Travel with me!!!

so here you can write or post articles for countries that interests you i will do first and you will do it next you have to know what to do when you go to some foreign country lolz
you can also post pix like historical or architectural masterpieces or nature views!!
here's something i found searching for Germany!!

Germany ...

General: Since November 1989 Germany is a united country again. The German borders always have changed throughout history. After WW2 Germany nearly lost half of his former size. Capitol is Berlin. We got 16 federal states. On of the oldest is Bavaria. Germany shares it's borders with Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France and the Netherlands. The German language is one of the 10 "most important" languages in the world.

Nature:
Germany's beaches are at the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. I think something around 30% of Germany is forest. The Biggest ones are the Bavarian Forest and the Black Forest. The biggest sea in Germany is the Bodensee. It's water is so clean, that it's nearly too clean. We also got the Alps, the highest mountain chain in inner Europe.

p.s. recycling is obligatory over here! We also got a Green Party, that is a constant member of our parliament since the late 60s.

History:
The name Germany or... rightly Germanien was first used by the Romans, who invaded half of Germany (They couldn't invade whole Germany cause the Germans were revolting against them). Parts of the Limes, the roman border still exist. Before this invasion Germany (including Austria and parts of Poland) has been occupied by several tribes. Napoleòn also tried to invade Germany, but failed.
Germany still didn't see itself as a real country, but began to grow together more and more.
Later, the German kings, automatically became also the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire. Austria and other parts of Germany later became single countries.
The last German "Kaiser" (Emperor) was Wilhelm II, under whom the first world war broke out.
Germany's first "real" Democracy ended after 15 years through the election of the NSDAP, following the second Worldwar.
For a long time Germany has been called "the nation of poets and philosophers", since people like Goethe, Schiller, Lessing, etc... lived here.

economical situation:
After the total breakdown after WW 2 Germany became the world's biggest export power, especially technological products, cars and energy resources.
We got around 3.6 million jobless people.

education:
Germany's Universities are still one of the best in the world. But the Education system is heavily criticized since several years because a big part of the pupils, especially from the lower class are being aggrieved.

Religious:
One of the basic rights is the freedom of religion.
Most people are Christians, protestants and Atheists (30%). Germans with Muslim background are at around 10% I think.

Usual Stuff:
Germans love their dogs
It's definitely a dog country, Also nature still is really important to most Germans. The "Sunday walk" through nature is a tradition for most families.
As much as we love the nature,we also love the sun, so the main vacation spots are places like France, Italy or Spain.

People: around 83 million people.
After WW2 Germans were scared to feel something like pride for their country. And it's still like that. But we begin to develop a new kind of German identity.
Usually, it's very important to be on time, and to do your job properly. But if it's time to party, nothing can hold us back
The family still plays a big role, but not so much anymore.
It's not easy to make friends, but once you got them, you most likely keep them. Once you got the trust of a German, he gives you everything you need. Very dependable, ambitious, funny, arrogant, responsible and honest folk.
Patriotism is something very strange to us.

Food:
Germany has over 300 kinds of bread, and our bread is what we also miss the most when we're in a foreign country.
There's nothing better than a real Schwarzbrot or Sonnenblumenbrot! Yummy!
We also have hundreds of sausages. Germans love flesh and potatoes. And cakes!!!


Currency:
Since 2002 it's the €uro.
Before that we had the good old Deutsche Mark.

Rhine river


Neuschwanstein Castle (1869 -1884) Schwangau, Germany


german flag

cool ok i'll be waiting i'll find more stuff about other countries thnx for ur comments!!!

Hi everybody, i would to post about my preferred country (Syria) n at the following something i found about it ....

General Information
Syria (Arabic Suriyah), officially Al Jumhuriyah al Arabiyah al Suriyah (Syrian Arab Republic), republic in southwestern Asia, bounded on the north by Turkey, on the east by Iraq, on the south by Jordan and Israel, and on the west by Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea. Syria has an area of about 185,050 sq. km (about 71,498 sq. mi.). The capital and largest city is Damascus, also spelled Dimashq.

Syria is an ancient tourist country. It is the land of continuous and uninterrupted history. It has known most of the prophets and conquerors. It is the land on which greatest empires accumulated.
This has not effected its inhabitants who were sometimes known as the Amorites and sometimes the Arameans, but were all the time known as Arabs who remained trade mediators all over the world and emissaries combining human education and cooperation.

