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Benton’s dish

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Conner’s dish

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Chicken Tikka Masala and chicken coconut curry

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Butter Chicken

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The Taj Mahal, an Indian landmark, was completed in 1653.

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of India, Bharat

FORM OF GOVERNMENT: Federal republic

CAPITAL: New Delhi

POPULATION: 1,296,834,042

OFFICIAL LANGUAGES: Hindi, English, 21 others

MONEY: Rupee

AREA: 1,269,345 square miles (3,287,590 square kilometers)

MAJOR MOUNTAIN RANGE: Himalaya

MAJOR RIVERS: Ganges, Yamuna, Indus, Brahmaputra

India is part of the continent of Asia. Most of India forms a peninsula, which means it is surrounded by water on three sides. The world's highest mountain range, the Himalaya, rises in the north. The southeast is bordered by the Bay of Bengal, and the southwest is bordered by the Arabian Sea.

India's terrain varies widely, from the Thar Desert in the west to jungles in the northeast. A fertile area called the Ganges Plain covers much of northern India. This formation was created from soil that was deposited by rivers running from the Himalaya. In some places, this layer of silt is over 25,000 feet (7,620 meters) deep.
Map created by National Geographic Maps

PEOPLE & CULTURE

Society throughout India is divided into social ranks, called castes. Caste is determined by birth and there is almost no way to change it. High castes include priests, landowners, and soldiers. So-called Untouchables have no caste and do the most menial jobs.

India is a very spiritual country. It has no official religion, but more than 80 percent of Indians are Hindu. About 13 percent are Muslim. Other religions include Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism, which all began in India.

For thousands of years, since the Hindu religion first evolved, respect for animal life has been an important part of Indians' beliefs. Cows in particular are sacred and cannot be harmed. They are even allowed to wander through city streets, which often causes traffic jams!

India's varied climate zones support about 65,000 animal species, including elephants, pythons, river dolphins, and rhinos, and 12,000 types of flowering plants. It is the only country in the world with both lions and tigers. It's also a bird watcher's paradise.

On the coast of the Bay of Bengal is the Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest. Here, tigers swim in the same rivers as dolphins, sea turtles, sharks, and saltwater crocodiles. This unique landscape is constantly under threat as sea levels rise and humans hunt illegally and clear trees for firewood.

The Himalaya mountains provide a home for some of India's rarest animals and plants. The most elusive animal is the snow leopard. Bears and black buck live lower down, and in the northeast, the tiger and one-horned rhinoceros can be found.

GOVERNMENT & ECONOMY

India's parliamentary government was inherited from the British. After independence in 1947, one party, the Congress Party, and one family, the Nehru family, dominated politics in India for decades. Now, however, many parties compete for elected positions.

India's economy is growing so fast that experts predict it will soon become one of the world's leading markets. Indians are hard workers. And though many are poorly educated, there are many others who are highly trained college graduates.

India's earliest known civilization arose about 5,000 years ago on the Indus River in what is now Pakistan. Archaeologists uncovered the remains of two huge cities with brick houses, piped water, and sewer systems. Nobody knows why, but these cities, called Harappa and Mohenjo Daro, were abandoned in 1700 B.C.

The Aryan people were farmers from Central Asia who arrived in India around 1500 B.C. They spoke Sanskrit, one of the world's oldest known languages. The Vedic Scriptures, writings that form the basis of the Hindu religion, were written during the Aryan reign.

In the 200-year reign of the Gupta Empire, starting in the fourth century A.D., arts, crafts, and sciences flourished. During this time, the Indian astronomer Aryabhatta determined that the Earth revolved around the sun. This was long before the Western world accepted the theory.

Beginning in the 16th century, following a series of invasions by Muslim forces, a Mongol leader named Babur founded the Mongol Empire. The Mongols oversaw a golden age of art, literature, and architecture in India between 1527 and 1707. They built roads, mosques, gardens, and enormous tombs, including the grand Taj Mahal.

In the late 1400s, Europeans arrived in India and began setting up trading companies. In 1757, Britain gained control over most of the country. Uprisings against British rule began in 1856. In 1920, the famous Mahatma Gandhi began nonviolent protests to push the British out. In 1947, India had independence.

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India Country Profile - National Geographic Kids

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The Taj Mahal, an Indian landmark, was completed in 1653. OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of India, Bharat FORM OF GOVERNMENT: Federal republic CAPITAL: New Delhi POPULATION: 1,296,834,042 OFFICIAL LANGUAGES: Hindi, English, 21 others MONEY: Rupee AREA: 1,269,345 square miles (3,287,590 square kilometers) MAJOR MOUNTAIN RANGE: Himalaya MAJOR RIVERS: Ganges, Yamuna, Indus, Brahmaputra India is part of the continent of Asia.

