India

Welcome
We pray that you will feel God’s blessings and direction as you serve Him in India.

Geography
Location: Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan.

Area: slightly more than one-third the size of the US.

Terrain: upland plain in south, flat to rolling plain along the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north.

History
Nonviolent resistance to British colonialism under Mohandas Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru led to India’s independence in 1947. The subcontinent was divided into the secular state of India and the smaller Muslim state of Pakistan. A third war between the two countries in 1971 resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh.

The state of Nagaland was formally inaugurated on December 1st, 1963 as the 16th state of the Indian Union.

Weather
Varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north.

Goverment
Federal republic with its capital city being New Delhi.

Economy
More than a third of the population is too poor to be able to afford an adequate diet, and market surveys indicate that fewer than 5% of all households had an annual income equivalent to $2,300 or more in 1995-96.
Currency: Indian rupee (Re)
Industries: textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery.
Agriculture: rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, potatoes; cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats, poultry; fish.

Project Sites
We will be working in the Nagaland region of India in the Dimapur area. Nagaland is situated at the easternmost part of India. The region is in constant motion with many tribal festivals during the year. The festivals are celebrations with a pageantry of color and a feast of music.

Dimapur is situated at approximately 585 ft above sea level. It is called the “Gateway to Nagaland” as it is a large commercial center and well connected with the state highways and rail system. Dimapur also is home to the only airport in Nagaland.

Important Information
The fees for this mission are $1175.00 USD plus airfare unless otherwise noted (for the two-week trip). If you have any questions about the fees for this mission, please contact Julie in the Texas office.

People

Population: 1.01 billion
Ethnic groups: Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and other 3%
Literacy: total population: 52%
Nagaland is inhabited by 16 major tribes along with many other sub-tribes. Each tribe is distinct in character from the other in terms of customs, languages and costumes.

Religion

Hindu 80%, Muslim 14%, Christian 2.4%, Sikh 2%, Buddhist 0.7%, Jains 0.5%

Language

English is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication. Hindi is the national language and primary tongue of 30% of the people.