Report "Ancient India". Nature, plants and animals of India The world around India
![Report](https://i2.wp.com/xn----8sbiecm6bhdx8i.xn--p1ai/sites/default/files/resize/images/okruzhayushhij_mir/India_1-500x333.jpg)
Ancient India
____________________________________________________
India is located in South Asia, on the Hindustan Peninsula. The peninsula is washed by the waters of the Indian Ocean. India is bordered to the north by the Himalayas, the world's highest mountains. The Indus and Ganges rivers originate in the Himalayas. The Ganges Valley is covered with impenetrable forests - jungles.
Life and activities:
The main occupation of the ancient Indians was settled agriculture. People usually built their villages along rivers because the river banks were covered with fertile soil. Here the inhabitants of India grew: rice, wheat, barley; cotton; sugar cane. Sweet powder - sugar - was obtained from sugar cane growing along the marshy banks of rivers. It was the oldest sugar in the world. People also learned to grow cotton. Yarn was spun from it and then lightweight fabrics, comfortable in hot climates, were woven. In the northern regions of the country, where little rain falls, Indians in ancient times built irrigation systems similar to those in Egypt.
Since ancient times, when people were engaged in gathering, the ancient Indians knew different plants and flowers that could be eaten and from which various spices and incense could be obtained. The rich and generous nature of India gave people plants that were not found anywhere else. The Indians learned to cultivate and use them. Much later, spices and incense became the goods for which traders from different countries flocked to India.
India is home to the Indus Valley Civilization and other ancient civilizations.
The Indians believed in the transmigration of souls, that after death a person is reborn into another creature, and they believed that a person could be born as an animal and vice versa. What a person is born as in the next life depends on his (good or evil) deeds.
Ancient Indian gods:
Ganesha is the elephant-headed god of wisdom.
Brahma is the creator god (creator of the Universe and ruler of the world),
Vishnu is a guardian god who helps people,
Shiva is a destroyer god, he can destroy, but he can also save.
Civilization and inventions:
The beginning of civilization in India dates back to the 3rd millennium BC. e., when great cities with high culture and amenities arose in the Indus Valley - Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa. Most likely, the townspeople lived in 2- and 3-story houses. The houses had no decorations or windows facing the street, but, in addition to the living quarters, there was a room for ablutions, where water was supplied from a special well.
The streets were located from north to south and from east to west, the width of each of them reached 10 m. Probably, the ancient inhabitants of this city used carts on wheels. In the center of Mohenjo-Daro stood a building with a huge swimming pool. The purpose of this structure is not known exactly, but scientists have suggested that this building was an ancient temple dedicated to the god of water. Not far from the temple there were large craft workshops, a market and granaries. The central part of the city was surrounded by a fortress wall. The inhabitants of Mohenjo-Daro hid behind it during wars.
The decimal number system was invented by the Indian scientist Aryabhata. He also invented the number “Zero”.
Sciences such as algebra and trigonometry appeared in India.
Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to mankind. Chess was also invented in India.
The nature of the Republic of India is one of the richest on the planet. It consists of 45,000 plant species, of which over 5,000 are endemic (found only in India); 350 species of mammals (approximately 8% of all on Earth), 3,300 species/subspecies of birds (12% of all on the planet), over 20,000 species of insects.
The generosity of Indian nature is determined by the geographical location of the state, the characteristics of the climate and landscape. Climate, by nature - wet tropical, dry tropical, damp subtropical and mountain (alpine)- formed under the influence of the Himalayas and the Thar Desert. The Himalayas protect the territory of the state from cold air masses from Central Asia, and the desert forces the summer moisture-carrying monsoons to blow, which bring rain to the territory from June to October.
Flora of India
In the country, despite the rapid human activity, various types of forests and plant communities have been preserved:
- tropical forests, rain evergreens (common in the Andaman Islands, the Himalayas, Mizoram);
- subtropical, mountain forests (on the Western Ghats, near the Nilgiri Mountains);
- tropical forests, humid (common in southern India);
- tropical forests, deciduous (on the Deccan Plateau, near the Siwalik Mountains);
- dry savannas (Punjab plain, in Rajasthan);
- semi-desert-desert (western part of Rajasthan);
- mangrove forests (deltas of the Ganges, Mahanadi and other rivers).
