Economic and geographical characteristics of India. General characteristics of India. Complete Lessons - Knowledge Hypermarket
Territory - 3.28 million km 2.
Population -1 billion 16 million people
The capital is Delhi.
Geographical location, general information
The Republic of India is located in South Asia on the Indian subcontinent. It also includes the Laccadive Islands in the Arabian Sea, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal. India is bordered by Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar. The maximum length of India - from north to south - 3200 km, from west to east - 2700 km.
India's EGP favors economic development: India is located on sea trade routes from the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean, halfway between the Middle and Far East.
Indian civilization originated in the third millennium BC. NS. For almost two centuries, India was a colony of England. India gained independence in 1947, and in 1950 was proclaimed a republic within the British Commonwealth.
India is a federal republic of 25 states. Each has its own legislature and government, but with a strong central government.
Natural conditions and resources
The main part of the territory is located within the Indo-Gangetic lowland and the Deccan plateau.
India's mineral resources are significant and varied. The main deposits are located in the north-east of the country. Here are the largest iron ore and coal basins, manganese ore deposits; this creates favorable conditions for the development of heavy industries.
The minerals of South India are diverse - they are bauxite, chromite, magnesite. brown coal, graphite, mica, diamonds, gold, monazite sands, ferrous metal ores, coal; in the state of Gujarat and on the continental shelf - oil.
The climate of the country is mainly subtropical and tropical monsoon, in the south it is equatorial. The average annual temperature is about 25 ° C, only in winter in the mountains it drops below 0 °. The distribution of precipitation by seasons and across the territory is uneven - 80% of it falls in the summer, the largest amount is received by the eastern and mountainous regions, the least - by the north-west.
Land resources- the natural wealth of the country, since a significant part of the soil is highly fertile.
Forests cover 22% of India's area, but there is not enough forest for economic needs.
Rivers in India have great energy potential and are also the main source of artificial irrigation.
Population
India is the second most populous state in the world (after China). The country has very high rates of population reproduction. And although the peak of the “population explosion” has already passed in general, the demographic problem has not yet lost its acuteness.
India is the most multinational country in the world. Representatives of several hundred nations, nationalities and tribal groups live in it, who are at different stages of socio-economic development and speak different languages. They belong to the Caucasian, Negroid, Australoid races and the Dravidian group.
The peoples of the Indo-European family predominate: Hindustans, Marathi, Bengalis, Biharts, etc. The official languages in the country are Hindi and English.
More than 80% of the inhabitants of India are Hindus, 11% are Muslims. The complex ethnic and religious composition of the population often leads to conflicts and increased tensions.
The distribution of the population of India is very uneven, since for a long time, fertile lowlands and plains in the valleys and deltas of rivers, on the sea coasts were first settled. The average population density is 260 people. by 1 km 2. Despite this high figure, there are now sparsely populated and even deserted areas.
The level of urbanization is quite low - 27%, but the number of large cities and cities with millionaires is constantly increasing; in terms of the absolute number of urban dwellers (220 million people), India ranks second in the world. Nevertheless, most of India's population lives in crowded villages.
Industry, energy
India is a developing agro-industrial country with enormous resources and human potential. Together with traditional Indian industries (agriculture, light industry), the mining and manufacturing industries are developing.
Currently, 29% of GDP is accounted for by industry, 32% - in agriculture, 30% - in the service sector.
Energy. The creation of the energy base in the country began with the creation of hydroelectric power plants, but TPPs prevail among the newly built power plants in recent years. The main source of energy is coal. Nuclear energy is also developing in India - 3 nuclear power plants are in operation. The total capacity of power plants in India is 94 thousand MW (1999).
Electricity production per capita is still very small.
Ferrous metallurgy. This is a growing industry. The current level is 23 million tons of steel (1998). The industry is represented by enterprises located mainly in the east of the country (Calcutta-Damodar industrial belt), as well as in the states of Bihar, Adhra Pradesh, etc.
