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India Country Guide
Explore India in Asia
The topography includes upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plain along the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north. The average density of population is approximately 349 per km². The notable climate conditions in India can be described as varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north. Possible natural disasters include droughts or flash floods, as well as widespread and destructive flooding from monsoonal rains, severe thunderstorms or earthquakes.
To reach someone in India dial +91 prior to a number. There are 35,770,000 installed telephones. And there are 670,000,000 registered mobile phones. The cellular networks commonly support frequencies of 900/1800 MHz. Websites registered in this country end with the top level domain ".in". If you want to bring electric equipment on your trip (e.g. laptop power supply), note the local power outlet of 230V - 50Hz.
About the flag and history of India
Three equal horizontal bands of saffron (subdued orange) (top), white, and green, with a blue chakra (24-spoked wheel) centered in the white band; saffron represents courage, sacrifice, and the spirit of renunciation; white signifies purity and truth; green stands for faith and fertility; the blue chakra symbolizes the wheel of life in movement and death in stagnation note: similar to the flag of Niger, which has a small orange disk centered in the white band.
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 Golden Age ushered in by the Gupta dynasty (4th to 6th centuries A.D.) saw a flowering of Indian science, art, and culture. Islam spread across the subcontinent over a period of 700 years. In the 10th and 11th centuries, Turks and Afghans invaded India and established the Delhi Sultanate. In the early 16th century, the Emperor BABUR established the Mughal Dynasty which ruled India for more than three centuries. European explorers began establishing footholds in India during the 16th century. By the 19th century, Great Britain had become the dominant political power on the subcontinent. The British Indian Army played a vital role in both World Wars. Years of nonviolent resistance to British rule, led by Mohandas GANDHI and Jawaharlal NEHRU, eventually resulted in Indian independence, which was granted in 1947. Large-scale communal violence took place before and after the subcontinent partition into two separate states - India and Pakistan. The neighboring nations have fought three wars since independence, the last of which was in 1971 and resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. India's nuclear weapons tests in 1998 emboldened Pakistan to conduct its own tests that same year. In November 2008, terrorists originating from Pakistan conducted a series of coordinated attacks in Mumbai, India's financial capital. Despite pressing problems such as significant overpopulation, environmental degradation, extensive poverty, and widespread corruption, economic growth following the launch of economic reforms in 1991 and a massive youthful population are driving India's emergence as a regional and global power.
National administrative regions of India
- Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- Andhra Pradesh
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Assam
- Bengal
- Bihar
- Chandigarh
- Chhattisgarh
- Dadra and Nagar Haveli
- Daman and Diu
- Goa
- Gujarat
- Haryana
- Himachal Pradesh
- India (general)
- Jammu and Kashmir
- Jharkhand
- Karnataka
- Kerala
- Laccadives
- Madhya Pradesh
- Maharashtra
- Manipur
- Meghalaya
- Mizoram
- Nagaland
- NCT
- Orissa
- Pondicherry
- Punjab
- Rajasthan
- Sikkim
- Tamil Nadu
- Tripura
- Uttar Pradesh
- Uttarakhand
Geography Quick-Facts
| Summary | Continent: Asia Neighbours: China, Nepal, Myanmar, Bhutan, Pakistan, Bangladesh Capital: New Delhi |
| Size | 3,287,590 square kilometers (km² or sqkm) or 1,269,345 square miles (mi² or sqmi) slightly more than one-third the size of the US |
| Population | 1,147,995,000 |
| Currency | Name Rupee, Currency Code:INR |
| Country Top Level Domain (cTLD) | .in |
| Telephone Country Prefix | +91 |
| Mobile Phone Connections | 670,000,000 |
| Landline Phone Connections | 35,770,000 |
Country Position in World Rankings
Information about single country attributes and how these compare against the rest of the world. The information below is compiled with data from 2013. As such, it may differ a bit to the Information above in the text (which is from 2010).
