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Geography
History
Language & People
Important Sites & Sights
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 GEOGRAPHY
The Republic of India in Southern Asia borders the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal to the south, Afghanistan, China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the North, Bangladesh and Myanmar (formerly Burma) to the east, and Pakistan to the west.
The lowest point in the country is the Indian Ocean at sea level and the highest is the summit of Kachenjunga at 28,169 feet. Kachenjunga is the third highest mountain in the world and is located on the border of Nepal and Sikkim about 45 miles northwest of Darjeeling.
Covering almost 3.3 million square kilometers (about one-third the size of the US), India is the seventh biggest country in the world.
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 HISTORY
India is an ancient country with a long and complex past. Human activity can be traced back to the early Stone Age, and in the central part of India you will find evidence of that period of India's history in ancient rock paintings of hunting scenes.
India's climate and fertile soil have always attracted invaders from its neighboring countries, as well as waves of armed colonists. Aryans (a tribe from Southern Russia and Ukraine who worked their way as hunters through Central Asian) invaded India about 1500 B.C.; the Arabs invaded in the 8th century; the Turks in the 12th century; European traders in the late 15th century; and by the 19th century, Britain had taken political control of India.
India finally gained independence in 1947 as a result of a nonviolent resistance to British colonism led by Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. Today, India is the largest democracy in the world.
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 PEOPLE & LANGUAGE
India's population is just above 1 billion people. The country is second to China in population, so as you can imagine, the streets there can be a bit crowded.
About 80% of India's population is Hindu. 14% are Muslims and the rest (which are still quite a few) are Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains.
With such a large population of Hindus, it's no surprise that Hindi is the national language and spoken by 30-40% of the people. There are 14 other official languages and thousands of minor languages and dialects.
You will also find that English is spoken widely and is the official language in most political and commercial communication.
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 A FEW IMPORTANT SITES & SIGHTS
India is high on the list for any wildlife enthusiast – and for very good reasons: 340 mammals, 1,200 birds, and 2,000 species of fish have been recorded here. One of India's most famous wildlife denizens is the Indian tiger, and Kanha National Park in the eastern sector of India's central highlands is probably the best wildlife reserve in all Asia for viewing tigers. The park is managed as part of Project Tiger (an internationally supported program for tiger conservation) and has a large, healthy population of tigers (reputed to number over 100). Kanha National Park supports the full range of Indian wildlife, and it is said, that the park is the setting for The Jungle Book, the famous story by Rudyard Kipling.
India has a wealth of historic monuments. The most impressive and must-see site is the Taj Mahal – an architectural wonder situated on the banks of the Yamuna river in the city of Agra. It was built by the fifth Moghul emperor, Shah Jahan, in memory of his second wife who died after giving birth to their 14th child. The construction began in 1631 and took 22 years. More than 20,000 people were hired to work on it, and it took about 1,000 elephants to transport all the material to the site. For obvious reasons, the Taj Mahal is also known as "The Temple of Love!"
And no trip to India is complete without a visit to colorful Rajasthan. And colorful it is – just listen to the India guidebooks...
- Meherangarh Fort – an impressive citadel offering stunning views of the "blue city" below.
- Jaipur – the state capital known as the "pink city"
- Camel trekking in the "golden" Thar Desert
- Jaisalmer – the "honey-colored" citadel emerging from the sands in the Thar Desert
- Pushkar – with its white-washed temples and the annual vivid Pushkar Camel Fair
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For more information and reservations, please contact:
Mountain Travel Sobek
1266 66th Street, Suite 4
Emeryville, CA 94608
1-510-594-6000 or
Toll Free 1-888-831-7526 (USA & Canada)
Additional International Toll Free Numbers
Fax: 1-510-594-6001
Email: info@mtsobek.com
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