The Republic of India is the second most populous country in the world, with a population of more than one billion, and is the seventh largest country by geographical area. India has grown significantly in strategic importance in the last two decades. The Indian economy is the fourth largest in the world with respect to gross domestic product, measured in terms of purchasing power parity, and is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. India, the world's largest liberal democracy, has also emerged as an important regional power, possessing one of the world's largest military forces and a declared nuclear weapons capability. As per a study, India also belongs to the bottom 10 percentile of countries when it comes to exploiting the planet. Its ecological footprint, a measure of how communities have used the resources in the planet, has has been .76 while the global average is 2.16 and all the top five countries have scores higher than 8. This may also indicate the reverence that people of the country have towards "Mother Earth", the way the planet was referred to in Indian ethos. This is a list of sovereign states and other territories by population. ... This article describes a type of political entity. ... In the most common sense of the word, a population is the collection of people—or organisms of a particular species—living in a given geographic area. ... To help compare orders of magnitude this page lists dimensionless numbers between 109 and 1012. ... Here is a list of the countries of the world sorted by area. ... This article explains the meaning of area as a physical quantity. ... Work on improving this article is currently in progress. ... Here is a list of countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP), the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year. ... In economics, the gross domestic product (GDP) is a measure of the amount of the economic production of a particular territory in financial capital terms during a specific time period. ... In economics, purchasing power parity (PPP) is a method used to calculate an alternative exchange rate between the currencies of two countries. ... Liberal democracy is a form of representative democracy where elected representatives that hold the decision power are moderated by a constitution that emphasizes protecting individual liberties and the rights of minorities in society, such as freedom of speech and assembly, freedom of religion, the right to private property and privacy... A regional power is a term used in the field of international relations to describe a state with power and influence that is to some extent limited to its region of the world. ... Military branches: Indian Army, Indian Navy (including naval air arm), Air Force, various security or paramilitary forces (includes Border Security Force, Assam Rifles, Rashtriya Rifles, National Security Guards, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Special Frontier Force, Central Reserve Police Force, Defense Security Corps and several other units) and the Strategic Forces... The Beginning As early as June 26, 1946, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Indias soon to be Prime Minister announced As long as the world is constituted as it is, every country will have to devise and use the latest devices for its protection. ...

Located in South Asia with a coastline of over seven thousand kilometres^{[1]  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India#endnote_coast)}, India constitutes most of the Indian subcontinent, and straddles many important and historic trade routes. It shares its borders with Pakistan, the People's Republic of China, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Afghanistan¹. Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Indonesia are the adjacent island nations. India is home to some of the most ancient civilisations and has given birth to four major world religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. The country was a part of the British Empire before gaining independence in 1947. Map of South Asia South Asia is a subregion of Asia comprising the modern states of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, . It covers about 4,480,000 km², or 10 percent of the continent, and is also known as the Indian subcontinent. ... A kilometre (American spelling: kilometer) (symbol: km) is a unit of length equal to 1000 metres (from the Greek words khilia = thousand and metro = count/measure). ... The Indian subcontinent is the peninsular region of larger South Asia in which the nations of India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka as well as parts of Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and some disputed territory currently controlled by China are located. ... The Islamic Republic of Pakistan (, or Islami Jamhooriya-e-Pakistan, in Urdu), or Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia and is part of the Greater Middle East. ... The Peoples Republic of China (PRC) comprises most of the cultural, historic, and geographic area known as China. ... The Union of Myanmar, also known as Burma, is a country in Southeast Asia. ... The Peoples Republic of Bangladesh (Bangla: গনপ্রজাতন্ত্রী বাংলােদশ) is a country in South Asia that forms the eastern part of the ancient region of Bengal. ... The Kingdom of Nepal, situated in the Himalayas, is the worlds only Hindu kingdom. ... The Kingdom of Bhutan is a small, landlocked nation of South Asia, located in the Himalaya Mountains, sandwiched between India and the Peoples Republic of China. ... Afghanistan (Pashtu/Dari-Persian: Afğānistān افغانستان) is a country in Central Asia. ... The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (ශ්රී ලංකා in Sinhala / இலங்கை in Tamil) (known as Ceylon before 1972) is a tropical island nation off the southeast coast of the Indian subcontinent. ... The Republic of Maldives is a country consisting territorially of a group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India. ... The Republic of Indonesia is located in the Malay Archipelago, the worlds largest archipelago, between Indochina and Australia, between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. ... An island nation is a country that is wholly confined to an island or islands. ... The Indus Valley Civilization existed along the Indus River and the Vedic Sarasvati River in present-day Pakistan. ... Major world religions have been distinguished from minor religions using a variety of methods, though any such division naturally reflects a particular bias, since many adherent of a religion are likely to consider their own faith major. Two methods are mentioned in this article, number of adherents and the definitions... This article is about the Hindu religion OM, the most sacred syllable and quintessential symbol of Hinduism, represents the first manifestation of the unmanifest Brahman. ... Statues of Buddha such as this, the Tian Tan Buddha statue in Hong Kong, remind followers to practice right living. ... The hand with a wheel on the palm symbolizes the Jain Vow of Ahinsa, meaning non-injury and nonviolence. ... The Golden Temple is the most important sacred shrine for Sikhs Sikhism comes from the word Sikh, which means a strong and able disciple. ... A database query syntax error has occurred. ... 1947 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

