Poverty In India

All about Geography!

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India, as a country, takes up 2.4% of the world’s land, but it houses 15% of the world’s population.


There are 1,147,949 sq. miles of LAND in the country of India, making it the 7th largest country in the world.


The capitol of India is New Delhi. Other major cities include Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Bangalore, and Kanpur.

To the west of India is the Arabian Sea, and to the left, the Bay of Bengal. Also located in/near India is the Himalayan Mountains, which serve as the border between much of China and India.

Not-so-common 'Did you know?'s

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The currency in India is the rupee.


The peacock is their national bird.

The most common languages spoken in India are Hindi, Bengal, Kannada, a Dravidian language.

Hindus believe that cows are scared because of their quiet and giving nature, so they do not eat beef.

The flag of India, a symbol of hope.

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The wheel on the flag represents Dharma Chakra, a religious idol in Buddhism. 

The color yellow (saffron) stands for courage, sacrifice, and the spirit of rejuvenation.

White embodies purity and truth, while green symbolizes faith and fertility.


The CASTE System - 2,500 years of tradition in the making.

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The social structure of India has been the same for thousands of years. Though many people view the Caste system as prejudice or unjust, this traditional society coordination has been a part of the Indian culture since circa 1500 B.C. The Caste system divides the Indian society into five social groups.
The majority of Indian society falls into the Vaishya category of the Caste system.            
            1. The Brahmin (Priests). They are the highest class in Indian culture, and are respected by all of society.
            2. The Kshatriya (Rulers, landowners, and warriors.) Second in class, the Kshatriya people are usually considered to be what we would know as our bosses, CEOs, principals, etc.
            3. The Vaishya (Merchants). Your average Joe in India, the Vaishyas are the middle-class workers who have a regular job, and a place to live. The "middle-class" in America is a good part of society to compare with.
            4. The Sudra (Artists and agriculturists). Farmers, artists, sculptors, an other lower-class jobs fall into the lowest category of the Caste system.
            5. The Harijan (Untouchables). Technically not in the Caste system, the Harijans are thought by Indian culture to be the slum of their society. They sweep the city, wash clothes, and slaughter animals. To put it simply, the jobs that the rest of society wished not to do are passed down to the Harijans.


A bit of religion here, a bit of religion there.

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Hinduism and Buddhism are the two most popular religions in India. Others include Siihk, Christianity, and Muslim.


There are many gods and goddesses that the majority of Indians worship, but the two main and most well-know of them are pictured below, but not pictured is possibly the most well-known of all: Buddha. 

Buddha was a spiritual teacher from ancient India who founded Buddhism.

Hinduism's Religious Idols
(Click on pictures for names and roles.)

Mahatma Ghandi: A man of peace and belief.

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One of the most well known religious leaders in Indian culture is Mahatma Ghandi, also known as Mohandes Ghandi. He studied law at a British University, and worked for Indian worker’s rights. He believed in non-violent and/or passive aggressive resistance, one example being the Salt March, where he lead a small group of disgruntled Indians to the ocean to take blocks of raw salt. This act was considered illegal ten, because the British Trading Company had laws about their salt prohibiting anyone from obtaining this salt without paying taxes and other fines.


He is also very well-known for his lengthy periods of fasting as an act of non-violent protest. The longest fast Ghandi ever endured lasted three weeks, in the summer of 1933.

He lived from 1869 to 1945, when he died at the hands of his assassinator at the age of 76.

A little tradition goes a long way.

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Expecting families, as part of a tradition, want boys, not girl babies. If they have a daughter, when she grows up and gets married, the family will be expected to pay for the wedding, as well as a pretty hefty dowry.

In a traditional family, marriages are often arranged, and newly weds may have only met the day of their wedding or engagement.

For the wives, the Hindu art of Henna, a form of plant-based ink tattooing, is done to their hands and feet. This ink lasts two to three weeks, and symbolizes their new life as a married woman.