The largest part of the Indian Subcontinent, extends from the Himalayan Mountains in the north, south into the tropical reaches of the Indian Ocean. It's the second most populous country on the planet, and certainly one of the most intriguing.

This diverse and fertile country, which once included the lands we now call Bangladesh and Pakistan, was plundered over eons of time.

It was subsequently colonized and controlled by Britain during much of the 19th and 20th centuries. Then, in 1947, India declared independence and formed its own country.

It is home to some of the most significant natural and man-made wonders on the planet, and thus, a powerful exotic tourism magnet. The modern open-door policies of India have put the tourist industry here on the fast-track, as luxury hotels and beach resorts are constantly under construction.

With numerous major languages (hundreds of dialects), dozens and dozens of l arge cities and over 700,000 villages - somehow India works, both in the classic, traditional methods of its many cultures, and in the fast-moving world of the 21st century.