India: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

The Republic of India, is the second most populous country in the world and is the world's largest democracy, with over one billion people speaking about 800 distinct languages. The Indian economy is the fourth-largest in the world, in terms of purchasing power parity.

Republic of India
भारत गणराज्य
Bhārat Ganarājya

(In Detail) (In Detail)
National motto: Satyameva Jayaté (Sanskrit: Truth Alone Triumphs) (Mundaka Upanishad)
Official language	Hindi, English (+ 18 other officially recognised languages)
Capital	New Delhi
Largest City	Mumbai
President	Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam
Prime Minister	Dr. Manmohan Singh
Area - Total - % water	Ranked 7th 3,287,590 km² 9.5%
Population - Total - Density	Ranked 2nd 1,049,700,118 319.3/km²
GDP by PPP   - Total - GDP/head	Ranked 4th / 5th (among countries / economies) 2.66 trillion $ 2,540 $
Independence	August 15, 1947
Republic	January 26, 1950
Currency Currency Code (ISO 4217)	Indian Rupee (₨) INR
Time zone	UTC +5.30 (IST)
National anthem	Jana Gana Mana
National song	Vandé Mataram
Internet TLD	.IN
Calling Code	91
National game	Hockey
National animal	Tiger
National bird	Peacock
National flower	Lotus

Geography and Location

Aerial map

Origin of names

Main article: Origin of India's name

The official name India is derived from Sindhu, the historic local appellation for the river Indus and is the most internationally recognisable of the country. The Constitution of India and general usage also recognises Bharat as the other official name of equal status. Bharat comes from the name of an ancient Hindu king and means seeker of knowledge. The third name is Hindustan, meaning land of the Hindus (where Hindu means one who dwells in Indus) used from the Mughal times onwards. It is unevenly used across the country today due to differing views of its appropriateness as a national signifier.

Main articles: History of India, Timeline of Indian history

Like a palimpsest, witness to many distinct layers of cultural history, India has a rich and colourful past. Many disruptive events have shaped its civilisation even as threads of continuity were maintained.

Stone age rock shelters with paintings at Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh constitute the earliest known traces of human life in India. The first known permanent settlements appeared 9,000 years ago. This indigenous culture developed into the Indus Valley civilisation, which peaked between 2600 BC and 1900 BC. It it one of the earliest known civilisations. Around 1500 BC, Aryan tribes from Central Asia are said to have migrated to India. A number of competing theories offer alternative explanations such as a continuity of Vedic culture, and there have been recent genetic studies that claim to have confirmed and refuted the Aryan Invasion Theory, but are still disputed by many.

Classical Hinduism arose from the interaction of Vedic and indigenous culture. Later, Buddhism and Jainism flourished in a flurry of religious reformation, adding to the richness of Indian culture. The first millennium saw many highly developed independent kingdoms, some of which acquired imperial stature, come to the fore. The great Hindu dynasties of the Guptas, Mauryas, and Buddhist Ashokas made great contributions to the cultural landscape. Arts, mathematics, engineering, astrology, religion and philosophy all flourished under the patronage of kings. Most parts of India were ruled by the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal dynasty following the Islamic ingress during the second millennia, though a few Hindu kingdoms remained in or subsequently arose to power.

After the arrival of the European traders, the Portugese, French and English took advantage of the fractured, debilitate kingdoms spread across the subcontinent and colonised India. In 1857, an insurrection amongst the army sepoys ensued in the popular Revolt of 1857 against the powerful East India Company; this mobilised resistance, though short-lasting, was caused by the widespread resentment against discriminatory policies of the British. After the revolt, the Indian independence movements started demanding complete independence. On August 15th, 1947, India was finally granted independence from British rule.

After independence, India fought four wars over Kashmir. From 1975 to 1977, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared a "State of Emergency in India," thereby freezing civil rights and detaining civilians without trial. The destruction of the Babri Masjid in 1992 resulted in religious strife in west India. In 1999, India mobilised its military in Kargil, Kashmir to repel Islamist terrorists that were encroaching upon Indian territory.

Main article: Politics of India

The Republic of India is a democratic republic. It is a Union of states within a federal structure. The head of state is the President and has a largely ceremonial role. The President and Vice-President are elected indirectly through an electoral college for 5 year terms.

The Prime Minister wields the executive power. He or she is assisted by the Council of Ministers (The cabinet) whom the Prime Minister appoints. All ministers are sworn in by the President. The Prime Minister is designated by legislators of the political party or coalition commanding a parliamentary majority. The President then appoints subordinate ministers on the advice of the Prime Minister.