(In Detail) (In Detail)
National motto: सत्यमेव जयते (satyamēva jayatē) (Sanskrit: Truth Alone Triumphs) Download high resolution version (993x664, 4 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Andhra Pradesh Dacoity Haryana Himachal Pradesh India Karnataka Maharashtra Punjab (India) Rajasthan Tamil Nadu West Bengal Delhi Wikipedia:Wikipedians/India Chhattisgarh Andaman and Nicobar Islands Madhya Pradesh Lakshadweep Jammu and Kashmir Freedom House Gujarat... The image is derived from public domain. ... The Indian National Flag is also known as the Tiranga, which in Hindi means tricolour. ... The national emblem of India is an adaptation of the Buddhist Lion Capital of Asoka at Sarnath, near Banaras in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. ... A motto is a phrase or collection of words intended to describe the motivation or intention of a sociological grouping or organization. ... The Sanskrit language ( संस्कृता वाक्) is one of the earliest attested members of the Indo-European language family and is not only a classical language, but also an official language of India. ...
Official language	Hindi, English, and 22 other languages
Capital	New Delhi
Largest city	Mumbai (Bombay)
President:	APJ Abdul Kalam
Prime Minister:	Manmohan Singh
Area  – Total  – % water	Ranked 7th 3,287,590 km² 9.5%
Population  – Total (2005)  – Density	Ranked 2nd 1,080,264,388 329/km²
Independence Republic	1947-08-15 1950-01-26
GDP (2005)  - Total (PPP)  - Total (Nominal)  - GDP/capita (PPP)  - GDP/capita (Nominal)	$3.33 trillion (4th) $720 billion (10th) $3,262 (120th) $678 (135th)
Currency	Indian Rupee
Time zone	IST (UTC+5.30)
National anthem	Jana Gana Mana
National song	Vandē Mātaram
National animal	Bengal Tiger
National bird	Peacock
National flower	Lotus
National sport	Field hockey
Internet TLD	.in
Calling code	+91

