India

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भारत गणराज्य Bhārat Gaṇarājya Republic of India
Flag Emblem
Motto: Satyameva Jayate   (Sanskrit) सत्यमेव जयते  (Devanāgarī) "Truth Alone Triumphs"
Anthem: "Jana Gaṇa Mana" listen (help·info)
Capital	New Delhi 28°34′N 77°12′E
Largest city	Mumbai (Bombay)
Official languages	Hindi, English + 21 other official languages
Government	Federal republic
- President	A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
- Prime Minister	Manmohan Singh
Independence	from the UK
- Declared	15 August 1947
- Republic	26 January 1950
and  outlying territories by area">Area
- Total	3,166,414† km² ( and  outlying territories by area">7th) 1,222,559 sq mi
- Water (%)	9.56
Population
- 2005 estimate	1,103,371,000 (2nd)
- 2001 census	1,027,015,248
- Density	329/km² (31st) 852/sq mi
GDP (PPP)	2005 estimate
- Total	$3.633 trillion (4th)
- Per capita	$3,320 (122nd)
GDP (nominal)	2005 estimate
- Total	$771,951 million (12th)
- Per capita	$714 (134th)
HDI  (2004)	0.611 (medium) (126th)
Currency	Rupee (₨) (INR)
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
- Summer (DST)	not observed (UTC+5:30)
Internet TLD	.in
Calling code	+91
† Includes only Indian-administered territory.

For historical and  other uses of "India", see India (disambiguation).

India (Devanagari: भारत Bhārat), officially the Republic of India (Bhārat Gaṇarājya), is  a country in South Asia. it  is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second most populous country, and  the most populous liberal democracy in the world. India has a coastline of over seven thousand kilometres, bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and  the Bay of Bengal on the east. India borders Pakistan^[1] to the west; China, Nepal and  Bhutan to the north-east; and  Bangladesh and  Myanmar to the east. In the Indian Ocean, India is  in the vicinity of Sri Lanka, Maldives and  Indonesia.

Home to the Indus Valley Civilization and  a region of historic trade routes and  vast empires, the Indian subcontinent was identified with its commercial and  cultural wealth for much of its long history. Four major world religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and  Sikhism originated here, while Islam, Christianity, Judaism and  Zoroastrianism, arrived in the first millennium CE and  shaped India's variegated culture. Politically controlled by the British East India Company from the early 18th century and  directly administered by Great Britain starting the mid-19th century, India became a modern nation-state in 1947 after a struggle for independence marked by widespread use of nonviolent resistance as a means of social protest.

With the world's fourth largest economy in purchasing power and  the second fastest growing large economy,^[2] India has made rapid progress in the last decade, most notably in information technology. Although, India's standard of living is  projected to rise sharply in the next half-century,^[3] it  currently battles high levels of poverty, persistent malnutrition, and  environmental degradation. A multi-lingual, multi-ethnic society, India is  home to a diversity of wildlife in a variety of protected habitats.

[edit] Etymology

The name India /'ɪndiə/ is  derived from Indus, which is  derived from the Old Persian word Hindu, from Sanskrit Sindhu, the historic local appellation for the Indus River.^[4] The Constitution of India and  common usage also recognise Bharat /bʰɑːrət̪/ listen (help·info)), as an  official name of equal status. A third name, هندوستان, Hindustan ( /hin̪d̪ust̪ɑːn/) listen (help·info) (Persian: Land of the Hindus (Old Persian for Indus) has been used since the twelfth century, though its contemporary use is  unevenly applied.

[edit] History

Main article: History of India

Stone Age rock shelters with paintings at Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh are  the earliest known traces of human life on the Indian subcontinent. The first known permanent settlements appeared over 9,000 years ago, and  gradually developed into the Indus Valley Civilization, dating back to 3300 BCE. it  was followed by the Vedic Civilization which laid the foundations of Hinduism and  other cultural aspects of early Indian society. From around 550 BCE, many independent kingdoms and  republics known as the Mahajanapadas were established across the country.

The empire built by the Maurya dynasty under Emperor Ashoka united most of modern South Asia except the kingdoms in the south. From 180 BCE, a series of invasions from Central Asia followed including the Indo-Greeks, Indo-Scythians, Indo-Parthians and  Kushans in the northwestern Indian Subcontinent. From the third century CE, the Gupta dynasty oversaw the period referred to as ancient India's "Golden Age." While the north had larger, fewer kingdoms, in the south there were several dynasties such as the Chalukyas, Cholas, Pallavas and  Pandyas, overlapping in time and  space.  and  technology">Science, engineering, art, literature, astronomy, and  philosophy flourished under the patronage of these kings.