Non-ferrous metallurgy is also developed in the east. The aluminum industry, based on local bauxite, stands out.
Mechanical engineering. India produces a variety of products for machine tools, transport engineering (TVs, ships, cars, tractors, airplanes and helicopters). The industry is developing rapidly.
The leading centers of mechanical engineering are Bombay, Kolkata, Madras, Hyderabad, Bangalore.
In terms of the volume of production of the radio-electronic industry, India came in second place in foreign Asia. The country produces a variety of radio equipment, color televisions, tape recorders, communications.
Chemical industry. In a country with such a role of agriculture, the production of mineral fertilizers is becoming extremely important. The importance of petrochemicals is also growing.
Light industry- a traditional branch of the economy, the main directions are cotton and jute, as well as sewing. There are textile factories in all major cities of the country. In India's exports, 25% are products of the textile and clothing industry.
Food industry- also traditional, produces products for the domestic and foreign markets. Indian tea is the most widely known in the world.
Agriculture
India is a land of ancient agricultural culture, one of the most important agricultural regions in the world.
V agriculture 3/5 of the EAN of India is occupied, but the use of mechanization is still insufficient.
4/5 of the value of agricultural products comes from crop production, agriculture needs irrigation (40% of the sown area is irrigated).
The main part of arable land is occupied by food crops: rice, wheat, corn, barley, millet, legumes, potatoes.
The main industrial crops in India are cotton, jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and oilseeds.
India has two main agricultural seasons - summer and winter. Sowing of the most important crops (rice, cotton, jute) is carried out in the summer, during the summer monsoon rains; in winter, wheat, barley, etc. are sown.
As a result of several factors, including the Green Revolution, India is fully self-sufficient in grain.
Livestock production is much inferior to crop production, although India ranks first in the world in terms of livestock. Only milk and animal skins are used, meat is practically not consumed, since the Indians are mostly vegetarians.
Fishing is of great importance in coastal areas.
Among other developing countries, India's transportation is quite developed. In the first place in terms of importance are railway transport in domestic transport and sea transport in foreign transport.
Foreign economic relations
India is still poorly involved in the MGRT, although foreign trade is of considerable importance for its economy. The main export items are light industry products, jewelry, agricultural products, medicines, fuel resources; the share of machinery and equipment is growing.
The largest trading partners are the USA, Germany, Japan, Great Britain, Hong Kong.
India- a country that everyone dreams of getting into since childhood, a country of contrasts, where beggarly shacks and palaces of maharajas, beggars on the streets and quite successful businessmen, impenetrable jungles and deserts, forbidden, but in spite of everything, the current caste system and the modern state structure inherited from the British conquerors, tough Puritans and red-light districts ...
There are also the royal Himalayas, the famous Ganges River, nature reserves with tigers, the "golden triangle", many coastal resorts, priceless monuments of bygone eras, competing with the Egyptian pyramids in antiquity - all this attracts a lot of tourists to India.
general information
India is located in the South, mainly on the Indian subcontinent. Its area is 3.3 million km 2, in terms of size, India is in 7th place in the world, the coastline stretches for 7000 km.
In the east, India is washed by the Bay of Bengal, in the south is the Indian Ocean, in the west is the Arabian Sea, which contains the Indian and Nicobar Islands.
To the north, India has a border with China, to the east, its neighbors are Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar (formerly Burma), and finally, to the west, the border with Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Travel agents usually take the mass Russian tourist to the state, the smallest Indian state on the coast of the Arabian Sea. This state was once a Portuguese colony for 450 years, and it still retains a European touch. Sometimes Goa is called little Portugal.
The highest point of India is a little lower than the highest in the world Everest, this is Mount Kanchenjunga with a height of 8586 meters, located in the state of Sikkim, not far from Nepal.
The capital of India is New Delhi.
In terms of population - about 14 million people, the capital is in second place in the country, after Mumbai, and is the largest industrial center. Old Delhi is full of mosques, monuments, forts inherited from the times when it was the Muslim capital, and New Delhi was built by the British, as new capital all over India.
