 Home |
|
|
|
Demographics
|
Indian Demographics possess a richness and diversity of culture, history, geographic and climatic conditions, and natural and mineral resources that are un-matched in the world. Indian mythology is most intriguing and perhaps one of the world's most interesting as it unveils an amazing plethora of mythical stories that astounds the imagination. Its richness and complexity is as old as the early Indus Valley civilizations of Harappa and Mohenjodaro, which were established around 2500 BC. The Hindus continue to believe in the multitude of gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon. India is a blend of diverse cultures and religions that have continuously influenced Indian mythology. India has great varieties and differences in both its land and its people. The land includes a desert, jungles, and one of the world's rainiest areas. India also has broad plains, mighty rivers, the tallest mountain system in the world, and tropical lowlands. The people of India belong to many different ethnic groups and religions. They speak 16 major languages and more than 1,600 minor languages and dialects. Some Indians have great wealth. But many others can spend only a few cents a day for the bare necessities of life. Some cannot afford shelter and must sleep in the streets. Some Indians are college graduates, but many others have never gone to school at all.
India covers an area of 1,269,346 sq. mi. (3,287,590 sq. km) - the seventh biggest in the world. Great mountains separate most of northern India from the rest of Asia. The southern half is a triangular peninsula that extends into the Indian Ocean. The Arabian Sea lies to the west of India, and the Bay of Bengal to the east. The coastline is 4,252 miles (6,843 kilometers), of which 815 miles (1,312 kilometers) belong to India's island territories. India has three main land regions: (1) the Himalaya; (2) the Northern Plains; and (3) the Deccan, or Southern Plateau. The Himalaya The Northern Plains This region makes up the world's largest alluvial plain (land formed of soil left by rivers). The soil ranks as the most fertile in the world. The flatness of the plains makes them easy to irrigate. Most of the Indian people live in this region. The Deccan The Deccan has farming and grazing land, most of India's ores, and forests filled with elephants and other large animals. Major rivers in the region include the Cauvery, the Godavari, and the Krishna. They flow eastward through the Deccan to the Bay of Bengal. The rivers sometimes overflow in the rainy season. ForestryAccording to a report by the Indian Ministry of Environment and Forests, the forestlands in India cover about 20.64 percent of the total land area as of April 2007. As many as 3,90,564 sq km of the country’s geographical area was under dense forest cover while open forests covered 2,87,769 sq km of land, according to the 'State of Forest Report -2003' (SFR-2003) released by the Forest Survey of India.
INDIA - Climate The cool season lasts from October through February. The weather then becomes mild, except in the northern mountains. Snow usually falls in mountainous areas during this season. As the altitude increases, temperatures drop below freezing. No other section of India has temperatures below the freezing point of 32 °F. (0 °C). The northern plains may get some frost during this season. Southern India lacks a true cool season, but the weather from October through February is not quite as hot as during the rest of the year. The hot season lasts from March to the end of June. The northern plains get the greatest heat. Temperatures often rise to 120 °F. (49 °C). Temperatures on the coastal plains stay around 85 °F. or 90 °F. (29 °C or 32 °C). Cyclones often strike the coastal plains at this time of year. Parts of the southern plateau remain cool during the hot season. The northern mountains are cool or cold, depending on the altitude. The rainy season lasts from the middle of June through September. During this period, monsoons (seasonal winds) blow across the Indian Ocean, picking up moisture. They reach India from the southeast and southwest, bringing almost all the rain that falls on India. During the other two seasons, monsoons blow from the north or northeast. The southwest monsoons are of great importance to Indian agriculture. If the monsoons bring enough rain to the country, crops will grow. Sometimes they fail to arrive in time, and crops fail as a result. Some monsoons drop too much rain, ruining crops and causing destructive floods. Rain falls most heavily in northeastern India. Some hills and mountain slopes in this region receive an average of about 450 inches (1,140 centimeters) of rain a year. The world's heaviest recorded rainfall for one year fell at Cherrapunji. This city had 1,042 inches (2,647 centimeters) of rain from August 1860 to July 1861. The Thar Desert in the northwestern part of the country receives less than 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain a year. Some sections of the desert get only about 2 inches (5 centimeters) of rain annually. |
Fast
Facts: - India has the greatest varieties and differences in both its land and its people, compared to anywhere else in the world. - About 20.64% of India is covered in forests (August 2005). |
|
Questions
(FAQ's) or Comments (feedback) about this
site? Email to
damanig@diehardindian.com |
|
