Malaga is located along the southern coastline of Spain in the Costa del Sol region. It is a port city on the Mediterranean Sea and is included as part of Andalusia, one of Spain’s seventeen autonomous communities. The Malaga airport is the most commonly used airport for those traveling to the Costa del Sol area with its annual passenger count as thirteen million. The number of people using the airport continues to grow and, consequently, a third terminal is anticipated to open in 2008. Airlines at the Malaga airport offer a variety of flights to and from destinations across the world, with connections to airports in over sixty foreign countries and throughout Spain.

Several larger discount airlines offer lower-priced flights to Malaga. Finding cheap flights to Malaga should not be difficult. You can contact the airline directly for flight information if you know which airline you wish to use. You can also use the services of a travel agency or search and make a reservation online. You will find that there are no direct flights with discount carriers from North America to Spain. There will be at least one connection or layover, oftentimes in the United Kingdom or Ireland, and possibly another stop in Spain before reaching Malaga.

Discount fares often come with less convenience, as the discount airlines offer few services to make up for the cost of the discount fare. You may want to opt for a larger, non-discount airline if you do not want any inconvenience, but if you do choose a discount fare and experience some inconvenience remind yourself of the money saved. One difference in flying with a discount airline is that they often restrict the number of bags allowed. Though most airlines have some policy on the number of bags you can carry on or check-in, discount carriers may have a more stringent policy on baggage. Be sure to confirm the airline’s baggage policy and find out how many bags you are allowed. Otherwise, you may find that you are required to pay a fee for the additional baggage which is sometimes more expensive with discount airlines. Another difference is that you will have at least one layover, or maybe more, depending on the carrier, the departure location or that particular flight package. Sometimes, more stops during a flight results in a better deal. Finally, when flying with cheaper airlines, you will have to retrieve you bags at each stop and check them in again for each part of the flight. You cannot simply check in your bags initially and get them when you arrive in Malaga. You must wait in line at each airport and go through the baggage process each time.

If you have never booked a cruise vacation before, or if you have always made your cruise arrangements through a travel agent, the process of booking a cruise vacation online may seem a bit daunting, if not downright confusing. Booking a cruise vacation online is pretty simple and straightforward once you have decided on the cruise that you want to take. The steps discussed below can help you find and book a cruise vacation online with ease.

Where Do You Want to Go?
The first step in booking a cruise vacation is deciding on a destination. While most people might think of the warm tropical islands as ideal cruise spots, there are cruise vacations that can take you all over the world. Whether you want to spend five days in the Caribbean or three weeks traveling through the Norwegian waters, there is a cruise line for you. From Africa to Alaska, you will find amazing cruises that will take you wherever you want to go.

Choose a Cruise Line
Once you have decided where you want to go on your cruise, you need to find out which cruise lines offer trips in that area at the time that you want to travel. You will also want to narrow your search by choosing a cruise line that offers the kind of cruise that you want to take. Carnival Cruise line, for example, tends to cater to the high energy, party-loving younger crowd. They offer great family vacations, honeymoon packages and swinging singles cruises. Royal Caribbean, Princess and Disney cruise lines are great choices for families with young children while Crystal Cruises puts together theme cruises and family cruise get-togethers.

Pick a Ship or a Cruise
Once you have decided on a destination and a cruise line, check into the cruises and ships available. Each ship on a cruise line offers different amenities, so it is important that you know which ship, or at least which class ship, that you want to sail on. You can find all of the information you need on the cruise line’s website. Once you have got all of the details organized, you can start shopping for the best price for your cruise.

Find the Best Prices for Your Cruise Vacation
Start with the web site of the cruise line that you have chosen to get a base price for the vacation that you want. From there, make the rounds of travel discount web sites to see if you can score a better deal anywhere else. Sometimes the deal is not with the price alone, you may find free cabin upgrades or on board credits that you can use toward purchasing extras.

Choose Your Cabin
Another detail to consider when booking your cruise vacation is the cabin location and style. These options can make a difference of several hundred dollars in the overall price of your vacation. A small cabin would be less expensive, but if you like to spend time in your room, you may be happier to spend the extra money to get a larger room where you can relax. In addition, keep in mind that certain locations are kinder to those who do not deal well with motion. If you get seasick, opt for a room near the middle of the ship on a higher deck, where you will feel the boat rocking less.

Book Your Cruise Following the Directions
Once you have found the best deal on your cruise, follow the directions to book your cruise. Most travel websites have come a very long way in user friendliness. These days it is just a matter of filling in details in the forms and clicking next until you get to the end. You will need to use a credit card to make your deposit, and a representative of the cruise line may contact you to confirm details and finalize your reservations.