Download high resolution version (1357x628, 21 KB) Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... An official language is something that is given a unique status in the countries, states, and other territories. ... Hindi (हिन्दी) is a language spoken in most states in northern and central India. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... India has a diverse list of spoken languages among different groups of people. ... In politics a capital (also called capital city or political capital — although the latter phrase has an alternative meaning based on an alternative meaning of capital) is the principal city or town associated with its government. ... New Delhi ( नई दिल्ली ) is the capital of India, and is part of the National capital territory of Delhi. ... Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the most populous Indian city. ... The President of India is the ceremonial head of state of India and the supreme commander of the Indian armed forces. ... Dr. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam (born October 15, 1931, Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, India), usually referred to as Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, is the President of India. ... The Prime Minister of India is, in practice, the most powerful person in the government of India. ... Manmohan Singh (ਮਨਮੋਹਨ ਸਿੰਘ in Gurmukhi) (born September 26, 1932 in Gah, West Punjab -- now in Pakistan -- is the fourteenth prime minister of India. ... This article explains the meaning of area as a physical quantity. ... Here is a list of the countries of the world sorted by area. ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... In the most common sense of the word, a population is the collection of people—or organisms of a particular species—living in a given geographic area. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Population density can be used as a measurement of any tangible item. ... This is a list of sovereign states and other territories by population. ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... 1947 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... August 15 is the 227th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (228th in leap years), with 138 days remaining. ... Events January January 5 - US Senator Estes Kefauver introduces a resolution calling for examination of organized crime in the USA January 6 - The United Kingdom recognizes the Peoples Republic of China. ... January 26 is the 26th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... In economics, the gross domestic product (GDP) is a measure of the amount of the economic production of a particular territory in financial capital terms during a specific time period. ... In economics, purchasing power parity (PPP) is a method used to calculate an alternative exchange rate between the currencies of two countries. ... In economics, purchasing power parity (PPP) is a method used to calculate an alternative exchange rate between the currencies of two countries. ... To help compare orders of magnitude this page lists dimensionless numbers between 1012 and 1015: See also Orders of magnitude (numbers) Categories: Stub | Orders of magnitude (numbers) ... Here is a list of countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP), the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year. ... To help compare orders of magnitude this page lists dimensionless numbers between 109 and 1012. ... This is a list of the worlds economies sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP) at market or government official exchange rates. ... Here is a list of countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (PPP) per capita, the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year, divided by population as of 1 July for the same year. ... This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by their Gross Domestic Product (Nominal) per capita, the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year, divided by the average population for the same year. ... Various currencies A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of goods and services. ... The Indian Rupee (Symbol: INR) is Indias national currency, subdivided into 100 paise (singular paisa). ... -1... Indian Standard Time (IST) is the time zone for India. ... UTC also stands for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Coordinated Universal Time or UTC, also sometimes referred to as Zulu time, is an atomic realization of Universal Time or Greenwich mean time, the astronomical basis for civil time. ... The National Anthem is the name of a song by the band Radiohead. ... Jana Gana Mana (Thou Art the Ruler of the Minds of All People) is the national anthem of India. ... Vandē Mātaram is the national song of India. ... Trinomial name Panthera tigris tigris The Bengal Tiger or Royal Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) is a subspecies of tiger found through the rainforests and grasslands of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, China, India and Nepal. ... Binomial name Pavo cristatus Linnaeus, 1758 The Indian Peafowl, Pavo cristatus, is a species of bird in the peafowl genus Pavo of the pheasant family, Phasianidae. ... Binomial name Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. ... A game of field hockey in progress Field Hockey is a popular sport for men and women in many countries around the world. ... A top-level domain (TLD) is the last part of which Internet domain names consist of. ... .in is the Internet country code top-level domain ( ccTLD) for India. ... At a glance In depth Zone 1 – North American Numbering Plan Area (nanpa. ...

Origin of names

The official name India is the Old Persian version of Sindhu, the historic local appellation for the river Indus. The Constitution of India and general usage also recognises Bharat, which was the name of an ancient Indian king, as an official name of equal status. A third name, Hindustan, or land of the Hindus in Persian, was used from Mughal times onwards. Sketch of the first column of the Behistun Inscription Old Persian is the oldest attested Persid language. ... The Indus (सिन्‍धु नदी) (known as Sindhu in ancient times) is the principal river of Pakistan. ... The Constitution of India, the worlds lengthiest written constitution (with 395 articles and 8 schedules) was passed by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949. ... Indian or Indians can refer to: Anything from or related to the country of India, including: The people of India, sometimes called Asian Indians to differentiate from American Indians The many languages of India The Indian subcontinent or the adjoining Indian Ocean Native Americans, the aboriginal people of the Americas... Hindustan may relate to any of these another name by which the country India is called A term for the pre-Islamic political culture of India. ... Persian (فارسی), also known as Farsi (local name), Parsi (older local name, but still used by some speakers), Tajik (a Central Asian dialect) or Dari (an Afghan dialect), is a language spoken in Iran, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. ... The Mughal Empire (alternative spelling Mogul, which is the origin of the word Mogul) of India was founded by Babur in 1526, when he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans at the First Battle of Panipat. ...