Syria is known for being a land containing many historical ruins. The National Museum in Damascus is famous for the valuable historical belongings. It is similar to an active exhibition showing evidences of human development on the Syrian territories. There, one can find astonishing ruins which stand for Syrian oriental ruins and other ruins belonging to the Greek, Roman and Byzantine eras as well as Arab an Islamic ruins. IT also contains the Damascene hall which is a symbol of beauty. In Damascus also there is the Omayyad Mosque which is viewed as one of the marvelous Arab architecture. Beside it lies the tomb of Salah Ed-Dim Al-Ayyoubi. In another area in the city lies the Takieyh Suleimanhieh with its wonderful engravings and architecture.


Land and Resources
Syria has an extreme east-to-west distance of about 830 km (about 515 mi.) and an extreme north-to-south distance of about 740 km (about 460 mi.). Along the Mediterranean coast, which is about 160 km (about 100 mi.) long, lies a narrow plain extending inland as far as 32 km (20 mi.). Parallel to this plain is the Jabal an Nusayriyah, a narrow range of mountains and hills, south of which, along the border of Syria and Lebanon, are the Anti-Lebanon Mountains, the site of Mount Hermon, the highest point in the country at 2814 m (9232 ft). The Anti-Lebanon range tapers off into a hilly region called the Golan Heights (captured by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War) in the southwestern corner of Syria. Much of the rest of the country consists of a plateau, which is bisected in the northeast by the valley of the Euphrates (known in Syria as Al Furat) River. The plateau area north of the Euphrates is called the plain of Al Jazىrah. The semicircular plateau area in the southeastern is in the Syrian Desert. The Euphrates, the longest river in Syria, flows diagonally across the country from Turkey in the north to Iraq on the east. The second longest river, the Orontes, originates in the Lebanese portion of the Anti-Lebanon Mountains and flows north through western Syria to Turkey

Climate
West of the Jabal an Nusayriyah, Syria has a Mediterranean climate, characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. Yearly rainfall ranges from about 510 to 1020 mm (about 20 to 40 in) in the coastal area, from about 255 to 510 mm (about 10 to 20 in) between Halab (Aleppo), and Damascus, and from 127 mm (5 in) to less than 25 mm (less than 1 in) in the desert area in the southeast. Regional variations in temperature are comparatively slight. At Halab, in the northwest, the average August temperature is about 30° C (about 86° F) and the average January temperature is about 4.4° C (about 40° F). At Tudmur, in the central region at the edge of the Syrian Desert, the corresponding temperatures are about 30.8° C (about 87.5° F) and about 6.4° C (about 43.5° F).

Natural Resources
Petroleum, natural gas, phosphate rock, asphalt, and salt are the main Syrian minerals found in sufficiently large quantities for commercial exploitation. Small deposits of coal, iron ore, copper, lead, and gold exist, primarily in mountainous regions. Good farmland is located in the coastal region and in parts of the valleys of the Orontes and Euphrates rivers.

Plants and AnimalsSyria has comparatively limited areas of abundant natural vegetation. On the whole the nonarable areas are too dry to support extensive plant life, and virtually all of the arable areas have been stripped of natural cover. Along the coast, however, are found some reed grasses, wild flowers, trees, and shrubs, including buckthorn and tamarisk. In the Anti-Lebanon Mountains are forests of Aleppo pine and Syrian and valonia oak. The mammalian wildlife of Syria includes the antelope, deer, wildcat, porcupine, squirrel, and hare. Birds native to the country include the flamingo, pelican, bustard, ostrich, eagle, and falcon. Lizards and chameleons are found in the desert

Population
Syria is populated chiefly by Arabs, who constitute about 90 percent of the population. The largest non-Arab minorities are Kurds, most of whom are pastoral people concentrated along the Turkish border, and Armenians, who dwell chiefly in the larger cities. The Syrian Desert is the most sparsely populated part of Syria. The most densely settled area of the country is in the west.
Population Characteristics
The population of Syria (1995 estimate) is about 14,775,000, giving the country an overall population density of about 80 persons per sq. km (about 207 per sq. mi.). Population growth during the early 1990s was estimated at 3.6 percent a year. Political Divisions and Principal Cities
Syria is divided into 13 governorates and the municipality of Damascus. The capital and largest city of the country is Damascus, with a population (1992 estimate) of 1,451,000. Major cities include Halab (1992 estimate, 1,445,000), Homs (518,000), Al Ladhiqىyah (284,000), and Hamah (254,000).

