds much geographical beauty to the country. It is surrounded by the Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea.
Top Cities in India
India is the world's seventh-largest country by area, with a land area of 3,287,263 square kilometres.
- Delhi is the capital of India, with a population of over 18 million people.
- Mumbai (formerly Bombay) is the financial capital of India, with a population of over 20 million people.
- Chennai (formerly Madras) is the cultural capital of India, with a population of over 8 million people.
- Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) is the intellectual capital of India, with a population of over 14 million people.
- Bangalore (formerly Bengaluru) is the hi-tech capital of India, with a population of over 10 million people.
- Hyderabad is the city of pearls, with a population of over 6 million people.
Economy of India
India's economy is the seventh largest in the world. The economy of India is known to be the mixture of high and low middle income generated social economy.
- India is the world's largest producer of milk.
- It is the world's second-largest producer of rice.
- The world's second-largest producer of wheat is India.
- Spices are largely produced in India.
- The world's largest producer of cotton.
- Second-largest producer of sugar is India.
- India is the world's largest producer of tea.
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Infrastructure of India
India is a developing country where a good hike has been noticed in the infrastructural development. Below is the list of Infrastructure of India.
Largest Network
- India has the world's largest postal network, with over 1.5 million post offices.
- It has the world's second-largest road network, with over 4.5 million kilometres of roads.
- The world's third-largest railway network is in India with over 65,000 kilometres of railway.
- Airports Authority of India (AAI) manages a total of 137 Airports, which includes 103 Domestic Airports, 24 International Airports, and 10 Customs Airports.
Transportation in India
- The Indian Railways is one of the world's largest railway networks comprising 115,000 km (71,000 mi) of track length over a route of 67,312 km (41,826 mi) till date and expected to achieve a successful growth in future.
- India has the world's third-largest airport network, with a total of 486 airports as of IT and Communication
- India has the world's second-largest number of post offices, with a total of 155,015 post offices as of 31 March 2019.
- India has the world's second-largest telecommunications network, with a total of 1,207.35 million telephone connections as of 31 March 2019.
- India has the world's second-largest number of television channels, with a total of 1,038 channels as of 31 March 2019.
Social Networking in India
- India has the world's second-largest number of Internet users, with a total of 475 million users as of 31 March 2019.
- India has the world's second-largest number of mobile phone users, with a total of 1,173.59 million users as of 31 March 2019.
- India has the world's second-largest number of Facebook users, with a total of 241 million users as of 31 March 2019.
- India has the world's second-largest number of Twitter users, with a total of 33.5 million users as of 31 March 2019.
- India became independent in 1947 and the constitution was in effect from 1950. There are about 800 million people who are eligible to vote in a democratic country.
Conclusion
With over 40 Indian attractions in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list is one of India's two most beautiful cities - Ahmedabad and The Pink City, Jaipur! With Ahmedabad having traditional houses that are densely packed and an urban landscape layout that was frozen in time, this city is a much-deserved place on the list along with the Pink City's unique landscape of pink structures that go back to the city's old rule. That's a lot of interesting facts about India. Hope now you are aware about some more features of India.
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