India's Terroir and Culture

India*** and the country is located in southern Asia, the center of the South Asian subcontinent. Northwest and Pakistan border, northeast and China, Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan as a neighbor, east and Myanmar and Bangladesh contiguous, south and Sri Lanka, Maldives across the sea, southeast of the Bay of Bengal, southwest of the Arabian Sea, south of the Indian Ocean, north of the Himalayas. For Asia, Africa, Europe and Oceania sea transportation hub.

India's north-south length of 3119 kilometers (into the Indian Ocean part of about 1600 kilometers long), east-west width of 2977 kilometers, the coastline is 6083 kilometers long. According to its topographic features, the country can be roughly divided into five parts: the northern Himalayan high mountains, the southern Deccan plateau area, the central Ganges plain area, the western Thar Desert area and the east and west sea island area.

India's rivers are numerous, according to the source of water and terrain can be divided into three major water system Himalayan water system; Peninsula plateau area water system; coastal area water system. The main rivers are: Ganges River, the largest river in the subcontinent, originating in the southern foothills of the Himalayas, Gangetic glaciers, 2700 kilometers long, with more than 10 tributaries, the total basin area of 1,060,000 square kilometers, into the Bay of Bengal. Brahmaputra River, 1130 kilometers long, with a total watershed area of 580,000 square kilometers, 720 kilometers in India. The Yamuna, the largest tributary of the Ganges, is 1,380 kilometers long. The Nabada River, with a length of 1,310 kilometers and a basin area of 98,000 square kilometers. Godavari River, 1,400 km long, with a basin area of 260,000 square kilometers. Krishna River, 1400 km long, with a basin area of 260,000 sq. km. Mahanadi River, 858 kilometers long, with a watershed area of 130,000 square kilometers. (8) Tapti River, about 720 kilometers long, with a total area of 65,000 square kilometers.

India is a typical tropical monsoon climate, the country's weather can be divided into the cold season (also known as winter or cool season, January to February), the hot season (also known as summer, March to June), the rainy season (mid-June to mid-September), the monsoon retreat season. During the cool season, temperatures range from a low of 15°C in the north to -2.5°C in the mountains, and can be as high as 27°C in the south. In the hot season, temperatures can be as high as 40°C everywhere, 49-50°C on the Deccan Plateau, and around 29-30°C on the coast. The rainy season has a minimum precipitation of 400 millimeters and a maximum of 3,000 to 4,000 millimeters.

India's land is vast and rich in resources. The main mineral resources: coal reserves of 121.36 billion tons, of which 2 billion tons of lignite, ranking eighth in the world; iron reserves of 22.4 billion tons, ranking fourth in the world; 510.8 million tons of petroleum reserves; natural gas reserves of 59 billion cubic meters; 578 million tons of copper reserves, ferro-bauxite reserves of 2,653 million tons; chrome reserves of 135 million tons; manganese reserves of 127.9 million tons; nickel 2.653 billion tons of nickel: 2 billion tons of bauxite; 51 billion tons of lime, and so on. Mica production is the world's first production.

There are about 30,000 species of flora and more than 70,000 species of fauna, with the lion and tiger as the 'national beasts'; the elephant, bull and monkey as India's 'sacred beasts'; and the peacock as India's 'national bird'.

The forest area accounts for 22% of the total territory of the country, about 74 million hectares, and the primary forest accounts for about 70 to 80% of the total forest area.

Society [Population and Ethnicity]

India has the second largest population in the world after China. Compared to the beginning of independence (360 million), the population has doubled 1.3 times, making it the country with the largest annual population growth rate in the world. According to the results of the Government of India's 1991 census, India's population growth rate of 23.5 per thousand in the past 10 years, the natural population growth rate of 21 per thousand in 1991. 80% of the population living in rural areas, the average population density of 227 people per square kilometer, the Ganges River and the Yamuna River inter-river area, up to 400 to 600 people per square kilometer, the Bay of Bengal delta plains, the average population density per square kilometer up to more than 1,000 people. The Bay of Bengal delta plains, the average population density per square kilometer up to more than 1,000 people. However, in the desert areas of northwestern Rajasthan, the high mountainous regions of the northern Himalayas, and the central Deccan plateau, where the natural conditions are more severe, the population is as low as 4 people per square kilometer, and in the western Kerch region, there are only about 16 people per square kilometer. Since independence, India's population has moved in large numbers from the countryside to the major cities of Calcutta, Delhi, Madras and Mumbai.

