India

Introduction

India is an ancient country that is found in South Asia. It is a republic country that was able to attain its independence from the British colonial rulers.

In terms of size, the country is considered to be the seventh largest in the world and it is also the second most populated country in the world after China. It has an estimate population of over 1.3 billion people. The country is rich in culture and also has great geographic features. Its democracies are one of the most populous in the world.

History

India is a word that was derived from the word ‘Indus’ which is an ancient Persian word from the term Hindu. Evidence of ancient India has been gotten from prehistoric settlements and existence of societies across the country. The country is the birth place of several religions. This includes some religions such as Jainism, Buddhism and Hindu. Ancient India also grew due to powerful dynasties that rose in the country. These dynasties helped to foster political formations in the country. Early European traders who came to the country and the British colonial rulers also make up a great part of the history of the formation of modern-day India.

Democracy

India as a country features one of the greatest democracies in the world. A democratic republic of India was formed after the Indian people gained independence from the British in 1947. Ever since, the democracy in the country has rapidly grown. The people are free to choose their leaders during elections.

Fundamental rights

Every citizen of India has fundamental rights that are provided for in the Indian constitution. It is a constitution that was implemented on the 26^th of January 1950 after they stopped using the British constitution. The fundamental rights ensure that the citizens are treated fairly and equally and they help to foster peace in the country. As can be seen from the Indian constitution, there are six fundamental rights that every citizen of India is entitled to. They include;

1. Freedom to practice their religion.
2. The right to equal treatment before the law.
3. The freedom of culture and education.
4. The freedom of speech.
5. The freedom of association.
6. The right to take part in constitutional amendments in a bid to protect civil rights.

Indian culture and traditions

India is country that is rich in cultural heritage both in terms of religions and traditions. The culture has evolved for around 4500 years. The culture of the country is proven in terms of their religion, languages, food and also customs. One of the major influences of the Indian culture is religion. This is because various religions including Buddhism, Hindu and Jainism originated in the country.

The cultural architecture of the country is also evident due to some structures such as Taj Mahal and ancient temples. The people in the country also prepare traditional meals which include rice, pearl millet and whole wheat flour meals. These are also staple foods in the country.

The traditions of the people of the country pay a lot of attention to family values. The people prefer to live in extended families except for those in cities who may live in nuclear family settings. A lot of marital unions in the country are also prearranged according to Indian customs. The people also take part in various festivities which include Diwali, Holi, etc. The dressing of the people is also distinct as many females wear saris.

Geography

India possesses one of the richest geographical compositions in the world. It has a coastline that measures 7,517 kilometers. The country also has large rivers that drain to the Bay of Bengal. Other physical features in the country include deserts such as the Thar Desert, mountains, hills and plateaus. There is also the Himalaya mountain range which is the highest mountain range in the world. The geographical composition of the country can be divided into four parts which include;

1. Himalaya mountain ranges.
2. The great Deccan plateau
3. Coastal Ghats
4. The great Indo-Gangetic plain

States and capitals

India is a country that has a central government and a state government. It has 29 states each of which has its own governor. These states as well as their capitals include;

1. Andhra Pradesh state with the capital of Hyderabad (de jure capital). (Note: Amaravati is the proposed capital of Andhra Pradesh)
2. Arunachal Pradesh state with the capital of Itanagar
3. Assam state with the capital of Dispur
4. Bihar state with the capital of Patna
5. Chhattisgarh state with the capital of Raipur
6. Goa state with the capital of Panaji
7. Gujarat state with the capital of Gandhinagar
8. Haryana state with the capital of Chandigarh
9. Himachal Pradesh state with the capital of Shimla
10. Jammu and Kashmir with the capitals of Srinagar (summer), Jammu (winter)
11. Jharkhand state with the capital of Ranchi
12. Karnataka state with the capital of Bengaluru
13. Kerala state with the capital of Trivandrum
14. Madhya Pradesh state with the capital of Bhopal
15. Maharashtra with the capital of Mumbai
16. Manipur state with the capital of Imphal
17. Meghalaya state with the capital of Shillong
18. Mizoram state with the capital of Aizawl
19. Nagaland state with the capital of Kohima
20. Odisha state with the capital of Bhubaneswar
21. Punjab with the capital of Chandigarh
22. Rajasthan with the capital of Jaipur
23. Sikkim state with the capital of Gangtok
24. Tamil Nadu state with the capital of Chennai
25. Telangana state with the capital of Hyderabad
26. Tripura state with the capital of Agartala
27. Uttar Pradesh state with the capital of Lucknow
28. Uttarakhand state with the capital of Dehradun
29. West Bengal state with the capital of Kolkata

Economy

India’s economy is the sixth largest in the globe. The economy sector of the country can be divided into three parts which are the agricultural sector, industry sector and service sector. They each make up 18.1%, 26.3% and 55.6% of the GDP respectively. The economy of the country is estimated to grow at a rate of 7.5% annually. The country exhibits a low cost of living with it being ranked as an affordable place to stay. The industries that dominate the economy include pharmaceutical, automotive and mining. The country faces an economic challenge of poverty with over millions of people living below the poverty line.

Unity in diversity

India is one of those countries that can be referred to as the most diverse in the world. The country has people of different religions and also different tribes. What shows the unity in diversity that the country portrays is how they unite together in different festivities and celebrations despite the religion to which a festivity belongs. Some of the religions that are present in the country include Christianity, Islam, Hindu and Jainism.   Some festivities such as Diwali, Holi, Christmas, and Eid have seen people belonging to all religion taking part in the festivities.

Conclusion

India is a country that has grown since the ancient days. It is a country that is rich in cultural heritage as well as religious heritage. It is a country that also came to existence in the ancient days and over the years, it has greatly transformed to become the modern-day India. It is a democratic country with one of the grates democracies in the world. The economy of the country is also growing rapidly with a lot of dependency on agriculture and other industries. India is also a country that has shown a lot in terms of unity as the people are able to unite despite their religious differences.