India's bicameral parliament consists of the upper house called 'The Council of States' (Rajya Sabha) and the lower house called 'The House of the People' (Lok Sabha). The Rajya Sabha consists of incumbents elected through an electoral college whereas the Lok Sabha consists of directly elected representatives.

For most of its history, India's union government has been governed by the Indian National Congress Party, it was the only major governing body in pre-Independence India and enjoyed dominance in national politics for over fifty years. The first party to actually overthrow the Congress party from its pedestal was the Jan Sangh party which formed a coalition with other regional parties in the 1970s. However, they did not last their full term. In the early and mid 1990s, the left leaning parties intermittently formed non-Congress governments at the center. However it was in 1999, that the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) became the first party to hold on to power with the support of regional allies. In the 2004 elections, however, in a surprise result, the Congress returned to power.

See also:

• Indian Administrative Service
• List of political parties in India
• Indian election process
• Election Commission of India
• List of government ministers

Main article: Geography of India

Note: The above map, a CIA version is illegal in India as it doesn't render as in Official map of the Government of India. Refer to Kashmir Map Issues for a discussion regarding Indian, Pakistani and Chinese claims, with consequent effect on cartography, in the Kashmir area.

India shares its borders with Pakistan, China, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Afghanistan¹. Sri Lanka, Maldives and Indonesia are the neighbouring island nations in the Indian Ocean.

Occupying most of the Indian subcontinent, India's entire north and northeast states are made up of the Himalayan Range. The rest of northern, central and eastern India consists of the fertile Indo-Gangetic plain. Towards western India, bordering southeast Pakistan lies the Thar Desert. The southern Indian peninsula is almost entirely composed of the Deccan plateau. The plateau is flanked by two hilly coastal ranges, the Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats.

India is home to several major rivers such as the Ganga (Ganges), the Brahmaputra, the Yamuna, the Godavari and the Krishna.

The Indian climate varies from a tropical climate in the south to a more temperate climate in the north. India gets its rains through the monsoons.

See also: Climate of India, Ecoregions of India, National parks of India

Main article: States and Territories of India

India is divided into 28 states (which are further sub-divided into districts), 6 Union Territories and the National Capital Territory of Delhi:

Indian States and Territories
Andhra Pradesh | Arunachal Pradesh | Assam | Bihar | Chhattisgarh | Goa | Gujarat | Haryana | Himachal Pradesh | Jammu and Kashmir | Jharkhand | Karnataka | Kerala | Madhya Pradesh | Maharashtra | Manipur | Meghalaya | Mizoram | Nagaland | Orissa | Punjab | Rajasthan | Sikkim | Tamil Nadu | Tripura | Uttaranchal | Uttar Pradesh | West Bengal
Union Territories: Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Chandigarh | Dadra and Nagar Haveli | Daman and Diu | Lakshadweep | Pondicherry
National Capital Territory: Delhi

India has made no territorial claim in Antarctica but had twoscientific bases there — Dakshin Gangotri and Maitri.

See also: List of states of India by population

Main article: Economy of India

The Indian economy today is the 4^th largest in the world and has the second fastest annual growth rate at around 8%. India's foreign exchange reserves amount to over 120 billion US dollars. Mumbai (formerly Bombay), headquarters of the Reserve Bank of India, and housing the Bombay Stock Exchange, remains the financial capital and nerve centre of the country's economy.

The Indian economy is largely agrarian (25% of the economy) but manufacturing and services have recently gathered pace as India becomes a more attractive destination for outsourcing and grows as a consumer market.

Other important industries are Iron and steel, petroleum, jewellery, entertainment, textile, Information Technology services and handicrafts.

See also:

• List of Indian companies

Main article: Demographics of India

India is the second most populous country in the world, with only China having a larger population. Language, religion, and caste are major determinants of social and political organisation within the highly diverse Indian population today. Its biggest metropolitan agglomerations are Mumbai (formerly Bombay), Delhi, Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), Chennai (formerly Madras).

See also: List of cities in India

Languages

India is home to two main language families, the Indo-Aryan and Dravidian derived languages. India's national language is Hindi. English, which is classified as an associate official language is widely in use in higher echelons, and is seen as the language of social mobility and standing. Two classical languages native to the land are Sanskrit and Tamil.

Eighteen other official languages are recognised by the Constitution for official administrative use by various state governments. The number of living languages in India has been estimated to be as high as 400.