The entire population of India has dozens of ethnic groups, large and small, and more than 300 'tribal people'. The ethnic groups account for about 94-96% of the total population of the country, and 'tribal people' account for 4-6% of the total population. The major ethnic groups are: Hindustani, 46.3% of the country's population; mainly in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and parts of Bihar. Telugu, 8.6% of the population; mainly in the states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. Bengali, 7.7%, mainly in West Bengal, Orissa and Bihar. Marathi, with 7.6%, are found mainly in Maharashtra, Ratheda Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. (5) Tamil, 7.4%, mainly in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. Gujarati, 4.6%, mainly in Gujarat. Kannada, 3.9%, mainly in Karnataka and neighboring states. Malayalam, 3.9%, mainly in Kerala and neighboring states. Oriya, 3.8%, mainly in Orissa. Punjabi, 2.3%, mainly in Punjab.

The number of indigenous tribal people in India is about 38 million or 6.94% of the total population. There are nine indigenous tribes with more than a million people, and the least, such as the Andaman tribe has only a few hundred people. They are mainly clustered in the Northeast, Himalayas, Central, Western, Southern and Island regions.

There are about 180 languages and more than 700 dialects in the country. They belong to the Indo-European, Dravidian, Sino-Tibetan and South Asian language families. The official languages are Hindi and English.

The major religions in India are Hinduism (82.7%), Islam (11.2%), Christianity (2.6%), and Sikhism (2%). Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism and Judaism are also practiced, each with about 1 per cent of adherents. Some tribal peoples in the hill districts follow primitive religions. Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism are traditional religions, originating in the country, while the rest are imported. Marriage and dowry According to Hindu custom, Tirthankar marries at an early age, practises endogamy, advocates widow-martyrdom (the 'sati' system) and forbids widows from remarrying. Most marriages are parent-led and matchmaking. Often, marriages are not only between a man and a woman, but between families, groups and fortunes. In rural areas, barbers are the traditional matchmakers.

Expensive dowry is a traditional custom in Indian marriages and a heavy financial burden, even burdensome to the extent of leading to social tragedy.The Dowry Prohibition Act was enacted in 1961, but tradition and customary forces have made the law unenforceable.

Etiquette and customs Indians are very polite to meet with friends, usually with hands clasped together in greeting. Palms together, the elders should be high, to the generation should be flat, to the younger generation is low, in order to show respect, reciprocity and care, respectively. To welcome a guest, a garland of flowers is offered as a sign of heartfelt welcome

. It is worth noting that Indians tend to shake their heads rather than nod when they agree or concur with each other. Indian funeral cremation: usually chosen to be held on the banks of a sacred river; water burial, where the body is pushed into the water and left to float away with the waves; sky or wild burial, where the body is left in the wild or in the forest to be pecked at by vultures or satiated by wild animals, and earth burial for Muslims.

The society favors men over women, and Muslim women generally seldom show their faces, not to mention casual interaction with strangers, and may not shake hands with the opposite sex. Women are often spotted with an auspicious mole in the center of the forehead, and like to wear necklaces, chest ornaments, earrings, nose rings, rings, anklets and other ornaments.

Hindu festivals (1) Durga Puja, the biggest festival of Bengalis, is held every year around September to October. (2) Wine and Red Festival, pronounced 'Holi', held in late February, early March every year. (3) Festival of Lights, pronounced 'Diwali', the grandest Hindu festival, held annually between October and November, usually celebrated nationwide for five days to half a month. (5) Shaivaratri, translated as 'Saraswati', meaning 'Festival of the Goddess of Knowledge', is celebrated between January and February every year. (6) Zagna Ride, which is held on the 15th day after bathing between June and July every year. (All of the above are in the Gregorian calendar)

Islamic Festivals (1) Eid al-Fitr, is one of the two major Islamic festivals. September in the Hijra calendar (around February in the Gregorian calendar). (2) Eid al-Adha, one of the two major Islamic festivals, meaning 'Eid al-Adha'. It falls on December 10th of the Hijra calendar (around April in the Gregorian calendar).

Sikh festivals Nanak Jayanti, the first full moon of November in the Gregorian calendar.

Jain festivals Mahabharata, a festival honoring the founder of Jainism, Rādhārāna (i.e. Maharishi), a major Jain festival celebrated once every 15 years (in March).

In addition, Indian Christians, like Christians of the world, also commemorate or celebrate every Easter, Christmas, and the respective festivals of a few Buddhists, Zoroastrians, and Jews.

At the time of India's independence in 1947, productivity was stagnant and backward, with 80% of the population working in agriculture. On the eve of independence, India's per capita income was Rs 198, among the lowest in the world at that time.