History

Stone Age rock shelters with paintings at Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh are the earliest known traces of human life in India. The first known permanent settlements appeared 9,000 years ago and developed into the Indus Valley Civilization, which peaked between 2600 BC and 1900 BC. Stone Age fishing hook. ... Bhimbetka is a place in Madhya Pradesh where the earliest known traces of human life in India were found. ... Madhya Pradesh (मध्‍य प्रदेश) is a state in central India. ... The Indus Valley Civilization existed along the Indus River and the Vedic Sarasvati River in present-day Pakistan. ... (27th century BC - 26th century BC - 25th century BC - other centuries) (4th millennium BC - 3rd millennium BC - 2nd millennium BC) Events 2900 - 2334 BC – Mesopotamian wars of the Early Dynastic period. ... (21st century BC - 20th century BC - 19th century BC - other centuries) (3rd millennium BC - 2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC) Events 2064 - 1986 BC -- Twin Dynasty wars in Egypt 2000 BC -- Farmers and herders travel south from Ethiopia and settle in Kenya. ...

From cir. 500 BC onwards, many independent kingdoms came into being. In the north, the Maurya dynasty, which included the Buddhist king Ashoka, made great contributions to India's cultural landscape. From 180 BC, a series of invasions from Central Asia followed, with the establishment in the northern Indian subcontinent of the Indo-Greek, Indo-Scythian and Indo-Parthian kingdoms, and finally the Kushan Empire. From the 3rd century AD the Gupta dynasty oversaw the period referred to as India's Golden Age. (6th century BC - 5th century BC - 4th century BC - other centuries) (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium AD) Events Demotic becomes the dominant script of ancient Egypt Persians invade Greece twice (Persian Wars) Battle of Marathon (490) Battle of Salamis (480) Athenian empire formed and falls Peloponnesian War... The Mauryan empire (321 to 185 BCE), at its largest extent around 230 BCE. The Mauryan empire was Indias first great unified empire. ... Emperor Ashoka (a possible picturisation) Ashoka the Great (also Asoka, Aśoka, pronounced as Ashok-uh, not Ashokaa) was the ruler of the Mauryan empire from 273 BC to 232 BC. A convert to Buddhism, Ashoka reigned over most of the Indian subcontinent, from present day Afghanistan to Bengal and as... Centuries: 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC - 1st century BC Decades: 230s BC 220s BC 210s BC 200s BC 190s BC - 180s BC - 150s BC 140s BC 130s BC 120s BC 110s BC Years: 185 BC 184 BC 183 BC 182 BC 181 BC - 180 BC - 179 BC 178 BC... Map of Central Asia outlined in orange showing one set of possible borders Central Asia located as a region of the world Central Asia is a vast landlocked region of Asia. ... Maximum extent of Indo-Greek territory circa 175 BCE. The Indo-Greeks (or sometimes Greco-Indians) designate a series of Greek kings, who invaded and controlled parts of northwest and northern India from 180 BCE to around 10 BCE. They are the continuation of the Greco-Bactrian dynasty of Greek... The Indo-Scythian King of Kings Azes II (c. ... Coin of Gondophares (20-50 AD), first king of the Indo-Parthians kingdom. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Silver coin of the Gupta King Kumara Gupta I (414-455 CE). ...