Geography
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 3,287,263 (sq km) | 7 |
People and Society
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,220,800,359 | 2 |
| Population growth rate | 1.28 (%) | 90 |
| Birth rate | 20.24 (births/1,000 population) | 86 |
| Death rate | 7.39 (deaths/1,000 population) | 117 |
| Net migration rate | -0.05 (migrant(s)/1,000 population) | 111 |
| Maternal mortality rate | 200.00 (deaths/100,000 live births) | 54 |
| Infant mortality rate | 44.60 (deaths/1,000 live births) | 50 |
| Life expectancy at birth | 67.48 (years) | 163 |
| Total fertility rate | 2.55 (children born/woman) | 81 |
| Health expenditures | 4.10 (% of GDP) | 164 |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate | 0.30 (%) | 85 |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | 2,400,000 | 3 |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths | 170,000 | 3 |
| Obesity - adult prevalence rate | 1.90 (%) | 184 |
| Children under the age of 5 years underweight | 43.50 (%) | 2 |
| Education expenditures | 3.30 (% of GDP) | 131 |
| Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 | 10.20 (%) | 106 |
Economy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (purchasing power parity) | 4,761,000,000,000 | 4 |
| GDP - real growth rate | 6.50 (%) | 34 |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | 3,900 | 168 |
| Labor force | 498,400,000 | 2 |
| Unemployment rate | 9.90 (%) | 107 |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index | 36.80 | 78 |
| Investment (gross fixed) | 30.00 (% of GDP) | 22 |
| Taxes and other revenues | 9.40 (% of GDP) | 210 |
| Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) | -6.00 (% of GDP) | 171 |
| Public debt | 51.90 (% of GDP) | 61 |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 9.20 (%) | 197 |
| Central bank discount rate | 6.00 (%) | 58 |
| Commercial bank prime lending rate | 10.19 (%) | 89 |
| Stock of narrow money | 342,300,000,000 | 16 |
| Stock of broad money | 1,451,000,000,000 | 14 |
| Stock of domestic credit | 1,402,000,000,000 | 15 |
| Market value of publicly traded shares | 1,616,000,000,000 | 9 |
| Industrial production growth rate | 4.80 (%) | 65 |
| Current account balance | -80,150,000,000 | 192 |
| Exports | 309,100,000,000 | 18 |
| Imports | 500,300,000,000 | 9 |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | 287,200,000,000 | 11 |
| Debt - external | 376,300,000,000 | 29 |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - at home | 256,600,000,000 | 20 |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad | 121,300,000,000 | 28 |
Energy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity - production | 880,000,000,000 (kWh) | 7 |
| Electricity - consumption | 637,600,000,000 (kWh) | 7 |
| Electricity - exports | 519,000,000 (kWh) | 60 |
| Electricity - imports | 10,530,000,000 (kWh) | 21 |
| Electricity - installed generating capacity | 189,300,000 (kW) | 6 |
| Electricity - from fossil fuels | 69.90 (% of total installed capacity) | 107 |
| Electricity - from nuclear fuels | 2.20 (% of total installed capacity) | 29 |
| Electricity - from hydroelectric plants | 20.90 (% of total installed capacity) | 90 |
| Electricity - from other renewable sources | 7.00 (% of total installed capacity) | 30 |
| Crude oil - production | 897,300 (bbl/day) | 25 |
| Crude oil - imports | 2,768,000 (bbl/day) | 5 |
| Crude oil - proved reserves | 8,935,000,000 (bbl) | 20 |
| Refined petroleum products - production | 3,226,000 (bbl/day) | 7 |
| Refined petroleum products - consumption | 3,292,000 (bbl/day) | 7 |
| Refined petroleum products - exports | 812,100 (bbl/day) | 9 |
| Refined petroleum products - imports | 380,900 (bbl/day) | 16 |
| Natural gas - production | 46,100,000,000 (cu m) | 22 |
| Natural gas - consumption | 61,100,000,000 (cu m) | 13 |
| Natural gas - imports | 12,150,000,000 (cu m) | 24 |
| Natural gas - proved reserves | 1,154,000,000,000 (cu m) | 25 |
| Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy | 1,696,000,000 (Mt) | 4 |
Communications
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Telephones - main lines in use | 32,685,000 | 10 |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 893,862,000 | 2 |
| Internet hosts | 6,746,000 | 17 |
| Internet users | 61,338,000 | 6 |
Transportation
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Airports | 352 | 22 |
| Railways | 63,974 (km) | 4 |
| Roadways | 3,320,410 (km) | 3 |
| Waterways | 14,500 (km) | 9 |
| Merchant marine | 340 | 29 |
Military
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Military expenditures | 1.80 (% of GDP) | 81 |
Data based on CIA facts book 2010 & 2013, wikipedia, national statistical offices and their census releases
List of current world heritage sites
