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Home / About Us / Contact Us
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AT A GLANCE
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The Indus Valley civilization, one
of the oldest in the world, goes back at least 5,000 years.
Aryan tribes from the northwest invaded about 1500 B.C.; their
merger with the earlier inhabitants created the classical Indian
culture. Arab incursions starting in the 8th century and Turkish
in 12th were followed by European traders beginning in the late
15th century. By the 19th century, Britain had assumed political
control of virtually all Indian lands. Nonviolent resistance to
British colonialism under Mohandas GANDHI and Jawaharlal NEHRU
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 and religious strife,
all this despite impressive gains in economic investment and
output.
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Location
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Southern Asia, bordering the
Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and
Pakistan.
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Geographic coordinates
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20 00 N, 77 00 E
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Area
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| Total
: 3,287,590 sq km |
| Land
: 2,973,190 sq km |
| Water
: 314,400 sq km |
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Area comparative
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Slightly more than one-third
the size of the US.
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Land boundaries
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| Total:
14,103 km |
| Border
countries : Bangladesh 4,053 km, Bhutan 605 km, Burma
1,463 km, China 3,380 km, Nepal 1,690 km, Pakistan
2,912 km. |
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Coastline
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7,000 km
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Climate
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Varies from tropical monsoon
in south to temperate in north.
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Terrain
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Upland plain (Deccan Plateau)
in south, flat to rolling plain along the Ganges, deserts in
west, Himalayas in north.
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Land use
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| Arable
land : 54.35% |
| Permanent
crops : 2.66% |
| Other
: 42.99% (1998 est.) |
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Geography note
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Dominates South Asian
subcontinent; near important Indian Ocean trade routes.
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| Population
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| 1,080,264,388
(July 2005 est.) |
| Religions
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| Hindu
81.3%, Muslim 12%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other
groups including Buddhist, Jain, Parsi 2.5% (2000). |
| Literacy
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| Definition
: Age 15 and over can read and write |
| Total
population : 52% |
| Male
: 65.5% |
| Female
: 37.7% (1995 est.) |
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| Capital
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| New
Delhi |
| Administrative
divisions |
| 28
states and 7 union territories |
| Independence
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| 15
August 1947 (from UK) |
| National
holiday |
| Republic
Day, 26 January (1950) |
| Constitution
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| 26
January 1950 |
| Flag
description |
| Three
equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and
green with a blue chakra (24-spoked wheel) centered in
the white band; similar to the flag of Niger, which
has a small orange disk centered in the white band. |
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