India is a large country in south Asia on the Indian peninsula, extending southwards from the Himalaya mountain range into the Indian ocean. With a total area of 3287240 sq km India measures 3000km from north to south and almost 3000km from its eastermost tip to its westernmost tip. It is a parliamentary republic and the most populous democracy in the world. India is home to one of the oldest civilisations in the world, the Indus valley civilisation, which developed starting from 3300 BCE in western India. Over the centuries several states formed in the current Indian territory. Three major religions, Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism originated in India, while Islam arrived in the first millennium CE and shaped the region's diverse culture. India was first unified under one rule during the British colonial period and gained independence in 1947.
India is the world's 12th largest economy in terms of GDP. Economic reforms initiated in 1991 have set its economy on a development path with high annual GDP growth rates. India however still suffers from high levels of poverty, illiteracy and malnutrition. India has an impressive cultural heritage and highly interesting nature and wildlife and diverse sceneries. Tourism in India is relatively undeveloped, but growing at double digits rates.
Jammu and Kashmir photo gallery  - 46 pictures of Jammu and Kashmir
Punjab photo gallery  - 6 pictures of Punjab
Delhi photo gallery  - 182 pictures of Delhi
46 photos of Kashmir, a disputed region in northern India's Himalayas, including the Dal lake and the Gulmarg hill station
6 photos of the Indian state of Punjab, home to the Golden Sikh Temple in Amritsar
182 photos of Delhi, the capital of India
Uttar Pradesh photo gallery  - 77 pictures of Uttar Pradesh
Rajasthan photo gallery  - 283 pictures of Rajasthan
Karnataka photo gallery  - 117 pictures of Karnataka
77 photos of Agra with the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort and of the abandoned city of Fatehpur Sikri
283 photos of Amber, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, the Thar desert, Fort Pokaran, Pushkar, Bikaner, the Shekhawati area and the Sariska tiver reserve.
117 photos of the south Indian state of Karnataka, which was formerly known as the State of Mysore
Kerala photo gallery  - 110 pictures of Kerala
Bharatnatyam South Indian Dance photo gallery  - 7 pictures of Bharatnatyam South Indian Dance
Chennai photo gallery  - 7 pictures of Chennai
110 photos of Kerala, a coastal state in southwestern India, known for its backwaters area and unique culture
7 photos of Bharatnatyam, a South Indian classical dance
7 photos of Chennai, the capital of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu
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Related travelogues
  • India 2012: a four days trip to Kerala in southern India, visiting the backwaters around Alappuzha and Kochi, a city with a rich colonial heritage
  • India 2004: a 10 days trip to Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Bikaner and the Sariska national park
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