LAND & PEOPLE

BOUNDARIES AND BANDHAN

Bounded by the Himalayas to the north, the Arabian Sea to the west, and the Bay of Bengal to the east, the immense peninsula of India sits on a separate tectonic plate from the rest of Asia, together with its neighbors, Pakistan and Bangladesh. It also shares borders with China, Nepal, Bhutan, and Myanmar (Burma).

Throughout history, outsiders have identified this vast country as a place set apart. The Greek historian Herodotus in the fifth century BCE first dubbed it "India," having heard of the land across the Indus or Sindhu River from Persian travelers. The Persians called it "Hindustan" — "land of the people of the Sindhu River." Mughal conquerors called the indigenous peoples "Hindus." "Hindustan" came into popular usage during the British Raj and is experiencing a resurgence today with the rise of Hindu fundamentalism. Within its borders the linguistic, ethnic, political, religious, and topographical differences are mind-boggling. Nagaland in the northeast boasts mahogany and rattan forests, and a Christian history. Off India's shores lie the sparsely inhabited coral atolls of the predominantly Muslim Lakshadweep, and the distinct peoples who live on the volcanic chain of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

In between you'll find climate and geographic extremes inhabited by thousands of peoples and linguistic groups with rich and varied histories and traditions.

Despite this great diversity, Indians identify themselves as a single people — as Bharat. Found in the ancient texts of the Rig Veda and the Bhagavad Gita, as well as in ancient Tamil, the name "Bharatam" referred to the people of the Indian peninsula. Bound together by their history, a complex but common social structure, and shared cultural values, the people of the peninsula have developed a separate and strong identity. At Independence, "Bharat" was adopted as the official name of the new nation.

GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE

With the seventh-largest landmass in the world, India's geography ranges from the breathtaking Himalayas to scorching desert, to dense tropical forests, to expansive plains. Around 4,400 miles (7,000 km) of coast provide beautiful beaches, rocky cliffs, and marshlands. The Ganges River cuts through the dry northern plains to merge forces with Central and South Asia's major river, the Yamuna, before pouring out into the Bay of Bengal. Rivers and tributaries, mostly flowing from the Himalayas, run through the subcontinent like veins. These waters bring both life and death to India. The Yamuna, a valuable waterway depositing enormous amounts of fertile soil, has also become a frequent source of flooding.

India can be divided into five geographical regions: the Islands, the Coastal Plains, the Peninsular Plateau, the North Plains, and the North Mountains. There are three major seasons — summer, monsoon, and winter — but climate changes with the geography. Tropical, subtropical, arid, and alpine zones can all be found within this vast subconntinent.

Kerala, in the southwest, is tropical, with heavy rainfall (80–160 inches, or 200–400 cm, a year) and temperatures averaging 82–90°F (28–32°C). The southern tip of India has Hawaii-like weather nearly all year-round. Most of the rest of the country is not as fortunate.

April to June is summer time: 90°F (32°C) is the average summer temperature, but the average in the deserts can reach 122°F (50°C) or even above. In spite of scorching temperatures and little rain in the arid regions of the west in the summer months, these areas support a rich variety of vegetation and animal life.

The Thar, or Great Indian Desert, covering much of Rajasthan and parts of Gujarat, and the Himalayas in the north, both affect India's climate. Blocking the cold winds from central Asia, the Himalayas guarantee warmer temperatures than India would otherwise experience. The north is a place of extremes: bone-chilling temperatures in winter give way to the scorching Loo wind in summer, when life is difficult for all who work or travel there. As June moves into July and August, heat and humidity rise to unbearable heights. A sigh of relief is heard when the monsoon finally breaks, with often awe-inspiring thunderstorms, sheets of rain, and overflowing rivers.

From September to November, the monsoons wane in the west, drenching the east as winter approaches.

Winter in India, from December to February, is relatively dry and cool. Temperatures are, on the average, 50–60°F (10–15°C). Southern regions are warmed by the surrounding waters of the Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal, and the Arabian Sea. Rain is never long gone in some places in the northeast, which annually receive 394 inches (1,000 cm) of rain. Parts of India do see snow. Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, and Shimla, in the north, are known for their ski resorts.

THE PEOPLE

At 1.2 billion, India has the second-largest population in the world. With 17.5 percent of the earth's population and still growing, it promises to overtake China.

Though the urban population has multiplied elevenfold during the last century, 70 percent of Indians still live in villages. Migration to the cities continues to increase due to loss of lands and crops caused by flood and drought, coupled with a desire for better education and work opportunities. Cities of a million are considered towns in this country where the major cities of Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata have populations of more than ten million.

Cities continue to attract villagers desperate for a better life, but most rural migrants find themselves joining the immense slum populations and living in absolute poverty. In 2013, India ranked 126th on the United Nations' Human Development Index.

Language and Literacy

India is a linguist's paradise, with more than 1,600 languages, including the two classical languages of Sanskrit and Tamil. There are more than twenty-two official languages, with Hindi and English as the official languages for government affairs and business.

Indians value education highly. According to a 2001 census, 95 percent of rural children have access to primary education, but 50 percent of those in the village drop out by the time they are twelve. While south India has government-funded education until age sixteen, in the north this is not the case. India's literacy rate has continued to climb, from 12 percent at the end of British rule to more than 74 percent. There is still a drastic difference between north and south. And there are the expected variations between urban (80 percent) and rural (59 percent), and between male (82 percent) and female (65 percent), with urban women having twice the literacy of village women.

Religion

More than 78 percent of the population are registered as Hindus. And,...