Paintings at the Ajanta Caves in western India, sixth century AD.

Following the invasions from Central Asia, between the tenth to the twelfth centuries, much of north India came under the rule of the Delhi Sultanate, and  later the Mughal dynasty, who gradually expanded their reign through large parts of the Indian subcontinent. Nevertheless, several indigenous kingdoms flourished, especially in the south, like the Vijayanagara Empire. In the seventeenth and  eighteenth century, the Mughal supremacy declined and  the Maratha Empire became the dominant power. From the sixteenth century onwards, several European countries, including Portugal, Netherlands, France and  the United Kingdom, started arriving as traders, later taking advantage of the fractious nature of relations between the kingdoms, to establish colonies in the country. By 1856, most of India came under control of the British East India Company. A year later, a nationwide insurrection of rebelling military units and  kingdoms, known locally as the First War of Indian Independence (known as the Sepoy Mutiny elsewhere) broke out, which failed even as it  seriously challenged British rule. As a consequence, India came under the direct control of the British Crown as a colony of the British Empire.

Mahatma Gandhi (right) with India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru

From early twentieth century, the Indian Independence Movement of the Indian National Congress steadily gained widespread support, largely led by Mahatma Gandhi. Millions of protesters would engage in mass campaigns of civil disobedience with a commitment to ahimsa or  non-violence. Finally, on 15 August 1947, India gained independence from British rule not before losing its Muslim-majority areas which were carved out into a separate nation-state of Pakistan. Three years later, on 26 January 1950, India chose to be a republic, and  a new Constitution came into effect.

Since independence, India has seen sectarian violence and  insurgencies in various parts of the country, but has maintained its unity and  democracy. it  has unresolved territorial disputes with China, which escalated into the brief Sino-Indian War in 1962; and  with Pakistan, which resulted in wars in 1947, 1965, 1971 and  in 1999 in Kargil. India is  a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement and  the United Nations (as part of British India). In 1974, India conducted an  underground nuclear test. This was followed by five more tests in 1998. Significant economic reforms beginning in 1991 have  transformed India into one of the fastest-growing economies and   an  emerging superpower">an emerging superpower in the world, and  added to its global and  regional clout.

[edit] Government

Main article: Government of India

The Constitution of India declares India to be a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic. India has a federal form of government and  a bicameral parliament operating under a Westminster-style parliamentary system. it  has three branches of governance: the Legislature, Executive, and  Judiciary.

The President is  the head of state; his role in governance is  largely ceremonial. The President is  elected indirectly by an  electoral college for five-year terms. The Prime Minister is  the de facto head of government and  holds most executive powers. He or  she is  appointed by the President, with the requirement that he or  she enjoys the support of the party or  coalition securing the majority of seats in the lower house of Parliament.

The legislature of India is  the bicameral Parliament, which consists of the upper house called the Rajya Sabha (Council of States), and  the lower house called the Lok Sabha (House of People). The 245-member Rajya Sabha is  chosen indirectly by the state legislative assemblies; members have  staggered six-year terms. Each state sends members to the Rajya Sabha proportionate to its population. The Lok Sabha's 545 members are  directly elected by popular vote for f pg 524 }}</ref>

The executive branch consists of the President, Vice-President, and  the Council of Ministers (the Cabinet being its executive committee) headed by the Prime Minister. Any minister holding a portfolio must be a member of either house of parliament. In the Indian parliamentary system, the executive is  subordinate to the legislature.^[5]

India's independent judiciary consists of the Supreme Court, headed by the Chief Justice of India. The Supreme Court has both original jurisdiction over disputes between states and  the Centre, and  appellate jurisdiction over the eighteen High Courts of India, and  additionally, the power to declare union and  state laws null and  void if in conflict with the Constitution.^[5]

[edit] Politics

The Parliament of India (Sansad Bhavan).