• See also: List of Indian languages by total speakers

Main article: Religion in India

Although 83% of the people are Hindus, India is home to a large population of Muslims (13%) giving it the world's third largest Muslim population after Indonesia and Pakistan. Other smaller religious minorities include Christians (3%), Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Jews, Parsis, Ahmadi and Bahá'í.

Religion in India is very public with many rich and colourful practices imbued with pomp and vitality accompanying their underlying spiritual qualities.

Main article: Culture of India

Being one of the earliest of civilisations, India has a rich and unique cultural heritage. It has striven to preserve its established traditions throughout history, though its dynamic nature is manifest in its willingness to respect and tolerate foreign ways and practices.

See also:

• List of World Heritage sites in India
• Indian architecture

Society

Main article: Indian society

A pluralist, multilingual and multicultural society, Indians are largely tolerant and peaceful. Religious practices of various faiths are an integral part of everyday life in society. Education is highly regarded by members of every socio-economic strata. The traditional Indian family values are highly respected and considered sacred. Some urban families have grown into a nuclear family-system owing to the socio-economic constraints imposed by the traditional joint family system.

See also: Indian family name

Music

Main article: Indian music

Indian music is represented by a wide variety of forms. The two main ones in terms of classical music are the Carnatic and Hindustani. Popular forms of music also prevail, the most notable being Filmi music; interestingy, Hindu religious bhajans and Urdu ghazals often cross over between the classical and popular realms. In addition to this are the diverse traditions of folk music.

See also:

• Indian classical music
• Indian musicians and their music

Literature

Main article: Indian literature

The earliest literary traditions were mostly oral and were later transcribed. Most of these spring from Hindu tradition and are represented by sacred works like the Vedas, the epics of the Mahabharatha and Ramayana. Sangam literature from Tamil Nadu represents some of India's oldest secular traditions. Indian writers in modern times have been the cynosure of wide acclaim, both in Indian languages and English (with Booker Prize winners, Arundhati Roy and Salman Rushdie). India's only Nobel laureate in Literature was the Bengali writer Rabindranath Tagore.

• See also: Indian Writing in English

Dance

Many dance forms exist in India - Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Kathak, Kathakali and others. While they often have a narrative form, they are also infused with devotional and spiritual elements. Other forms such as street theatre and puppetry are also widespread.

• See also: Indian classical dance

Festivals

Main article: Indian festivals

A melting pot of many religions, festivals are celebrated by one and all. The most widely-known and popular celebrations include the Hindu festivals of Diwali, Holi and Dussera.

• See also List of holidays in India

Dress

Main article: Indian Dress

Traditional dress in India greatly varies across the regions in its colours and styles. The Sari and Salwar Kameez are popular among women. Ethnic Indian wear for men is composed of the Dhoti and Kurta.

Cuisine

Main article: Indian cuisine

Rice in the south and wheat in the north are the staple foods in the country. The gastronomy of India is extremely rich and varied as spices and other ingredients vary from region to region. Indians love their famous spicy food as much as their wide variety of sweets.

Film

Main article: Cinema of India

India produces the world's highest number of films annually. The most recognisable face is that of Bollywood, based in Mumbai, which produces mainly commercial Hindi films. Cinema in other language bases is particularly strong, with movies regularly produced in well-established Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu industries. India's gift to world cinema was the internationally renowned Bengali director Satyajit Ray.

Main article: Sports in India

India's national sport is Field Hockey, although many would assert that Cricket is now the de-facto national game. Football too finds large viewership in almost the entire country. Some traditional indigenous games are Kabaddi and Gilli-danda. Chess, Carrom, Polo and Badminton are some other sports that are said to have originated from India.

• Traffic moves on the left side (and cars have Right Hand Drive).
• The Indian English spoken in India is rooted in British English.
• Date format: dd/mm/yyyy
• Number format: 10⁷= 1 crore. 10⁵= 1 lakh. 1,00,00,000 = 1 crore. (See Indian numbering system)
• Postal Code (PIN): 6 digits.
• Official Measurements: Metric (SI)
• Voltage 220V; 50 Hz
• TV signals use PAL
• Financial Year starts on April 1.
• Power plugs — Type C, D & M (CEE 7/16; CEE 7/17; BS 546)

¹The government of India recognises the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir to be a part of India. This state borders a part of Afghanistan. A ceasefire sponsored by the United Nations in 1948 freezes the positions of Indian and Pakistani held territory. As a consequence, the region bordering Afghanistan is in Pakistan administered territory.

India is also the letter I in the NATO phonetic alphabet