In order to get out of the dilemma as soon as possible, the government to accelerate industrial development, improve agricultural productivity and economic diversification, as the main strategic objective of economic development, and to this end, the formulation and began to implement a series of economic policies centered on a mixed public-private economy and a planned economy (1951-1990, the implementation of the seven five-year plan). The gross national product (GNP) increased from Rs. 174.69 billion in 1950-1951 to Rs. 3,270.49 billion in 1988-1989, an increase of about 18 times in 38 years, and the per capita income in 1989 amounted to about US$ 320, which was considerably higher than that of the early years of Independence, which stood at about US$ 150 (1950). In 1991, the GNP per capita was $350, the GDP growth rate was 4.5%, and the foreign exchange reserves increased to $2.7 billion in November 1991, as compared to $1 billion in June.In early September 1992, India's total foreign exchange reserves amounted to $6.3 billion.

Since independence, India's economic development has roughly gone through a period of economic recovery (1947 to 1956), the formulation of industrialization strategy and the formation of industrial system period (1957 to 1966), adjusting the structure of the economy, focusing on the development of the agricultural period (1967 to 1984); to establish the realization of technological modernization, accelerated economic development of the strategic objectives of the period (1985 to 1990). After Rao came to power in June 1991, the economy took measures such as devaluing the rupee, reducing the deficit and adjusting industrial policy, which made the economy take off.

Since the implementation of the industrialization policy in the 1950s, India's industrial development has been rapid. 1950 to 1951 years, the national industrial output of only 17.5 billion rupees, 1985 to 1986 years has reached 1028 crore rupees, an increase of more than five times. 1986 to 1987 years, the national industrial output accounted for about 26% of the gross national product, the average annual growth rate of industry is about 6% or so. In 1990, industrial production growth of 7.5 to 8%, slightly lower than the 8.3% increase in 1989. 1991 India's industrial production growth rate of 0.1%, the first time in the last 10 years. 1992 industrial production growth rate was 4.5%.

Steel industry, at the beginning of independence, India has only Tata and other three steel companies, steelmaking capacity of 1.5 million tons. By the end of 1988, India has built a steelmaking capacity of more than 1 million tons of large-scale steel mills Bilai, Durgapur, Rourkela, Pokhara, India and Tata and other six steel companies.

Energy, India is an oil-poor countries, oil is mainly imported, each year to spend about 70% of foreign exchange earnings to import oil. 1989 India imported 19.9 million tons of oil, the annual production of 34 million tons of oil. 1991 annual production of 31 million tons of oil. At present, the main exploitation of offshore oil fields, offshore oil production accounted for more than 1/2 of India's crude oil production. Power energy has hydro, thermal and atomic power generation. After independence, the power industry has developed rapidly. Nuclear power has a considerable scale, has built four atomic power plants, equipment capacity of 1.7 million kilowatts.

The chemical industry was established in the 30s and 40s, and developed rapidly after the First Five-Year Plan. The average annual growth rate of the chemical industry (including petrochemicals) was 8.7%, which was the highest among all industrial sectors in the country, and its output value accounted for 12% of the total industrial output value.

After independence, the machinery industry has become the largest production sector in Indian industry, its output value accounted for 30% of the country's total industrial output value. Large and small manufacturers belonging to the machinery industry system accounted for about 1/3 of the total number of registered manufacturers in the country. India has become self-sufficient in general mechanical equipment, electrical machinery and electrical appliances, automobiles, motorcycles, locomotives, tractors, ships and aircraft manufacturing, etc., and certain products have become one of the most export-oriented industrial sectors.

Light textile industry, mainly cotton, jute, food, paper and so on, these are India's traditional industrial sector. Especially in the cotton industry, Mumbai and Ahmedabad two districts are concentrated in the country more than 1/3 of the cotton mills, 2/5 of the sand spindles and 2/3 of the weaving machine.

Agriculture plays an important role in the development of national economy. There are 173 million hectares of arable land, 127 million hectares of food crops, of which about 62 million hectares are irrigated, and the number of people engaged in agricultural labor is about 500 million. Cultivation is dominated by food crops, and agricultural production grew by 3.5 to 4 per cent in 1990, a year in which grain production was a record 1 per cent 7.8 billion tons, an increase of 8.8 per cent over 1989. The most important food crops are rice and wheat. Beans and maize are next in importance. Rice accounted for 30% of the crop area and about 27% of the world's rice sown area, ranking first in the world. Wheat sown area accounted for about 1% of the 1991 agricultural growth rate, accounting for 11% of the total area of cultivated land, ranking among the top 10 wheat-producing countries in the world.

