Quck Facts About India:
- India is officially known as the Republic of India.
- India has the second largest population in the world, with over 1.2 billion people (1,205,073,612 as of July 2012).
- India is the seventh largest country by total area.
- India belongs to the continent of Asia, it is bordered by the countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, China, Nepal, and Pakistan.
- The highest mountain in India is Kanchenjunga,
standing at 8,598m (28,209 ft), which it shares with Nepal.
- Kanchenjunga is the third highest mountain in the world.
- Many different languages are spoken in India.
- The main ones are Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, and Urdu.
- The capital city is New Delhi, while the most populated city is Mumbai.
- Other major cities include Kolkata, Chennai and Bangalore. Because of India's location, it experiences periods of heavy rain called Monsoon.
- The Taj Mahal (a famous mausoleum and popular tourist attraction) is located in the region of Agra.
- India became an independent nation in 1947 after ending British rule that began in 1858.
- Mahatma Gandhi is famous for the important part he played in gaining India's independence.
- Once British rule was over, India was split into the Republic of India and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Later, an area between India and Pakistan became the People's Republic of Bangladesh.
- The national symbol of India is the endangered Bengal Tiger.
- The most popular sport in India is cricket, with the Indian team being the first to win the Cricket World Cup on home soil when they were victorious in 2011.
- India hosted the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, but has never hosted the Olympic Games.