The change in natural types on the plains corresponds to the vertical zonation in the Himalayas: from subtropical-tropical plant communities at the foot of the mountains to alpine meadows and icy peaks.
Representatives of more than 7% of the world's flora can be found in India. Jat and sal trees (height up to 37 m), sissa (Dalbergia), and teak grow in tropical forests. In the highlands there are sal forests, on the Deccan plateau and in the south of the state there are a variety of palm trees (over 20 species).
Forests in the northern regions of the state include black alder, laurel, birch, maple, conifers, junipers, even birch, cedar and spruce in the high mountain regions. Sandalwood and myrobalan grow in Karnataka. Near the Thar Desert and the Western Ghats there are vast thorny acacia forests, from the extract of which a dye is prepared for the clothing of Buddhist monks. And in the state of Kashmir, the main tree is the Himalayan cedar.
About 3,000 Indian plants are used in medicine and spiritual practices. Healing resin is prepared from long-leaf pine from the western regions of the country. Neem (Azadirahta indica) is called the “village pharmacy” and the “Divine tree”, using all its parts in the preparation of many Ayurvedic potions.
And the banyan tree is called the “forest tree.” Thick shoots grow from the main trunk of the banyan - aerial roots, reaching the ground, they take root, get thicker, send out new shoots, which also take root, and so on for as long as time and space allow. One of the oldest banyan trees in India has been growing for about 3 thousand years and has more than 3,000 large trunks, the height of which is over 60 meters.
Fauna of India
The animal world of India has fewer species than the plant world, but is more impressive. Indian elephants and Royal Bengal tigers are found throughout the area, although in small numbers. The main habitats of elephants are the West Bengal forests, Orissa, and Uttar Pradesh. In Hindu households, the cow is revered as a sacred animal.
The Himalayas have become home to the black and brown Himalayan bear, snow leopard (irbis), Pallas's cat, leopard, and Tibetan lynx. The northeastern states of the state are rich in rare animals: thick lorises, golden langurs, Temminki cats, Hoolock gibbons - great apes, clouded leopards, pig badgers, and binturongs live there.
India has become the only habitat of the Barasingh deer. Many other species of deer, as well as goats and antelopes, are found in its forests and savannas. In the Nilgiri Mountains, in their inaccessible areas, they encounter the wild aurochs - the gaura - the largest ungulate animal in the country.
216 species of snakes are distributed throughout the state, a quarter of them are poisonous. The largest of the poisonous snakes is the king cobra: its length reaches 5 m, and its bite can kill an elephant. Magera crocodiles live in freshwater reservoirs, saltwater crocodiles live in mangroves, and the Ganges and its tributaries are the habitat of gharial crocodiles.
In the Gir Forest (Kathiwar Peninsula) a small herd of the Asiatic (Gir) lion has been preserved. The Great Indian Rhinoceros is (predominantly) found in Kaziranga National Park.
India is truly a fabulous country, after visiting which any traveler will have amazing memories for a lifetime. Once having become acquainted with this country, everyone will become its prisoner and will forever lose peace. In this unique country, everything is unusual, different, everything is new and special. India captivates guests with its exoticism, rich culture and magnificent nature. A large number of different species of animals live here: nimble monkeys, loud-voiced peacocks with bright plumage, tigers and crocodiles. Gorgeous beaches, gentle waters of the Indian Ocean, ancient monuments of one of the most ancient civilizations and a spicy smell on the streets, a large number of different saints and sneaky rickshaws, colorful saris and white-toothed smiling locals - these are all signs of India, full of mysteries and open to guests!
Official name of the state: Republic of India.
Location - South Asia. The northern border separates the country from Afghanistan, China, Nepal and Bhutan, the eastern border from Bangladesh and Myanmar, and the western border from Pakistan.
The form of government is a federal republic. Member of the British Commonwealth.
The total area is 3.29 million square kilometers.
The capital of India is New Delhi.
Geography
Geographically, India is located in three large orographic regions: the Himalayan Mountains, the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the Deccan Plateau (the Hindustan Peninsula). The Deccan is a vast ancient land mass consisting of Precambrian crystalline rocks, predominantly gneisses, schists and granites. Most of the surface is covered by volcanic lava, the greatest thickness of which is observed in the north-west. The Deccan was once part of the ancient continent of Gondwana, which united Africa, India and South America. About two hundred million years ago, this continent broke up into several separate blocks. Between the Himalayas and the Deccan lies the vast Indo-Gangetic Plain.
The part of the Eastern Himalayas located in India has high altitudes, but the structure of the mountains itself is relatively simple. To the north of the Ganges Valley lies the jungle-covered swampy strip of the Terai (as the locals call its natural vegetation cover). Above it, merging proluvial plumes gradually rise at the foot of the Siwalik Mountains. In the northern direction rise the ridges of the Lesser Himalayas mountain system (up to 3000 m). The next highest level is represented by the Greater Himalayas (up to 5800), the most striking heights of which are Everest in Nepal (Qomolungma - 8848 m), and in India - Kanchenjunga (8598 m).
Animal world
Based on the fauna present in India, this country is considered to belong to the Indo-Malayan region. The most widely represented mammals here are monkeys (gibbons, thin-bodied macaques), antelopes, deer (black, spotted and sambar), bulls (dwarf and Indian buffaloes, gaur), there are panthers, tigers, Indian elephants, Himalayan bears. Today, leopards, lions, and Kashmir deer have been almost completely exterminated. The fauna of India is very rich in reptiles, birds and fish.
There are 47 national parks and reserves in India, the largest of which are the Gir Forest (protected by the Asiatic lion) in Gujarat, Kaziranga in Assam and Jaldapara (protected by the Indian rhinoceros) in West Bengal.
Climate
Southern India has a predominantly tropical climate, and the northern part of the country is characterized by temperature variations from below zero to 50°C. In addition, the northern part of the country has distinct seasons. Here, winter lasts from December to February, the spring months are March and April, the summer months are May and June, the monsoon period is from July to September, and the autumn months are October and November.
Timezone
India's time zone is UTC+5:30, the time is 1.5 hours ahead of Moscow (when switching to winter time, the difference is 2.5 hours).
Currency
The official currency is the Indian rupee, which is equal to 100 paise. Coins of 1 rupee, 2 rupees and 5 rupees are widely used. The denomination of banknotes is 5-10-20-50-100-500-1000 rupees.
Population
In terms of the number of citizens, India ranks second in the world rankings after China, with a population of 1.2 billion people. Most Indians (almost 70%) live in rural areas, although in the last 10-20 years there has been increased migration to large cities, causing the urban population to increase sharply. The largest cities in the country are Delhi, Kolkata (formerly Kolkata), Mumbai (formerly Bombay), Hyderabad, Chennai (formerly Madras), Bangalore, Ahmedabad. The Indian population has an average literacy rate of 64.8%. In India, there is an excess of male population over female population. The annual population growth in the country averages 22 children per thousand people. The average age of the country's citizens is approximately 25 years.
Language
According to the country's Constitution, the official languages, that is, the languages in which the national government operates, are Hindi and English. English is ubiquitous in business and administration, its status is an auxiliary official language, and it also plays a large role in the education system, especially in secondary and higher schools.
Religion
The majority of Indians (more than 80%) profess Hinduism. Islam (believers - 13.4% of the population) and Christianity (2.3%) also have a significant number of followers. There are also adherents of Sikhism (1.9%), as well as Buddhism (0.8%) and very few Jainism (0.4%). In addition, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Baha'i and some other religions are represented by a small number of believers in India. In addition, animism is widespread among the population belonging to the aborigines of this area (8.1% of the population).
Administrative division
India is a federation of republics, it consists of the Delhi National Capital Territory, 6 union territories and 28 states. All states, the National Capital Territory of Delhi and the Union Territory of Puducherry have their own government, while the remaining 5 Union Territories are governed by administrators who are appointed by the central government, so that they are directly subordinate to the President. All union territories and states, in turn, are divided into administrative units - districts. In total, the country includes 600 such districts, each of which consists of even smaller administrative units - taluks.