India's cash crops sown area of about 1/5 of the total sown area. the main cash crops are cotton, tea, tobacco, rubber, coffee, oil crops are peanuts, sesame and bananas, mangoes and so on. Among them, cotton production accounts for about 10% of the world's total output, jute production ranks second in the world. Peanut planting area of up to 7-7.5 million hectares, annual output of 5-7 million tons, accounting for about 30% of the world's total output. At present, it is one of the largest peanut producers in the world. The annual production of tea accounts for about 30% of the world's total output, ranking first in the world. In addition, tobacco, sugar cane, mangoes, cashews, coconuts, bananas, walnuts, citrus, coffee, marijuana, silk and rubber and other cash crop production is also very impressive, can be within the top 10 world production.

India's livestock sector accounts for about 15% of the net agricultural output, and the country has the world's largest cattle population.

The main sources of the national budget are direct and indirect taxes. Since independence, the state budget has grown rapidly. it was Rs. 4,060 crore in 1950-1951 and Rs. 366.88 crore in 1988-1989.

The source of the national capital budget is mainly from domestic debt and foreign aid for the five-year plans and defense construction expenditures. over 40 years, the growth of the capital budget in 1987/1988 compared to 1950-1951, an increase of 196.8 times. 1990, India's total external debt of 67 billion U.S. dollars in 1991, the total external debt to 69.8 billion U.S. dollars. 1991 to 1992, the balance of payments deficit was 69.6 billion U.S. dollars. The balance of payments deficit was $6.04 billion in 1992. It was 39% lower than the previous year.

India's largest consortiums are: Takhou Consortium, Birla Consortium, Mafatlal Consortium, Singhania Consortium and Thapar Consortium. All of them have total assets of more than Rs. 4 billion to Rs. 13 billion.In 1991, the inflation rate in India had reached 12.5%.

Over 40 years of independence, India's foreign trade has grown considerably. Especially from the 1970s, exports in the proportion of gross national product from 1985-1986 year 4.7% to 1988-1989 year 6.1%. However, there is a chronic deficit in foreign trade, with exports amounting to $19.3 billion in 1991 and a negative balance of $8.9 billion. In terms of imported goods, export products since the 1970s, the traditional products such as textile, tea and iron ore, which used to be the top products, have taken a back seat, replaced by handicrafts, ready-made clothes and machinery products. In imports, consumer goods such as food grains, which used to be on the top, have also been relegated to the second position and replaced by petroleum, chemical raw materials and their products, edible oils, fertilizers, paper, and so on.

The first railroad in India was built in 1853 - the Mumbai-Tana line, which was 32 kilometers long. Now, the total length of the railroad is 61,850 kilometers, there are more than 20 major trunk lines, New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and other major cities are the country's railroad hub. 1991 passenger rail mileage of 263.4 million kilometers, ranking fourth in the world.

The total length of Indian highways is 1.932 million kilometers, ranking second in the world after the United States.

The total length of navigable rivers (including canals) is about 14,000 kilometers, and there are more than 180 ports of various sizes, with 10 of the largest ports. The annual throughput of the ten largest ports is about 125 million tons. There are about 66 shipping companies in the country, and the largest shipping companies are Indian Shipping

Company and Mughal Shipping Corporation.

India has two major state-run airlines: Air India, established in August 1953, which operates regional routes between the country and the South Asian territories (Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan), and Air India International, established in 1972, which operates international routes to all five continents.

Cities

Indian cities came into being early. After independence, the rapid development. According to statistics, India has 57 metropolitan cities with a population of more than 300,000, and 10 metropolitan cities with a population of more than 1 million. Among them, New Delhi (the ancient capital of Delhi), Calcutta, Bombay and Madras are the most important cities in India. There are also Agra, Allahabad, Bangalore, Cochin, Goa, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Luck, Madurai, Shimla and Varanasi.

New Delhi The capital of India **** and the country, located on the west bank of the Yamuna River, covers an area of 1,485 square kilometers, with a population of 5.73 million (together with Delhi), newly built in 1911. The city is centered on Children's Park Square, with streets radiating in all directions. In the modern complex of magnificent buildings, towering in the west of the city center, Central Asian-style architecture of the Parliament Building, hemispherical dome of the Presidential Palace.

Located in the Congress Street Chenlun Panto Park by four oddly shaped buildings consisting of the ancient Observatory (1710), for this ancient and modern city added an attractive luster. Connaught Place at the western end, in the shape of a semicircular disk, with three levels inside and outside, is the busiest commercial area of New Delhi.

Delhi is also a center of culture and education. It is home to many famous museums, monuments, institutions of higher learning and research, and the famous Nehru University is located on the outskirts of the city.

Delhi is known as the 'Capital of Seven Dynasties' of India. It is located in the center of the subcontinent, on the northern bank of the Yamuna River.