Confirm your Booking and Register for Your Cruise
After you have filled out all of your details and booked your cruise, you will receive a confirmation email with all of the details of your upcoming vacation. The email will also contain a link for you to follow to register for your cruise. The link usually leads to pages of tips and instructions to help you prepare for your trip, and a link to a printable itinerary and boarding passes. You will be able to print out your boarding passes, luggage tags, itinerary and all other necessary paperwork so that you can bring it with you on the day your cruise sails. If you have all of your paperwork printed out and ready, you will get through check-in and registration more quickly.

These days, booking a cruise vacation online is easier than ever, and could save you quite a bit of money over booking through a travel agent. If you have never booked a cruise online before, it is easy to follow the simple directions above to find your best cruise vacation deals and book your own cruise online.

Brian Jenkins is a freelance writer who writes about vacationing, often discussing a specific kind trip such as cruise vacations.

Nothing other than a good Travel guide can make your journey successful. And when it is to visit a country so vast in size, tradition and attractions, it becomes essential to possess a good knowledge about the destination. A travel guide does serve this purpose. A country like Romania is always on the top of the list of visitors. Romania being so vast in dimensions and number of attractions requires you as a visitor to have a good travel guide. Numerous worth visiting spots in terms of archeological assets, entertainment houses and fabulous nightlife and shopping amenities in Romania demands you of something that can answer you the questions: where to go; what to do and what to see.

A well described travel guide helps in defining your itinerary before you start for the destination. Undoubtedly, Romania can be enjoyed and well experienced only if there is someone or something to keep you informed about the place beforehand. Our Romania Travel Guide is an attempt in the same direction to guide you properly when touring Romania. Romania Travel Guide proves to be an excellent tool in successfully completing the tour of this country. The travel guide contains all facts and figures which are related to places, routes, transportations, culture, tradition and many more. Magnificent stuff inside the small manual simplifies all the steps that seem to be complicated in the beginning.

You must consult the travel guide before you start for a big country with so vast attractions and amenities like Romania. I am sure you will find it very useful. Referring to Romania travel guide solves many problems and makes you an independent traveler amongst the flocks.

In the province of Ontario the travel and tourism industry is thriving. It is a 22 billion dollar a year business of tremendous importance to the province’s economy. This year, roughly 436,300 Ontario workers will be employed either directly or indirectly in the travel and tourism industry. Additionally, Statistics Canada reports that overnight travel in Canada last year reached its highest level in more than a decade. While some may be concerned about the short-term negative effect of the highflying Canadian dollar on tourist traffic coming from the States, the long-term forecast for the travel industry is bright. Much of this optimism is due in large part to Canada’s rapidly growing population of senior citizens. Over the last four years, leisure travel among Canada’s baby boomers has increased by a whopping 25 percent. This trend will continue as the population of Canadian seniors is expected to grow from 4.2 million in 2004 to 9.8 million in 2036. Due to an increasing number of senior citizens travelling, the Ontario tourism industry is making changes to help accommodate this changing market.

This trend with an increase in Canadian seniors travelling is good news indeed for Ontario’s tourism industry. Although industry studies have shown that Canadian seniors are travelling internationally in record numbers, the vast majority of trips taken by seniors are within their own home province. Seniors prefer to drive their own car and they tend to vacation for longer periods of time than the rest of the population. This is particularly beneficial to tourist operators in Ontario resort communities, like Muskoka and the Kawarthas, where the huge population base of Southern Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe is located only a few hours away by car.

Many in the tourism industry have begun to realize the significance of the seniors travel market in Ontario and have started to specifically target this segment of the population. Senior travellers are not only important to the industry because of their sheer numbers; they are important because of their discretionary buying power. Today’s seniors have both the money to spend and the time to spend it. Retired vacationers do not have to restrict their holidays to weekends and the summer months. Rather, they are able to travel off-season and during the week, times when many hospitality properties have higher vacancies and are happy to have their rooms filled with free-spending seniors.

So you may be asking yourself, “how is the Ontario tourism industry changing, due to the increase in senior citizen travel?” The answer is simple, senior friendly travel agencies, tour companies, resort properties, cruise-lines, and even small country inns have begun offering specialty services and packages that cater specifically to a senior clientele. Due to this change, and catering to a slightly different market, the tourism industry of Ontario is discovering that many senior travelers are even prepared to pay a slight premium for age-specific services.