Religion
The overwhelming majority of the Syrian population is Sunni Muslim. Other Muslims include Ismailis, Shiites, and Alawites (a schism of the Shiite branch). Of the non-Muslims in Syria, most are Christians, primarily Greek and Armenian Orthodox. Religious minorities include Druze, who follow a religion related to Islam, and a community of approximately 1000 Jews.




Education
Primary education is free and compulsory for all children, but about 36 percent of the adult Syrian population was estimated to be illiterate in the early 1990s. During the same period about 2.5 million pupils were enrolled annually in primary schools, about 850,000 students attended secondary schools, and about 53,300 students were enrolled in vocational institutes. Syria has universities in Damascus, Halab, Homs, and Al Ladhiqىyah, with a total annual enrollment in the mid-1990s of about 170,000 students. Also in Damascus is the Arab Academy (1919), which is devoted to the study of Arabic language, literature, history, and culture. Other institutes and colleges specialize in social work, agriculture, industry, technology, and music.
Libraries and Museums The public libraries in Halab, Damascus, Homs, and Al Ladhiqyah house the principal collections of the country. Other major repositories include the Damascus University Library, with more than 150,000 volumes, and the Assad National Library, also in Damascus. The most notable museum is the National Museum, in Damascus, which has collections that include Asian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic art. The museums at the site of the ancient city of Palmyra and in Halab are noted for their archaeological holdings.

Economy
Syria is primarily an agricultural country, and most workers engage in crop farming or herding for a livelihood. The country has about 5 million hectares (about 12.4 million acres) of arable land and about 8.3 million hectares (about 20.5 million acres) of permanent meadows and pastureland. Much of the tilled acreage is irrigated, but extensive areas lie unused for lack of water. Irrigation is necessary even in many regions that receive substantial annual rainfall, because most of the rainfall occurs during the winter rather than during the growing season. Much of the acreage under cultivation suffers from soil exhaustion because of insufficient use of fertilizers and failure to rotate crops. A major irrigation project in the Euphrates River valley is designed to bring an additional 640,000 hectares (1.6 million acres) under cultivation. The estimated annual national budget in the early 1990s included about $5.4 billion in domestic revenue and $7.5 billion in expenditure, including capital expenditures of $2.9 billion. Syria is heavily dependent on aid from the major Arab oil-producing states.


Currency and Banking
The basic unit of currency is the Syrian pound, divided into 100 piasters (22 pounds equal U.S.$1; official rate since 1991). Syrian banking was formerly controlled by foreign companies. After the achievement of full independence in 1946, banking operations were conducted to an increasing extent by Syrian-owned banks. Until 1956 currency was issued by the largest commercial bank in Syria, the French-owned Banque de Syrie et du Liban. In that year the Syrian government established a new, state-owned bank, the Central Bank of Syria, and authorized it to issue the national currency.


i'll post another information n photos related to that country ...

oh cool i like this post i will be writing something as well!! thnx alot
am waiting for ur post

hi all !
the cont. of information about my preferred country .....


Agriculture
Despite climatic handicaps, Syria produces a wide variety of crops, some in sufficient quantity for export. The major crops are cereals, primarily wheat and barley; cotton, which was raised in increasingly large quantities beginning in the late 1950s and accounted for more than half the national export revenues before the ascendancy of oil in the mid-1970s; and tobacco, grapes, olives, citrus fruits, and vegetables. In the early 1990s Syrian wheat production totaled about 3 million metric tons per year; barley, 1.1 million tons; seed cotton, 689,000 tons; grapes, 533,000 tons; olives, 491,000 tons; tomatoes, 448,000 tons; and watermelons, 347,000 tons. Syrian livestock in the same period included approximately 762,000 cattle, 42,000 horses, 165,000 asses, 15.8 million sheep, 986,000 goats, and 16 million chickens.


