India
Republic of India
General Information
• One of the oldest civilizations in
the world occurred here. It was
called the Indus Civilization.
• They date back at least 5,000
years.
• In 1500 B.C., Aryan tribes from the
Northwest invaded.
• When these tribes intermingled with
the existing people in India, and the
commonly known Indian culture.
• In the 8th and 12th century A.D., India
was invaded by the Arabs and then
the Turkish people respectively.
• Once the 15th century began,
European traders arrived.
• As the 19th century progressed, India
was virtually overtaken by Great
Britain.
• People in India began a non-violent
resistance to British colonialism.
• The two leaders of this
movement were called
Mohandas Gandhi and
Jawaharlal Nehru.
• These two men led India to
independence in 1947.
• At this point, India and
Pakistan were divided.
• In 1971, another war broke out
between Pakistan and India.
• At this point, East Pakistan became
Bangladesh.
• The people of India experience
extensive poverty and religious
strife.
Location
• Absolute:
20° North Latitude and 77° East
Longitude.
• Relative:
Southern Asia. Borders the Arabian
Sea and Bay of Bengal.
Place
• Area-Comparative:
Slightly more than 1/3rd the size
of the U.S.
Climate:
They experience everything
from a tropical monsoon in the
South to temperate in the
Northern area.
• Terrain:
There is an upland plain named the
Deccan Plateau that is located in the
South. Along the Ganges River there are
flat and rolling plains. Deserts are located
in the West. The Himalayas are in the
North.
• Natural Hazards
that they face are
as follows:
Droughts, Flash
Floods, Big
Thunderstorms,
and finally
Earthquakes.
• India dominates the South Asian
continent.
• India is strategically located near Indian
Ocean trade routes.
• Ethnicity:
Indo-Aryan 72%
Dravidian 25%
Mongoloid and
Other 3%
• Religions:
Hindu 81.3%
Muslim 12%
Christian 2.3 %
Sikh 1.9%
Other Groups
2.5%
• Languages:
Hindi is the official language. English is
also used for politics.
Human and Environmental
Interaction:
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Deforestation
Soil Erosion
Overgrazing
Desertification
Air Pollution from Automobiles
Water Pollution from raw Sewage
• Tap water is not potable throughout the
country.
• Large population is straining the
resources of the country.
Movement
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Railways
Highways
Waterways
Pipelines
Ports and Harbors: Calcutta, Bombay.
Airports: 334 total, and 232 are paved.
Heliports: 19
Illicit Drugs
• Producer of Opium for
pharmaceutical and legal use.
• Illicit use of legally grown Opium is a
problem.
• Vulnerable to Narcotics and money
laundering.
Region
• Indo-Chinese border is being
disputed.
• Problems with Pakistan over ceding
lands in Kashmir.
• Problems with Pakistan over Indus
River.