Religion in India.
The main religion in India is Hinduism, which originated in the third millennium BC, Hindus in the country are about 80 percent. They worship a whole pantheon of Gods, headed by Vishnu and Shiva. In total, there are 3.5 thousand castes and podcasts in the country, subordinate to each other, headed by brahmanas.
Although the constitution recognized castes as equal since 1950, the Indians themselves continue to adhere to their customs.
As before, caste can be determined by last name; parents still organize weddings for their children, who only see each other for the first time during the wedding.
The British, forced to leave in 1947, managed to annoy them, according to the principle of "divide and rule", splitting India along religious lines into Pakistan, Bangladesh and, in fact, Hindu India.
However, there are about 90 million Muslims in India, predominant in Kashmir. Islam is practiced by about 11% of the population, and a small share is occupied by Christians, Sikhs and Buddhists.
In the 16-17 centuries, representatives of one of the sects of Hinduism began to profess a religion with one God and the denial of castes. These were the Sikhs who are by far the most concentrated in the Punjab.
Near Varanasi, in the Sarnath deer national park, there is a temple with a golden Buddha, at this place, according to legend, Buddha first gathered his first followers, to whom he expounded his teachings.
Hinduism is a fairly peaceful religion, and everyone else peacefully coexists with it, and the equality of religions is supported by law.
Official language
There are 14 official languages in India, like nowhere else. Almost half of the population speaks Hindi, the rest - Bengali, Tamil, Urdu and many others. English is widely spoken, since India was a British colony for a long time. In practice, mainly Hindi and English are used, and in total there are currently about 250 dialects.
According to the census, there are about 1.3 billion people in India, of which 28% live in cities. The country is multinational, the main mass is made up of Hindus, Telugu, Bengalis, Tamils, Biharts, Punjabis, about a quarter of the population are Dravids.
Public administration:
India is ruled by parliament, which consists of 2 chambers: the upper one is the Council of States, called the Rajya Sabha, and the lower House of the People, called the Lok Sabha.
The head of state is the president, elected for a five-year term.
Executive power is exercised by the Prime Minister, nominated by the most influential party in the People's Chamber.
India is divided into states, created according to the linguistic community of the people inhabiting them. The states are governed by their own legislatures, the executive function is carried out by local governments.
In total, there are 29 states in India, governed by governors, the capital is a separate national territory, in addition, there are 6 territories of central subordination.
The Sapnath capital of King Ashoka, who founded ancient India, is used as the emblem. The song "Jana-gana-mana" is used as a hymn by Rabindranath Tagore.
Climate of India
Three seasons can be distinguished in the main territory of the country:
- June-October. The southwest monsoon predominates, quite hot and humid.
- November - February. The north-east trade wind predominates, it becomes relatively cool and dry.
- Transitional between them - from March to May, at this time it is hot and dry.
It is most comfortable for a tourist to come from October to May.
Time:
Differs from Moscow in summer + 1.5 hours, in winter, respectively, +2.5 hours.
Money:
Indian rupee, it has 100 paise.
Mains voltage
230-240 Volts, frequency 50 Hz., The sockets are different from the usual European ones, moreover, in different states they are different. Before connecting your gadgets, you should consult with the hotel staff about the parameters of the electrical network.
Visa
To visit the country, a tourist will have to register.
It is rather difficult to list Indian holidays, because there are about 360. In addition to the holidays adopted in one or several states, there are Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh and even Zoroastrian holidays.
We can mention the state ones celebrated throughout India: Republic Day, celebrated on January 26, with a parade of troops and a procession of elephants, Independence Day, celebrated on August 15 from 1947, when the Indians expelled the colonialists, and October 2 - the birthday of the much revered Mahatma Gandhi.
It is worth mentioning Holi, one of the most significant holidays celebrated in February to mark the end of winter.
Tourists will be interested in the Kerala water festival in January with the participation of elephants, the Lori peasant festival and the kite festival in the same month, the Shivratri Natyanjali national festival in February-March.