In the south, several dynasties including the Chalukyas, Cheras, Cholas, Pallavas, and Pandyas prevailed during different periods. Science, Art, literature, mathematics, astronomy, engineering, religion, and philosophy flourished under the patronage of these kings. The Chalukya Dynasty was an Indian royal dynasty that ruled parts of southern India between 550 and 750, and again between 973 and 1190. ... The Cheras were one of the three ancient Tamil dynasties who ruled the southern tip of the peninsula of India for most of its early history. ... The Cholas were the most famous of the three dynasties that ruled ancient Tamil Nadu. ... The Pallavas were hereditary Hindu rulers who dominated southeastern India between the 4th and 9th centuries. ... The Pandyan kingdom was an ancient state at the tip of South India, founded around the 6th century BCE. It was part of the Dravidian cultural area, which also comprised other kingdoms such as that of the Pallava, the Chera, the Chola, the Chalukya and the Vijayanagara. ... Ancient Indian science and technology covered all the major branches of human knowledge and activities, including mathematics, astronomy, physics, chemistry, medical science and surgery, fine arts, mechanical and production technology, civil engineering and architecture, shipbuilding and navigation, sports and games. ... Art of India This article includes a history of Indian art, done by people within India, such as M_F_Husain or by the Indian people, or by Indian expats abroad. ... Indian literature is the oldest in the world. ... Indian Contributions to Math 1. ... Indian science has a very ancient history going back to the Vedas. ... Ancient Indian science and technology covered all the major branches of human knowledge and activities, including mathematics, astronomy, physics, chemistry, medical science and surgery, fine arts, mechanical and production technology, civil engineering and architecture, shipbuilding and navigation, sports and games. ... The major religions of India are Hinduism (majority religion), Islam (largest minority religion), Sikhism, Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism and the Baháí Faith. ... The term Indian philosophy may refer to any of several traditions of philosophical thought, including: Hindu philosophy Buddhist philosophy Jain philosophy Carvaka philosophy See also Important publications in Indian philosophy This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Following the Islamic invasions in the beginning of the second millennium, much of India was ruled by the Delhi Sultanate, and later, the Mughal dynasty. Nevertheless, some indigenous kingdoms remained in or rose to power, especially in the relatively sheltered south. The Delhi Sultanate, or Sulthanath-e-Hind/Sulthanath-e-Dilli refers to the various dynasties that ruled in India from 1210 to 1526. ... The Mughal Empire (alternative spelling Mogul, which is the origin of the word Mogul) of India was founded by Babur in 1526, when he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans at the First Battle of Panipat. ...

The Sanchi stupa in Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh built by emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BC .

During the middle of the second millennium, several European countries, including the Portuguese, French, and English, who were initially interested in trade with India, took advantage of the fractured kingdoms to colonise the country. After a failed insurrection in 1857 against the British East India Company, popularly known as the First War of Indian Independence, most of India came under the crown of the British Empire. A prolonged and mostly non-violent struggle for independence, the Indian independence movement, followed, eventually led by Mahatma Gandhi, the father of modern India. On 1947-08-15 India gained independence from British rule, becoming a secular democratic republic in 1950. Download high resolution version (866x578, 111 KB) Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (866x578, 111 KB) Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The Great Stupa at Sanchi Sanchi is a small village of India, located 46 km north east of Bhopal, in the central part of the state of Madhya Pradesh. ... Madhya Pradesh (मध्‍य प्रदेश) is a state in central India. ... Emperor Ashoka (a possible picturisation) Ashoka the Great (also Asoka, Aśoka, pronounced as Ashok-uh, not Ashokaa) was the ruler of the Mauryan empire from 273 BC to 232 BC. A convert to Buddhism, Ashoka reigned over most of the Indian subcontinent, from present day Afghanistan to Bengal and as... The Republic of Portugal (Portuguese: República Portuguesa) is a democratic republic located on the west and southwest parts of the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe, the westernmost country in continental Europe. ... The French Republic or France (French: République française or France) is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents. ... Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area  - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 1st UK 49,138,831 377/km² Religion... 1857 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... The British East India Company, sometimes referred to as John Company, was a joint-stock company of investors, which was granted a Royal Charter by Elizabeth I on December 31, 1600, with the intent to favor trade privileges in India. ... An engraving titled Sepoy Indian troops dividing the spoils after their mutiny against British rule gives a contemporary view of events from the British perspective. ... A database query syntax error has occurred. ... The Indian independence movement was a series of steps taken in the Indian subcontinent for independence from British colonial rule, beginning with the Rebellion of 1857. ... Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (October 2, 1869 – January 30, 1948) (Devanagari: मोहनदास करमचन्द गांधी), called Mahatma Gandhi, was the charismatic leader who brought the cause of Indias independence from British colonial rule to world attention. ... 1947 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... August 15 is the 227th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (228th in leap years), with 138 days remaining. ... In a broad definition a republic is a state or country that is led by people that dont found their power status on any principle beyond the control of the people living in that state or country. ... Events January January 5 - US Senator Estes Kefauver introduces a resolution calling for examination of organized crime in the USA January 6 - The United Kingdom recognizes the Peoples Republic of China. ...

