India:

1. Geographic information: location, capital, weather, touristic/historical

places.

India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest
country by area; the most populous country as of June 2023; and from the time of its
independence in 1947, the world's most populous democracy.
Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the southwest, and the Bay
of Bengal on the southeast, it shares land borders with Pakistan to the west; China, Nepal, and
Bhutan to the north; and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east.
It’s capital is New Delhi, located in the north-central part of the country and built in the
20th century as the administrative center of India.
India has a diverse climate, due to the vast size and varied topography. Generally hot and
humid, we can find three main seasons:

 Hot season (from March to May)

 Monsoon season (from June to September)
 Cool season (from October to February)

Some of the most popular sites of India are:

 Taj Mahal, an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river
Yamuna in Agra.
 Golden Circuit: A touristic circuit comprising Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur. Showcases
the rich history and culture of India, with iconic monuments like the Red Fort, Agra
Fort, and Hawa Mahal.

2. Brief history of the country (include an important historic event)

India boasts a history spanning millennia, layered with empires, invasions, and cultural
blossoming.
We can divide its History into three major periods:

 Early Civilizations (from 3000 BCE to 500 BCE)

 Empires and Kingdoms (from 322 BCE to 1857)
 And finally Colonial Period and Independence (from 1858 to 1947)
 The Indus Valley Civilization was born between 3300 and 1300 BC. This was succeeded
by the Vedas, in whose era the original texts of Hinduism and the caste-based social
stratification that still marks Hindu society were composed. The Vedic period ended in 500
BC.
During the classical period, numerous dynasties ruled various parts of India. Among
them, the Gupta Empire stood out, a period known as the "golden age of India".
Since the 16th century, several European countries seeking to expand their empires,
such as France, the United Kingdom and Portugal, colonized India. Later, during the 18th
and 19th centuries, the British East India Company annexed large areas of India.
By 1845, almost the entire country was under the control of that Empire. Discontent
with the British Empire caused the rebellion of 1857. This fight for independence, led by
the Indian National Congress, was supported and complemented by organizations such as
that led by Gandhi.
Independence was finally achieved on August 15, 1947.

3. Political system

India’s federation divided powers between the central government in New Delhi and a
number of state governments (crafted from former British provinces and princely states),
each of which also had a nominal governor at its head and an elected chief minister with a
cabinet to rule its legislative assembly.
One of the Congress Party’s long-standing resolutions had called for the organization of
British provincial borders into linguistic states, where each of India’s major regional
languages would find its administrative reflections, while English and Hindi would remain
joint national languages for purposes of legislation, law and service examinations.

4. Economy: currency, what do the produce, what is the economy based on

 Currency
The currency which circulates in India is the Indian rupee. The rupee
derives its name from ‘rupiya,’ which was a silver coin released in the 16th
century by Sultan Sher Shah Suri. The rupee contains 100 paise, although 25
paise is no longer regarded as legal tender. The Reserve Bank of India controls
the disbursement of the rupee.
The Indian paisa is a 1⁄100 (one-hundredth) subdivision of the Indian rupee.
  Producing
The Indian economy has been growing rapidly in recent years, and it is
expected to continue to grow in the coming years.

The following are some of the key sectors of the Indian economy:

 Agriculture: Agriculture is the largest sector of the Indian economy, accounting

for about 16% of GDP. India is the world's largest producer of milk, pulses, and jute,
and it is the second-largest producer of rice, wheat, sugarcane, groundnut, vegetables,
fruit, and cotton.

 Industry: The industrial sector accounts for about 27% of GDP. The major
industries in India include textiles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, automobiles, and steel.

 Services: The services sector is the largest and fastest-growing sector of the
Indian economy, accounting for about 57% of GDP. The major services sectors in India
include information technology, business process outsourcing, financial services, and
tourism.

5. Cultural aspects: Official languages, a linguistic aspect of the country

 Language
India has no national language. Hindi, with the largest number of speakers, is the official
language of the government. English is used extensively in business and administration and has
the status of a "subsidiary official language"; it is important in education, especially as a
medium of higher education. Each state and union territory has one or more official languages,
and the constitution recognizes in particular 22 "scheduled languages".

 Traditions
o India is a country with a rich and diverse culture. India's traditions vary from
region to region, but there are some common traditions that are shared throughout
the country.
 o The namaste greeting: The namaste is a traditional form of greeting in India. It
is performed by bringing the palms of the hands together in front of the chest and
bowing the head slightly.
o Wearing sarees: The saree is a traditional Indian garment worn by women. It is
a long, seamless cloth that is wrapped around the body and draped over the head.
o Celebrating festivals: India is a country of festivals. Some of the most popular
festivals in India include Diwali, Holi and Dussehra.
o Practicing yoga: Yoga is an ancient form of exercise and meditation that
originated in India. Yoga is practised all over the world for its physical and mental
health benefits.
 Food
The foundation of a typical Indian meal is a cereal cooked in a plain fashion and
complemented with flavourful savoury dishes. The cooked cereal could be steamed rice;
chapati, a thin unleavened bread made from wheat flour, or occasionally cornmeal, and
griddle-cooked dry; the idli, a steamed breakfast cake, or dosa, a griddled pancake, both
leavened and made from a batter of rice- and gram meal.
The savoury dishes might include lentils, pulses and vegetables commonly spiced with
ginger and garlic, but also with a combination of spices that may include coriander, cumin,
turmeric, cinnamon, cardamon and others. They might also include poultry, fish, or meat
dishes. In some instances, the ingredients might be mixed during the process of cooking.

 Religion
India is a country with a rich and diverse variety of religions. In fact, it is estimated that 121
different religions are practiced in India.
The most popular religion in India is Hinduism, with around 950 million followers. Hinduism
is a polytheistic religion that originated in India thousands of years ago.

Other major religions in India include:

 Islam: Islam is the second most popular religion in India, with around 170
million followers. Islam is a monotheistic religion that originated in Arabia in the 7th
century AD.
 Christianity: Christianity is the third most popular religion in India, with about
29 million followers. Christianity is a monotheistic religion that originated in Palestine
in the 1st century AD.
  Sikhism: Sikhism is the fourth most popular religion in India, with about 30
million followers. Sikhism is a monotheistic religion that originated in the Punjab in the
15th century AD.

6. Traditions, food, religion, sports, music

 Sports
o Cricket is the most popular sport in India. Major domestic leagues include the
Indian Premier League. Professional leagues in other sports include the Indian Super
League (football) and the Pro Kabaddi league. Pero siguen siendo populares varios
deportes autóctonos tradicionales como el kabaddi, el kho kho, el pehlwani y el gilli-
danda, y también artes marciales como el Kalarippayattu y el marma adi.
 Music
o Indian music ranges over various traditions and regional styles. Classical music
encompasses two genres and their various folk offshoots: the northern Hindustani and
the southern Carnatic schools. Regionalised popular forms include filmi and folk music.

 Film Industry
o India's film industry, also known as Bollywood, is the world's largest film
industry by the number of films produced and tickets sold. Bollywood produces around
1,500–2,000 films annually, compared to Hollywood's 2.6 billion tickets sold annually.
Bollywood is based in Mumbai, India's entertainment capital, and is one of the world's
largest film production centers.
The Indian film industry has many languages, including Hindi (Bollywood),
Tamil (Kollywood), and Telugu (Tollywood). Kollywood is the largest producer,
with over 260 films.