Easy Text: An introduction to India

India holds many records. With almost 1.3 billion people, it comes second after China in population. It is the largest democracy in the world. Furthermore it is the largest country by area in South Asia and the seventh largest in the world. New Delhi is the capital city, but Mumbai is the largest city. Hindi is the official language and English is a second official language. English has great importance there as a lingua franca (common language).

India has had commercial and cultural wealth for much of its long history, because many old trade routes have passed through the country and because it has been part of huge empires. The last imperial power to rule India was Britain. By 1856, most of India was under the control of the British East India Company, which traded in goods such as cotton, silk, tea and opium.

India became an independent nation in 1947, after many widespread, non-violent protests lead by Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi was soon after assassinated by a religious fanatic. Due to religious tension in the country, it was decided to create two Muslim countries - Pakistan in the West and Bangladesh in the East. The main religion in India is Hinduism. There are still border disputes and a generally strained relationship between Pakistan and India.

Though India’s middle class is quickly growing there are, however, still hundreds of millions of people living in poverty.

India has had a technological and industrial boom in the last few decades. It has a huge high-tech economy and a good educational system. Indian workers are also sought after in Western countries for both their expertise and their reputation for being hard workers.

Comprehension quiz: