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I ndia is made up of four main geographical regions—the mighty Himalayas, the Indo- Gangetic Plain, the Deccan Plateau and the Thar Desert (see map). Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain at 29,029 feet(8,848 m), is part of the Himalayas. It stands on the border between Tibet and Nepal. I ndia has three seasons, dictated by the movement of the rain- bearing monsoon winds. The hot season begins in February, the wet, monsoon season in June and the cool season in October. Cherrapunji, in northeast India, holds the world record for the most rain in a month—28 feet (9.3 m)—and in a year—80 feet (26.5 m).

I ndia’s borders have changed many times, reflecting its changing political situation. In the past, India included parts of Afghanistan, Burma, Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh. These are now independent countries. For the majority of this book however, they count as part of India. Pakistan and Bangladesh split from India in 1947 asWest and East Pakistan. East Pakistan became independent Bangladesh in 1971.

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