India is the seventh biggest country in the world and the second most populous.
It shares its borders with six countries.
India surrounds the country of Bangladesh on three sides.
India’s landscape is incredibly varied, with dry desert regions, lush highlands, vast plains and plateaus.
It is also home to a large part of the world’s youngest and highest mountains- the Himalayas. The Himalayas and their foothills form a massive barrier across almost all of northern India.
Southern India is a giant peninsula jutting out into the Indian Ocean.
The Arabian Sea lies to the west of India, and to the east lies the Bay of Bengal.
A) Vocabulary: Please make your own sentences with these words:
- Populous – Full of people.
- Landscape – Scenery or countryside.
- Varied – Full of variety/Many different kinds.
- Lush – Green and fertile.
- Highlands – Mountainous part of a country.
- Plateau – An area of high flatland.
- Massive – Huge or heavy.
- Barrier – Something that blocks or acts as an obstacle.
- Peninsula – A piece of land that is almost surrounded by water.
- Jut/Jutting – To stick out.
B) Discussion points:
- Please draw a map of India.
- Name India’s neighbours.
- Does Sri Lanka share a border with India?
- What is the current population of India?
- India is the seventh biggest country in the world. Which is the biggest?
- Name India’s neighbour to the west? What countries lie to the east of India?
- Describe the flag of India.
C) Did you know?
Did you know that the Himalayas were once under the sea?
About 40 million years ago the Indian landmass collided with Eurasia, pushing rocks up from the sea floor to form the Himalayas. Seashells from long, long ago have been found on Himalayan peaks.
Audio courtesy Tara Kriplani: