Terrain

India can be divided into four geographic regions: the Himalayas, which extend along the northern and western edge of the Indian subcontinent and thus separate it from the rest of Asia; the Gangetic Plain, which is fertile and densely populated; in the central India there is the Deccan Plateau, which occupies the major part of the Indian peninsula and it is bordered by two mountain ranges, the Eastern and the Western Ghats.

Climate

As a result of its topography, India's climate varies according to the region. Although most of the country has a tropical climate, the Thar Desert has an arid climate and it is extremely cold in the mountains. India has three seasons: the hot, the rainy and the cool seasons.

The hot season lasts from March to June, which is when temperatures reach over 50°C. The rainy season, which lasts from June to November, is characterized by monsoons and heavy rainfall which reach between 3,000 and 11,000mm. The cool season lasts from December to March; the temperature is low at night in particular.

Fauna/Flora

In the arid areas at the border with Pakistan, the flora is sparse and mainly consists of steppe vegetation. Bamboo and palms, one of the few indigenous plants of the region, grow in some areas. In contrast, the more humid Gangetic Plain is the habitat of numerous plant species, such as mangroves and the sal tree.

In the high regions of the Himalayas, there are many varieties of mountain flora, whilst the lower-lying slopes have dense cedar and pine forests, as well as subtropical plants, and orchids in particular. The woods, plains, hills and mountains are home to many different species of animal, such as tigers, leopards, clouded leopards and cheetahs. Asian lions are also found, although at the moment they are only found in the Gir National Park in Gujarat.

History/Politics

India's long history dates back to 3000 BC, when the inhabitants of the Indus Valley grouped into different states. Various tribes invaded: first it was the Dravidians and then later the Indo-Europeans who settled in the region and created one of the most advanced civilizations of ancient times. Over the first centuries AD dynasties such as the Maurya formed, which extended their sovereignty to the neighbouring areas. However, these autonomous Indian kingdoms were not able to resist invasion by Muslim Asians and Mongols. The Mongol Empire formed the 16th century and soon encompassed large areas of the subcontinent.

Further invasions and internal fights led to the division of the Mongol Empire in the 18th century into small, weak independent states, which made it possible for the British army to conquer the Hindu subcontinent and neighbouring areas in the 19th century. Sporadically, Hindu states, either individually or collectively, fought against the British colonists, but to no avail.

At the end of the 19th century, social and political uprisings called for the country's independence; despite this, more than 1.2 million Hindus fought on the side of the British during the First World War. The independence movement began again in 1916. Between 1922 and 1942, it suffered significant setbacks, although it did make some progress.

Gandhi played an important role in the independence movement. He made use of his talent as a lawyer and adopted a policy of passive resistance. In 1937, India gained autonomy. It finally gained independence in 1947 and Pandit Nehru became President. The territory was however divided into two countries, according to the religious beliefs of its inhabitants: regions with a Hindu majority formed India and those with a Muslim majority formed Pakistan. There has been a conflict between the two countries since then, over the region of Kashmir.

Nehru, who included India in the Non-Aligned Movement, ruled until 1964 and was succeeded by his daughter Indira Gandhi. She was assassinated in 1984 as a reprisal for her opposition to Sikh radicals. Her son Rajiv succeeded her. Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in 1991 by a Tamil terrorist. In 2003, India came to an agreement with China on the status of Tibet and Sikkim, as well as an agreement on border trade. The tsunami in December 2004 devastated more than 2,000 km of the southern coast of India. Around 7,000 people died, most of whom were children and more than 130,000 people lost their homes.

Economy

More than two thirds of the population live off agriculture, which represents 35% of the country's gross domestic product. Rice and wheat are grown, though India is one of the world's major producers of sugar cane, tea, cotton, and jute. India has a stable economy with a diversified manufacturing sector, which accounts for approximately a quarter of the country's gross domestic product. Despite this, the unemployment rate was 9.1% and the inflation rate was 4.6% in 2003.

Culture

The combined influences of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism are visible in the early classical paintings and sculptures. The "Natya Shastra of Bharata" (written around BC 300), which is thought to be oldest existing treatise on drama, music and dance, provided the basis for a highly developed tradition of the performing arts.

Some of India's most impressive buildings were built during the period of Mughal rule, such as the Taj Mahal in Agra. Excellent works of art were also produced in the fields of book illustration, miniature painting, and the applied arts.