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India for Kids | India Facts for Kids | Geography | People | Animals

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Our India for Kids page will tell you all about incredible India, the country and its people, landmarks, animals, food and so much more

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India, located in Southern Asia, covers a total land area of about 3,287,263 sq. km (1,269,219 sq. mi). It is the 7th largest country by area and the 2nd most populated country in the world. To the north, India borders Afghanistan and Pakistan, while China, Nepal, and Bhutan sit to its north and northeast. It also shares its eastern borders with Bangladesh and Myanmar. The southwestern and southern parts of India are surrounded by the Indian Ocean, with the Arabian Sea to the west and the Bay of Bengal to the east.

India is divisible into four particular regions: the Himalayan Region, the Northern Plains, the Peninsular Plateau, the Coastal Plains, and the Islands.

The Himalayan Region, in the north of India, comprises the world's highest mountain ranges, including the formidable Himalayas. These mountain ranges not only contribute to the country's scenic beauty but also play a crucial role in influencing India's climate, particularly acting as a barrier against the cold central Asian winds. This region is home to many prominent peaks, including Mount Kanchenjunga and Nanda Devi, with the world's highest peak of 8,848 m (29,029 ft) above sea level, Mount Everest, located on the Nepal-China border in close proximity to India. However, the highest point in India is Mount Kanchenjunga which rises to 28,208 ft. (8,598 m).

The Northern Plains, south of the Himalayan Region, is made up of the Gangetic Plains formed by the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra river systems. This region is a large and fertile alluvial plain that stretches across several states and is the country's primary agricultural hub.

The Peninsular Plateau: South of the Northern Plains is the Peninsular Plateau, an ancient landmass composed of the Malwa plateau in the north and the Deccan plateau in the south. This region is rich in minerals and is bordered by the Western and Eastern Ghats, a range of hills running along the coasts.

The Coastal Plains include the Western Coastal Plains, which stretch from Gujarat to Kerala, and the Eastern Coastal Plains, extending from West Bengal to Tamil Nadu. These regions, located between the peninsular plateau and the respective seas, feature wide and fertile deltas formed by the rivers flowing into the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal.

Major bodies of water in India include the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, part of the larger Indian Ocean. The country's significant rivers are the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and the Indus, all of which play a crucial role in India's agriculture, providing the needed water resources and enriching the soil with silt.

The Indian Islands consist of two major groups: the Lakshadweep Islands in the Arabian Sea and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal. The former is a group of coral islands, whereas the latter is a group of volcanic islands.

States of India Map

India is divided into 28 states and 8 Union Territories. The states are: Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal. The Union Territories are: Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, National Capital Territory of Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Lakshadweep and Puducherry.

Covering a total land area of 3,287,263 sq.km, India is the world's 7 th largest and the 2 nd-most populous country. Located in the north-central part of the country in the National Capital Territory of Delhi is, New Delhi - the capital of India. Situated in the western coast of the country is Mumbai - the largest and the most-populated city of India. It is also the country's chief port as well as the industrial and commercial center.

Where is India?

India is a large country located on the Indian subcontinent in south-central Asia. India is geographically positioned both in the Northern and Eastern hemispheres of the Earth. It is bordered by Afghanistan and Pakistan in the north-west; by China, Nepal and Bhutan in the north; and by Bangladesh and Burma (Myanmar) in the east. It is bounded by the Arabian Sea in the southwest; by Bay of Bengal in the southeast; and by the Indian Ocean in the south. The narrow channel of Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar separates the island nation of Sri Lanka from the Indian mainland.

India Bordering Countries: China, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Pakistan.

Regional Maps: Map of Asia

Outline Map of India

Key Facts

Legal Name

Republic of India

Flag

Capital City

New Delhi

28 36 N, 77 12 E

Total Area

3,287,263.00 km ²

Land Area

2,973,193.00 km ²

Water Area

314,070.00 km ²

Population

1,366,417,754

Major Cities

1. Delhi (32,941,309)

2. Mumbai (Bombay) (21,296,517)

3. Kolkata (Calcutta) (15,332,793)

4. Bangalore (13,607,800)

5. Chennai (Madras) (11,776,147)

6. Hyderabad (10,801,163)

7. Ahmadabad (8,650,605)

8. Surat (8,064,949)

9. Pune (Poona) (7,166,374)

10. Jaipur (4,207,084)

Currency
Indian rupees (INR)

GDP

$2.88 Trillion

GDP Per Capita

$2,104.15

This page was last updated on July 6, 2023

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Physical map of India showing major cities, terrain, national parks, rivers, and surrounding countries with international borders and outline maps. Key facts about India.