India
Dateline: 08/18/97Last week, India (map) celebrated fifty years of independence from the United Kingdom. As the largest democracy in the world, the relatively young nation struggles with incredible diversity, both cultural and physical.
Cultural
India's population of 952 million is second only to China in terms of population. It is expected that India's growth rate of 1.64 percent will cause it to surpass China (population 1.2 billion, growth rate 1.0%) in the number of people during the 21st century.
The sixteen official languages of India, the five major religions, and the caste system create somewhat chaotic conditions for the nation. The United Nation's Human Development Index rates India the third worst in Asia, just above Bangladesh and Laos; there are millions of poor living in urban slums. India holds two of the world's largest metropolitan areas. Mumbai (formerly Bombay) has over 16 million people and is the world's fifth largest area; Calcutta is the tenth largest and has a population of 12 million.
Physical
The diversity of the Indian population is matched by the incredible physical diversity. India is the seventh largest country in land area. Northern India is home to the Himalayan mountain range and the third tallest mountain on the planet, Kanchenjunga (28,208 ft, 8,598 m). The Himalayas are being formed by the Indian subcontinent continually pushing northward towards China by the tectonic forces of the earth.
South of the Himalayas lies the valley of the great Ganges River. The river has created the wide and flat Gangetic Plain where millions of Indians live and rely on the water of the Ganges. The Ganges drains the south slopes of the Himalayas and flows eastward to the delta at the Bay of Bengal. India and Bangladesh share the delta. This low-lying area, where the Calcutta is located, is often ravaged by floods as well as typhoons (hurricanes). Another major river, the Indus, flows through a small portion of India on its way from the Himalayas through Pakistan and out to the Arabian Sea.
South of the river valleys lies to Deccan region. This plateau occupies much of central and southern India. To the east and west of the Decan lie the Eastern Ghat and Western Ghat, respectively. The Ghats are mountain ranges on the east and west coasts of the subcontinent.
Much of India lies between the Tropic of Cancer and the Equator. Monsoon rains from the southwest in the Indian Ocean occur during the June through November wet season. India depends on the monsoon for much needed water for agriculture.
India is a land of incredible diversity. They will continue to struggle as the population grows rapidly and surpasses China within a few generations. Asia is a continent of some amazing change and dynamics.
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