India is the biggest country in south Asia. In terms of area, it is the seventh largest country in the world, whereas in terms of population it is second in the world after China. You can say it as the most populous democracy in the world since there is no democracy in China. India has a coastline of 7,517 kilometers. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal on the east. It has got its borders touching Pakistan to the west China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the north-east; and Bangladesh and Burma to the east. India lies in the vicinity of Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Indonesia in the Indian Ocean.

Indus Valley Civilization started in India 4 thousands years ago. It has a long history of trade routes and vast empires, commercial and cultural wealth. Four major world religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism originated here, while Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam arrived in the first millennium CE and shaped the region’s diverse culture. Since ages, it has got a pluralistic, multilingual, and multiethnic society. During 18th century, it was annexed by the British East India Company and colonised by the United Kingdom. India became a modern nation state in 1947 after a the great Indian struggle for independence.

Indian market is the largest in the world. According to business experts, India has the world’s twelfth largest economy at market exchange rates and the fourth largest in purchasing power. In recent years, economic reforms have transformed this country into the second fastest growing large economy. But it still suffers from high levels of poverty, illiteracy, and malnutrition.