Manufacturing
Syrian manufacturing industries began to grow substantially in the 1960s. The government encouraged industrialization by raising tariffs on imported consumer goods and providing tax exemptions and credit for domestic industries. During the period when Syria was federated with Egypt in the United Arab Republic (February 1958 through September 1961), governmental involvement in the economic sector was greatly expanded, and in July 1961, shortly before Syria seceded from the union, most industrial concerns were nationalized. After the secession, except for a large textile concern and several flour mills, Syrian industry was denationalized. The requirement that companies distribute 25 percent of their profits to their employees was retained, however. Many of the industries that were returned to private management after the break with Egypt were renationalize in 1965.
Textiles constitute the largest single manufacturing industry in Syria. Cotton and silk textile production was about 26,000 metric tons per year in the early 1990s. Syrian artisans continue to be noted, as in centuries past, for the fine quality of their silk brocades and rugs and for their artistic metalwork in brass, copper, silver, iron, and steel. Annual cement production was about 3.2 million tons. The soap, glass, flour, tobacco, tanning, vegetable oil, and food-processing industries are growing, and about 27 million metric tons of crude petroleum were produced annually in the early 1990s.
Energy About 20 percent of Syria's electricity is generated in hydroelectric facilities, and the remainder is produced in conventional thermal installations. The annual output in the early 1990s was 11.9 billion kilowatt-hours.

Foreign Trade( international trade )
In the past, Syria imported considerably more than it exported each year. However, Syria's closer alliance with Western nations and the Gulf States in the aftermath of the Persian Gulf War (1991) stimulated high economic growth in the private sector and increased export earnings. In the early 1990s Syrian imports had an estimated annual value of about $2.7 billion, and exports had a yearly value of about $3.5 billion. The principal imports were manufactures of many types, including machinery, transportation equipment, iron and steel, refined petroleum, textiles, and chemical products. Syria also imported grain, livestock products, and other agricultural goods. The principal exports were petroleum, which in 1974 supplanted raw cotton as the leading export; cotton and other textile items; preserved foods, beverages, tobacco, phosphates, fruits and vegetables. The chief buyers of Syrian exports were Romania, Italy, France, and Russia and the other successors of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). Imports were supplied chiefly by Iran, Libya, Germany, France, Italy, and Russia and the other successors of the USSR. Much revenue was derived from fees charged to foreign countries for piping oil through Syria. Considerable foreign currency also came from the expenditures of the many tourists who visit the country each year.

Also i would like to add another information about Syria ...
it characterized by the beauty of TV series ... as they r realistic and deal with the themes nicely and attractive ...

Ofcourse, in addition to the beauty of the actors from male and female ... so we find a lot of viewers for this series ..in particular ( Bab El-7ara) ahleeeeeeeen 3aked



Now i'll post a nice photos for that country ...

hi guys, now i would like to offer the following fantastic photos reach to me via mail ... i think it explain the beauty and delight of eating in Syria .. n i advise u not to watch during fasting

all of photos in the following link, again sorry for the error


http://rapidshare.com/files/276604585/eating_in_Syria.rar.html

wow i love the las t 2 pix!! n the article was great keep it up

fix it we cant see them ...

oh will u cant copy paste links from ur msn coz it needs password u know so what u have to do is to upload pix here by saving the pix to ur PC n then there's this icon that is called host an image u can click on it n upload w/e u like but the problem is that it shows pix in a small version so if that doesnt satisfy u, u can register in
www.photobucket.com
its a site for uploading pix its so fast n awsome n easy gdluck

ya anonymous i forgot that n i save the photos in my PC then upload them to post here ...n u can download the pix by the link above,, speed can do more than that ...thnx for ur advise!!

oh ya well ur welcome
ya nothin like being fast xD
i will download them

i liked them so simple n vintage cooking lolz
am not a fan of desserts but they looked attractive hehe :p

now i'd be talking about india!!

summary from me taken from what i see and read about india from movies and sites!!

The magic of india that captivate your heart,
Many people dream about going to india and visit its remarkable places like taj mahal (The Taj Mahal in Agra was built by Shah Jahan as memorial to wife Mumtaz Mahal. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site considered to be of "outstanding universal value".)

What you notice the most about this wonderful country is its vibrant colors (people wear colorful clothes and everywhere you go you would just see colors),
spices (ofcourse india is the most famous country of spices there they take spices as a science and some of them consider spices a higher power because they say there is a spice for everything and everyone),
family traditions (people there can be real conservative but this issue has been taking less consideration because of the fact that their sons mostly and daughters rarely go to study abroad specially in USA and they go back home with different "modern thoughts that doesn't hold family traditions)
ofcourse the women of india are considered to be a great beauty standard "the indian beauty"!