While many businesses will continue to cater to a wide range of tourists including, those seeking romantic couple weekends, small conferences, special functions, and wedding parties, senior travellers are becoming a larger segment of the hospitality industry’s business. Because senior citizens tend to stay at hospitality properties during quieter times, off-seasons, and midweek while booking for longer periods of time, this is simply a market that many businesses cannot afford to leave out. Unlike other age groups, seniors and older guests appreciate the convenience of having their meals onsite and many indulge in on-site activities including spa services. This brings even more funds to the inn or hotel; due to this, the increase in senior travel will continue to shape the way that Ontario’s travel industry functions.

Over the next couple of decades, as the senior population itself ages, further changes will be necessary if Ontario’s tourism industry is to continue to flourish. Vacation accommodations with assisted living and seniors’ tours that cater to individuals with mobility issues may be viable marketing ideas in the years ahead.

Are you tired of the hustle and bustle of city life? Have you just filed a month-long leave to get away from the stress of work and go on a great vacation somewhere in Europe or Asia? Are you excited but a bit worried about how much you are going to have to spend? Don’t fret; travel today need not be expensive. Even with a slow, weakening economy, you can still go on that highly anticipated backpacking trip and have fun on a budget. Anyway, this is the digital age. Promos that you see online will more than help your cause.

Just surf the Internet and you will see what I mean. If you book your plane ticket online, you will be surprised to find that airplane companies, despite the increasing cost of fuel, are offering lots of good deals. If you’re not squeamish about seats or airplane food or leg space then you can reserve a seat that costs several dollars cheaper than a first-class one.

And do travel light. Excess baggage is literally a heavy burden on a vacationer’s shoulders. Besides, you don’t want to incur additional charges upon your check-in at the airport, or walk around a strange munchkin land carrying five bags at once. Just pack the bare necessities. Toiletries, you can get at the street corner or the local convenience store.

Any seasoned leisure traveler will tell you two things: research, and make early reservations. Look up the best value-for-money hotels in the place where you will be staying. Read the several customer reviews that you will find on the Internet. Don’t just read the testimonials on cleanliness and customer service; find out, too, if there are any promos, such as “get one free night for every three” or “free breakfast buffets daily”. Hotel management do not always advertise such deals at the entrance lobby, and that’s why a quick online investigation is essential.

When making a decision on what to do – swim at the beach? take a historical tour? visit the local gallery? – be on the look out for vacation and leisure packages that local tourism authorities offer their visitors. Not only do these packages allow you to see as much of the sights of the place as possible; they also save you the time and the money that might otherwise have been spent asking for directions, or looking for tour guides on the street. So don’t be automatic in throwing away travel brochures or in closing the window on travel websites. You never know how helpful they are.

While on your trip, you might stumble upon tourist-friendly novelty shops and souvenir stores bragging about their accreditation. Don’t be too easily lured. Chances are, they are there to catch the visitors’ attention, with heavily padded price tags on the items; you may not even know it. If you’re going to buy on impulse, at least look around before making a purchase. Be sure to know what you really want to take back home with you. And then search the Internet for the most economical commercial districts in the area, where you can haggle with vendors, and where the best promos and discounts are. You’re not being cheap; you are just being wise with money.

Dave Stack is a huge fan of saving money and using coupons, coupon codes and promotional codes. He operates http://www.couponsaver.org which has been saving people money since 2007

One of the biggest problems that I face when planning Asia cheap travel is trying to set the main things that I want to do and then to come up with a reasonable time frame and importantly for me a cheap travel budget that is realistic to the goals that I have identified.Research is the key to having a great vacation or an OK holiday, screw this part up and regret it you will. Time and money always being the major influences for me as a professional Cheap Charley, I want the best chance of having a great time so I work it hard before I go on the road.

I go to the travel blogs for my main research once I have an idea where I want to go to, one that I lean on is Travel Blog.org. The people that write on that particular blog have no financial reason to give you slued information and they tend to be more seasoned travelers than the great majority of new guys on Thorn Tree.I look to see what they did and see if it interests me, always keeping in mind that I do not want to follow exactly the hobbit trail, otherwise why bother, just read about it.Now it is safer to follow exactly what other people have done but the surprises that you encounter sometime good, sometimes bad are the stuff that stick in the old cranium.

