Although India is still behind the population of its eastern neighbor, China is confidently holding the second place with its 1.2 billion citizens (every sixth inhabitant of the planet is from India).

The ancestors of modern inhabitants came to India through the mountain passes of the Himalayas, cutting off the ocean expanses on the way from the Mediterranean, the Middle East and Australia..It is therefore not surprising that the people of India represent the whole palette of races, historical roots, cultural and religious traditions that preserve in their genes, language, way of life and rituals several hundred nationalities: Hindustans, Telugu, Bengalis, Marathas, Tamils, Punjabis, Gujarats, cannara .The caste system, which for centuries has been held by the majority of Indians, has allowed to preserve intact all the shades of the ethnic diversity of India..

The vast majority (about 75%) of Indians - Indo-Aryans, close to the European race features and skin color .Scientists believe that the ancestors of the modern Hindus of this branch (Hindustans) came to India from the north: from the Middle East, and, possibly, from Europe .They live in the north and west of the country .The South of India is inhabited by representatives of the Dravidian peoples and the foothills of the Himalayas are descendants of the Mongoloid race .In the mountains, semi-deserts and on the islands live small nationalities and tribes .Citizens of India sometimes differ dramatically in their appearance .Indians are rightfully called themselves tall and tall, light-skinned, mostly bearded Punjabis, and inhabitants of the Andaman Islands - whose average height is 140 centimeters, and the skin is almost black..

Each of the Indian peoples has its own language, storing history and its riddles - in India they speak seventeen languages ​​and mail a thousand dialects.