Some Fascinating facts about India

India is a country located in South Asia that is known as the seventh largest country in the world. It is also the second most populated country in the world, and is home to over 1.2 billion people. Bordering its southern border is the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. The country also shares its borders with Pakistan, China, Bhutan, Burma, Bangladesh and Nepal. The Indian flag is comprised of four colors. Orange, white and green stripes encompass the flag, and there is a small blue emblem in the middle of the white stripe. This emblem is a wheel that has 24 spokes on it, and the entire flag was designed by Pingali Venkayya. Its capital city is New Delhi and it has a population of 21.75 million. The two official languages of the country are Hindi and English, however there is not a recognized national language. The primary religion in India is Hinduism; however four major religions originated in the country. Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism all began in India, and helped create the diverse culture of India today. The Indian currency is known as the Indian rupee, and the country has an estimated nominal GDP of 1.947 trillion dollars.

• It is estimated that over 850 languages are spoken in India on a daily basis, and that there are over 1600 languages total that are known in the country.
• India has the largest postal service in the world. Its postal network contains over 150,000 post offices, yet it is also considered one of the slowest postal networks in the world.
• India is home to all of the major world religions. Every major world religion is participated in the country, bringing diversity to the country.
• Even though cows are considered to be sacred, Indians still use cows for milk. They are the largest diary producers in the world.
• Wasting food in India is considered to be a horrible sin, and is looked down upon in society.
• There are six recognized weather seasons in India: summer, fall, winter, spring, summer monsoon and winter monsoon.
• India produces the most tea in the world,and is the largest exporter of the product.
• India has the largest population of vegetarians in the world.
• The first University was set up in Taksasila in 700 BC.
• India is the largest buyer of gold in the entire world.
• Three of the world's top ten mega cities are located in India
• Seventy percent of the spices in the world come from India.
• The country exports over $400 million worth of hair each year.
• India is both the largest producer and consumer of mangoes.
• India has most mosques in the world.
• Over 80% of Indians practice the religion of Hindu.
• Diwali is a National festival, that is celebrated by Hindus in India, it is signifies that Lord Ram return to Ayodhya after the victory over ten-headed demon king Ravana. This is also celebrating begnning of Hindu new year.

India is a thriving country that has proven itself to be a major contributor to the international economy. Since gaining its independence it has exploded onto the international world and has become the number one producer of many goods and services. The country is home to over one billion people, and each year their population grows exponentially. It is a very interesting country that is home to a grandiose diversity of cultures and religions that would be educational for any tourist who is thinking about visiting this beautiful country.