| Name | Since |
|---|---|
| Agra Fort Near the gardens of the Taj Mahal stands the important 16th-century Mughal monument known as the Red Fort of Agra. This powerful fortress of red sandstone encompasses, within its 2.5-km-long enclosure walls, the imperial city of the Mughal rulers. It ... | 1983 |
| Ajanta Caves The first Buddhist cave monuments at Ajanta date from the 2nd and 1st centuries B.C. During the Gupta period (5th and 6th centuries A.D.), many more richly decorated caves were added to the original group. The paintings and sculptures of Ajanta, cons ... | 1983 |
| Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi On a hill overlooking the plain and about 40 km from Bhopal, the site of Sanchi comprises a group of Buddhist monuments (monolithic pillars, palaces, temples and monasteries) all in different states of conservation most of which date back to the 2nd ... | 1989 |
| Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park A concentration of largely unexcavated archaeological, historic and living cultural heritage properties cradled in an impressive landscape which includes prehistoric (chalcolithic) sites, a hill fortress of an early Hindu capital, and remains of the ... | 2004 |
| Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, formerly known as Victoria Terminus Station, in Mumbai, is an outstanding example of Victorian Gothic Revival architecture in India, blended with themes deriving from Indian traditional architecture. The building, de ... | 2004 |
| Churches and Convents of Goa The churches and convents of Goa, the former capital of the Portuguese Indies – particularly the Church of Bom Jesus, which contains the tomb of St Francis-Xavier – illustrate the evangelization of Asia. These monuments were influential in spreading ... | 1986 |
| Elephanta Caves The 'City of Caves', on an island in the Sea of Oman close to Bombay, contains a collection of rock art linked to the cult of Shiva. Here, Indian art has found one of its most perfect expressions, particularly the huge high reliefs in the main cave. ... | 1987 |
| Ellora Caves These 34 monasteries and temples, extending over more than 2 km, were dug side by side in the wall of a high basalt cliff, not far from Aurangabad, in Maharashtra. Ellora, with its uninterrupted sequence of monuments dating from A.D. 600 to 1000, bri ... | 1983 |
| Fatehpur Sikri Built during the second half of the 16th century by the Emperor Akbar, Fatehpur Sikri (the City of Victory) was the capital of the Mughal Empire for only some 10 years. The complex of monuments and temples, all in a uniform architectural style, inclu ... | 1986 |
| Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area This National Park in the western part of the Himalayan Mountains in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh is characterized by high alpine peaks, alpine meadows and riverine forests. The 90,540 ha property includes the upper mountain glacial ... | 2014 |
| Great Living Chola Temples The Great Living Chola Temples were built by kings of the Chola Empire, which stretched over all of south India and the neighbouring islands. The site includes three great 11th- and 12th-century Temples: the Brihadisvara Temple at Thanjavur, the Brih ... | 1987 |
| Group of Monuments at Hampi The austere, grandiose site of Hampi was the last capital of the last great Hindu Kingdom of Vijayanagar. Its fabulously rich princes built Dravidian temples and palaces which won the admiration of travellers between the 14th and 16th centuries. Conq ... | 1986 |
| Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram This group of sanctuaries, founded by the Pallava kings, was carved out of rock along the Coromandel coast in the 7th and 8th centuries. It is known especially for its rathas (temples in the form of chariots), mandapas (cave sanctuaries), giant open- ... | 1984 |
| Group of Monuments at Pattadakal Pattadakal, in Karnataka, represents the high point of an eclectic art which, in the 7th and 8th centuries under the Chalukya dynasty, achieved a harmonious blend of architectural forms from northern and southern India. An impressive series of nine H ... | 1987 |
| Hill Forts of Rajasthan The serial site, situated in the state of Rajastahan, includes six majestic forts in Chittorgarh; Kumbhalgarh; Sawai Madhopur; Jhalawar; Jaipur, and Jaisalmer. The ecclectic architecture of the forts, some up to 20 kilometres in circumference, bears ... | 2013 |
| Humayun's Tomb, Delhi This tomb, built in 1570, is of particular cultural significance as it was the first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent. It inspired several major architectural innovations, culminating in the construction of the Taj Mahal. ... | 1993 |
