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The Republic of India, located in the south of Asia, is the second most populated country in the world and is the world's largest democracy with about a billion people and over a hundred languages.
The name India is derived from Sindhu, or Indus, the river which gave birth to the earliest civilization of the country.
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| National motto: "Satyameva Jayate" (Sanskrit: Truth Alone Triumphs) | |||||
| Official language | |||||
| Capital | New Delhi | ||||
| President | Abdul Kalam | ||||
| Prime minister | Atal Behari Vajpayee | ||||
| Area - Total - % water | Ranked 7th 3,287,590 km² 9.5% | ||||
| Population
- Density | Ranked 2nd
313/km² | ||||
| Independence
- Recognised | (of the United Kingdom)
(Year) | ||||
| Currency | Indian Rupee | ||||
| Time zone | UTC +5.30 | ||||
| National anthem | Jana-Gana-Mana | ||||
| Internet TLD | .IN | ||||
| Calling Code | 91 | ||||
History
Main article: History of India
India used to be a great colonial power herself, in the days of the Mauryas. But this diminished with the fall of the empire and India herself became a colony of the British Empire. India's wealth attracted many invaders, the Muslims, the Dutch, the Portuguese and the British all wanted a piece of the treasures of India.
Nonviolent resistance to British colonialism under Mohandas Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel led to 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. Fundamental concerns in India include the ongoing dispute with Pakistan over Kashmir, massive overpopulation, environmental degradation, extensive poverty, and ethnic strife, all this despite impressive gains in economic investment and output.
Politics
Main article: Politics of India
States and territories
Main article: States and territories of India
India is subdivided into 28 states and 7 union territories, marked by a *:
- Andaman and Nicobar Islands *
- Andhra Pradesh
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Assam
- Bihar
- Chandigarh *
- Chattisgarh
- Dadra and Nagar Haveli *
- Daman and Diu *
- Delhi *
- Goa
- Gujarat
- Haryana
- Himachal Pradesh
- Jammu and Kashmir
- Jharkhand
- Karnataka
- Kerala
- Lakshadweep *
- Madhya Pradesh
- Maharashtra
- Manipur
- Meghalaya
- Mizoram
- Nagaland
- Orissa
- Pondicherry *
- Punjab
- Rajasthan
- Sikkim
- Tamil Nadu
- Tripura
- Uttaranchal
- Uttar Pradesh
- West Bengal
Geography
Main article Geography of India
The map shows the part of Kashmir on the Pakistani side of the line of control (LOC) as belonging to Pakistan. Many Indians view that territory as belonging to India.
File:Indiamap.jpg
Economy
Main article Economy of India
India's economy encompasses traditional village farming, modern agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern industries, and a multitude of support services. About a quarter of the population is still too poor to be able to afford an adequate diet. India's international payments position remained strong in 2001 with adequate foreign exchange reserves, and moderately depreciating nominal exchange rates. Growth in manufacturing output has slowed, and electricity shortages continue in many regions. India has large numbers of well-educated people skilled in the English language; India is a major exporter of software services and software workers.
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of India
Miscellaneous topics
- Communications in India
- Transportation in India
- Military of India
- Foreign relations of India
- Religions of India
- Indian film