I use to watch indian movies but i found out they are all the same its all a love story where the hero gets separated from his love and he go fighting for her and manage to keep himself alive after so many shots and blood and damage lolz
its all the same story with different details and characters!!
Indian movies and indian stars relate to the word Bollywood instead of Hollywood as in the USA!

The most powerful city in india is Mumbai (its the capital of india and it is considered a first level world or what they call Alpha World people go there from all around india and stay there to work and have families and all)

As well as there is prosperity, wealth and glamor in india a large slice of the society are considered to be under the poverty line where kids have their innocence stolen and their childhood been a nightmare, and where women are used in the most ugly ways and where religions being attacked and where the rich step on the poor!!

People of india are all over the world basically to learn and work you see many of them as doctors, engineers or business men and they all aim success!!

Another important thing you would notice is their gods and diversity in religions!
heres a summary of that:

In India, religion is a way of life. It is an integral part of the entire Indian tradition. For the majority of Indians, religion permeates every aspect of life, from common-place daily chores to education and politics. Secular India is home to Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and other innumerable religious traditions. Hinduism is the dominant faith, practiced by over 80% of the population. Besides Hindus, Muslims are the most prominent religious group and are an integral part of Indian society. In fact India has the second largest population of Muslims in the world after Indonesia.

Common practices have crept into most religious faiths in India and many of the festivals that mark each year with music, dance and feasting are shared by all communities. Each has its own pilgrimage sites, heroes, legends and even culinary specialties, mingling in a unique diversity that is the very pulse of society.

Hinduism

The underlying tenets of Hinduism cannot be easily defined. There is no unique philosophy that forms the basis of the faith of the majority of India's population. Hinduism is perhaps the only religious tradition that is so diversified in its theoretical premises and practical expressions as to be called a "museum of religions". This religion cannot be traced to a specific founder nor does it have a "holy book" as a basic scriptural guide. The Rig Veda, Upanishads and the Bhagwad Gita can all be described as the sacred text of the Hindus.

Unlike most other religions, Hinduism does not advocate the worship of one particular deity. One may worship Shiva or Vishnu or Rama or Krishna or some other gods and goddesses or one may believe in the 'Supreme Spirit' or the 'Indestructible Soul' within each individual and still be called a good Hindu. This gives an indication of the kind of contrasts this religion is marked by. At one end of the scale, it is an exploration of the 'Ultimate Reality'; at the other end there are cults that worship spirits, trees and animals.

There are festivals and ceremonies associated not only with gods and goddesses but also with the sun, moon, planets, rivers, oceans, trees and animals. Some of the popular Hindu festivals are Deepawali, Holi, Dussehra, Ganesh Chaturthi, Pongal, Janamasthmi and Shiva Ratri. These innumerable festive occasions lend Hinduism its amazing popular appeal and make the Indian tradition rich and colorful.

Hindu Mythology and the Living Gods

Heroes of epics like the Mahabharata and the Ramayana are immortalized and are still alive in the day-to-day existence of the common people. The gods of Hinduism are at once super-human and human and there is distinct feeling of warmth and familiarity towards them.

Rama, the hero of the Ramayana, represents qualities such as honor, courage and valor and is held up as a model of manliness. His wife Sita is the prototypal Indian wife who is carried off by Ravana, the king of Lanka, while Rama and Sita are on exile. Sita's eventual rescue by Rama, his brother Lakshmana, and Rama's faithful monkey-general Hanuman are all woven into this engrossing tale. Stories from this epic have been passed down orally from one generation to the next. Religious fairs, festivals and rituals have kept these legends alive, and there is never an occasion that does not offer an opportunity to retell the old stories.

The stirring verses of the Mahabharata tell the story of the dynastic struggle between the Pandavas and the Kauravas, who were close cousins. Lord Krishna plays a very important role in this Great Epic. He is a friend, philosopher and guide to Arjuna, one of the Pandavas, and he helps Arjuna overcome his hesitation to kill his close relatives in the battlefield. The wise philosophy of Krishna and his teachings have been embodied in the Bhagwad Gita. Although the popular image of Krishna is that of a god who steals butter as a child, and who, as a youth, plays the flute and entices cows and cowherd girls alike; in his mature years he is depicted as the wise philosopher with a more serious side to his nature.

