Profile
Background and figures as recorded in the CIA World Factbook.
The Indus Valley civilization, one of the world's oldest, flourished during the 3rd and 2nd millennia B.C. and extended into northwestern India. Aryan tribes from the northwest infiltrated the Indian subcontinent about 1500 B.C.; their merger with the earlier Dravidian inhabitants created the classical Indian culture. The Maurya Empire of the 4th and 3rd centuries B.C. -- which reached its zenith under ASHOKA -- united much of South Asia. The Gupta dynasty (4th to 6th centuries A.D.) ushered in The Golden Age, which saw a flowering of Indian science, art, and culture.
- Capital
- New Delhi
- Government
- federal parliamentary republic
- Population
- 1,419,316,933
- Area
- 3,287,263 sq km
- Location
- Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan
- Climate
- varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north
- Natural resources
- coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world); antimony; iron ore; lead; manganese; mica…
- Languages
- Hindi 43.6%; Bengali 8%; Marathi 6.9%; Telugu 6.7%…
- Religions
- Hindu 79.8%; Muslim 14.2%; Christian 2.3%; Sikh 1.7%…
- Independence
- 15 August 1947 (from the UK)
- Administrative divisions
- 28 states and 8 union territories*; Andaman and Nicobar Islands*, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chand…
- Currency
- Indian rupees (INR)
- Export partners
- USA 19%; UAE 7%; China 4%; Germany 3%…
- Import partners
- China 19%; Russia 10%; USA 6%; UAE 6%…
Source: CIA World Factbook — a work of the US government, in the public domain