Delhi has the ruins of the old fort built during the Peacock Dynasty and the famous Ashoka's Pillar. Nearby, the Ghutb Ghats, built in the early 13th century, is a magnificent 72-meter-high tower with five floors. The Red Fort, built in 1638, is one of the famous Islamic buildings. Echoing the Red Fort is the Jama Masjat Grand Mosque (also known as 'Jama Masjid'), built entirely of red sandstone, 75.5 meters long and 24 meters wide, covering an area of 1,170 square meters, which can accommodate 25,000 Muslims in prayer at the same time.

There are also magnificent structures such as Humayun's Tomb on the outskirts of the city.

Old Delhi's Moon Street or Silver Street, historically one of the richest streets in the world, is still the center of Delhi's commerce, with its open-air markets.

Kolkata India's largest city. The capital of West Bengal. Bordering the Bay of Bengal, located in the Ganges Delta on the left bank of the Hooghly River.

The city is centered on the Great Hershey Square, where the state government offices, the state assembly building and the High Court are located. The center of the city is the 'Chowringhee Square', which has a concentration of big hotels, hotels, stores and entertainment venues in the city.

Kolkata's industry is well developed, mainly textile, steel, machinery, chemicals, paper, leather, printing, clothing, ceramics, etc., industry, and is the center of the jute industry. 1/3 of the country's goods by the port here throughput. As one of the cultural and educational centers of India, Qarghata has museums, libraries, art galleries, and the Institute of Atomic Energy, etc., and the center of the activities of the Hindus, the temple of Goddess Kali is also here.

Mumbai India's second largest industrial and commercial city, capital of Maharashtra, one of the largest ports in the country. Located in the west of India, bordering the Arabian Sea, a natural harbor. 1991 construction of the arch-shaped India Gate, a collection of Hindu and Islamic architectural style. Mumbai is also the center of West Indian culture and education. The University of Bombay is located here, as are many of the famous film studios. As one of the industrial centers, the city's textile mills account for about 40% of the country's textile mills and 30% of the country's spindles and looms. Cotton yarn is exported both at home and abroad. Machinery, automobile, petrochemical, paper, electronics, shipbuilding, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, food and other industries are also more developed. Mumbai is also the land, sea and air transportation hub on the west coast of India, where the country's largest airport - Santacruz International Airport is located.

Madras The transportation hub of South India, the capital of Tamil Nadu, India's fourth commercial city and the largest artificial port. Located at the mouth of the river Cooum, bordering the Bay of Bengal. Area of 128 square kilometers. The city is centered on Fort St. George and extends in three directions: south, north and west. North of the old city (Fort St. George) is a commercial area, the sea side of the port; south of the old city is a residential area, many historical buildings. There are 120 temples alone. Among them is Mahabalipuram, known as the 'City of Seven Towers', located on the waterfront 60 kilometers south of the city, famous for its huge rock temples. Madras has the oldest church, St. Thomas Church, the oldest church of the University of Madras, the earliest university in India. With an annual throughput of more than 7 million tons, Madras Port is one of the important cargo hubs. The textile, leather, chemical, mechanical, rubber and film industries are well developed.

Tourism

Old Fort Mausoleums The main ones include the Red Fort, Humayun's Mausoleum, Taj Mahal and Gandhi's Mausoleum. The Red Fort is the largest ancient palace in India. Located in the northeastern part of the city of Delhi on the banks of the Yamuna River. Built in 1638 ~ 1648 years, for the Mughal Empire Shah Jahan emperor's palace, all made of red sandstone. Therefore, it is called the Red Fort. Humayun Mausoleum, the second Mughal emperor Humayun's mausoleum. Also located in the eastern suburbs of Delhi on the banks of the Yamuna River. completed in 1565. Taj Mahal, built in 1631. Standing in the suburb of yaghra Yamuna river bank south bank, its magnificent and majestic, known as one of the world's seven architectural wonders, mausoleum length of 583 meters, 304 meters wide, red sandstone walls. The entire mausoleum covers an area of 170,000 square meters. Gandhi's mausoleum, located somewhere on the banks of the Yamuna River in Delhi where the remains were incinerated. There are several other Buddhist shrines and monuments such as the Deer Park, Bodh Gaya, Dhritarashtra, Gosvara, Shivaji, Nalanda Monastery, Sanchi Stupa, as well as the Achandra Caves, Ellora Caves, Elephanta Caves, Golden Temple of Amritsar, Kajraho Temple Complex, Kolmog Temple, and many more, which are worth a visit.

The best time to visit the tourist season is between October and February-March every year.