This state is one of the oldest on our planet. It stores many mysteries of terrestrial civilization in itself. The country of ancient scholars, farmers, and fabulous natural wealth has been the pearl of the former colonial British Empire for 200 years.
The state is called India. She received her full independence in 1947. The official name is the Republic of India.
This article provides information on the neighboring countries of India. But first, let's look at some general information about the state itself, which has long been a rich country. Here European merchants for many centuries sailed for spices, fabrics, precious stones and metals. Convenient location with access to the ocean contributed to the successful development of trade routes. It should be noted that the lack of the right course of the government to preserve the unique natural features has led to current environmental disasters.
general information
Neighborhood countries of India of the first order: Pakistan, China, Nepal, Burma and Afghanistan (disputed territories of Kashmir and Jammu). The majestic India itself occupies the territory of an entire peninsula.
This is an amazing and unique country, through the mountain ranges of which caravan routes have existed since ancient times. They pass through huge passes (height over 4500 m). It is important to note one feature - the border between the mountainous India and China is not demarcated. There were no state agreements establishing a border line. And this is not necessary. The border is majestic mountains that only a few can overcome.
The vast Himalayan mountains stretch in length from the north-west to the southeast for almost 2500 kilometers, and their width is 200-300 km. The area of the mountainous country is 650 thousand square meters. kilometers, which is 2.5 times more than the territory of Great Britain. How many neighboring countries of India will be discussed later in the article.
India, like its neighbors, is a state belonging to South Asia. The country has 29 states. The capital is Delhi. India has only 2.4% of the land area of the globe, but it is one of the most populous countries - about 260 people per square kilometer. The following is some information on the neighboring states of India.
State borders
The land borders of India to a greater extent pass along high ridges. The most inaccessible is the border with China, stretching, as noted above, along the mountain ranges of Karakorum and the Himalayas. The average height of the ridges is 6,000 meters, but there are many peaks that exceed 8 km above sea level. India's land neighbors: China, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Myanmar. India has maritime borders with 4 countries: the Republic of Maldives, Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka.
The state borders on quite attractive countries in terms of tourism - Nepal, Sri Lanka, China, Maldives, Bhutan, Thailand. The following is a summary of these neighbors of India.
Nepal
Nepal is a small, but unique and rather beautiful country. She is the birthplace of Buddha and Gautam Siddhartha. The highest peaks of the Earth are located here, the main of which is the Chomolungma (or Everest). There are many caves of Buddhist Masters and the most ancient monasteries, as well as amazingly beautiful national dances and excellent cuisine.
Nepal is the northern neighbor of India.
Sri Lanka
The state of Sri Lanka (Ceylon Island) is located south of India. It is separated by the Manar Bay and a narrow strait. The island officially received the name Sri Lanka in 1972. This state is located at the crossroads of ancient civilizations. The capital of Sri Lanka of those times is Anuradhapura. Today, architectural monuments created in those ancient times have been preserved here. Today's capital is Colombo.
Ceylon Island is famous for its magnificent beaches, palm trees and tea plantations.
China
Another northern neighbor of India is a country with a long, 5000-year history, as evidenced by preserved written sources.
The existence of the 3 main religious and philosophical teachings (Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism) harmoniously affected both the architecture and the culture and art of China.
Maldives
Another nearby exotic neighbor of India are the fabulous Maldives, scattered in the middle of the Indian Ocean in the equatorial zone. They represent the perfect embodiment of a tropical paradise with wonderful palm trees, sandy beaches and clear waters with coral reefs, quiet lagoons. These places are rich in a variety of fauna and flora.
The Maldives, which for 15 years have been under Portuguese domination (16th century), is an independent state. Although they were under the protectorate of Britain in 1887-1695, the British did not intervene in the affairs of this country. In 1965, the state achieved full sovereignty. From the form of the sultanate, the state passed into the form of a republic in November 1968.
It should be noted that today archaeological data have been preserved that indicate the population of the people of the islands for more than 500 years. This is due to the fact that the islands were located on the most important trade routes, and they were inhabited by peoples from various parts of the world.
Butane
The Kingdom of Bhutan is an amazing mystery country. These places are closed from visiting crowds of tourists. Here you can find yourself in the most pristine conditions of the Himalayas. Due to restrictions on entry, the country has preserved centuries-old values and an old way of life.
What can be seen in Bhutan? Dzongs (fortresses) and gompas (monasteries), stupas (Buddhist structures of a spherical shape), painting schools, folk medicine centers and a museum of natural history.
Thailand
I would especially like to note this particular country. This state became a thai country in the 18th century. However, over the 1000 years of establishing their power, these territories were largely inhabited by Indian settlers. Out of several settlements, not one was transformed into a powerful state.
The sacred and religious texts of the Indian people, as well as literature and language, had a significant impact on the civilization of Thailand.
A bit about Pakistan
The western neighbor of India is the Islamic Republic of Pakistan (the state of South Asia, in translation - “land of the pure”). It appeared after the division of the territory of India (the British colony) in 1947.
This is the sixth most populated country in the world (more than 207 million inhabitants according to the 2017 census), and the second largest in terms of Muslim population after Indonesia.
Finally
An interesting fact is that never the natural borders of India have isolated it from the rest of the world. Probably, the inhabitants of India during the Neolithic era moved both by sea and by land to the Indian archipelago and Indochina, and played an important role in the history of the Ancient Southeast Asia. It is believed that the prehistoric civilization of the Indus Valley with the civilization of West Asia was in close connection. Even in those very distant times, the state of India had developed trade relations with Syria, Mesopotamia and Egypt.
Today, the situation in India in relation to economic development, in comparison with the past and with neighboring countries, is much worse. The socio-economic progress of the state is hampered by an extremely high birth rate, which leads to a population explosion. The country has a “family planning” policy. However, the fairly widespread illiteracy of the Indian people, especially among women, and religious beliefs greatly impede the implementation of such a policy.