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The history of India begins
with the Indus Valley Civilization, which spread and flourished in the
north-western part of the Indian subcontinent, from c. 3300 to 1300 BCE. Its
Mature Harappan period lasted from 2600-1900 BCE.
This Bronze Age
civilization collapsed at the beginning of the second millennium BCE and was
followed by the Iron Age Vedic period, which extended over much of the Indo-Gangetic
plains and which witnessed the rise of major kingdoms known as the Mahajanapadas.
In two of these, in the 6th century BCE, Mahavira and Gautama Buddha were born,
who propagated their Shramanic philosophies among the masses.
U.S.
companies have the chance to make or increase sales in this booming market by
joining the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration
Business Development Mission to India. Under Secretary for International Trade
Franklin L. Lavin will lead the Mission with coordination by the U.S. Commercial
Service in the United States and India.
India, a triangular shaped country in
southern Asia, buttressed by the long sweep of the Himalayas in the north and
protruding into the Indian Ocean in the south. We process rush India visa
online. Located in the northern parts of India are mostly snow covered mountain
ranges. While in the southern and eastern regions of the country it is mostly
hilly and plains. The wildlife of India is almost as varied as the
countryside itself. Some of the highlights of India's fauna are its lions,
tigers, leopards, panthers, elephants and rhinoceros.
PEOPLE
Although India occupies only 2.4% of the world's land area, it supports over 15%
of the world's population. Only China has a larger population. Almost 33% of
Indians are younger than 15 years of age. About 70% of the people live in more
than 550,000 villages, and the remainder in more than 200 towns and cities. Over
thousands of years of its history, India has been invaded from the Iranian
plateau, Central Asia, Arabia, Afghanistan, and the West; Indian people and
culture have absorbed and changed these influences to produce a remarkable
racial and cultural synthesis.
HISTORY The people of India
have had a continuous civilization since 2500 B.C., when the inhabitants of the
Indus River valley developed an urban culture based on commerce and sustained by
agricultural trade. This civilization declined around 1500 B.C., probably due to
ecological changes.
ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS:
U.S. citizens require a passport and visa to enter and exit India for any
purpose.
MEDICAL
FACILITIES AND HEALTH INFORMATION: Adequate
to excellent medical care is available in the major population centers, but is
usually very limited or unavailable in rural areas. Visitors to India
should pay special attention to safe food and water precautions, and steps the
traveler can take to avoid contracting malaria. Visitors planning to hike
in the mountainous areas of northern India should pay attention to the risk of
altitude illness.
TRAFFIC
SAFETY AND ROAD CONDITIONS: While in a foreign country, U.S. citizens
may encounter road conditions that differ significantly from those in the United
States. The information below concerning India is provided for general
reference only, and may not be totally accurate in a particular location or
circumstance.
Full country name: Republic of India Area:
3,287,590 sq km (1,229,737 sq mi) Population:
1,014,003,817 Capital city: New Delhi People:
72% Indo-Aryan, 25% Dravidian, 3% other Language: Hindi,
English Religion: 80% Hindu, 14% Muslim, 2.4% Christian,
2% Sikh, 0.7% Buddhist, 0.5% Jains, 0.4% other Government:
Federal Republic President: Shrimati Pratibha Patil
GDP: US$2.2 trillion GDP per head: US$2200
Annual growth: 5.4% Inflation: 5.4% Major
industries: Textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel,
transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery,
rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, potatoes;
cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats, poultry, fish Major
trading partners: US, Hong Kong, UK, Japan, Germany, Belgium,
Saudi Arabia
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