Project: India/Country

Categories: India Project | India (en) | Asian Projects


The Republic of India
Flag of India

Contents

Location

The Republic of India occupies the greater part of South Asia. It is the seventh largest country by area and the second most populous country in the world. India is surrounded by the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea, and the Indian Ocean, and shares its northern land borders with Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, and Bangladesh to the northeast. The island nation of Sri Lanka sits about 1000 miles off of India's southernmost coast.

Administrative Divisions

28 States of India

  1. Andhra Pradesh
  2. Arunachal Pradesh
  3. Assam
  4. Bihar
  5. Chhattisgarh
  6. Goa
  7. Gujarat ગુજરાત
  8. Haryana
  9. Himachal Pradesh
  10. Jharkhand झारखंड
  11. Karnataka ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ
  12. Kerala
  13. Madhya Pradesh
  14. Maharashtra
  15. Manipur
  16. Meghalaya
  17. Mizoram
  18. Nagaland
  19. Odisha
  20. Punjab
  21. Rajasthan
  22. Sikkim
  23. Tamil Nadu
  24. Telangana
  25. Tripura
  26. Uttar Pradesh
  27. Uttarakhand
  28. West Bengal

8 Union Territories of India

  1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
  2. Chandigarh
  3. Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, India
  4. Delhi
  5. Jammu and Kashmir
  6. Ladakh
  7. Lakshadweep
  8. Puducherry

See Also: Wikipedia States and Union Territories of India

See Also: List of Districts in India

Ethnicities

India has a population approaching 1.4 billion people. The two largest ethnic groups in India are the Indo-Aryans (72%) and the Dravidians (25%). The Indo-Aryans are mainly concentrated in northern and central India, while the Dravidians are mostly found in southern India. The remaining 3% of the population consists of various minorities and tribal groups, such as the Tibeto-Burman, Austroasiatic, and Andamanese peoples.

Language

According to the 2001 Census, India has 122 major languages and 1599 minor languages. The Constitution of India recognizes 23 languages, which are Hindi, English, Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Meitei, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu. These languages are spoken in different regions of India and have their own scripts, literature, and culture. Hindi is the most widely spoken language in India, followed by Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, and Tamil. English is also widely used as a second language and for official purposes.

Religion

India is a secular state that respects the freedom of religion and does not have an official state religion. Hinduism is the oldest and most widely practiced religion in India, with about 80% of the population identifying as Hindus. The second-largest religion in India is Islam, with about 14% of the population identifying as Muslims. Christianity and Sikhism each account for about 2% of the population. There are other religions practiced in India, such as Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, and Baháʼí Faith, but they have a very represent a very small percentage of the population.

History

Modern humans arrived on the Indian subcontinent from Africa at least 55,000 years ago with settled life eventually evolving into what is now known as the Indus Valley Civilization. The long occupation of the region has made India second only to Africa in human genetic diversity.

Aryan tribes, speaking an archaic version of Sanskrit, arrived rom the northwest in about 1500 BCE. In the 8th century, Arab invaders established a Muslim stronghold in the west, and Turkish Muslims gained control in the north by 1200. The Mughal emperors ruled from 1526-1857.

The Portuguese established the first European trading posts in India in 1498, and were quickly followed by the Dutch and British. Eventually, operating as the East India Company, the British gained control of most of India and in 1828, the British parliament assumed political control of the region.

After World War II, India saw a rise in nationalism, led largely by Mahatma Gandhi and his advocacy for self-rule, nonviolence, and an end to caste discrimination. In 1945, Pakistan was split off from India, and India was declared a self-governing member of the British Commonwealth in 1947. India gained full independence from Britain when it became a democratic republic in 1950.


Indian Naming Conventions

Indian naming conventions are very diverse and complex, as they vary by region, religion, caste, community, and family. There is no single standard or rule that applies to all Indian names. However, some common patterns and practices can be observed in different parts of India. Here are some examples:

  • In most parts of northern India, people use a first name followed by a surname, which is usually a caste name or a family name. Sometimes, a middle name is also used, which can be the father’s first name or another personal name. For example, Rajesh Kumar Sharma has the first name Rajesh, the middle name Kumar, and the surname Sharma.
  • In western India, especially in Maharashtra and Gujarat, people use a first name followed by the father’s first name and then the surname. The father’s first name is often abbreviated to a single letter. For example, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar has the first name Sachin, the father’s first name Ramesh, and the surname Tendulkar.
  • In southern India, especially in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh, people use a first name followed by the surname, which is usually the father’s name or the family name. The surname is often prefixed by a title or an initial that indicates the place of origin, the caste, or the community. For example, A. R. Rahman has the first name Rahman, and the surname A. R., which stands for Allah Rakha, his father’s name. He also has the title A., which indicates that he belongs to the Ayyangar community.
  • In eastern India, especially in West Bengal, Odisha, and Assam, people use a first name followed by a surname, which can be a caste name, a family name, or a title. The surname is often suffixed by a particle that indicates the gender, the marital status, or the respect. For example, Rabindranath Tagore has the first name Rabindranath, and the surname Tagore, which is a title given to the Brahmin families of Bengal. He also has the particle -thakur, which means lord or master.

See Also: Indian Names

See Also: Indian Naming Conventions



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