And since the bulk of tourists are concentrated in Goa, they will be delighted with the Shigmo Spring Festival, celebrated in this state in March.
Territory - 3.28 million km 2.
Population -1 billion 16 million people
The capital is Delhi.
Geographical location, general information
The Republic of India is located in South Asia on the Indian subcontinent. It also includes the Laccadive Islands in the Arabian Sea, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal. India is bordered by Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar. The maximum length of India - from north to south - 3200 km, from west to east - 2700 km.
India's EGP favors economic development: India is located on sea trade routes from the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean, halfway between the Middle and Far East.
Indian civilization originated in the third millennium BC. NS. For almost two centuries, India was a colony of England. India gained independence in 1947, and in 1950 was proclaimed a republic within the British Commonwealth.
India is a federal republic of 25 states. Each has its own legislature and government, but with a strong central government.
Natural conditions and resources
The main part of the territory is located within the Indo-Gangetic lowland and the Deccan plateau.
India's mineral resources are significant and varied. The main deposits are located in the north-east of the country. Here are the largest iron ore and coal basins, manganese ore deposits; this creates favorable conditions for the development of heavy industries.
The minerals of South India are diverse - they are bauxite, chromite, magnesite. brown coal, graphite, mica, diamonds, gold, monazite sands, ferrous metal ores, coal; in the state of Gujarat and on the continental shelf - oil.
The climate of the country is mainly subtropical and tropical monsoon, in the south it is equatorial. The average annual temperature is about 25 ° C, only in winter in the mountains it drops below 0 °. The distribution of precipitation by seasons and across the territory is uneven - 80% of it falls in the summer, the largest amount is received by the eastern and mountainous regions, the least - by the north-west.
Land resources are the natural wealth of the country, since a significant part of the soil is highly fertile.
Forests cover 22% of India's area, but there is not enough forest for economic needs.
Rivers in India have great energy potential and are also the main source of artificial irrigation.
Population
India is the second most populous state in the world (after China). The country has very high rates of population reproduction. And although the peak of the “population explosion” has already passed in general, the demographic problem has not yet lost its acuteness.
India is the most multinational country in the world. Representatives of several hundred nations, nationalities and tribal groups live in it, who are at different stages of socio-economic development and speak different languages. They belong to the Caucasian, Negroid, Australoid races and the Dravidian group.
The peoples of the Indo-European family predominate: Hindustans, Marathi, Bengalis, Biharts, etc. The official languages in the country are Hindi and English.
More than 80% of the inhabitants of India are Hindus, 11% are Muslims. The complex ethnic and religious composition of the population often leads to conflicts and increased tensions.
The distribution of the population of India is very uneven, since for a long time, fertile lowlands and plains in the valleys and deltas of rivers, on the sea coasts were first settled. The average population density is 260 people. by 1 km 2. Despite this high figure, there are now sparsely populated and even deserted areas.
The level of urbanization is quite low - 27%, but the number of large cities and cities with millionaires is constantly increasing; in terms of the absolute number of urban dwellers (220 million people), India ranks second in the world. Nevertheless, most of India's population lives in crowded villages.
Industry, energy
India is a developing agro-industrial country with enormous resources and human potential. Together with traditional Indian industries (agriculture, light industry), the mining and manufacturing industries are developing.
Currently, 29% of GDP is accounted for by industry, 32% - in agriculture, 30% - in the service sector.
Energy. The creation of the energy base in the country began with the creation of hydroelectric power plants, but TPPs prevail among the newly built power plants in recent years. The main source of energy is coal. Nuclear energy is also developing in India - 3 nuclear power plants are in operation. The total capacity of power plants in India is 94 thousand MW (1999).
Electricity production per capita is still very small.
Ferrous metallurgy. This is a growing industry. The current level is 23 million tons of steel (1998). The industry is represented by enterprises located mainly in the east of the country (Calcutta-Damodar industrial belt), as well as in the states of Bihar, Adhra Pradesh, etc.