State structure
This country is a sovereign, socialist, secular liberal democratic republic. Government power consists of three branches, which include the legislative, executive and judicial.
The state of India is headed by a president, elected by an electoral college through indirect voting for a term of 5 years. The head of the Indian government is the Prime Minister, who holds the executive power.
The legislative branch of government in India is represented by Parliament, which consists of two houses: the upper house, called the Council of States (Rajya Sabha), and the lower house, called the House of the People (Lok Sabha).
The executive branch includes the President and Vice President, as well as the Council of Ministers (headed by the Prime Minister). Each of the ministers must sit in either house of parliament. In the republic, the executive branch is subordinate to the legislative branch.
India is characterized by a three-tier unitary judiciary consisting of the Supreme Court, twenty-one High Courts and an innumerable number of smaller judicial bodies.
Economy of India
Currently, certain sectors of the Indian economy are opening up to private business as well as foreign capital. The last three decades have seen annual GDP growth averaging nearly 5.5%, making the Indian economy one of the fastest growing economies globally. India's important resources include the world's second largest workforce. The distribution of workers by field of activity is as follows: 60% are employed in agriculture, 28% in services, and 12% in industry. The main agricultural crops include rice, potatoes, wheat, sugarcane, tea, and cotton. Major industries include automobile, cement, chemical, engineering, consumer electronics, food processing, pharmaceutical, petroleum, textile, metal and mining. Among the countries of the world, India is in sixth place in oil consumption, and in third place in coal consumption.
India is characterized by significant social stratification of the population. Although the country is experiencing economic growth, a quarter of India's population is forced to live below the minimum subsistence level set by the government.
India is an exporter of software, technology and financial services, jewelry and textiles. The main imports are petroleum, chemicals, fertilizers and machinery. Major trading partners include the USA, China and the European Union. India's major natural resources include arable land, diamonds, iron ore, manganese, chromites, coal, bauxite, mica, limestone, titanium ores, natural gas and petroleum.
Culture
Indian culture is amazingly diverse. The entire historical development of this country is preserved in ancient cultural traditions, in addition, some new traditions were borrowed from other countries and peoples. India's cultural influence is quite strong in other regions of Asia.
Reverence for elders and other traditional family values are particularly respected in this country, largely due to the socio-economic relationships established by the traditional extended family system.
Indian cuisine
Indian culinary traditions are considered one of the most ancient and popular in the world. The local cuisine is based on a variety of “sabji” vegetables (most Indians do not eat meat, and it is better for guests to wait until home to eat meat), rice, fish, various flour products, “puri” flatbreads and a wide variety of dairy products. No one will probably be able to count how many original dishes there are in Indian national cuisine. The hallmark of Indian food is spices, added to almost any dish, be it salty or sweet, and in the most unpredictable combinations for other nations. The widely known seasoning “curry” in this country is a large selection of various recipes, which, when used, can turn even the most banal dish into an unusual one.
Particularly popular here is tea, which is traditionally drunk with spices or hot milk, as well as coffee, fruit waters and fresh juices. It is not customary to drink alcoholic drinks at the table; most meals are washed down with cold, clean water. It is worth noting that in India the consumption of alcoholic beverages on trains and public transport is strictly prohibited.
Vaccinations
Travelers do not have any obligations regarding vaccinations before visiting India. So, whether to do it or not is everyone’s personal choice. Of course, some vaccinations will not be superfluous, especially if you are going to India for a relatively long period of time (at least three months) and are going to go to environmentally unfavorable areas of the country, but there is no urgent need for these vaccinations. All you have to do is simply follow hygiene and safety measures, and this will most likely allow tourists to avoid any diseases.
Airports
India has a fairly developed network of domestic airlines, and there are airports in almost all major cities and regional centers. Most often, tourists arrive at the airports of Delhi, Goa, Bombay, Kolkata or Chennai. As a rule, airports have toilets, restaurants, banks, bus stops and taxis. Some airports have equipped rest rooms. It is also worth considering that small airports usually close at night.
Project "Countries peace" India
Work completed
2nd grade student
MBOU Khmelitsky Secondary School
Vyazemsky district, Smolensk region
Kuznetsova Veronica
Head: Karapka E.S.
![](https://i2.wp.com/cdn2.arhivurokov.ru/multiurok/html/2018/04/17/s_5ad65905363e1/img1.jpg)
Goals:
- Learn about the interesting and distant country of India;
- Collect information about this country and its customs and attractions.
![](https://i1.wp.com/cdn2.arhivurokov.ru/multiurok/html/2018/04/17/s_5ad65905363e1/img2.jpg)
- India is located in southern Asia. The country ranks 7th in area and 2nd in population in the world.
- India is dominated by 4 main climates: tropical humid, tropical dry, subtropical monsoon and alpine.
![](https://i1.wp.com/cdn2.arhivurokov.ru/multiurok/html/2018/04/17/s_5ad65905363e1/img3.jpg)
Flag and coat of arms of India
On July 22, 1947, a constitutional assembly was held at which the flag of India was approved. It is a rectangle of three colors and identical stripes: the top stripe has a “deep saffron color”, as the Indians say, the middle one is white with the image of a wheel, and the bottom one is green.
On January 26, 1950, the coat of arms of India was approved. It is a sculpture of four lions that stand on a round abacus. The abacus depicts four animals: a lion pointing to the north, a horse to the south, an elephant to the east and a bull to the west. The depicted circle is a national symbol. And at the bottom are the words “Only truth conquers.”
![](https://i0.wp.com/cdn2.arhivurokov.ru/multiurok/html/2018/04/17/s_5ad65905363e1/img4.jpg)
Capital of India - Delhi
- Delhi, the capital of India and the second largest city in the country (after Mumbai), is popular with tourists due to the abundance of attractions and the interweaving of different cultures. The city was built on the plains near the ford of the Yamuna River, on the route between Western, Central and Southeast Asia.
![](https://i2.wp.com/cdn2.arhivurokov.ru/multiurok/html/2018/04/17/s_5ad65905363e1/img5.jpg)
Attractions India
- The National Museum of Delhi, which was opened in the middle of the last century.
- St. Catherine's Cathedral in old Goa is the largest Christian building in Asia.
![](https://i1.wp.com/cdn2.arhivurokov.ru/multiurok/html/2018/04/17/s_5ad65905363e1/img6.jpg)
Holy places of India
- Mahabodka Temple is a world famous Buddhist temple in Bodh Gaya, Bihar.
- Temple of the sun. It was built in the 13th century. And it is located in the village of Konarak.
![](https://i2.wp.com/cdn2.arhivurokov.ru/multiurok/html/2018/04/17/s_5ad65905363e1/img7.jpg)
Palace and statue of India
- The Taj Mahal is a palace made of snow-white marble with luxurious architecture, incredibly rich interior decoration and a picturesque park.
- Shiva statue in Murudeshwar. In the small city of Murudeshwar, the riding god Shiva, embodied in stone, sits; this is where the Hindu temple complex is located.
![](https://i0.wp.com/cdn2.arhivurokov.ru/multiurok/html/2018/04/17/s_5ad65905363e1/img8.jpg)
Temple complex and tomb India
- The Tomb of Humayun is an amazingly beautiful mausoleum of one of the Great Mughals, Padishah Humayun, located in the very heart of the country - Delhi.
- The Khajuraho temple complex is a generally recognized architectural monument with a mysterious history of creation, prosperity and decline.
![](https://i2.wp.com/cdn2.arhivurokov.ru/multiurok/html/2018/04/17/s_5ad65905363e1/img9.jpg)
Monastery and waterfall in India.
- Ajanta is a man-made cave monastery consisting of twenty-nine temples and adjacent cells of hermit monks.
- Dudhsagar is one of the largest waterfalls in India, which is located in the foothills of the Western Ghats.
![](https://i0.wp.com/cdn2.arhivurokov.ru/multiurok/html/2018/04/17/s_5ad65905363e1/img10.jpg)
Indian elephants
The elephant has been considered a sacred animal in India for a long time. Residents highly revere them and, as a tribute, organize an elephant festival in Jaipur. Elephant owners paint them from toe to tip of the trunk with all sorts of patterns.
