A Map of India

It is one of the most famous areas of India.
It is more than 2,400 kilometres long and between 160 and 320 kilometres wide. Some of its peaks are the highest in the world (the Everest, the K2,etc.).
The Himalayas give birth to many rivers. The most important are the Indus, the Ganges, the Yamuna and the Brahmaputra.

It is the area South of the Narmada. It is bordered by two medium mountains : the Western and the Eastern Ghats. They look like huge stairs covered by forests.

It is the biggest in the world and includes the Indus and the Ganges basins. The Ganges basin is 1 million km2 wide. With the Bramaputra, it creates the largest delta in the world (140,000 kms).

From December to March, it is quite dry and the sky remains mainly clear. The temperatures depend on the latitudes but are usually above 20°C during the day. However it remains quite cold in the Himalayas (less than 15°C).

From March to May, India is at its warmest. There are almost no rains and temperatures are above 40°C inland.

The monsoon lasts from June to September. It then rains everywhere. The West coast are heavily wet while the inland and the East Coast can remain quite dry.

After the monsoon (from October to November), some tropical hurricanes can take place and wreak havoc.

Agriculture represents about 70 % of the population and accounts for 30 % of the gross domestic product. The rural density is thus very high. It is based on three major cereals:

• India is the second world producer of rice. It is grown in the wettest areas (East and West coast as well as the Ganges plain).
• It is the world's third producer of wheat. It can be found mainly in the North.
• Millet, which is associated with peanuts, are found in the driest parts (the Dekkan and the North-West areas).

Tea, coffee and heveas are mainly grown around the Himalayas. India was the first tea grower of the world in 1994.
It also grows sugar canes and cotton.
Cattle is very important too since its density is the highest in the world.

India is the 4th coal producer and produces other numerous ores (manganese, mica, copper, etc.). The production of oil and gas is still growing.
Iron and steel industry is particularly important as well as the textile industry.