For instance the clock tower in Mandalay in Burma Myanmar, why bother unless you need to set the time on your watch, for me it was a waste of time, we did however have a great time at a restaurant that had duck and goose hanging in the window which was not a tourist place as it was not listed anywhere just down the street, just a regular local restaurant that we stumbled into just because the stomach said a stop was in order.I did really dig sitting in the Savoy hotel having tea which is listed and the time in Bagon was priceless. I tell everyone that they need to make Bagon a priority if they are going to be in that part of the world. Had I did proper research, I would have know that the boat only runs on certain days between Mandalay and Bagon, Major Bummer! The boat was really cool looking when we checked it out on the dock after taking the boring flight because the planner in the research phase missed that one.

Time is always a nuisance, so I recommend that you plan so that there be flex days when you can get the cheap travel on demand, usually bus or train segments, and then if you find a place that really interest you, you can hang longer and really dig into a place. QuiananmenSouth of Tiananmensquare in Beijing was one of those places for me that created a dilemma as I had a really cheap flight to Bangkok on Air Asia out of Xiamen , which was a very cool place worthy of more time, but I was having such a great time in the Quiananmen Market section to the south of Tiananmen square that I wanted to stay in that area longer, which I did, and was rewarded late at night just before the cheap noodle place closed, to watch a local family restaurant dynamics at the end of the day. The bus boy dishwasher was worked about something and he was letting everyone know in a voice that would not be out of place between me and my precious pussy cat “Mangler” when I am standing on her tail as she is shredding my leg with her razor sharp mouse killers between the bathroom and my morning coffee, anyway, the fur was flying and the back and forth was hilarious as they kept at each other with about 6 staff all interacting for about 5 minutes and at the end of the day they all started laughing, now I don’t speak any Chinese but have been involved in that kind of tit for tat and for me that was the highlight of the trip, as I connected with that family group intimately as the fly on the wall contentedly slurping my excellent late night local noodles.

Money is the other thing that I spend a lot of time researching.I ran a small business and the rule of thumb that I learned is that you should have 2.5 times the budget that you think you need and for cheap travelers this is a bit higher than you want to hear I am sure but I would suggest that you have 1.5 available and that you have a reserve of at least 1 times more should something unplanned for happen, nothing worse than being a stranger in strange land making the universal rabbit ears distress signal with your pockets.

Credit cards are good but bless that little Murphy’s impish soul, in times like these they can shut off for no readily apparent reason and if that is all that you are counting on life can get really interesting.I suggest that you have lined up in advance some back up like a rich uncle or other family member that you know will step up should the need arise. Major tip: People that owe you money are not good bets!Have your checking, saving, debit, Visa, MasterCard card information ready so that they can either do a bank to bank transfer or make a payment direct to your credit card.. American Express works great, but if you qualify you wouldn’t be reading this now would you!The safest bet is having a debit card with a easy pin as you can have someone make a direct cash deposit to your bank and then you get immediate access via a cash point or ATM. Today banks have real people hours so the longest possible time would be 48 hours. They can also make a Visa or MasterCard payment but they still might not sort you out and turn you back on if they know you are broke and playing in Asia instead of working hard to pay their legal loan sharking rates, and it usually has at least a 3 day wait.

I send all that banking information to a email account that I can get to from anywhere label it baby pictures or something else totally boring and send it to a Gmail my preference or Hotmail or Yahoo email account so that you can get at it.I also scan a copy of my passport and visas that are in it that you will need on your travels and my drivers license or ID card this makes a for an easy ID if you should lose your passport at the embassy or a bank.

Hey if I see you in Asia with the old look at the rabbits in my pants trick I know that you skipped the planning and I will gladly help you out with some good advice like put a bell on your precious pussy cat!

Cheap Charlies has prepared a free resources that you can save you up to 75% on cheap Asia flights, hotels, budget accommodations & guesthouses, go to http://www.cheapcharlieshotels.com/ to view this free Asia cheapest flights, hotels & travel information now!

When travelling to Australia, you will likely hear some slang for Australian words that you will not know until somebody tells you. Some of them are quite strange compared to what you are used to, so it is important that you brush up on some of your slang for Australian words before you get there, so you are not surprised if someone uses some in conversation.

If you ask for direction and somebody tells you that something is located “twenty clicks away”, they mean that it is twenty kilometres away.

If you hear somebody say anything about a “gutful of piss”, it likely means that they are talking about someone who is drunk.

Hooroo is a common way of saying goodbye in Australia. If someone says “Holy Dooley!” it is the same as someone in America saying “My goodness!” or a similar exclamation of surprise.

If someone asks you for a “hottie” they likely do not want you to find them a date. In Australia, this word is short for a hot water bottle.