As a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country, India has had its share of sectarian violence and insurgencies in different parts of the country. Nonetheless, it has held itself together as a secular democracy barring a brief period from 1975 to 1977 during which the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared a "state of emergency" with the suspension of civil rights. India has unresolved border disputes with China, which escalated into a brief war in 1962, and Pakistan which resulted in wars in 1947, 1965, and 1971. India was a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement. In 1974, India conducted an underground nuclear test, making it an unofficial member of the "nuclear club", which was followed up with a series of five more tests in 1998. Significant economic reforms beginning in 1991, have transformed India into one of the fastest growing economies in the world. An ethnic group is a group of people who identify with one another, or are so identified by others, on the basis of a boundary that distinguishes them from other groups. ... An insurgency is an armed rebellion against a constituted authority, by any irregular armed force that rises up against an enforced or established authority, government, or administration. ... This article concerns secularity, that is, being secular, in various senses. ... 1975 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... The Prime Minister of India is, in practice, the most powerful person in the government of India. ... Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (इन्दिरा प्रियदर्शिनी गान्धी) (November 19, 1917 – October 31, 1984) was Prime Minister of India from January 19, 1966 to March 24, 1977, and from January 14, 1980 until her assassination in 1984. ... A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend certain normal functions of government or may work to alert citizens to alter their normal behaviors or to order government agencies to implement their emergency preparedness plans. ... Civil rights or positive rights are those legal rights retained by citizens and protected by the government. ... The Great Wall of China, stretching over 6,700 km, was erected beginning in the 3rd century BC to guard the north from raids by men on horses. ... The Sino-Indian war was a short border war between India and the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), the worlds two most populous countries, which took place in late 1962. ... The Islamic Republic of Pakistan (, or Islami Jamhooriya-e-Pakistan, in Urdu), or Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia and is part of the Greater Middle East. ... The Indo-Pakistani War of 1947 sometimes known as the First Kashmir War was a war fought between India and Pakistan over the region of Kashmir from 1947 to 1949. ... The 1965 war, also known as the Second Kashmir War, between India and Pakistan was the culmination of a series of skirmishes that occurred between April 1965 and September 1965. ... The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military conflict between India and Pakistan. ... The Non-Aligned Movement, or NAM is an international organization of over 100 states which consider themselves not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. ... 1974 is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). ... The so-called Smiling Buddha was the first test fission explosion by India on May 18, 1974. ... There are currently five nations considered to be nuclear weapons nations, an internationally recognized status conferred by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. ... 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... 1991 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

A figurine of Vishnu, a Hindu god, in the Narasimha Avatar.

See also: Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... For other uses of the name Vishnu, see Vishnu (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Hindu religion; for other meanings of the word, see Hindu (disambiguation). ...

• Timeline of Indian history
• Military History of India

This is a timeline of Indian history. ...

Government and politics

India is a democratic republic. It is a federation of states within a federal structure. The head of state is the President, who has a largely ceremonial role. The President and Vice-President are elected indirectly by an electoral college for five-year terms. A republic in its basic sense, is constitutional government. ... A federation (from the Latin fœdus, covenant) is a state comprised of a number of self-governing regions (often themselves referred to as states) united by a central (federal) government. ... India is subdivided into 28 states, 6 union territories and a national capital territory. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... A head of state or chief of state is the chief public representative of a nation-state, federation or commonwealth, whose role generally includes personifying the continuity and legitimacy of the state and exercising the political powers, functions and duties granted to the head of state in the countrys... The President of India is the ceremonial head of state of India and the supreme commander of the Indian armed forces. ... The Vice-President of India is second behind the President in the Executive branch of the Government of India. ... An electoral college is a set of electors who are empowered as a deliberative body to elect someone to a particular office. ...

The Prime Minister wields the executive power. The Prime Minister is designated by legislators of the political party or coalition commanding a parliamentary majority. He or she is assisted by the Council of Ministers, or the cabinet, appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister. All ministers are sworn in by the President. The Prime Minister of India is, in practice, the most powerful person in the government of India. ... A Coalition is an alliance between entities, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Alternate meanings in cabinet (disambiguation) A Cabinet is a body of high-ranking members of government, typically representing the executive branch. ...

