Official name
Republic of India
National Anthem
Jana Gana Mana, composed by Rabindranath Tagore
 National Emblem
An uni-dimensional adaptation of the Saranath Lion Capital of Ashoka, the emblem shows three lions (from the four which stand back-to-back on the original capital), and part of the frieze on the abacus i.e. the Wheel of the Law (Dharma) in the centre flanked by a horse and a bull. The bell-shaped lotus which supports the original capital has been omitted and instead, inscribed below the abacus are the words "Satyameva Jayate" - "Truth Alone Triumphs" in the Devnagari script.
 National flag
Horizontal tricolor with deep saffron on the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom, in equal proportion. In the centre of the white band is a wheel in navy blue with 24 spokes. The ratio of the width of the flag to its length is two to three.
 National animal
Tiger - large Asiatic carnivorous feline quadruped, Panthera Tigris, maneless, of tawny yellow colour with blackish transverse stripes and white belly, proverbial for its power and its magnificence.
 National bird
Peacock - male bird of species P. cristatus, is a native of India, with striking plumage and upper tail converts marked with iridescent ocelli, able to expand its tail erect like fan as ostentatious display. Peacocks are related to pheasants. Found wild in India ( and also domesticated in villages ) they live in jungle lands near water.
 National flower
The Lotus or waterlily is an aquatic plant of Nymphaea with broad floating leaves and bright fragrant flowers that grow only in shallow waters. In India the sacred lotus is legendary and much folklore and religious mythology is woven around it.
 National tree
Banyan - Indian fig tree, Ficus bengalensis, whose branches root themselves like new trees over a large area. The roots then give rise to more trunks and branches. Because of this characteristic and its longevity, this tree is considered immortal and is an integral part of the myths and legends of India
 National fruit
Mango - A fleshy fruit, eaten ripe or used green for pickles etc., of the tree Mangifera indica, the mango is one of the most important and widely cultivated fruits of the tropical world. Its juicy fruit is a rich source of Vitamins A, C and D. In India there are over100 varieties of mangoes, in different sizes, shapes and colours. The mango has been cultivated in India from time immemorial.
National currency
Rupee (One Rupee=100 paise)
Rate of exchange - USD 1 = approx. Rs. 49
National Calendar
Based on the Saka Era with Chaitra as its first month and a normal year of 365 days, the national calendar has a permanent correspondence with the Gregorian calendar with I Chaitra falling on 22nd March (21st March in leap years)
Structure of the state
Union of 28 states and 7 Union territories with the Central Government based in New Delhi
Political system
Multi-party parliamentary democracy, based on universal adult franchise
Parliament
Bicameral legislature, with the Upper House known as the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and the Lower House known as the Lok Sabha (Council of the People)
Last Elections
April-May 2009
Major Political Parties
Indian National Congress (INC) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Communist Party of India (CPI); Communist Party of India – Marxist (CPI-M); Samajwadi Party (SP); National Congress Party (NCP).
Current Government
Indian National Congress led coalition (United Progressive Alliance)
Head of State
President - Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil
Head of Government
Prime Minister – Dr. Manmohan Singh
Indian Standard Time (IST)
IST is equal to GMT + 5 1/2 hours. With reference to Croatia, IST is plus 4 1/2 hours in winter and plus 3 1/2 hours in summer.
Area
3.29 million square kilometers
Climate
Tropical monsoon type with winter (Jan-Feb), summer (Mar-May), south-west monsoon season (Jun-Sep) and post-monsoon or north-east monsoon season (Oct-Dec). Most of the rainfall is brought by the south-west monsoon. Because of the geographical diversity of India, regional climate conditions in the extreme north, east and west varies from the general conditions given above.
Neighbours
Countries having a common border with India are Pakistan and Afghanistan to the north-west, China, Nepal and Bhutan to the north, Myanmar and Bangladesh to the east. Sri Lanka is separated from the southernmost tip of India by a narrow channel of sea formed by the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar.
Major cities/towns
The traditional 4 metros are Delhi (population 9.8 mln in 2001), Mumbai (12 mln), Kolkata (4.6 mln), and Chennai (4.2 mln). Other cities like Pune, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Lucknow, Ahmadabad, Ernakulam (Cochin) etc are rapidly developing into major centres of commerce and industry.
Population
1027 million (2001 census); current growth rate 1.93% per annum
Life span
61 years; death rate 9 per 1000; birth rate 28.2 per 1000
Languages
Hindi is the official language, and English is widely used as a link language. In addition, there are 18 major languages recognised by the Constitution of India and about 844 dialects
Literacy
65.38% (2001 census)
Religions
India is a secular country and has no state religion. Major religions represented in India include Hinduism (82%), Islam (12%), Christianity (2.3%), Sikhism (1.9%), Buddhism (0.8%) and Jainism (0.4%)
Fiscal Year
1st April to 31st March
Mineral resources
Coal, crude oil, natural gas, iron ore, bauxite, limestone, manganese ore, magnesite, chromite, copper ore, zinc, lead, gold, mica, gypsum, tungsten, barytes, graphite, dolomite, kaolin, phosphates and many more, with considerable reserves yet to be exploited in most cases
Agriculture
Rice, wheat, coarse cereals, cotton, jute, sugarcane, oilseeds, pulses, a variety of fruits and vegetables, plantation crops (tea, coffee, various spices etc.), herbal and medicinal crops; animal husbandry and food processing are also well-developed sectors
Major Trading Partners
USA is India 's single trading partner, followed by the EU, especially Germany, UK, Belgium, Italy, France, Netherlands, Spain and from the EFTA countries, Switzerland . West Asia/North Africa and countries in the Asia-Pacific region also have a significant share in India 's global trade
Major Exports
80% of the total exports generally comprise manufactured goods such as gems and jewellery, ready-made garments, cotton yarn and textiles, leather goods, engineering products, chemicals and allied products, electronic products, transport equipment, marine products, agriculture and allied products. Computer software, however, constitute the most rapidly growing export segment.
Major Imports
Major imports are capital goods and fuel, chemicals, pearls, precious and semi-precious stones, newsprint, fertilisers, iron and steel, non-ferrous metals and professional instruments.
GDP (2008)
US$ 1.209 trillion
GDP Growth Rate (2009)
6.7%
Per capita GDP (April 2009)
US$ 1016
GDP Distribution (2008) at current prices
Agriculture 17.2%, Industry 29.1%, Services 53.7%
Outstanding External Debt
US$ 221.2 billion in March 2008
Foreign Exchange Reserves
US$ 252 billion in March 2009 |