Non-ferrous metallurgy is also developed in the east. The aluminum industry, based on local bauxite, stands out.
Mechanical engineering. India produces a variety of products for machine tools, transport engineering (TVs, ships, cars, tractors, airplanes and helicopters). The industry is developing rapidly.
The leading centers of mechanical engineering are Bombay, Kolkata, Madras, Hyderabad, Bangalore.
In terms of the volume of production of the radio-electronic industry, India came in second place in foreign Asia. The country produces a variety of radio equipment, color televisions, tape recorders, communications.
Chemical industry. In a country with such a role of agriculture, the production of mineral fertilizers is becoming extremely important. The importance of petrochemicals is also growing.
Light industry is a traditional branch of the economy, the main directions are cotton and jute, as well as sewing. There are textile factories in all major cities of the country. In India's exports, 25% are products of the textile and clothing industry.
The food industry is also traditional; it produces products for the domestic and foreign markets. Indian tea is the most widely known in the world.
Agriculture
India is a land of ancient agricultural culture, one of the most important agricultural regions in the world.
Agriculture employs 3/5 of the EAN in India, but the use of mechanization is still insufficient.
4/5 of the value of agricultural products comes from crop production, agriculture needs irrigation (40% of the sown area is irrigated).
The main part of arable land is occupied by food crops: rice, wheat, corn, barley, millet, legumes, potatoes.
The main industrial crops in India are cotton, jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and oilseeds.
India has two main agricultural seasons - summer and winter. Sowing of the most important crops (rice, cotton, jute) is carried out in the summer, during the summer monsoon rains; in winter, wheat, barley, etc. are sown.
As a result of several factors, including the Green Revolution, India is fully self-sufficient in grain.
Livestock production is much inferior to crop production, although India ranks first in the world in terms of livestock. Only milk and animal skins are used, meat is practically not consumed, since the Indians are mostly vegetarians.
Fishing is of great importance in coastal areas.
Among other developing countries, India's transportation is quite developed. In the first place in terms of importance are railway transport in domestic transport and sea transport in foreign transport.
Foreign economic relations
India is still poorly involved in the MGRT, although foreign trade is of considerable importance for its economy. The main export items are light industry products, jewelry, agricultural products, medicines, fuel resources; the share of machinery and equipment is growing.
The largest trading partners are the USA, Germany, Japan, Great Britain, Hong Kong.
India(in Hindi Bharat ), The Republic of India, a state in South Asia, on the Indian subcontinent, includes the Lakkadiv, Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It shares borders with China, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka. The border with China in the Himalayas is unmarked. Area 3.3 million km2 (7th in the world). In terms of population, it ranks 2nd in the world (after China) - 1 billion 49.7 million people (2003). Part of the Commonwealth. Capital Delhi (New Delhi). Largest cities: Kolkata, Bombay, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Pune, Kanpur, Nagpur, Jaipur, Lucknow.
Government of India
Federal Republic. The head of state is the president. Elected by a college of voters made up of both houses of parliament and state legislatures for a 5-year term. The legislature is a bicameral parliament. Consists of the Council of States (no more than 250 seats, of which 12 are appointed by the president, the rest are elected from the legislatures of the states and territories) and the People's Assembly (545 seats, 543 are elected by popular vote, 2 are appointed by the president). Executive power is exercised by the government headed by the prime minister, who is appointed by the president.
Administrative divisions of India
28 states and 7 union territories of central subordination.
Population of India
The largest peoples: Hindustans, Telugu, Marathi, Bengalis, Tamils, Gujarati, Kannara, Punjabis, etc. Hindus make up 80% of the population, Muslims 14%, Christians 2.4%, Sikhs 2%, Buddhists 0.7%. The Muslim population is concentrated in the states of Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal, and the western part of Uttar Pradesh. The rest of the religious communities: Christians (mostly Catholics) are concentrated in the North-East of the country, in Bombay and in the South; Sikhs - in Punjab and adjacent regions, Buddhists - in Jammu and Kashmir, regions of the Himalayas.