Main article: Politics of India

For most of its independent history, India has been ruled by the Indian National Congress. The party enjoyed a parliamentary majority barring two brief periods during the 1970s and  late 1980s. This rule was interrupted between 1977 to 1980, when the Janata Party coalition won the election owing to public discontent with the "Emergency" declared by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The Janata Dal won elections in 1989, but its government managed to hold on to power for only two years. Between 1996 and  1998, there was a period of political flux with the government being formed first by the right-wing nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party followed by a left-leaning United Front coalition. In 1998, the BJP formed the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) with smaller regional parties, and  became the first non-Congress and  coalition government to complete a full five-year term. The 2004 Indian elections saw the Congress party winning the largest number of seats to form a government leading the United Progressive Alliance, supported by left-leaning and  other parties opposed to the BJP.

[ and  foreign relations">edit] Military and  foreign relations

Main articles: Military of India and  Foreign relations of India

Since independence, India has maintained cordial relationships with most nations. it  took a leading role in the 1950s by advocating the independence of European colonies in Africa and  Asia. During the Cold War, India tried to maintain its neutrality and  was one of the founding members of the Non-Aligned Movement. After the Sino-Indian War and  the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, India's relationship with the Soviet Union warmed at the expense of ties with the United States and  continued to remain so until the end of the Cold War. Despite criticism and  military sanctions, India has consistently refused to sign the CTBT and  the NPT, preferring instead to maintain sovereignty over its nuclear program. Recent overtures by the Indian government have  strengthened relations with the United States, China, and  Pakistan. In the economic sphere, India has close relationships with other developing nations in South America, Asia, and  Africa. In recent years, India has played an  influential role in the ASEAN, SAARC, and  the WTO. India has been a long time supporter of the United Nations, with over 55,000 Indian military and  police personnel having served in 35 UN peace keeping operations deployed across four continents.^[6]

Indian developed Agni-II ballistic missile during the Republic day parade 2004.

India maintains the third largest military force in the world. The armed forces of India consists of the Indian Army, Indian Air Force and  the Indian Navy. There are  auxillary forces like the Indian Paramilitary Forces, the Indian Coast Guard and  the Strategic Forces Command. India is  a declared nuclear weapons nation. The Indian Army maintains the second largest active troops in the world. The Indian Navy is  the fifth largest in terms of manpower and  the Indian Air Force is  the fourth largest in the world. The President of India is  the supreme commander of the Indian armed forces.

[ and  territories">edit] States and  territories

Main article:  and  territories of India">States and  territories of India

[edit] Geography

Main article: Geography of India

Elevated regions in India

India constitutes the major portion of the Indian subcontinent, which sits atop the Indian Plate and  the northwesterly portion of the Indo-Australian Plate. India's northern and  northeastern states are  partially situated in the Himalayan Range. The rest of northern, central, and  eastern India consists of the fertile Indo-Gangetic Plain. In the west, bordering southeastern Pakistan, lies the Thar Desert. Southern India is  almost entirely composed of the peninsular Deccan plateau, which is  flanked by two hilly coastal ranges, the Western Ghats and  the Eastern Ghats.India's total land area is  2,973,190 sq. Km.

India is  home to several major rivers, including the Ganges, the Brahmaputra, the Yamuna, the Godavari, the Kaveri, the Narmada, and  the Krishna. India has three archipelagos — Lakshadweep, which lies off the southwestern coast; the volcanic  and  Nicobar Islands">Andaman and  Nicobar Islands island chain to the southeast, and  the Sunderbans in the Ganges Delta of West Bengal.

The climate in India varies from tropical in the south to more  temperate in the Himalayan north, where elevated regions receive sustained winter snowfall. India's climate is  strongly influenced by the Himalayas and  the Thar Desert. The Himalayas, along with the Hindu Kush mountains in Pakistan, prevent cold Central Asian katabatic winds from blowing in. This keeps the bulk of the Indian subcontinent warmer than most locations at similar latitudes. The Thar Desert is  responsible for attracting the moisture-laden summer monsoon winds that, between June and  September, provide most of India's rainfall.

[ and  fauna">edit] Flora and  fauna

Now the world's rarest monkey, the golden langur typifies the precarious survival of much of India's megafauna.