In terms of flatulence, Australians have a funny way of asking who did it. If you hear someone say “Who opened their lunch?” and it isn’t lunch time, then it is likely to say that they smell something bad and want to know who it was.

A “mozzie” is a mosquito! And a “middie” is a 285ml. Glass of beer. If you hear the term “mystery bag”, it could be someone referring to a sausage.

These are just a few of the slang for Australians that you will be likely to hear on your trip depending on where you go. Knowing the slang before you get there is crucial if you do not want to be left out in conversations, or become confused because you don’t know what anyone is talking about.

Stacey Prieur is the co-creator and co-host of an exciting new Australian travel show. On their website, you can get your hands on loads of fun travel tips including slang for Australian. You can learn more about their exciting Australian adventures and get access to tons of helpful tips at JillandStaceyDoTheRoo.com.

Macau is just across the bay from Hong Kong and many visitors to Asia’s International city spend at least one or two days of their holiday in this fascinating city, where old Chinese temples are neighboring European baroque churches and glitzy casinos, and where Portuguese lifestyle coexists alongside Chinese traditions. This article will show you the best ways of getting from Hong Kong to Macau and back.

As you may already know, ferry is what more than 95% of the passengers on this line are using. There is also a helicopter service, but it’s very expensive and honestly speaking, won’t save you that much time. So why not leave the chopper for the time-conscious businessmen?

Ferries leave from two major terminals in Hong Kong (Other than the airport’s Sky Pier, which is irrelevant to this article): Namely Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal in Sheung Wan, on Hong Kong Island, and HK China Ferry Terminal, in Tsim sha Tsui, on the Kowloon side.

They operate 24/7 and arrive at the Main ferry terminal in Macau, which is a fairly convenient spot to start your Macau journey from (Unless you only want to come for a night of gambling, which in this case you can take the CotaiJet, directly to Macau’s flashy casino strip).

1) The bright red Turbojet is a quick ferry that covers the way to Macau in slightly less than an hour. It departs every fifteen minutes during the day, and every thirty minutes at night, and leaves from Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal at Sheung wan/Central, on the island.

The terminal building can easily be accessed by foot from Central MTR Station, as well as from the Star Ferry Pier or from the Airport Express Station. Single trip costs approximately HK$ 140 at the time of writing, and slightly more than this over the weekends.

2) If you wish to travel from Kowloon’s side, First Ferry Macau departs from Tsim Sha Tsui every thirty minutes, from 7 am till midnight. Travel time is also around one hour and the price range is similar to that of Turbojet

3) Those of you who are only interested in a night of gambling, good food and entertainment at Cotai Strip and the Venetian, can take advantage of the new CotaiJet service which takes passengers to Taipa Island’s Temporary Ferry Terminal in Macau (from where a free coach will take you to Cotai Strip itself).

CotaiJet leaves from Tsim sha Tsui’s HK China Ferry Terminal, every thirty minutes (every one hour at night), between 7 am and 1am. Traveling time is, again, one hour, and the basic ticket costs HK$ 134 one way at the time of writing.

From Macau, CotaiJet ferries depart every thirty minutes (every one hour at night, and every two hours late at night.), between 7:30 am to 5am, which means you can party the night away in the Venetian and make it back to Hong Kong, just in time for breakfast.

And before I conclude this article, here are a few important points you should note:

To know more about Hong Kong and Macau, including recommended restaurants and nightspots, shopping tips, hotel recommendations and some great suggestions for do-it-yourself trips, visit the Hong Kong Travel Guide at Metropolasia.com – The ultimate online-guide for travel, dining and lifestyle in Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore.

Roni Shwartz is a certified travel consultant and an expert to the cities of Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore. He writes for http://www.metropolasia.com/

At the top of Saint Wenceslas Square in Prague there sits a man on a horse. Clad in battle amour and fearless. He is perched at the high end of the square and his gaze covers the city and it people. Wenceslas duty is to protect his people when the Czech lands are at their greatest pearl.

Now he just sits and watches. Tourist snap pictures and take rests on the mount on which he stands. They sit on the benches directly behind and and share his view of Prague.

Most people see him only as a statue of a once great man. A king that rules over Prague but now long dead. But his is not gone. He waits inside the statue. Waiting for the day that the Czech lands are smothered by gray clouds, when battle smoke blows through the city, when evil is all around. When the Czech lands seems to be lost to the enemy, the good king will return.

