AFGHANISTAN CHINA 500 miles 500 kilometers IRAN PAKISTAN Himalaya Mountains Himalaya Mountains Himalaya Mountains Delhi NEPAL BHUTAN Ganges River INDIA OMAN Arabian Sea INDIAN OCEAN BANGLADESH MYANMAR BURMA Bay of Bengal SRI LANKA India is a large country in South Asia It is the biggest democracy in the world Opposite Hindus visit a temple to worship their gods They may bring the gods gifts of food and clothing Most Hindus also have a shrine in their homes 6
India is divided into 28 states and 7 territories Each region has its own language and culture Hindi is the national language of India English is also commonly used by people there Religion is very important to most Indians Eight out of ten people in the country are Hindu Hindus believe in many different forms of god Other religious groups in India include Muslims Christians and Sikhs People have lived in India for more than 9,000 years Over time the region was invaded by people from Central Asia and the Middle East These conquerors brought their languages and customs with them to India In 1858 Great Britain took control of the land that is now India Pakistan Bangladesh and Sri Lanka It became part of the British Empire The British forced Indians to learn the English language and to adopt British customs Independence and Development India won its freedom from Great Britain in 1947 At that time the region was divided into the mostly Hindu Republic of India and a smaller Muslim state called Pakistan In 1971 a civil war in Pakistan resulted in the creation of a new nation called Bangladesh India is a developing country This means that the nation is working to overcome serious problems like poverty poor health care and high numbers of people who cannot find jobs India is one of the poorest nations in the world Opposite In 1947 India and Pakistan became two separate nations This photograph shows Muslims about to board a special train that will take them to a new life in Pakistan 9