Main articles: Fauna of India and  Flora of India

India, lying within the Indomalaya ecozone, hosts significant biodiversity; it  is home to 7.6% of all mammalian, 12.6% of avian, 6.2% of reptilian, and  6.0% of flowering plant species.^[7] Many ecoregions, such as the shola forests, also exhibit extremely high rates of endemism; overall, 33% of Indian plant species are  endemic.^[8][9] India's forest cover ranges from the  and  subtropical moist broadleaf forests">tropical rainforest of the Andaman Islands, Western Ghats, and  Northeast India to the coniferous forest of the Himalaya. Between these extremes lie the sal-dominated  and  subtropical moist broadleaf forests">moist deciduous forest of eastern India; teak-dominated  and  subtropical dry broadleaf forests">dry deciduous forest of central and  southern India; and  the babul-dominated  and  xeric shrublands">thorn forest of the central Deccan and  western Gangetic plain.^[10] Important Indian trees include the medicinal neem, widely used in rural Indian herbal remedies. The pipal fig tree, shown on the seals of Mohenjo-daro, shaded the Gautama Buddha as he sought enlightenment.

Many Indian species are  descendants of taxa originating in Gondwana, to which India originally belonged. Peninsular India's subsequent movement towards, and  collision with, the Laurasian landmass set off a mass exchange of species. However, volcanism and  climatic changes 20 million years ago caused the extinction of many endemic Indian forms.^[11] Soon thereafter, mammals entered India from Asia through two zoogeographical passes on either side of the emerging Himalaya.^[10] As a result, among Indian species, only 12.6% of mammals and  4.5% of birds are  endemic, contrasting with 45.8% of reptiles and  55.8% of amphibians.^[7] Notable endemics are  the Nilgiri leaf monkey and  the brown and  carmine Beddome's toad of the Western Ghats. India contains 172, or  2.9%, of IUCN-designated threatened species.^[12] These include the Asiatic lion, the Bengal tiger, and  the Indian white-rumped vulture, which suffered a near-extinction from ingesting the carrion of diclofenac-treated cattle.

In recent decades, human encroachment has posed a threat to India's wildlife; in response, the system of national parks and  protected areas, first established in 1935, was substantially expanded. In 1972, India enacted the Wildlife Protection Act and  Project Tiger to safeguard crucial habitat; further federal protections were promulgated in the 1980s. Along with over 500 wildlife sanctuaries, India now hosts 14 biosphere reserves, four of which are  part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves; 25 wetlands are  registered under the Ramsar Convention.

[edit] Economy

The Bombay Stock Exchange Sensex index reflects investor confidence in the Indian economy.

 is  one of the most modern and  cosmopolitan cities in India."> is  one of the most modern and  cosmopolitan cities in India." width="180" height="120" longdesc="../../../b/o/m/Image%7EBombay24.jpg_6bc3.html" />

The Metropolis of Mumbai as seen from above during night time. Mumbai is  one of the most modern and  cosmopolitan cities in India.

Main article: Economy of India

For most of its democratic history, India adhered to a quasi-socialist approach, with strict government control over private sector participation, foreign trade, and  foreign direct investment. However, since 1991, India has gradually opened up its markets through economic reforms by reducing government controls on foreign trade and  investment. Privatisation of publicly-owned industries and  the opening of certain sectors to private and  foreign participation has continued amid political debate.

With a GDP growth rate of 9.2%, the Indian economy is  among the fastest growing in the world.^[13] it  is the world's fourth largest as measured by purchasing power parity (PPP), with a GDP of US$3.63 trillion. However, when measured by USD exchange-rate terms, it  is the twelfth largest in the world, with a GDP of US$785.47 billion.^[14] Wealth distribution in India, a developing country, is  fairly uneven, with the top 10% of income groups earning 33% of all income.^[15] India's per capita income of US$3,400 is  ranked 122nd in the world. Despite strong growth, the World Bank and  others worry about the chronic federal and  state budget deficits, currently approximately 9% of GDP.^[16]

India has a labour force of 496.4 million, 60% of which is  employed in agriculture or  agriculture-related industries. The service sector accounts for 23% of GDP; the agricultural and  industrial sectors make up 22% and  17% respectively. Major agricultural crops include rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, and  potatoes. Major industries include textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, and  machinery.^[16] more  recently, India has capitalised on its large pool of educated, English-speaking people to become an  important outsourcing destination for multinational corporations. India has also become a major exporter of software as well as financial, research, and  technology services. India's most important trading partners are  the United States, the European Union, Japan, China, and  the United Arab Emirates.^[16]

[edit] Demographics

Apatani tribal women in Arunachal Pradesh.

Main article: Demographics of India

With an  estimated population of 1.1 billion, India is  the world's second most populous country.^[17] Almost 70% of Indians reside in rural areas, although in recent decades migration to larger cities has led to the exponential rise in the urban population. India's largest urban agglomerations are  Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai , Bangalore and  Hyderabad.

India is  home to two major linguistic families: Indo-Aryan (spoken by about 74% of the population) and  Dravidian (spoken by about 24%). Other languages spoken in India come from the Austro-Asiatic and  Tibeto-Burman linguistic families. The Indian constitution recognises 23 official languages.^[18] Hindi and  English are  used by the Union Government of India for official purposes, wherein Hindi has a de jure priority. Sanskrit and  Tamil enjoy classical language status in India.^[19] The number of dialects in India is  as high as 1,652.^[20]

Although 80.5% of Indians report themselves as Hindus, India's Muslim population is  the world's second largest; they constitute 13.4% of the population. Other religious groups include Christians (2.3%), Sikhs (1.9%), Buddhists (0.8%), Jains (0.4%), Jews, Ayyavazhis,^[21] Zoroastrians and  Bahá'ís.^[17]

At the time of India's independence in 1947, India's literacy rate was 11%.^[22] Since then, it  has increased to 68.4% (59.5% for females and  77.4% of males). The state of Kerala has the highest literacy rate (91%); Bihar has the lowest (47%).^[23] The national sex ratio is  944 females per 1,000 males. One of the primary reasons for such a skewed ratio is  the high prevalance of female infanticide, particularly in rural areas. India's median age is  24.66, and  the population growth rate of 1.38% per annum; there are  22.32 births per 1,000 people.^[17]

[edit] Culture

 is  India's most popular tourist destination."> is  India's most popular tourist destination." width="180" height="148" longdesc="../../../t/a/j/Image%7ETaj_Mahal_in_March_2004.jpg_1c1c.html" />

The Taj Mahal in Agra is  India's most popular tourist destination.

Main article: Culture of India

India's culture is  marked by a high degree of syncretism; it  has managed to preserve established traditions whilst absorbing new customs, traditions, and  ideas from invaders and  immigrants. Many Indian cultural practices, languages, customs, and  monuments are  examples of this co-mingling over centuries. Famous monuments, such as the Taj Mahal and  other examples of Islamic-inspired architecture, have  been inherited from the Mughal dynasty. These are  the result of traditions that combined elements from all parts of the country.

Indian music is  highly diversified. Classical music is  mainly split between the North Indian Hindustani and  South Indian Carnatic traditions. Highly regionalised forms of popular music include Filmi and  folk music like Bhangra. Many classical dance forms exist, including Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Manipuri, Odissi and  Yakshagana. They often have  a narrative form and  are usually infused with devotional and  spiritual elements. The earliest literary traditions in India were mostly oral, and  were only later transcribed. Most of these are  represented by religious texts such as the Vedas, the Mahabharata, and  the Ramayana; Sangam literature from Tamil Nadu is  among India's oldest. The many notable Indian writers of the modern era, using both Indian languages and  in English, include Rabindranath Tagore. The Indian film industry is  the world's most prolific; its most recognisable face is  the Mumbai-based "Bollywood", which produces mainly Hindi films. Other strong cinema industries are  based on the Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, and  Bengali languages.

A Toda tribal hut.

The cuisine of India is  extremely diverse, as ingredients, spices and  cooking methods vary from region to region. Rice and  wheat are  the nation's main staple foods. The country is  notable for its wide variety of vegetarian and  non-vegetarian cuisine. Spicy food and  sweets are  popular in India. Traditional Indian dress greatly varies across the regions in its colours and  styles, and  depend on various factors, including climate. Popular styles of dress include the sari for women and  the lungi or  dhoti for men.

India's national sport is  field hockey, although cricket is  now the de facto national game. In some states, particularly those in the northeast, football is  the most popular sport and  is widely followed. In recent times, tennis has gained popularity. Chess, commonly held to have  originated in India, is  also gaining popularity with the rise of the number of recognised Indian grandmasters. Traditional sports include kabaddi, kho kho, and  gilli-danda, which are  played nationwide.

Indian festivals come in a large variety; many are  celebrated irrespective of caste and  creed. The most popular are  Diwali, Holi, Sankranti/Pongal, Gudi Padwa/Ugadi, the two Eids, Christmas, and  Vaisakhi. India has three national holidays. Other sets of holidays, varying between nine and  twelve, are  officially observed in the individual states. Religious practices are  an integral part of everyday life and  are a very public affair. Traditional Indian family values are  highly respected, although urban families now prefer a nuclear family system due to the socio-economic constraints imposed by the traditional joint family system.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

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