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Travel Information on India
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India (IN)
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| Continent: |
Asia |
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| Area: |
3.287.650 km² |
| Population: |
1.112.354.980 |
| Capital city: |
New Delhi |
ISO code: |
IN |
| National language: |
Hindi, English and 21 other official languages |
International dialling code: |
+91 |
| Currency: |
Indian Rupee |
License plate number: |
IND |
| Flight routes from India: |
2996 |
Flight routes to India: |
3744 |
| Popular airports: |
Bhavnagar (BHU),
Thiruvananthapuram (TRV),
Jodhpur (JDH),
Tiruchirapally (TRZ),
Shillong Barapani (SHL),
Chandigarh (IXC),
Gorakhpur (GOP),
Ahmedabad (AMD),
Kolhapur (KLH),
Jamnagar Govardhanp (JGA)
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| Large cities: |
Mumbai,
Dilli,
Bangalore,
Kalkutta,
Chennai,
Ahmadabad,
Hyderābād,
Pune,
Sūrat,
Kanpur,
Jaipur,
Lakhnau,
Nagpur,
Indore,
Patna
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| Airlines based in India: |
Jet Airways (India),
Simplify Deccan,
Air India,
Spicejet,
IndiGo Airlines,
Air India Express,
Go Air,
Paramount Airways,
Blue Dart Aviation,
Kingfisher Airlines
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Travelguide India (Asia)
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India is the seventh largest country on earth and encompasses the Indian subcontinent, which is surrounded by the Indian Ocean, extending to the Himalayas and to the Asian mainland. The country shares borders with Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh.
India is named after the river Indus. The word is derived from the Sanskrit word “sindh” meaning “land on the river”. In Urdu, a dialect resembling Hindi and which is spoken in Pakistan, the country is called “hind"; the official name is Hindi Bharat (Union). Muslim conquerors called the northern part of India Hindustan, "land of Hindus".
The subcontinent consists of 28 states which define themselves to a large extend by their linguistic identities. 23 official languages are spoken, with more than 1600 dialects. Hindi is the common national language and is understood by approximately 30% of the population. In the south, on the other hand, Hindi is not understood. The “ lingua franca” in the whole of the country is therefore English.
The highest point in India is the Kanchenjunga mountain with an altitude of 8,598 m (28,208 ft). This mountain rises in the east from Sikkim near Nepal. The highest mountain located exclusively in India is the Nanda Devi with 7,822 m (25,662 ft).
The Brahmaputra, stretching 2,900 km (1,801 miles), may be the longest river, but the Ganges is far more significant. Measuring 2,600 km, it is the most important waterway and life source of the north. The Ganges has its source in the Himalayas and flows into the Gulf of Bengal. The Ganga, as the indians call it, is holy for the Hindus; taking a bath in the Ganges allegedly washes away all sins and promises absolution. In order to break the cycle of the Karma and rebirth, many Hindus want to die by the Ganges, preferably in Varanasi, in order to be certain that their ashes are scattered in the river.
Apart from the mountain region with a high mountain climate, the north and centre of India is characterised by a subtropical continental climate. Here it can be very cold at night between November and February, and temperatures ranging from 40- 50 ° C are the norm in the months March to June. The south, on the other hand, is hot throughout the year with minimal temperature fluctuations and therefore more bearable.
The weather in the country is determined by the monsoon, which passes over the continent every year in the months of June to October. Due to the topography of India, the monsoon can be very different according to region. On the west coast, in the Himalayas and in north-eastern India, rainfall can be extreme and flood large areas. In western India, especially in the desert regions, hardly any rain falls which in some regions can go on for years.
The states and places of interest can be summarised as follows.
Himalaya, a mountainous landscape with beautiful valleys for trekking and hill walking and encompassing the states of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and the troubled regions of Jammu and Kashmir.
Central India with the capital Delhi and the Jamia Masjid (the largest mosque in India), the famous Taj Mahal in Agra, the holy city of Varanasi and the states: Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh und Bihar.
West India with enchanted desert towns and the palaces of the Maharajas with Jaipur and the Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds), Pushkar (in November site of the largest camel market in the world), the economic and film metropolis Mumbai (Bollywood) and the palm fringed paradise beaches with the states: Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa.
East India is the most rural region of India, but is also the site of the culturally most significant city of the entire subcontinent, Calcutta, which is on the Gulf of Bengal. The states West Bengal and Orissa are also here.
North India, with its famous Assam tea plantations, is the region on earth with the most rainfall. This region encompasses the states Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Meghalaya.
South India is the tropical paradise with colourful Hindu temples, dense jungle, and the landscape of the backwater. States here are Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and the island group of the Andamanen and Nikobaren in the Indian Ocean. The largest city is Madras with a population of about 5 million.
Hinduism is India’s main religion, and is practiced by about 78 % of the population. It is the largest religion in Asia according to the number of believers and is one of the oldest religions in the world.
The second religion is Islam and, with over 100 million believers, India has one of the largest Muslim communities in the world, whereby the faith is only very strongly represented in the north. The Islamic influence is particularly discernible in the architecture, art, and in the cuisine of the north.
Indian culture has influenced the entire region of south-east Asia and determines the cuisine, clothing, music, dance and philosophy of this part of the world. Besides commercial large-scale productions (Bollywood/Kollywood) there is a rich cinematic tradition. As a result of the diversity of languages there is no “one” Indian literature, but a great number of Indian literatures.
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Favorite flights and cheap flights from and to India / IN
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Flight Frankfurt Calicut (FRA CCJ)
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Flight Chicago Hyderabad (ORD HYD) 2 Flights per week with Air India
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Flight Munich Delhi (MUC DEL) 21 Flights per week with Air India, Deutsche Lufthansa, US Airways
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Flight London-Heathrow Delhi (LHR DEL) 36 Flights per week with Air India, British Airways, Jet Airways (India), Virgin Atlantic Airways
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Flight Vienna Delhi (VIE DEL) 14 Flights per week with Austrian Airlines, Air India
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Flight Frankfurt Delhi (FRA DEL) 41 Flights per week with Air India, Deutsche Lufthansa, Air Canada, United Airlines, US Airways
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Flight Manchester Delhi (MAN DEL)
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Flight Dallas Madras (DAL MAA)
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Flight Reno Madras (RNO MAA)
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Flight Washington DC Hyderabad (IAD HYD)
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