ALL ABOUT INDIA

This is a compilation of basic information for primary school children on our country, pinpointing the notable aspects only..

1. India is an Asian country.
2. India is a sub continent.

3. Earlier India was called “Bharat” after an ancient King Bharat in the epic Mahabharata. Later it was also known as Hindustan.

4. Neighbouring countries are Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, Myanmar (Burma), Bangladesh and SriLanka.

5. India is a peninsula.
6. Natural boundaries are Himalayas on the North, Indian Ocean on the South, Arabian Sea on the West and Bay of Bengal on the East.

7. Popularly known as the Golden Bird, our Motherland is a nation with “Unity in Diversity”.
8. India is a vast country. Extent of land area is 33 lakh square kilometers.
9. Among 194 countries in the world, India is 7th in land area and 2nd in population.
10. India has 28 states and 7 Union Territories.
11. India’s population is more than 1 million.

12. Indian capital is New Delhi.
13. Indian currency is Rupee.

14. India got her Independence on 15th August, 1947 from England. This day is celebrated as the Independence Day.

15. India is a secular socialist country, with Hindus accounting for more than 80% of the population and Muslims for 14%. Other sects are Christians, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists and Parsees.


16. Natural regions of India can be divided into four:

(i) Himalayas from Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, through Sikkim, North Bengal and parts of UP, with forests and tourism. The natural hilly regions of Kashmir, Nainital, Mussorie, Simla, Kulu, Manali, Darjeeling are all attractive tourist centres.

(ii) Indo Gangetic Plains extends from West Bengal to Punjab, through UP and Bihar. These are flat to rolling plains, with agriculture and minerals. The main rivers are Ganga, Brahmaputra and Indus. Forest, coral reefs; mangroves all make this area one of the fertile regions of the country.

(iii) Deccan Plateau between Eastern and Western Ghats and Vindhya and Satpura Mountain ranges. These are irregular mountains, uneven and rocky lands with hotter forest climate. There are many rivers like Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri, Narmada, and Tapti. This covers about 43% of our land area.

(iv) Coastal plains with fertile soil and predominant agriculture. The West is Malabar Coast and on the East is Coromandel Coast.

17. Based on rainfall, also India can be divided into four regions. They are:
(1) wet zone covering Meghalaya, Assam, West Bengal and Malabar ;
(2) Intermediate
(3) Dry zone covering Tamil Nadu and parts of Andhra Pradesh
(4) Deserts in Rajasthan and parts of Haryana.
Thar Desert in Rajasthan is the most dry land and Chirapunji in Orissa is the area with maximum rainfall.

18. Indian climate varies from Tropical Monsoon in the south to temperate in the North. Monsoon are of two types-the Northeast and South west.

19. Elevation ranges from zero at the Indian Ocean to 8598metres at Kanchenjunga, the highest point in India.


20. Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world; Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World and Nilgiri reserves, one of the World Biodiversity Hotspots are in India.

21. These land areas were divided on the language spoken by majority people in each part of the land.


22. National language is Hindi. English is the common associate language or link language. There are 18 other official languages. More than 800 languages are being used all over India.

23. India is also the largest democracy in the world. Indian Government is a Federal Democratic Republic. Head of the State is our Hon’ President, Smt. Prathiba Patil and Head of the Government is our Hon’ Prime Minister, Dr.Manmohan Singh.


24. Indian Legislature is called Parliament. It has an upper house called Rajya Sabha and a lower house called Lok Sabha.

25. Indian Judiciary has three main levels. The Supreme Court in the centre, High Courts in states and District courts. Chief Justice of India is…..

26. The Indian Executive system is also federal with a Central Government and Cabinet of Ministers and separate State Chief Ministers and Cabinet for every state. This is supported by qualified Civil Services.

27. Indian people have different complexions based on their habitations. Their culture and dress also vary from place to place.

28. Indian costume 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, generally called dhotis or pajamas, but most now wear a light shirt and pants just as in western countries.

29. Classical dance in India is thousands of years old. There are many kinds of dance, each with some form of religious background. Though different, they all convey meaning using every part of the body. Eyes, hands, legs, feet, and face come together in the dance and music to set a mood and tell a story.


30. Indian music can be divided into two main types: North Indian and South Indian (or Carnatic).
Both systems use voice and instruments. Indian music is based on combinations of melody and rhythm within musical structures called "ragas". Some of the most common Indian musical instruments are the Sarangi, Harmonium, Tabla, Flute, Veena, etc.

31. Modern face of India is changing everyday. Our major exports are textiles, spices, gems, jewelry, engineering goods, chemicals, leather goods, etc. We import crude oil, petroleum, machinery, fertilizers etc.
32. Natural resources of India are coal, iron, mica, titanium, diamonds, limestone, natural gas etc.

33. The major Hindu festivals in India are Diwali, Ganesh Chaturti, Navaratri, Onam, Vishu, Pongal, Janmastami, Guru Poornima, Karwa Chauk, etc apart from harvest festivals and New Year openings.


34. The most common Christian festivals are Christmas, Good Friday, Easter and New Year.
35. Muslim festivals celebrated are Ramzan and Bakrid.

36. The major environmental concerns are deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; desertification; air pollution from industrial effluents and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage and runoff of agricultural pesticides; tap water is not potable throughout the country; huge and rapidly growing population is overstraining natural resources.