All About India: Geography, Facts and Flag

• India's location can be found by looking under the magnifying glass and in purple on the map
• India is the 7th largest country in the world by geographic area
• India experiences very heavy rain called "Monsoon"

India Facts

• India has the second largest population in the world
• More than 1.2 billion people live in India
• There are 22 official languages in India including: Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, and Urdu
• India became independent in 1947 after ending British rule
• The capital of India is New Delhi

About the Indian Flag

• Orange represents
• Green represents
• White represents
• Ashoka Chakra represent

India's Geography

• India is a peninsula, nearly surrounded by water
• There are many mountain ranges some of which are the Himalaya mountains
• Kanchenjunga is India's tallest mountain
• The Thar Desert is in Western India
• There is jungle in Northern India
• There are very fertile lands for growing crops called the Ganges Plains in Northern India
• The Ganges River is the longest river in India

Regions of India

• India has various regions
• There are Northern Mountains and Northern Plains
• The Thar Desert, Malwa Plateau, Chota Nagpur Plateau, Central Plateau (Peninsular Plateau), and Deccan Plateau
• There are Western and Eastern Ghats
• Coastal Plains are also present
• Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar are islands of India

British Rule in India

• India was ruled by many countries throughout its history because of its rich exports like rice, wheat, sugar, spices, diamonds, and pearls
• The East India Company, a British trading post, was established in India in 1611
• Britain later assisted The East India Company take control over India
• The Indian people resisted the company's attempts to take control.
• Eventually, the company handed over control to the British government, and the British ruled India for 90 years.
• The British attempted to make the Indian people 'British' and eliminate Indian customs; priests and missionaries went to India to force Christianity
• Infrastructure was also built which included factories and schools
• The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre occurred when British troops fired at a massive crowd of peaceful protesters, killing hundreds
• Mahatma Gandhi led a resistance encouraging the Indian people to protest peacefully
• India won its freedom from Britain in August of 1947
• The land known as 'India' was partitioned into two different nations: Pakistan and India
• Pakistan was mostly Muslim
• India was mostly Hindu

People and Culture

• Culture is defined as a way of life, including how people dress, speak, eat, worship, and create art
• India's culture is one of the oldest in the world, with civilization beginning around 4,500-5,000 years ago
• The Indian culture has been shaped by various ethnic groups, and India is called "The Land of Unity in Diversity," where different groups coexist
• Religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Muslim, and Jainism have greatly influenced Indian beliefs, thinking, social structure, architecture, music, art, and writing systems
• Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism originated in India
• A 2001 census reported the percentages of different religions in India as follows:
  • Hindus: 81%
  • Muslims: 13%
  • Christians
  • Sikhs
  • Buddhist
  • Jains

Indian Climate

• Most of India experiences three seasons: hot and dry, hot and wet, and cool and dry.
• During the hot and dry season (March to June), temperatures are very high, leading to wind and dust storms that can be difficult for farming
• The hot and wet season (June to October) brings strong, wet winds known as monsoon season, which is very important for growing crops but can also cause flooding and damage homes, crops, and injuries
• The cool and dry season (October to February) replaces the southern humid winds with cooler and drier northerly air
• In the mountains, the climate is chilly and snow falls in this region.

Natural Resources

• India is rich in many natural resources
• Coal reserves are the 4th largest in the world
• Iron Ore is use to makes steel
• India also has Manganese, Mica, Bauxite, Rare Earth Elements, Titanium, Chromite, Natural Gas, Diamonds, Petroleum, Limestone, and Agricultural Land

Industries of India

Major Industries:

• Steel: India is the 10th largest steel producer globally
• Software: A hub for Indian Information Technology with low-cost solutions and a large community of developers
• Petroleum: Expanding oil markets over the last 10 years
• Textiles: Production of Jute, Wool, Silk, Cotton, and clothing
• Chemical Industry: Including pharmaceuticals, plastics, pesticides, and beauty products
• Cement Plants: Numerous cement plants throughout the country
• Mining Industry
• Food Industry: Tea and Spices (Chai tea included) are from India

Main Goods and Services

• India's Main Industries:

  • Software
  • Petroleum products
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Textiles

• India's Main Exports:

  • Metals
  • Textiles
  • Chemical products
  • Minerals
  • Machines

• The robotics industry in India is growing

Making Money in India

• Earning a living in India depends greatly on whether you live in a city or the country
• Many people _______ for a living because India is a peninsula surrounded by water on 3 sides
• In the country, raising animals and ______ _______ are common choices
• People work using _____ in the information technology sector because India is known for its software centers
• Making ______, also known as "textiles" is also a way people earn a living
• Improving economy, most people live in ______, while the rich are rich

Quality of Life

• Healthcare quality can vary depending on location. Access to healthcare may be limited and unaffordable in rural areas because it costs money to see a doctor!
• Availability of health insurance is rare
• This impacts the quality of life due to lack of access
• India's 2019 unemployment rate was 6.1%.
• This impacts the quality of life due to the need to earn money to afford wants/needs
• Family is very important and parents majorly influence children (marriage/career)
• The father is the leader of the family and the mother takes care of the household
• Rural areas, the father does the heavy work, like plowing the fields, clearing trees, and building homes
• Women harvest and gather food

Characteristics of Community

• India is the largest democracy; similar to Canada, with three branches of government:
  • Legislative Branch: Makes laws
  • Executive Branch: The Prime Minister makes decisions
  • Judiciary Branch: Ensures people follow the laws
• Government jobs require election
• Homes in India range in variety from tiny mud huts to huge palaces
  • In rural areas, the huts are made from wood, leaves, branches, animal hides, fabric, bricks, or mud
  • In the city, people live in houses and apartments like in Canada

