India

India dominates the Indian subcontinent. Formed from the "Hindu Portion of India" in 1947, India is a large country with good economic prosjects but many economic woes within her borders. India is culturely diverse with

History
Ancient India is a story of constant infusion of new cultures as invaders from the north brought new ideas and peoples such as iron (Aryans), Islam (Arab Caliphates) and gunpowder (Mughul Empire). By the 1800s, India was the crown jewel of the world-spanning British Empire; but resistance developed around the pacifistic and inspirational figure of Mohandas Ghandi. In 1947 independence was secured for India, but it was divided into India and Pakistan; Hindu and Muslim. Wars ensued and Bangladesh was eventually freed in 1971 from western Pakistan. Both India and Pakistan are nuclear powers. Today, India is making impressive economic gains, but poverty and water shortages plague the nation.

Geography
The seventh largest country in the world, India has a diverse landscape and climate ranging from fertile river valleys to tall mountains, dry deserts to high plateaus. To the north the ice-fed rivers of the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra carry rich soil from the mountains, forming fertile plains. Rocky mountains divide these river plains from each other, and often contain deserts. The Peninsula is surrounded by mountains with coastal jungle surroudning it, with the high Deccan Plateau in the middle.

India's climate mostly follows the Tropica-Monsoon season which brings much rainfall and feed the various rivers and mountains of India.

Politics
India is the largest democracy in the world with the biggest number of people with franchise rights and the largest number of political parties that take part in elections.. In the 1996 national elections, almost 600 million people voted and an average of 26 candidates competed for each of the 543 territorial constituency seats. Regional elections are also very important in India.

There are different political issues in Indian politics at various levels. Some communities just demand more economical and social rights for their communities. While others demand more autonomy for their cultures within the Indian states. Some demanded autonomous states within the Indian Union, while the others demanded to be independent from India. With all its problems India survives as a single state with democratic character. But a number of political problems still exist and remain unsolved in India.

Economy
India economy, is going to touch new heights in coming years. As predicted by Goldman Sachs, the Global Investment Bank, by 2035 India would be the third largest economy of the world just after US and China. It will grow to 60% of size of the US economy

The Primary sector of the economy is the conversion of natural resources into primary products. Most products from this sector provides raw materials for other industries. The share of primary sector has decreased in the past four decades. In 1970 the share of the sector was 50%, which has reduced to 29% in 1995 and is now further reduced to 25%. Major businesses in this sector are agriculture, agribusiness, fishing, forestry, and all mining and quarrying industries. Service industries are growing rapidly to make up for these losses.

Culture
The culture of India has been shaped by the long history of India, all the while absorbing customs, traditions and ideas from both immigrants and invaders, yet resiliently preserving the ancient Vedic culture of the Indus Valley Civilization. India's great diversity of cultural practices, languages, customs, and monuments are examples of this unique co-mingling over centuries, and the country was the birth place of several primary religious systems such as Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism, each of which have had a great influence not only over India but also over the rest of the world. Following the Islamic conquests and the subsequent foreign domination from the twelfth century onwards, the culture of India was heavily influenced by Persian, Arabic and Turkish cultures. In turn, the various religions and the multi-hued traditions of India have influenced South East Asia and other parts of the world.

Religion
India is the birth place of Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism. They also have significant Islamic minoralties.

Taj Mahal
The Magnificent Taj mahal has long been known as the "eighth wonder of the world." It was built in the 17th century by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a memorial to his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. It look about 20,000 people almost 22 years to build, and its construction was personally overseen by the empero himself.

Taj Mahal literally means "crown of palaces," and no less than 43 varieties of precious and semi-precious stones make up the jewels in this crown. This garden tomb is reknowned for its perfect symmetry: it is exactly as wide as it is high, and the dome is exactly the same height as its arched facade. In its lavish use of expensive materials, perfectly blaanced proportions, and its intricate decorations, the Taj symbolizes the wealth of the Mughal empire, and the refined taste of its rulers.

Take a virtual tour.

Jaipur / Udaipur


Jaipur is also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Jaipur is a very famous tourist and education destination in India. Go to Jaipur to view the various forts and monuments there which reflect its glorious past. Tourism is a significant part of Jaipur’s economy, and some of the world’s best hotels are located here.

Goa
Goa is Famous for its pristine beaches, infact 90% of all the tourism in Goa happens percisely for its beautiful beaches. Goa has two main tourist seasons: winter and summer. In the winter time, tourists from abroad (mainly Europe) come to Goa to enjoy the splendid climate. In the summertime (which, in Goa, is the rainy season), tourists from across India come to spend the holidays.In 2008 there were more than three million tourists reported to have visited Goa, more than half million of whom were from Foreign visitors.

Old Delhi
 Delhi, Capital of India has many attractions like mosques, forts and other monuments that represent India’s history. Sp,e important places in Old Delhi include the majestic Red Fort. New Delhi on the other hand houses many government buildings and embassies, apart from places of historical interest.

The Qutub Minar (shown here), Red Fort and Humayun’s Tomb have been declared World Heritage Sites.

Mysore
Mysore is a tourism hot spot within the state of Karnataka and also acts as a base for other tourist places in the vicinity of the city. The city sees the most tourists during the period of the Dasara festival when festivities take place for a period of 10 days. One of the most visited monuments in India, the Ambavilas Palace (also known as Mysore Palace and shown here) is the center of the Dasara festivities.