Some facts about India


Capital of India :New Delhi

Flag :
The colors of the Indian flag were taken from the flag of the Indian National Congress. Dark orange represents courage and sacrifice. Green represents faith, fertility, and chivalry. White represents truth and peace. The emblem in the center was added upon independence in 1947. It is a Buddhist dharma chakra, or wheel of life, used in India thousands of years ago.

Highest Point : Kanchenjunga 8598 m (28,209 ft) above sea level
Lowest Point : Sea level along the coast

CLIMATE
Average Temperatures
January 14° C 57° F
July 32° C 88° F

January 24° C 76° F
July 27° C 81° F

Population : 966,783,171 (1997 estimate)
Population Density : (791 persons/sq mi) (1997 estimate)
Urban/Rural Breakdown : 27%Urban 73%Rural (1996 estimate)

Largest Cities
: 9,925,891
: 7,206,704
Calcutta :4,399,819

Languages
Official Languages : Hindi, English

Other Languages :
17 languages recognized for official purposes:
Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu; many other languages and dialects

Religions : 82%Hinduism, 12%Muslim, 2%Christianity, 2%Sikhism, 1%Other

Gross Domestic Product : $358.0 billion

Chief Economic Products :
Agriculture
Sugarcane, rice, wheat, tea, cotton, jute, vegetables, melons, sorghum, millet, cashews, coffee, spices, livestock

Fishing:
Shrimps and prawns, croakers, Indian oil sardines, Bombay ducks, anchovies, Indian mackerel, marine catfish

Mining:
Iron ore, coal, bauxite, manganese, mica, dolomite, copper, petroleum, natural gas, chromium, lead, limestone, phosphate rock, zinc, gold, silver

Manufacturing:
Textiles, iron and steel, processed agricultural products, machinery, Transportation equipment, nonferrous metals, fertilizer, refined petroleum, chemicals, computer software

Employment Breakdown
64%Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing
20%Services
15%Industry

Major Exports
Gems and jewelry, engineering goods, garments, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, cotton yarn and fabrics, leather and leather goods, marine products, iron ore, tea, vegetables and fruit, petroleum products, handmade carpets

Major Imports
Petroleum and petroleum products, nonelectric machinery, precious and semiprecious stones, inorganic chemicals, iron and steel, fertilizers, electrical machinery, resins and plastics

Major Trading Partners
United States, Japan, Germany, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong

Currency : Rupee

Exchange Rate : 42.49 rupees = U.S.$1 (1998)

Form of Government: Federal republic

Head of State
President : Elected by an electoral college to a five-year term

Head of Government
Prime minister : Appointed by the president

Legislature
Lok Sabha (House of the People) : 545 members
Rajya Sabha (Council of States) : 245 members

Voting Qualifications : 18 years or older

Highest Court : Supreme Court

Armed Services : Army, Navy, Air Force

Political Divisions : 26 states and six union territories