The country chosen for discussion is India.
Geographic Location: The country is located in the southeastern part of Asia. The southern part of the country forms a peninsula enclosed by the Arabian Sea in the west, the Indian Ocean in the south, and the Bay of Bengal in the east (Figure 1).
Size of country: The size of the country by area is 3,287,263 sq km in total, with the land area being 2,973,193 sq km and the area underwater being 314,070 sq km.
Climate: The country’s climate varies from tropical monsoon in the southern part of the country to temperate in the northern part of the country.
Terrain: The terrain varies from the upland plain in the south, on the eastern part is plain land, on the western part is a desert, and on the north, mountainous region.
Capital of country: The capital of the country is New Delhi, located in the northern part of the country (CIA).
Type of government: The government is a Federal type of government.
Population: The population of the country is 1,166,079,217 as of July 2009 (CIA).
Popular/national sports: The national sport of the country is Kabaddi. However, the most popular sport in the country is cricket.
Major colleges/universities: The best technical colleges in India are the five IITs, IIMs, AIIMS, Delhi, AFMC, Pune, JNU, etc. (India Education)
Industries: India has all kinds of industries –iron and steel, automobile, software industry telecom, etc. (Indian Industry)
Military branches: The military branches of the country are Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard (CIA).
Economy: The GDP of the country as of 2008 was $1.21 trillion, and the growth rate of GDP was 7.4%.
Life expectancy: The life expectancy of the whole population is 69.89 years.
National holidays:
- 26 January – Republic Day
- 15 August – Independence Day
- 2 October – Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday (World Travel Guide)
Tourism: The main tourist attractions of the country are for their natural beauty – the Himalayas in the north, the desert of Rajasthan and the beaches of Goa. (World Travel Guide)
Food: The staple food of India in the east and south is rice, and in the north and west, chapatti made of wheat.
Religions: The country is a Hindu dominated country with a Muslim population being the second largest. The other religions are Christians, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jain, Zoroastrians, Jews, etc.
Dress: The main dress of women is sari and men are Dhoti and kurta.
Primary language spoken: The national language of the country is Hindi, while 14 other languages like Bengali, Telegu, Marathi, etc. (CIA).
Flag: Tricoloured flag (see figure 2).
Currency: The currency is Indian National Rupee (INR).
Transportation within country: Transportation is available via road, railways, aeroplanes, and water.
Major hotels and prices: The major hotels are the Taj Mahal, Oberois, etc.
Flight and fare information: There are various airlines operating domestically like Jet Airways, Air India, etc.
Important social/behavioural customs: The social customs are varied and depend on the regional beliefs.
Location of American Embassy: The American Embassy is located in four metropolitan cities New Delhi (Embassy of the United States, India).
Current event(s): The current issues, which have gained prominence, are issues related to terrorism in India, its relation with Pakistan, problems of refugees or internally displaced people, India’s nuclear aspirations, and illicit drugs.
Reference
CIA. The World FactBook. 2009. Web.
Embassy of the United States, India. 2009. Web.
India Education. 2009. Web.
Indian Industry. 2009. Web.
World Bank. India Coutnry Overview. 2009. Web.
World Travel Guide. 2009. Web.
Yatra. 2009.