India

India is a diverse country in South Asia, with a variety of ethnic, religious, and linguistic groups. Mainland India stretches from the snow-capped Himalayas in the north to tropical Kanyakumari in the south; India is also home to the charming Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a vast archipelago in the Andaman Sea. With over 1.3 billion people, India is the world’s second-most populous country, predicted to surpass China in population by 2027.

India is one of the most ethnically diverse countries with numerous linguistic groups and religions. Religious minorities, like Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains, make up a significant portion of the population. India is home to 22 official languages, including the fourth most spoken language in the world, Hindi.

After industrialization in the 20th century, India has grown to be one of the world’s largest economies; its economy is also one of the fastest growing in the world. India is a hub for information technology, which accounts for 8% of India’s gross domestic product. Since its independence, India’s poverty rate has plummeted and literacy rates have increased dramatically.