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Covering an area of 3.28 million sq kilometers it is the seventh largest country in the world. The mainland of India extends between 8° 4 ' N and 37° 6' North Latitude and 68° 7 ' and 97° 25 ' East Longitudes. The Tropic of Cancer 23° 30 ' N divides India almost into two halves. The land frontier of the country is 15, 200 km and the total length of the coastline is over 7, 500 kilometers.
Indian peninsula tapers southward resulting in the division of the Indian Ocean into two expanse of water - the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. There is a great diversity of landforms such as lofty mountains, deep valleys, extensive plains, wide plates and a number of islands. Broadly the physical features of India can be divided into five physical units - The Great Mountains of the North, The North Indian Plain, The Peninsular Plateau, The Coastal Plains, and The Islands.
Background
The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world, dates back at least 5,000 years. Aryan tribes from the northwest invaded about 1500 B.C.; their merger with the earlier Dravidian inhabitants created the classical Indian culture. Arab incursions starting in the 8th century and Turkish in the 12th were followed by those of European traders, beginning in the late 15th century. By the 19th century, Britain had assumed political control of virtually all Indian lands. Indian armed forces in the British army played a vital role in both World Wars.
Nonviolent resistance to British colonialism led by Mohandas GANDHI and Jawaharlal NEHRU brought independence in 1947. The subcontinent was divided into the secular state of India and the smaller Muslim state of Pakistan. A third war between the two countries in 1971 resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. Despite impressive gains in economic investment and output, India faces pressing problems such as the ongoing dispute with Pakistan over Kashmir, massive overpopulation, environmental degradation, extensive poverty, and ethnic and religious strife.
In terms of geography, India is one of the most feasible countries to travel especially with its good road and rail facilities that connect so many places. In India geography, ethnicity, languages, cultures and habits of people are in sync with itself. With each different state of India, one will notice a new culture and a new language. The geography of India truly makes it a favorable tourist destination.
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