Good things are happening in India these days and the world is paying attention.
President Obama left India yesterday after a productive several day visit to solidify relations and trade agreements. The first American president to visit the country, by the way, was Dwight Eisenhower in 1959.
With India rising these days, we thought it would be a good time to shine a little light on this Southwest Asia giant, particularly since we will be adding India to our Country lineup in the first quarter of this year.
India has a population of more than 1.2 billion people, ranking the country as the second most populous in the world, just behind China. India, though, is expected to surpass China by 2030. Delhi is the largest city in India, with more than 22 million people. Mumbai is the second largest with a population of nearly 17 million people, followed by Kolkata, with more than 14 million people.
India has 28 states and seven Union Territories. Each state is organized into districts, which then are divided into subdivisions. The subdivisions are then divided into community development blocks, which have about 100 villages.
The official languages of India are Hindi and English, but each state is allowed to elect a co-language, so there are now 21 other official languages. And, because India is so diverse, there are thousands of ethnic groups, castes and tribes.
The diversity of India’s languages, cultures and customs makes it very different from most other countries in the world. The people of India respect their elders and understand and accept the various religions of the country.
But India is also a land of stark contrasts. Beautiful beaches and majestic ancient temples coexist with overcrowded cities. A growing, powerful economy has created exceptional wealth but yet much of the country remains in poverty.
India’s economy, though, is expanding the middle class and providing opportunities for entrepreneurs at a rapid pace. As we showed in our A View Abroad on Monday, most Indians are optimistic about their economy. The future looks bright for India.