India's Goods and Services

• In 2018, India exported over 45 million dollars worth of oil, as well as diamonds ($22 million), medical equipment ($9.5 million), jewelry ($8 million), and rice ($6.5 million)
• The top imports are oil ($82 million), gold ($36 million), diamonds ($19 million), coal ($19 million) and electrical parts ($11 million).
• Transportation includes taxis, buses, and railways
• Traffic in India is often very busy
• Many people use two-wheelers because they use less fuel and can fit between cars

The Taj Mahal

• The Taj Mahal is one of India's most famous landmarks and a popular tourist destination.
• An Emperor built it in Agra, India in memory of his beautiful wife.
• The construction began in 1631 and took 22 years to build with about 20,000 people.
• Elephants helped transport materials
• The Taj Mahal is nearly entirely symmetrical, with two tombs inside that vary in size as the lone asymmetrical element.
• It features a giant marble dome in the middle and four smaller domes on each corner
• The Taj Mahal appears to change color at different times of the day, looking rosy-pink in the morning and golden when the moon comes out

Religion in India

• Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism have originated in India
• The most popular religion in India is Hinduism
• Over ¼ of India's population is Hindu, influencing celebrations, festivals, and foods
• Terms like 'Karma' and 'Buddha' come from Buddhism
• There are also many Muslims (Islam), people who practice Sikhism and Christianity

Celebrations and Festivals

• Diwali is perhaps, the most well-known festival in India. It is a religious Hindu festival, and is also known as the 'Festival of Lights'
• During this time, people decorate their homes with candles and clay lamps and share special treats and sweets with their friends and neighbours
• People will wear fancy, new outfits and participate in a family puja (worship)
• Holi, known as the 'Festival of Colours', that celebrates good over evil
• Holi marks the arrival of spring
• People will make large bonfires and sing and dance around it on the day before
• Water guns, water balloons, and bright colours are used on the day of Holi
• Ganesh Chaturthi is a 10-day holiday that celebrates and honors the birth of the Hindu elephant-headed God, Lord Ganesha
• Clay statues of Ganesha are set up in homes and paraded through the streets as they sing and dance
• The statues are submerged in a river or ocean where the dissolve

Culture and Identity

• The Caste System originated in India and was mainly used by HIndu people with 5 classes that you were born in: Brahmin (priests), Kshatriya (warrior, ruler, politician), Vaishya (trader, merchant, farmer), Shudra (peasant, servant), and Untouchables ( no caste)
• If your dad was a peasant you were treated like dirt had had no opportunities.
• If you dad was a priest, the was the most respected man in lands
• You could not marry someone outside your class
• Celebrating when India lights up when Lord Ram returned after being exiled for 14 years: The Caste System still exists, but is illegal
• Diwali is a festival that Hindus celebrate all over India
• Diwali is celebrated by lighting up the city with windowsills, exchanging gifts, and worshipping the Goddess Lakshmi during diwali
• Over 19,500 languages/dialects are spoken in India
  • 551 million people speak hindi
  • 125 million speakers speak english
  • Bengali is the third most spoken language behind english with 91 million speakers

Indian Foods

• Food in India is diverse:
  • Vegetarian: Many Hindu people do not eat meat because it is important to not hurt animals
  • Spicy: Many dishes are spicy
  • Breads: There are different types of breads chapati, naan, roti, and dosa
• A traditional form of eating in India is eating with hands: The breads are used to scoop rice or other food. Only one hand is used so the other dry hand can pass food and drink
• Tiffin are used as an extraordinary system for delivering home foods
• Regional foods:
  • In the Northern part of India or Punjab Region, tandoori cooking is very popular for cooking breads, vegetables and meats with coal fire. This region also eats meats and milk products
  • In the Gujarati region, food is primarily vegetarian, for examples legumes or dal and served with a thali- which means all served on one big plate
  • Fish is an important staple in the largely-coastal Maharashtrian Region- seafood such as crabs or shrimp too are also important in cuisine here
  • The Bengali region known for cooking fish in yogurt as it is on the eastern coast with fish and seafood are quite popular- Spice mixed such as mustard, fenugreek, cumin seed, black cumin seed, and aniseed.
  • Dairy-based. Sweets are pretty famous treats for the Bengal region
  • Fish Dishes are severed there on banana leafs with rich and coconut due to southern reasons

School in India

• The systems school has improved to make sure that education is available to all. The schools are free for children ages 6-14, despite that access to school for poor children is difficult
• This is due to poverty, location and access to secondary school is also difficult
• Government public schools are having a hard time due to small building/classrooms or lack of funding, supplies or teachers
• Private schools or elite private schools focuses on those whose parents can afford them- these schools focus on high academics and tests
• International schools are in all major cities and both Indian children and those from abroad where the parent works can go to school here- if they can afford them

School Structure

• India has Pre-school, Private play schools, Kindergarten (for both 3-4 year olds and 4-5 year olds), Primary School (6 - 10 year olds), Middle School (for 11-14 year olds), Secondary School (for 14-16 year olds), Higher Secondary or Pre-University (for 16-17 year olds) and then University
• Education being key to the future of those who know that education is key to overcoming poverty but more ofter, children (more so, those not being girls) need to work.
• However, the schools might not be available

Explore India's location, size, population, and languages. Learn about its independence, capital, and the significance of its flag. Discover India's diverse geography, including mountains, deserts, and fertile plains.