India Inez Seeger, Hannah Naka and Courtney Rayment

What is the size and population of India? Approximately the size of India is 1,269,346 Square miles. India is the world second largest country, and the current estimated population is 1.15 billion people.

What are the environmental features of India? India is famous for its mountain ranges called the Indus Ganges. Other environmental features include a flat terrain named Deccan, a river called Indus, a desert called Thar and major cities consisting of Delhi, Pataliputra, Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa.

What is the Climate like in India? India is known for its extremely high equatorial temperatures. Additionally, India has high humidity with its unrelenting heat included in its tropical climate. On the coast, seasonal cyclones are common from the Indian Ocean. The most pleasurable time to visit India is between January and September. Only the northeastern regions are more reasonably cool between March and August. Mountains such as Indus Ganges are attractive holiday destinations when it’s summer, between May and September.

What are some of the crops/food grown in India? Some of the major foods produced from India are rice, oilseeds, maize, wheat, pulses, sugarcane, jowar and millets.

Crops/food exported from India? A variety of foods are exported from India. Beginning with fruits such as banana’s, mangoes, oranges, pineapples, passion fruits, and some nuts like cashews and walnuts. Cereals consisting of wheat, rice, maize and corn; organic oil seeds and oils such as the soybean, sunflower, mustard and cottonseeds, the groundnut and castor are exported. More inclusive, organic pulses like red gram and the black gram come from India. Organic vegetables such as brijal, garlic, potato, tomato and onion, organic herbs and spices like tamarind, peppermint, clove, nutmeg, black pepper, white pepper, amla, chili, ginger, vanilla, cardamom, turmeric, cinnamon, and mace. Some other major things are sugar, coffee, jaggery, cotton, textile and especially tea.

What are the Traditional Indian Dishes? The Indian cuisine is divided into groups such as the Northern Indian, Eastern Indian, Western Indian and the Southern Indian. Northern Indian foods are popular with tawa (griddle) and dairy products for baking flat breads like roti, kulcha, paratha and main courses like tandoori chicken. Western Indian cuisine is divided between three large departments, Gujarati, Maharashtrian and Goan. The Gujarati cuisine is mainly full of vegetables for the sake of being mostly vegetarian. Maharashtrian food has two parts defined by where it is and what kind of place its from. Goan cookery is predominantly by the Portuguese migration of Goa.

What is the nutrition adequacy of food typically eaten by people of this culture? Mainly the foods that are traditionally eaten by Indian’s are curries, rice’s and plenty of spices in most of their dishes. Many Indian’s are vegetarians and they eat vegetables, fruits, whole grains, milk and plant- based proteins. These foods contain essential micronutrients and vitamins that produce antioxidants that are good for heart, blood pressure and diabetes.

However, Indian’s often reheat food, which destroys the nutritional value. For example, North Indian food, especially Punjabi food, is generally higher in calories and fat and lower in nutritional value. Because of the use of pure ghee, butter, oil or trans fats. By 2010 India will carry 60% of the world’s heart disease rates (Xavier, St Johns National Academy of Health Science, 2008)

India’s food pyramid

What are the customs/religions based on the foods Indian’s eat? Jainism is one of the religions. Jainism is an ancient religion from India. Jains believe that animals and plants, as well as human beings, contain living souls. Each of these souls is considered of equal value and should be treated with respect and compassion. Jains are strict vegetarians and live in a way that minimizes their use of the world's resources.

Buddhists are a vegetarian as they honor and refrain from killing animals. Buddhism believes that anything bad one inflicts on someone (be it animal or human), will have its consequences much like the Hindus’ Karma. Monks have a propensity to fast in the afternoons. Nuns and Buddhist monks aren’t permitted to cook or keep their own food.

Hinduism is also a religion shared amongst Indian’s. If some Hindus are particularly faithful, they might not eat pork. The majority of Hindus are vegetarian but this is by choice. There are certain eating arrangements across India. For example in one part of the region crab and duck might be banned, while in other places it would be a staple. In the Hinduism religion, most of them don’t eat beef because the cow is sacred.