India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. 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. In the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives; its Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with Thailand and Indonesia.
Facts
1)The name 'India' is derived from the River Indus, the valleys around which were the home of the early settlers.
2)The 'Place Value System' and the 'Decimal System' were developed in India in 100 B.C.
3)India is the largest democracy in the world, the 7th largest Country in the world, and one of the most ancient civilizations.
4)The world's highest cricket ground is in Chail, Himachal Pradesh. Built in 1893 after leveling a hilltop, this cricket pitch is 2444 meters above sea level.
5)The largest employer in India is the Indian Railways, employing over a million people.
6)The world's first university was established in Takshila in 700 BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.
7)India was one of the richest countries till the time of British rule in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus, attracted by India's wealth, had come looking for a sea route to India when he discovered America by mistake.
8)Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus also originated in India.Quadratic Equations were used by Sridharacharya in the 11th century. The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used numbers as big as 10*53 (i.e. 10 to the power of 53) with specific names as early as 5000 B.C.during the Vedic period.Even today, the largest used number is Terra: 10*12(10 to the power of 12).
9)Until 1896, India was the only source of diamonds in the world.
10)The four religions born in India - Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, are followed by 25% of the world's population.
11)Islam is India's and the world's second largest religion.
12)There are 300,000 active mosques in India, more than in any other country, including the Muslim world.
13)Yoga has its origins in India and has existed for over 5,000 years.
14)Bollywood is the world’s largest film industry, followed by Nigeria’s Nollywood and Hollywood. India’s film industry is based in the city of Mumbai and last year produced a staggering 1,986 feature films.
15)It is claimed that the game of chess originated in India. One of the most fascinating facts about India, the game of chess can be dated back some 1,500 years.