Roberts, Jr. 11
India is an ethno-religiously diverse and massive population. It is the second most populous country behind China with a population of 1.2 billion people. This population is set to almost double to 2.2 billion by 206528. This large population will provide cheap labor and plenty of governmental problems for at least the next century. A large portion of the population lives below the UN mandated poverty line of $2 a day. This large population consists of Hindus, Muslims, Christians, and Sikhs. The Hindu population is further divided into varnas or castes. One of the greatest challenges facing India is the lack of a cultural identity, similar to the situation in Nigeria citizens generally do not think of themselves as Indian so much as they are Hindi, Muslim, or Sikh. Without a unifying national language it will be near impossible to foster a cultural identity. The Indian economy is moving forward in leaps and bounds with an annual GDP growth rate exceeding 5% every year since 2003, but this growth presents many problems for the Indian government as it copes with a growth in social and economic inequalities. It will become somewhat harder to maintain this economic growth as time wears on due to the lack of universal education in India. The only thing stopping India from growing at a stable rate is the Indian government’s inability to fully implement legislation; legislation specifically targeting the massive informal economy. This economic growth is also causing irreparable harm to the environment. India is a considerable country with diverse geography and a perfect position to broker trade and politics from the East to the West. India has considerable value as an agrarian society; there are plenty of fertile fields for crops, but it also has wealth hidden underground in the form of large mineral deposits; in its oceans to the South there is even good fishing. India is remarkably under-developed and the development of its natural resources will provide continue 28
http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/unpp/p2k0data.asp