India 1.2 billion people and growing fast

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Monsoon Winds Monsoon is an Arabic word meaning season. Monsoon winds reverse themselves seasonally. From June to September winds bring heavy rainfall to the region –Highly unpredictable –Sometimes beneficial, –sometimes very destructive

Monsoons

Ganges River Sacred river to the Hindus of India The Ganges basin is the most heavily populated river basin in the world By bathing in the Ganges sins can be forgiven in Hindus

Indus Valley Ancient India started in the Indus Valley Even then, cows were sacred

Mughal Empire Muslims conquered India – 1500s Taj Mahal was built then

The British Raj Great Britain dominated India from 1757 –Dominated by the British East India Company until 1858 India was a British Crown colony from 1858 to 1947 Many British customs remain

Include today’s: INDIA - Hindu PAKISTAN - Islam SRI LANKA - Buddhist BANGLADESH - Islam BURMA - Buddhist British India

Indian Independence Gandhi and Nehru lead Independence movement Nehru becomes first Prime Minister of India

Indira Gandhi Nehru’s daughter Leads the Congress Party Prime Minister from 1966 – 77 and again from 1980 – 84 Her son, Rajiv, also became Prime Minister

Rajiv & Sonia Gandhi Rajiv, led Congress after mother’s assassination PM till assassination in edia.org/wiki/ Image:Rajiv_ Gandhi.gif dhi.jpg Sonia was Rajiv’s Italian born wife Leads Congress since 1998 Not PM Children in politics

India and Pakistan India and Pakistan were one country India Hindu Pakistan Muslim est/india.pakistan.jpg

Religion in India Hindu Muslim Christian Sikh Buddhist Others  80%  13%  2.3%  1.8% .77%  1.1%

Hindus vs. Muslims Some Muslims still live in India Hindu nationalist tore down an old Mosque Violence toward Muslims

The Two Indias Half of India is high tech –Rich –Good English skills High end computer programmers Call Centers –Help Desks

The Two Indias II Other half is poor –Uneducated –Living on less than $2 per day That’s over 500 million –Remember the U.S. population is only 300 million