The country itself is named after the Indus River, which was called "Sindhu" in Sanskrit. The Persians referred to it as "Hindu," and the Greeks later modified it to "India."
The U.S. state of Indiana is named after the Americas and the West Indies were mistakenly believed to be part of the same landmass as India. It was named as a tribute to Christopher Columbus's expeditions to the East Indies.
The name "Indonesia" is derived from the Greek word "Indus," meaning India, and "nesos," meaning islands. It refers to the large archipelago country located between Southeast Asia and Australia.
The Indus River, one of the longest rivers in Asia, originates in the Tibetan plateau and flows through Pakistan before emptying into the Arabian Sea. Its name is derived from the Sanskrit word "Sindhu."
Indochina refers to the region in Southeast Asia that includes Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. The term "Indochina" signifies the cultural influence of India in the region.
The Indian Ocean, the third-largest ocean in the world, derives its name from India. It has been an important trade route connecting the East with the West throughout history.
The city of Chennai, located on the southeastern coast of India, was formerly known as Madras. It was renamed Chennai in 1996, derived from the name of the Chennakesava Perumal Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu.
The city of Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal in India, was previously known as Calcutta. The name "Kolkata" is derived from the Bengali word "Kalikshetra," meaning "land of the goddess Kali."
The city of Bangalore, now officially called Bengaluru, is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Its name is derived from the Kannada words "Benda Kaluru," meaning "boiled beans."
The island nation of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean is believed to be named after Prince Maurice van Nassau, a Dutch prince who was the governor of the Dutch East India Company during the 17th century.
The Maldives, an archipelago nation in the Indian Ocean, gets its name from the Sanskrit word "Maladvipa," which means "garland of islands."