The national languages are Hindi and English, the states have official national languages. Of the 18 languages recognized as state, 13 belong to Indo-Aryan, 4 to Dravidian language groups and 1 to Tibetan. The most widely spoken language is Hindi: it is spoken by more than 300 million people. Hindi is recognized as the official language in the northern states of India. Other Indo-Aryan languages: Bengali, Gujarati, Assami, Kashmiri, Konkani, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi. Urdu is the main language of Indian Muslims in the North and South of India. The Sindhi language is widespread in the Gujarat state border areas with Pakistan (emigrants who fled from the Pakistani province of Punjab after the partition of the country in 1947 live here). A quarter of India's population speaks Dravidian languages. The languages of this group are spoken mainly in southern India, partly in the central part of the country, in eastern Bihar. Four Dravidian languages are recognized as official languages: Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil and Teluju. Manipuri and other Tibetan languages are spoken in northeastern India. The languages of international communication are Hindi and English. 74.3% of India's population lives in villages and only 25.7% are urban dwellers. India is one of the most populous countries. The average density of its population, which was at the beginning of the 20th century. about 70 people per 1 km2, by the beginning of the 21st century. amounted to 319.3 people. per 1 km2.
Nature of india
India is located mainly within the Hindustan Peninsula and the Indo-Gangetic Plain, including parts of the Himalayas and Karakorum. OK. 3/4 of the country's territory is plains and plateaus. Almost all of Hindustan is occupied by the Deccan plateau (it decreases to the east from 900 m to 300 m). In the west and east, the Deccan passes into the mountains (Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats), the outer slopes of which abruptly drop off to the ocean. In the south of the peninsula there are isolated canteens up to 2698 m high (Anaimudi). To the north of the Indian subcontinent, in a vast foothill trough, is the alluvial Indo-Gangetic plain. The highest mountain system of the Earth - the Himalayas (height in India up to 8126 m, Nangaparbat city) and the Karakorum mountains with alpine relief and glaciers in the ridge zone border India from the north. Deposits of coal, iron ores, manganese, chromite, bauxite, diamonds.
The natural vegetation of the Deccan Plateau and the Indo-Gangetic Plain is greatly altered; Savannahs, xerophytic light forests, deciduous forests in places, prevail in the northwest - shrub semi-deserts and deserts. On the windward slopes of the Western Ghats, in the Ganges and Brahmaputra deltas, in the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas, there are evergreen tropical forests. At the foot of the Himalayas - terai (swampy jungle), above - monsoon forests, mountainous mixed and coniferous forests, mountain meadows and steppes. The forests cover approx. 1/4 of the territory of India. Nat. parks Kaziranga, Girsky Les, Manas, etc .; numerous reserves. India is the only place on Earth where a tiger and a lion live side by side (both are currently protected). Monkeys are numerous not only in the jungle, but also in cities, as they are considered sacred animals. Some other animals, both wild and domestic, are considered sacred. Elephants have been trained since antiquity. There are a number of endemic species of mammals and birds in India.
Climate of India
The climate is predominantly tropical, with a tropical monsoon in the north. During the wet summer monsoon, which plays a huge role in India's agriculture, 70-90% of precipitation falls, winters are dry and cool, from March to May there is a dry and hot season. Annual precipitation ranges from less than 100 mm in the west of the Indo-Gangetic Plain to 12,000 mm in Cherrapunji on the Shillong Plateau (the wettest dry land in the world). The main rivers are the Ganges, with the Jamna tributary, Indus (upper reaches), Brahmaputra (lower reaches), Narmada, Godavari, Krishna. The rivers are full in summer (there are floods) and are widely used for irrigation.
India Economy
GNP per capita is $ 450 (1999). 2/3 of the world's poor live in India, although the standard of living of the population is gradually increasing and the share of the poor is decreasing. Tolerance, lack of class hatred and respect for wealth, inherent in Hinduism and Buddhism, protect India from social conflict.
