India

India is the second-most populous country, seventh-largest country, and the most populous democracy in the world with a population of over 1.3 billion people. With the world’s oldest, largest and continuous civilization, the country has become a pluralistic, multilingual and multi-ethnic society, that developed a megadiverse land with four biodiversity hotspots. As a rising economic powerhouse and nuclear-armed state, India has emerged as an important regional power, which ranks high in military expenditure. India is a very spiritual country, with more than 80 percent of Indians are Hindu. The mighty Himalayas boast of 9 out of 10 world's highest peaks, the highest being Mt. Everest, a large part of the Himalayas are in India. A fast-growing economy with a hub for information technology services, India has become one of the world’s largest industrial economies that also thrives in the industries of agriculture, services, food processing, manufacturing, and oil and gas. Some of India’s world-famous tourist attractions are The Taj Mahal, The Holy City of Varanasi, Harmandir Sahib, The Golden City, and Mecca Masjid.