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INDIA is one of the oldest civilizations in the world, with a history of over 5000 years with a kaleidoscopic variety and rich cultural heritage. Over the thousands of years of its history, Indian people and culture have assimilated influences from all over the world to produce a remarkable racial and cultural synthesis.

India is the world’s largest democracy. In its 60 years as a modern independent nation, India today has emerged as the one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

India attained independence from British rule on 15 August 1947. The 1950 Constitution provides for a parliamentary system of Government with a bicameral parliament and three independent branches: the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. The country has a federal structure with elected Governments in States. There are 28 states and 7 Union Territories(administered directly by the Central Government).

Official Title:Republic of India

Location:The Indian peninsula is separated from mainland Asia by the Himalayas. The Country is surrounded by the Bay of Bengal in the east, the Arabian Sea in the west, and the Indian Ocean to the south.

Geographic Coordinates:Lying entirely in the Northern Hemisphere, the Country extends between 8° 4' and 37° 6' latitudes north of the Equator, and 68°7' and 97°25' longitudes east of it.

Indian Standard Time:GMT + 05:30

Area:3.3 Million sq km

Telephone Country Code:+91

Border Countries:Afghanistan and Pakistan to the north-west; China, Bhutan and Nepal to the north; Myanmar to the east; and Bangladesh to the east of West Bengal. Sri Lanka is separated from India by a narrow channel of sea, formed by Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar.

Coastline:7,516.6 km long coastline encompassing the mainland, Lakshadweep Islands, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Climate:The climate of India can broadly be classified as a tropical monsoon one. But, in spite of much of the northern part of India lying beyond the tropical zone, the entire country has a tropical climate marked by relatively high temperatures and dry winters. There are four seasons - winter (December-February), summer (March-June), south-west monsoon season(June-September), and post monsoon season (October- November).

Terrain:The mainland comprises of four regions, namely the great mountain zone, plains of the Ganga and the Indus, the desert region, and the southern peninsula.

Currency unit:Indian Rupee (INR)

Government Type:Sovereign Socialist Democratic Republic with a Parliamentary system of Government.

Capital:New Delhi

Administrative Divisions:28 States and 7 Union Territories

Independence:15th August 1947 (From the British Colonial Rule)

Constitution:The Constitution of India came into force on 26th January 1950.

Executive:The President of India is the Head of the State, while the Prime Minister is the Head of the Government, and runs office with the support of the Council of Ministers who form the Cabinet.

Legislative:The Indian Legislature comprises of two houses: the Lok Sabha (Lower House or House of the People) and the Rajya Sabha (Upper House or Council of States)

Judiciary:The Supreme Court of India is the apex body of the Indian legal system, followed by other High Courts and subordinate Courts.

Population:1,027 million (2001)

Population Growth Rate:1.93 per cent (1991 - 2001)

Population Density:324 persons per square kilometre

Life Expectancy Rate:63.9 years (Males); 66.9 years (Females) (As of Sep 2005)

Sex Ratio:933 according to the 2001 census

Ethnic Groups:All the five major racial types - Australoid, Mongoloid, Europoid, Caucasian, and Negroid find representation among the people of India.

Religions:According to the 2001 census, out of the total population of 1.028 million in the Country, Hindus constituted the majority with 80.5 %,Muslims came second at 13.4%, followed by Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists,Jains, and others.

Languages:There are 23 major languages recognized by the Constitution of India, of which Hindi is the Official Union Language. Besides these, there are 844 different dialects that are practiced in various parts of the Country.

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