India Travel & Vacation

India is a fascinating country with rich history and culture. Numerous historical sites, magnificent cultural attractions, incredible diversity, and unspoilt nature along its coastline attract worldwide tourists coming to India every year.

As one of the world's major travel destinations, India is located in Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan. India has total land area about 2,973,190 square kilometers, slightly more than one-third the size of the United States of America.

India has about 1,065,070,607 (July 2004 estimate) population. Ethnic groups include about 72% of Indo-Aryan, 25% of Dravidian, and 3% of Mongoloid and other. India is a multi-language nation. English enjoys associate status but is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication. Hindi is the national language and primary tongue of 30% of the people. Other official languages include Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, Sanskrit, and Hindustani - a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout northern India.

Nonviolent resistance to British colonialism under Mohandas GANDHI and Jawaharlal NEHRU led to independence in 1947. Today, India's economy encompasses traditional village farming, modern agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern industries, and a multitude of support services. India has modern local and long distance telephone service provided throughout all regions of the country. Internet services are also available in India.

New Delhi is the capital of Republic of India. The Taj Mahal at Agra is one of the world's most famous buildings and magnificent architecture.

Major city Calcutta, the Hindus' holy city Varanasi, the hills and great temples of Orissa, and Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary are just a few of many attractions in India.

Goa white sandy beaches, southern tropical and unspoilt coastline of Kerala, small rural towns and villages in south India are some other best tourist destinations to explore this fascinating country.