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Mountains

To the north of the country lie the snowcapped peaks of the Himalayas, the highest mountain rangę on Earth.

Plains

The plains that stretch across northern India consist of fertile farm land, where rice, wheat, and other crops are cultivated.

India is the second-most populated country in the world after China, with a population of 1.7 billion. Although India is just over one third the size of the U.S.A., morę than five times as many people live there.

India’s longest rivers

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Desert

To the west lies the giant Thar Desert, where temperatures can reach 122°F (50°C). People living here rely on camels for food and transportation.

Forest

lndia's hills are covered in lush forests, where valuable timber and orchids grow. Forests of tropical palms cover lowland areas in the west.

Beaches

With 4,350 miles (7,000 km) of coastline,

India has many beautiful beaches and has become a popular tourist destination.

Top five big cities

Mumbai

w X With a population of almost 14 million, Mumbai is the largest city in India.

New Delhi

w u The Capital of the country and the seat of Indian government.

/\Q Bangalore

w O The country’s fastest-growing city and center of research and new industry, especially information technology.

(\/% Kolkata

U*1 Once the Capital of India, Kolkata is a bustling city in the east of the country.

Chennai

w w The biggest city in the south of India, Chennai began as an important trading post and port.

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2,000 miles (3,000 km) Brahmaputra

1,800 miles (2,900 km) Ganges

1,560 miles (2,510 km)

Five facts about India

India is the world’s largest democracy. In the 2009 elections, 714,000,000 people were eligible to vote.

♦ Morę than two thirds of the population live in rural areas, in farming communities.

t Indian Railways is the largest employer in the world, with an estimated 1.6 million employees. Each day, it transports morę than 13 million passengers and 1.3 million tons of freight.

t India has the most extensive postał system in the world, with 155,333 post offices.

tThe Indians are frequent movie-goers. In 2003, 2,860,000,000 people went to the movies in India, compared with 1,421,000,000 in theU.S.A.

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