2/3 of the population is employed in agriculture, which makes the largest contribution to GNP (1/3). Hindustan was home to a number of crops - rice, cotton, sugar cane. In the 1960s. India experienced a "green revolution": thanks to the spread of hybrid varieties of wheat, rice and other crops, not only the problems of providing food to its population, but also the export of food grains were solved. In the 1970s-1980s. India also experienced the White Revolution, which resulted in self-sufficiency in dairy products. 145 million hectares are cultivated (over 2/5 of the territory), under crops - approx. 180 million hectares (about 35 million hectares are sown twice a year). Irrigated approx. 3/5 s.-x. area. The main agricultural regions are the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the coastal lowlands. India occupies one of the first places in the world for the production of sugar cane (harvest in terms of raw sugar 16-18 million tons; over 1/2 - in the northern part of India), peanuts (5-7 million tons, hl . sample in the southern part of India) and tea (approx. 600 tons; 3/4 of the collection - plantations of the Assam Valley and the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas), as well as for the production of jute (1-1.3 million tons; 2 / 3 - West Bengal), castor oil plant (southern part of India), cotton (1.2–1.5 million tons: the main regions are the eastern part of the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat). In the southern part of India - tea, coffee, rubber plants, coconut, spices (pepper, ginger, cardamom, etc.). Numerous livestock (1/5 of the world; 1996, million) of cattle 196 (including 80 buffaloes; mainly used as draft force), 120 goats and 45 sheep; pigs, camels, poultry are bred.
India possesses significant mineral and energy resources. The reserves of coal and iron ore are one of the largest in the world; there are also bauxite, oil, manganese, etc. In terms of the export of manganese ore and mica, India occupies one of the first places in the world. After gaining independence, most of the enterprises of heavy industry in India were nationalized or created by the state itself. Heavy industry enterprises are concentrated mainly on the Kota-Nagpur plateau, where coking coal deposits are adjacent to iron ore deposits. New industrial centers (Bhilai, Bokaro, Rourkela, Durgapur) are being created in the previously backward inland regions.
The public sector holds leading positions in the defense industry, nuclear energy, rail and sea transport, aviation, and communications. The private sector currently dominates in mechanical engineering, agriculture, light, food and medical industries, construction, trade, and road transport.
The light industry is represented by both handicraft and modern enterprises. Indian natural silks, Kashmir shawls, wood carvings, papier-mâché products, saffron, furs, and jewelry are world famous. Every Indian state, many cities and localities are famous for their handicrafts. For example, in the largest state of Uttar Pradesh, the city of Varanasi (Benares) is a well-known center for silk weaving and bronze products; Mirzapur is famous for its carpets; Muradabad is famous for its metal utensils; the largest production of locks and iron chests in India is concentrated in Aligarh; Firozabad is the country's largest center for the production of glass bracelets - cheap jewelry. World famous handicrafts of the southern city of Mysore (the former capital of the principality of the same name), especially ivory and sandalwood, as well as natural silks. India is a major supplier to the world market of leather and leather goods, as well as footwear. Most of the jute processing facilities are located in the Hoogleside, a chain of towns along the Hooghly River north of Calcutta. Enterprises for the processing of agricultural products and minerals are usually located near the places where raw materials are extracted. These are factories for refining cotton, processing peanuts, sugar cane, freezing and drying products, primary processing of metals. Consumer goods manufacturing is concentrated in large cities. State governments in every possible way welcome the development of industries: for this, industrial parks are being created - small free zones characterized by low taxes and low land prices.
In recent years, India has also emerged as a manufacturer of medicines and pharmaceuticals, quite competitive in comparison with Western products, but much cheaper.
The traditional industry, such as cutting diamonds and other precious stones, also retains a high share in exports.
The government of the country has made the main stake on the development of education and the cultivation of highly qualified personnel. In 1950 there were 25 universities and 700 colleges, and in the mid-1990s. there were already 172 universities and 7,000 colleges. In terms of the number of specialists with higher education, India has taken one of the leading places in the world. The country is in third place in terms of the number of qualified scientific and technical personnel and in second place in terms of the number of professional programmers. The monetary unit is the Indian rupee.