The hard stone of the statue will melt away and the living embodiment of King Wenceslas will emerge. His hundreds of years of stillness will erupt into a flurry of activity. Jumping off his high mount he will call out over the Czech lands a battle cry, “Sleeping Army of Blaník, rise from your slumber”. His army from centuries ago will hear his voice and rise from their hiding place in the mountain of Blanik. Dust at their heels they will march towards their King’s side.

With great strides and speed his horse will take him to the Charles Bridge in which lies hidden the Magic Sword. Wenceslas will reach down and pull the sword out of the ancient bridge. The sword has been waiting for the return of it’s master. Sword in hand and army at his back Wenceslas will fight the enemy.

A great battle will ensue that will last for many days. But the outcome is always certain. The King will save his people. The enemy will be defeated. The enemies blood will fill the streams and rivers of the Czech lands. The Good King Wenceslas will prevail and his people will live prosperous and peaceful lives. Then once again he will return to stand guard over his people on top of Wenceslas Square.

For more information about The Good King Wenceslas or other Prague travel tips and information please visit Prague Czech Travel

According to the current estimates tourism represents 6.5 percent of the global workforce, employing 112 million people throughout the world. It plays a major role in the global economy and represents a significant global gross national product (GNP). Tourism is a highly fragmented industry with many different participants including tour operators, the transport and hotel industry, and of course, the tourists themselves. At the start of the 90′s decade, several trends were observed at the global level. According to the report of the World Tourism Organisation,1990, Asia/Oceania was expected to receive more international tourists than any other region in the world. At the same time tourists were diversifying into highly specialised groups from among a broad range of activities. Increased interest in travel to natural and less disturbed areas due to a rapidly growing interest in environmental matters and nature was perceived as one of the trends. This was expected to result in an increased interest in Asia and tropical America, areas which still contained large tracts of wilderness (WWF-UK, 1992).

Although in India tourism has been a part of the country’s ethos for a long time, it had predominantly been restricted to religious, archeological and recreational sites. Nature tourism, predominantly in the form of shooting and hunting trips, has gradually given way to photographic and nature oriented tours. Today, in the parks, sanctuaries and unprotected wilderness of India, nature based tourism has increased in scope, and is understood to, include nature trails, trekking , mountaineering, rock climbing , safaris, adventure sports and bird watching , in addition to photography expeditions. Most of these activities take place in forest and mountain terrain rich in wildlife and local ambience.

Such nature based tourism has either been species oriented or ecosystem oriented. Species oriented tourism in India has been confined to a few flagship species such as the tiger, which draws tourists to parks that are its natural habitat; or the Siberian crane, which is a major draw for tourists to the well-known Keoladeo National Park. In fact, most of India’s popular parks and sanctuaries are the natural habitat for one or another flagship species. The problem here is that if the flagship species is not sighted often enough, tourist flow may stem. Its dependence on a single species thus makes species oriented tourism rather precarious.

About one sixth of all the human beings on Earth live in India, the world’s most populous democracy. Its borders encompass a vast variety of peoples, practicing most of the world’s major religions, speaking scores of different languages, and divided into thousands of socially exclusive castes. A civilized, urban society has existed in India for well over 4,000 years, and there have been periods when its culture was as brilliant and creative as any in history. The country is also known by its ancient Hindi name, Bharat.

India’s leaders have played a prominent role in world affairs since the country became independent in 1947. Nevertheless, the standard of living of most of its citizens is low. The huge population strains the nation’s limited resources. Fertile, cultivable land is scarce, yet about two thirds of the people depend directly on agriculture for their livelihood. Many millions of Indians are inadequately nourished, poorly housed, and lacking in basic educational, medical, and sanitary services.

Although the modern nation of India encompasses the greater part of South Asia, it is smaller than the Indian Empire formerly ruled by Britain. Burma (now Myanmar), a mainly Buddhist country lying to the east, was administratively detached from India in 1937. Ten years later, when Britain granted independence to the peoples of the Indian subcontinent, two regions with Muslim majorities a large one in the northwest (West Pakistan) and a smaller one in the northeast (East Pakistan) were partitioned from the predominantly Hindu areas and became the separate nation of Pakistan. East Pakistan broke away from Pakistan in 1971 to form the independent nation of Bangladesh. Also bordering India on its long northern frontier are the People’s Republic of China and the relatively small kingdoms of Nepal and Bhutan. The island republic of Sri Lanka lies just off India’s southern tip. India’s capital is New Delhi.

To know more about “North and South India Tours” visit this site: http://www.airawat.com