| Kaziranga National Park In the heart of Assam, this park is one of the last areas in eastern India undisturbed by a human presence. It is inhabited by the world's largest population of one-horned rhinoceroses, as well as many mammals, including tigers, elephants, panthers a ... | 1985 |
| Keoladeo National Park This former duck-hunting reserve of the Maharajas is one of the major wintering areas for large numbers of aquatic birds from Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, China and Siberia. Some 364 species of birds, including the rare Siberian crane, have been record ... | 1985 |
| Khajuraho Group of Monuments The temples at Khajuraho were built during the Chandella dynasty, which reached its apogee between 950 and 1050. Only about 20 temples remain; they fall into three distinct groups and belong to two different religions – Hinduism and Jainism. They str ... | 1986 |
| Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya The Mahabodhi Temple Complex is one of the four holy sites related to the life of the Lord Buddha, and particularly to the attainment of Enlightenment. The first temple was built by Emperor Asoka in the 3rd century B.C., and the present temple dates ... | 2002 |
| Manas Wildlife Sanctuary On a gentle slope in the foothills of the Himalayas, where wooded hills give way to alluvial grasslands and tropical forests, the Manas sanctuary is home to a great variety of wildlife, including many endangered species, such as the tiger, pygmy hog, ... | 1985 |
| Mountain Railways of India This site includes three railways. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was the first, and is still the most outstanding, example of a hill passenger railway. Opened in 1881, its design applies bold and ingenious engineering solutions to the problem of e ... | 1999 |
| Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks Nestled high in West Himalaya, India’s Valley of Flowers National Park is renowned for its meadows of endemic alpine flowers and outstanding natural beauty. This richly diverse area is also home to rare and endangered animals, including the Asiatic b ... | 1988 |
| Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi Built in the early 13th century a few kilometres south of Delhi, the red sandstone tower of Qutb Minar is 72.5 m high, tapering from 2.75 m in diameter at its peak to 14.32 m at its base, and alternating angular and rounded flutings. The surrounding ... | 1993 |
| Rani-ki-Vav (the Queen’s Stepwell) at Patan, Gujarat Rani-ki-Vav, on the banks of the Saraswati River, was initially built as a memorial to a king in the 11th century AD. Stepwells are a distinctive form of subterranean water resource and storage systems on the Indian subcontinent, and have been constr ... | 2014 |
| Red Fort Complex The Red Fort Complex was built as the palace fort of Shahjahanabad – the new capital of the fifth Mughal Emperor of India, Shah Jahan. Named for its massive enclosing walls of red sandstone, it is adjacent to an older fort, the Salimgarh, built by Is ... | 2007 |
| Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka The Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka are in the foothills of the Vindhyan Mountains on the southern edge of the central Indian plateau. Within massive sandstone outcrops, above comparatively dense forest, are five clusters of natural rock shelters, display ... | 2003 |
| Sun Temple, Konârak On the shores of the Bay of Bengal, bathed in the rays of the rising sun, the temple at Konarak is a monumental representation of the sun god Surya's chariot; its 24 wheels are decorated with symbolic designs and it is led by a team of six horses. Bu ... | 1984 |
| Sundarbans National Park The Sundarbans covers 10,000 km2 of land and water (more than half of it in India, the rest in Bangladesh) in the Ganges delta. It contains the world's largest area of mangrove forests. A number of rare or endangered species live in the park, includi ... | 1987 |
| Taj Mahal An immense mausoleum of white marble, built in Agra between 1631 and 1648 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife, the Taj Mahal is the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of ... | 1983 |
| The Jantar Mantar, Jaipur The Jantar Mantar, in Jaipur, is an astronomical observation site built in the early 18th century. It includes a set of some 20 main fixed instruments. They are monumental examples in masonry of known instruments but which in many cases have specific ... | 2010 |
| Western Ghats Older than the Himalaya mountains, the mountain chain of the Western Ghats represents geomorphic features of immense importance with unique biophysical and ecological processes. The site’s high montane forest ecosystems influence the Indian monsoon w ... | 2012 |