History of India
The most ancient civilization - Harappan or Indus (valley of the Indus; second half of the 3rd millennium - first half of the 2nd millennium BC) - was created by the people of the Dravidian family, possibly the ancestors of the Tamils. This is one of the first agricultural civilizations on Earth, along with Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. The Harappan civilization was familiar with the smelting of bronze and precious metals, but did not know iron. Iron was made by the Aryan tribes who came from the north about the middle of the 2nd millennium BC. NS. The main source of the period 1500-800. BC NS. are the Vedas. At this time, a caste system arose and took shape, which consolidated the dominant position of the descendants of the Aryans.
Not enough is known about the Aryan states today; their dating is also problematic. Magadha in the Ganges valley is apparently the oldest of them (7th century BC). The kings of Magadha adopted Buddhism and supported its spread. In the 4th century. BC NS. Magadha became part of the Mauryan empire, the founder of which (Chandragupta) met with Alexander the Great. Alexander annexed the Indus Valley to his vast empire, but not for long. After the reign of the great Ashoka (3rd century BC), which united almost all of Hindustan, the Mauryan empire fell into decay. In the 4-6 centuries. n. NS. almost all Northern India united the Gupta state. With the spread of Islam, Muslim states arose, the largest being the Delhi Sultanate (early 13th century - 16th century). The sultanate fell under the onslaught of the conqueror Babur, the founder of the Mughal dynasty. During its heyday (17th century), the state of the Great Mughals covered almost the entire territory of India.
From the 16th century. First Catholic missionaries began to penetrate into India (the first Christian community was founded according to legend by the Apostle Thomas), and then the colonialists. The Portuguese established a colony in Goa. In the 18th century. the empire of the Great Mughals disintegrated into separate principalities. British trading company East India Company from the 17th century. created on the coast a network of its trading posts-fortresses (of which the cities of Calcutta, Bombay, Madras, and others later grew). Agents of the company, pursuing a policy of "divide and rule", through bribery and force subjugated the Indian principalities. The main rival of England was France. As a result of the Anglo-Mysore, Anglo-Maratha and Anglo-Sikh wars, the East India Company by the end of the 18th century. conquered all of India, from the second half of the 18th century. paying special attention not to trade, but to the management of territories, the collection of land tax, and the reform of agrarian relations. India became not only a source of raw materials, but also a huge sales market for Britain, where the era of the industrial revolution began. The entire system of local crafts was undermined, and poverty increased. In 1783-1784 the company's activities were brought under government control. Throughout the 19th century. the company's rights have been curtailed more than once, and since the suppression of the sepoy uprising, the company has been disbanded. India became a colony.
The British did not touch the caste system (by that time there were already about 3500 castes), in religious practice they limited only extremes (human sacrifice, the custom of sati - self-immolation of widows). But they contributed to the introduction of new relations, the development of capitalism. The Indian National Congress Party was formed in 1885. Mahatma Gandhi, who headed the Indian National Congress in 1915, developed tactics of nonviolent struggle against the colonialists, which implied a boycott of British goods, refusal to cooperate with the British, etc. Amid the difficulties and wars of the 20th century. this struggle was crowned with success, but Britain divided the country (1947) into 2 dominions - the Indian Union (with a predominantly Hindu population) and Pakistan (with a predominantly Muslim population).
Due to unresolved territorial issues (especially in Kashmir), relations between India and Pakistan remain tense. In 1950 the Indian Union became the Republic of India. Gandhi's associate J. Nehru became the prime minister. His only daughter, I. Gandhi, was prime minister four times. The caste system was abolished by law in 1950. Modern India plays important role in the Non-Aligned Movement. With the help of the USSR, great successes have been achieved in the implementation of the space program. India is a nuclear power. National holidays- August 15 (Independence Day (1947)) and January 26 (Republic Day).
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