![](https://i2.wp.com/cdn2.arhivurokov.ru/multiurok/html/2018/04/17/s_5ad65905363e1/img11.jpg)
Indian Bollywood
Bollywood is eight letters that have become sacred to all fans of Indian cinema. The home of Bollywood is Bombay.
![](https://i2.wp.com/cdn2.arhivurokov.ru/multiurok/html/2018/04/17/s_5ad65905363e1/img12.jpg)
Thank you
The report on India 3rd class is summarized in this article. From it you will learn about a country with an ancient culture, rooted far into the abyss of millennia.
Message about India
India is one of the developed third world countries. India is located in the southern part of Eurasia on the Hindustan Peninsula. The country is washed by the Indian Ocean. It borders on the following countries: Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
When talking about India as the richest country, we do not mean the standard of living of the population, but rather its wealth of various natural resources. It is no coincidence that in colonial times India was called the “jewel in the crown of the British Empire.”
Capital of India- New Delhi.
This unique country ranks second in terms of population (1.326 million people), and in terms of area (3165.6 thousand km) - seventh.
Climate of India predominantly subequatorial, monsoon. During the summer monsoon, 70-90% of precipitation falls, winter is dry and cool.
The nature of India is amazing. In a few hours here you can move from the snows of the Himalayas to the tropics and numerous beaches of the Indian Ocean.
Relief of India quite diverse - from flat areas in the south of the country, to glaciers in the north, from the desert lands of the West to eastern tropical forests.
India is rich in mineral resources, the main part of which is located in the northeast of the state. Among them are iron ore, manganese ore, coal, bauxite, brown coal, magnesite, chromite, graphite, diamonds, mica, gold, ferrous metals, monocyte sands, uranium ores.
Rivers and lakes of India
The largest rivers are the Ganga, Brahmaputra, Koshi, Yamuna, Mahanadi, Godavari, Kaveri, Krishna, Tapti, Narmada. But there are few lakes in India, but they still exist - Lake Sambhar is the largest of them.
Population of India
The bulk of India's population lives in rural areas, with the urban population accounting for only 26%. The country's 12 million-plus cities are home to 25% of urban residents. Big cities-Millionaires of India– these are Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad. 13 million people live in Mumbai.
Industry of India
Industry India is concentrated in large cities and their suburbs. It is an interweaving of old traditional industries: the production of metal, fabrics, processing of precious metals and stones - and the manufacture of new products: electronics, aviation equipment
Most of the country's population is employed in agriculture. Here grow rice, wheat, cotton, vegetables, peanuts, pepper and jute– a fibrous crop used to produce durable fabrics.
India is one of the world leaders in tea production, the main growing area of which is the humid regions in the west of the country. Due to religious traditions, animal husbandry has not received much development.
Flora and fauna of India
Hindustan Peninsula- this is an entire continent, the geographical and climatic uniqueness of which contributes to the prosperity of the animal and plant world. There are about 45 thousand plant species in India, and 15 thousand are found only there. Forests in India occupy almost 20% of the country's total area. Animal and plant life India is extremely diverse. There are 75 national parks and more than 420 nature reserves in the country.
Wild elephants and rhinoceroses can still be found in the forests of Arissa and Assam, and lions live in the Gir forests. In the jungle you can meet tigers, panthers, and monkeys. India is the only country where you can find almost all types of snakes, and some of them live not only in nature reserves, but also near people. The number of bird species found in India is huge, more than 1600 species. The richness of river and marine fauna is also great.
Sights of India
A short report about India can be completed with places worth visiting. These are the Taj Mahal, Hampi village, Avralem waterfall, Little Tibet, the city of Delhi, the Qutub Minar, the Mongolian tomb - Humayun's tomb, the Gandhi Smirti Museum, the national museum, the Crafts Museum, the Indira Gandhi Museum, the national gallery of modern art.
We hope that the report on the topic “India” helped you in preparing for classes, and you learned a lot of useful things about this country. And you can leave your message about India through the comment form.