India The Republic of India is a large country in South Asia, and one of only two countries in the world with a population of over one billion. The Indian economy is the fourth largest in the world in terms of purchasing power parity and is the world's second fastest growing economy. India is also the second most populous country in the world and the world's larg-est democracy. It is the seventh largest country by geographical size. It has grown signifi-cantly, in both population and strategic importance, in the last twenty years. India has also emerged as an important regional power, possessing one of the world's largest military forces and a declared nuclear weapons capability. Origin of Names The official name India is the Old Persian version of Sindhu, the historic local appellation for the river Indus. The Constitution of India and general usage also recognises Bharat as an official name of equal status. Bharat was the name of an ancient Indian king. A third name, Hindustan, or land of the Hindus in Persian, was used from Mughal times onwards. Geography and climate Geography The Himalayas stretch from Jammu and Kashmir in the north to Arunachal Pradesh in the far east making up most of India's eastern borders. India is home to several major rivers such as the Ganga (Ganges), the Brahmaputra, the Yamuna, the Godavari, and the Krishna. Climate The Indian climate varies from a tropical climate in the south to a more temperate climate in the north. Parts of India which lie in the Himalayan mountains have a tundra climate. India gets its rains through the monsoons. Links Link to Website 1 Link to Website 2 Link to Website 3