There are numerous gods and goddesses worshipped by Hindus all over India. Among these, the most fundamental to Hinduism, is the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva - creator, preserver and destroyer respectively. Brahma has four heads corresponding to the four directions of the compass. He is the creator of life and the entire universe. Vishnu is the preserver who guides the cycle of birth and rebirth. He is also supposed to have taken many incarnations to save the world from evil forces. Both Rama and Krishna are believed to have been incarnations of Vishnu. Shiva, usually seen with a coiled cobra around his neck, destroys all evil and also has many incarnations, not all of which are terrifying.

The invisible deities are represented by a complexity of images and idols symbolizing divine powers. Many of these idols are housed within ornate temples of unparalleled beauty and grandeur. The Hindu gods are very much alive and live in temples, snow-capped peaks, in rivers and oceans and in the very hearts and minds of the Hindus.

Sikhism

The Sikh religion emerged during the early 16th century in the state of Punjab in North India. The founder of this faith was Guru Nanak, who from his childhood was attracted to both Hindu and Muslim saints. Born a Hindu, but also inspired by the teachings of Islam, he began to preach the message of unity of both religions. According to him, the basic teachings of both faiths were essentially the same. Nanak attracted many followers and came to be known as a Guru or a teacher. His disciples came together to form a new religious tradition called Sikhism.

The Gurus who followed Nanak contributed to the consolidation and spread of Sikhism. The teachings of Guru Nanak were incorporated in the 'Guru Granth Sahib', the Holy Book of the Sikhs which became a symbol of God for Sikhs. The fifth Guru, Guru Arjun built the Golden Temple at Amritsar which became the holiest of Sikh shrines. The tenth Guru, Govind Singh imparted military training to the Sikhs to help them defend themselves.

On Baisakhi day of 1699 at Anandpur, Guru Govind Singh ordered his Sikhs to assemble before him as was customary and created a new brotherhood of Sikhs called the Khalsa (Pure Ones). Five men selected for their devotion to the Guru were called Panj Pyares and given nectar (amrit) for initiation into the brotherhood of Khalsa. Later the Guru himself received initiation from Panj Payares as did others.

The members of the new brotherhood were instructed to wear the five symbols (the five Ks )- uncut hair, a comb, a steel wrist guard, a sword and breeches. The initiated men took the name Singh (Lion) and the women Kaur (Princess). The Guru also decided to terminate the succession of gurus and was thus the last of the Sikh Gurus.

Sikhism propounds monotheism, i.e. worship of one God. It also opposes the caste system and believes that all men are equal. However the ideas of karma and rebirth from Hinduism are accepted. Today, many Sikh practices are common to Hindus. Intermarriages between the two communities are also common. However the Sikh community has its own unmistakable identity. Though the Sikhs constitute less than 2 percent of the Indian population, they have become a distinct element in the configuration of the Indian religious tradition and the Indian society.

Buddhism

Buddhism originated as an offshoot of Hinduism in India, but eventually it became popular all over Asia. The personality and teachings of Gautam Buddha, the founder of this faith, have illumined the lives of millions of people in Japan, China and Southeast Asia.

There are strong lines of similarity between Buddhism and the basic teachings of Hinduism. Buddhism is based on the principle or the law of impermanence. According to this, everything is subject to change, although some things may last longer than others. The other basic principle of Buddhism is the law of causation, according to which nothing occurs due to pure chance. Besides natural forces, it is the karma which leads to the occurrence of all events. The popular notions of the indestructible soul and the cycle of rebirth emerge from these two basic philosophies.

Buddha advocated the Middle Path, in which he offered a balanced, harmonious way of life, steering between two extremes of self-indulgence and total abstinence. Buddhism rests upon four Noble Truths: (i) suffering is universal, (ii) it is caused by desire and yearning (iii) suffering can be prevented and overcome and (iv) eradication of desires can lead to removal of suffering. To prevent suffering one has to conquer craving and desire and this conquest leads to the attainment of nirvana or complete enlightenment.

Islam

The Arab traders brought Islam to India in the early 8th century, but it was not until the 12th century that it became a force to reckon with in the Indian sub-continent. Unlike Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism which emerged as offshoots of Hinduism, the concept, customs and religious practices of Islam were unique to this faith which professed universal brotherhood and submission to Allah - the God Almighty.

The Muslim invaders in the 12th century and the Mughal rulers in the 16th and 17th centuries helped in the spread of Islam in India. In its first phase, Islam was aggressive. But the mystics of Islam, or the Sufi saints, helped in spreading the message of peace and universal love.

