Saturday, April 02, 2011
Interesting Facts about India(27)
India is a country of continental proportions and rich cultural heritage. The civilizational history of India goes back to more than 5000 years. In ancient times India was considered as one of the leading lights of the world and its glory was spread far and wide all across the corners of the earth. Throughout its history, India has evolved and reinvented herself . India is the birthplace and cradle of four popular religions of the world, namely, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. The contributions and achievements of Indians in the fields of science & technology, architecture, and culture is widely acknowledged..1) The name 'India' is derived from the River Indus, the valleys around which were the home of the early settlers.The Aryan worshippers referred to the river Indus as the Sindhu.
2) Until 1896, India was the only source of diamonds in the world.
3) India is one of the largest exporter of computer software products. It exports softwares to over 90 countries.
4) The famous board game called "Chess" was invented in India.
5) The value of "pi" used in mathematics was first calculated by the Indian mathematician Budhayana in 6th century.
6) Yoga has its origins in India and has existed for over 5,000 years.
7) Martial Arts were first created in India, and later spread to Asia by Buddhist missionaries.
8) The largest religious building in the world is Angkor Wat, a Hindu Temple in Cambodia built at the end of the 11th century.
9) The oldest European church and synagogue in India are in the city of Cochin. They were built in 1503 and 1568 respectively
10) The Art of Navigation & Navigating was born in the river Sindh over 6000 years ago. The very word Navigation is derived from the Sanskrit word 'NAVGATIH'. The word navy is also derived from the Sanskrit word 'Nou'.
11) India was one of the richest countries till the time of British rule in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus, attracted by India's wealth, had come looking for a sea route to India when he discovered America by mistake.
12) There are 300,000 active mosques in India, more than in any other country, including the Muslim world.
13) The largest employer in India is the Indian Railways, employing over a million people.
14) Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus also originated in India.Quadratic Equations were used by Sridharacharya in the 11th century.
15) whereas Hindus used numbers as big as 10*53 (i.e. 10 to the power of 53) with specific names as early as 5000 B.C.during the Vedic period.Even today, the largest used number is Terra: 10*12(10 to the power of12).
16) The 'Place Value System' and the 'Decimal System' were developed in India in 100 B.C.
17) India is the largest democracy in the world, the 7th largest Country in the world, and one of the Most ancient civilizations.
18) The game of Snakes & Ladders was created by the 13th century poet saint Gyandev. It was originally called 'Mokshapat'. The ladders in the game represented virtues and the snakes indicated vices. The game was played with cowrie shells and dices. In time, the game underwent several modifications, but its meaning remained the same, i.e. good deeds take people to heaven and evil to a cycle of re-births.
19) India has the largest number of Post Offices in the world.
20) The world's first university was established in Takshila in 700 BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education
21) The four religions born in India - Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, are followed by 25% of the world's population.
22) The Vishnu Temple in the city of Tirupathi built in the 10th century, is the world's largest religious pilgrimage destination. Larger than either Rome or Mecca, an average of 30,000 visitors donate $6 million (US) to the temple everyday.
24) The Indian economy is the world's eleventh largest by nominal GDP and fourth largest by purchasing power parity.
25) It is the 7th largest country by geographical area.
26) India is the most populous democracy in the world.
27) India is also one of the 2nd fastest growing economics in the world .
Friday, April 01, 2011
World Military Strength
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Rank 1-10 Observations: The United States (GFP formula value of 0.184) remains the undisputed leader of our list thanks to their staying "active" in global hotspots, showcasing the world's largest navy and continuing to poor in gobs of money into defense. Our formula sees China edge out Russia but only by the slimmest of margins (0.238 versus 0.241 respectively) with an edge in available manpower and financial capital. France (0.636) and Germany (0.672) are relative equals for the most part but the GFP formula gives a slight edge to France thanks to an aircraft carrier and capable navy as well as a bump in defense spending. Brazil (0.756) is the most powerful South American country on the list thanks to available manpower and a capable navy. Japan (0.920) is a "sleeper" power that sneaks into the top ten with a good navy, strong logistical infrastructure and capital.
Rank 11-20 Observations: Our formula provides for a good disparity between North and South Korea, placing South well-ahead of the North thanks to better infrastructure and capital. Mexico's placement this high on the list is interesting to note - it scored a good balance across the board in all major categories. Israel finally gets a proper placement on this year's list - just out of the top ten - sporting a strong land army with equally strong training, modern equipment and recent combat experience.
Rank 21-30 Observations: No surprises here. A basic collection of modern armies of generally equal strengths.
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Rank 31-42 Observations: The bottom of the list features two rebuilding nations (Iraq and Afghanistan) as well as two "recovering" nations (Georgia and Lebanon) along with powers that generally stay relatively quiet.
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