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India
Demographics (CIA World Factbook)
Ethnic groups
Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, and other 3% (2000)
Languages
Languages:
Hindi 43.6%, Bengali 8%, Marathi 6.9%, Telugu 6.7%, Tamil 5.7%, Gujarati 4.6%, Urdu 4.2%, Kannada 3.6%, Odia 3.1%, Malayalam 2.9%, Punjabi 2.7%, Assamese 1.3%, Maithili 1.1%, other 5.6%; English is the subsidiary official language but is the most important one for national, political, and commercial communication (2011 est.)
number of languages:
3
Major-language sample(s):
<p>विश्व फ़ैक्टबुक, आधारभूत जानकारी का एक अनिवार्य स्रोत (Hindi)</p> The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Note:
<strong>note 1: </strong>there are 22 other recognized languages -- Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu <br><strong>note 2: </strong>Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout northern India but is not an official language
Religions
Hindu 79.8%, Muslim 14.2%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.7%, other and unspecified 2% (2011 est.)
Culture
Diwali
Festival of Lights. Five-day Hindu celebration symbolizing the victory of light over darkness. Oil lamps, fireworks, and sweets.
Holi Festival
Festival of Colors celebrating spring, love, and the victory of good over evil. People throw colored powders and water.
Demographics
Demo India
Birthplace of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. Constitutionally secular. Incredible religious diversity.
Heritage
Golden Temple
Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar. Holiest Sikh gurdwara. Feeds 100,000+ people daily in its community kitchen.
Taj Mahal
Mughal mausoleum. One of the most beautiful buildings ever constructed. Blend of Islamic, Persian, and Indian architecture.
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