The spirit of brotherhood propounded by Sufi saints and preachers like Kabir and Nanak helped in loosening the rigidity of the caste system. The interaction of the two faiths led to a synthesis of Hindu and Islamic elements in almost every sphere of life and culture. After an initial period of conflict and confrontation, today the two religions have accommodated and enriched each other.

Christianity

Christianity first came to India by way of St. Thomas. He came to Kerala, in southwestern India, and founded the first church. Ironically, Shankaracharya, a Hindu reformer and seer, was born in Kerala some five hundred years after St. Thomas. St. Thomas ended up dying in the Chennai region (then known as Madras) of the Tamils.

Most Christians in India are Catholic (over 60 percent) and a majority of them are found in the south, particularly Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamilnadu. Approximately on third of Kerala's population is comprised of Christians and they are involved in all aspects of society.

Contrary to popular belief, British rule had little to do with the growth of Christianity in India. The missionaries generally tended to turn public opinion, even those of the Indian Christians, against foreign rule. Bengali Christians in Calcultta were fairly important in their respective areas, whether it was in education, as a leader or an opinion-maker.

By tradition, Christianity is said to have arrived in India with Saint Thomas, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ, who spent some years in South India and possibly died there. However, others believe that the first missionary to arrive in the country was Saint Bartholomew. Historically, Christian missionary activity started with the advent of Saint Francis Xavier in 1544. He was followed by Portuguese missionaries at first and eventually by missionaries from other countries like Denmark, Holland, Germany and Great Britain. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries Catholic as well as Protestant missionaries preached Christian doctrines in India and also made important contributions to social improvement and education in India.

Much of the modern influences in the Indian society can be attributed to the role of Christianity in India. Christian missionaries helped in setting up schools and colleges all over India and also spread the message of faith and goodwill in the country. Christianity and its teachings influenced a number of intellectuals and thinkers in India, including Mahatma Gandhi.

Today, the Christians in India number about 30 million and consist of people from every denomination of Christianity.

Jainism
Jainism as a religious tradition was established in India about the same time as Buddhism. Mahavira, one of the jinas (conquerors) preached the Jain philosophy around the same time that Buddhism began.

Like Buddhism, Jainism rose against the corruption in the interpretation of Hinduism prevalent at the time. The underlying philosophy of Jainism is that renunciation of worldly desires and self-conquest leads to perfect wisdom. This faith believes in total abstinence and asceticism as practiced by the Jinas and the Tirthankars ("crossing-makers"). The "crossing refers to the passage from the material to the spiritual realm, from bondage to freedom. Followers of this faith accept the popular gods of Hinduism but they are placed lower than the jinas.

The focus of this religion has been purification of the soul by means of right conduct, right faith and right knowledge. This faith also enunciates complete non-violence and the Jain monks can be seen with their nose and mouth covered by a cloth mask to ensure that they do not kill any germs or insects while breathing. Today, Jainism has more than 3 million adherents in India and finds wide acceptance because of its philosophy of sympathy for all living beings.

Zoroastrianism

The first Zoroastrians to enter India arrived on the Gujarati coast in the 10th century, soon after the Arabian conquest of Iran and by the 17th century, most of them had settled in Bombay. Zoroastrian practice is based on the responsibility of every man and woman to choose between good and evil, and to respect God's creations. The religion's founder, Zarathustra, who lived in Iran in 6000 BC was the first religious prophet to expound a dualistic philosophy, based on the opposing powers of good and evil.

Most Zoroastrians can be seen in Bombay today where they are known as Parsees. They have no distinctive dress and few houses of worship. Five daily prayers, usually hymns uttered by Zarathustra and standardized in the religious text Zenda Avesta, are said in the home or the temple, before a fire, which symbolizes the realm of truth, righteousness and order.


Mahtma Ghandi is one of the greatest people in history if you want know more:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohandas_Karamchand_Gandhi

India Currency is called ruppe (1 Indian rupee = 0.020665 U.S. dollars)

at the end here's some pix of india
and if i missed something about india please post it here
hope you like it enjoy

taj mahal


some indian gods:


mahatma ghandi:


indian statue for a god:

indian spices:


i forgot to mention the indian clothes:
http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/india/clothing/

oh prince thnx am glad u do n sure talk about that it should be interesting!!

ok gd me is waiting

what u hate india?