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Welcome to India

  • Mumbai – the most populous city in India

    © Mombai Dinodia/Getty Images

    Photo of a crowded street with people and cars in Mumbai

  • The Ganges – a holy river

    © hecke61/Shutterstock

    Photo of the Ganges which is a holy river in India

  • The Himalayas – home to nine of the highest peaks on Earth

    © My Good Images/Shutterstock

    Photo of mountains in the Himalayas

  • The Golden Temple, Punjab – a holy place to Sikhs

    © Bruder Jakob/Fotolia

    Photo of the Golden Temple in Punjab – a holy place to Sikhs

  • The Taj Mahal

    © jool-yan/Fotolia

    Photo of the Taj Mahal

  • Bangalore – the «Silicone Valley of India»

    © yellowcrestmedia/iStockphotos

    Photo of skyskrapers in Bangalore which is known as the “Silicone Valley of India”
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Welcome to India

Welcome to India

There are 1.2 billion people in India. Most of them live in the countryside, but there are also many very big cities. The largest city is Mumbai. It has a population of over 12 million. That’s more than twice the number of people in the whole of Norway! So Indians grow up with a lot of other people around them.

India is a very beautiful country. In the north you will find the Himalayas, which are some of the tallest, coldest mountains in the world. In the south the climate is tropical. There are many rivers and about 20% of the country is covered in trees. There are many areas where wildlife is protected.

You will find every major world religion in India. The most common religion is Hinduism, but Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism all started here. India’s many Muslims also make it the second largest Muslim country in the world.

India was once part of the British Empire. It has been a republic since 1947 and is now the world’s largest democracy. There are two official national languages, Hindi and English, and 20 official regional languages. English is the language of education and business all over India. That’s why learning English is just as important for India’s schoolchildren as it is for you.

What makes India unique? Maybe it’s all the contrasts. It has beautiful old buildings and traditional rituals that are part of modern life. 30% of Indians cannot read or write, yet the country has a space programme. It’s the world’s third largest economy. But millions of poor people have to fight to survive every single day. Maybe that’s one of the reasons tourist websites call the country “Incredible !ndia”.

DOCUMENT Getting the gist


DOCUMENT Word building 1


DOCUMENT Word building 2


DOCUMENT Word building 3


DOCUMENT Your turn to talk


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