India Facts

Hey friends!!! The World Race posted this on their race routes blog and I wanted to share this with all of you.  India is the first month of our jouney on the World Race.  Here are a few interesting facts!  Enjoy 🙂 

• The Indus Valley civilization is one of the oldest civilizations in the world, flourishing during the 3rd and 2nd millennia B.C.
• India is a little more than one-third the size of the United States, and is the seventh largest country in the world.
• The Himalayas are the world’s highest mountain range.
• The Ganges is one of India’s major rivers.  It is believed by Hindus that if one washes themselves in the Ganges, they are cleansed of their sins. 
• India is divided into 28 states and 7 territories and is the second largest country by population, with an estimated 1,156,897,766 people
• India is predominantly Hindu, 80.5%, with Islam making up 13.4%  and Christianity 2.3% of the population.  Other religions include Sikh at 1.9% and other indigenous religions make up 1.8%
• Hindi is the most widely spoken language

• On August 15, 1957, India won its independence from the United Kingdom.

• India’s economy includes traditional village farming, modern agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern industries, and a variety of services.
• About 25% of India’s population is at or below the poverty line.
• The caste system defines the social structure of India based on ethnic heritage.  It is illegal to discriminate based on caste standing and although caste barriers have been broken down particularly in major cities, the discrimination still persists in rural settings, where about 72% of India’s population lives.
• India is a major source, destination, and transit country for trafficking and the exploitation of men, women, and children.  Men are trafficked to work in brick kilns, rice mills, agriculture, and embroidery factories. Women and young girls are trafficked for prostitution and forced marriages.  Children are subjected to forced labor as factory workers, domestic servants, beggars, and agriculture workers, and have been used as armed combatants by some terrorist and insurgent groups.