Map of India: The black line is the boundary as recognised by the government of India. The northern region of Kashmir is currently administered by India, Pakistan, and China (and coloured in as such). The delimiting of the three administered regions is not the international boundary but a ceasefire line demarcated in red. The boundary separating India and Pakistan is known as the Line of Control, that separating India and China as the 'Line of Actual Control'. Most of territories of Arunachal Pradesh are claimed by China, but administered by India.

India's bicameral parliament, its legislative arm, consists of the upper house known as the Council of States, or Rajya Sabha and the lower house known as the House of the People, or Lok Sabha. The Rajya Sabha is chosen by an electoral college whereas the Lok Sabha is elected directly. Modified from Image:IndiaMap. ... Modified from Image:IndiaMap. ... Map of Kashmir showing the Line of Control and disputed areas Market boats on Mar Canal, Srinigar by E. Molyneux, c. ... The line of control (LOC) is a line which demarcates the boundary between the territories controlled by two militaries or political entities, e. ... Line of Actual Control is the current border dividing Indian and Chinese occupied territory on the western part of India after the 1962 Sino-Indian War. ... In government, bicameralism is the practice of having two legislative or parliamentary chambers. ... Alternative meanings: Parliamentary system, Parliament (band), Parliament (cigarette). ... The Rajya Sabha (House of States) is the upper house of the parliament of India. ... The Lok Sabha (House of the People) is the lower house of Parliament of India. ...

India's judiciary consists of the Supreme Court, the highest court and eighteen appellate state High Courts. Courts are empowered to issue directions, orders or writs, including writs in the nature of habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, quo warranto and certiorari to enforce them. Courts in India are a constitutional authority, independent of political interference. Though rare, a conflict between the legislature and the judiciary is arbitrated by the President. The Supreme Court of India is the highest court of the land as established by Chapter IV of the Constitution of India. ... In common law jurisdictions, habeas corpus, or more precisely habeas corpus ad subjiciendum, is a prerogative writ (judicial mandate) to a prison official ordering that an inmate be brought to the court so it can be determined whether or not that person is imprisoned lawfully and whether or not he... A writ of mandamus or simply mandamus, which means we order in Latin, is the name of one of the prerogative writs and is a court order directing someone to perform a specified act. ... This article is about the prohibition of alcoholic beverages; separate articles on the prohibition of drugs in general and writs of prohibition are also available. ... Quo warranto (Latin for by what warrant?) is one of the prerogative writs, the one that requires the person to whom it is directed to show what authority he has for exercising some right or power (or franchise) he claims to hold. ... In English Law certiorari (Latin, to inform) is a public law relief (i. ...

For most of its independent history, India's union government has been ruled by the Indian National Congress Party. Having been the biggest political group in pre-independence India, the Congress enjoyed nearly unchallenged dominance in national politics for over forty years. It was not until 1977 that a united opposition, under the banner of Janata Party, was able to win elections and form a non-Congress government. In recent past, the Indian National Congress has lost its stranglehold over the Indian electorate. The 2004 Indian elections, saw the Congress party attaining the highest number of seats, thus forming the government with the support by various smaller regional parties. The BJP is the main opposition party with its right wing ideology based on Hinduism. Governments formed since 1996 have been a coalition type of government due to the steady rise in regional parties. The Indian National Congress (also known as the Congress Party) is the largest subscription-based organisation in the world. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... The Janata Party was a Indian political party, formed in 1977 through the fusion of four major opposition parties, namely the Bharatiya Lok Dal, Indian National Congress (Organisation), Bharatiya Jan Sangh and the Socialist Party. ... Legislative elections were held in India, the worlds largest democracy, in four phases between April 20 and May 10, 2004. ... BJP could mean one of Indias largest political parties, the Bharatiya Janata Party British Journal of Photography British Journal of Psychiatry British Journal of Pharmocology This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... In politics, right-wing, the political right, or simply the right, are terms which refer, with no particular precision, to the segment of the political spectrum in opposition to left-wing politics. ... 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... A Coalition is an alliance between entities, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest. ...

See also:

• List of political parties in India
• Indian election process
• List of government ministers
• Foreign relations of India

Political parties in India lists political parties in India. ... The worlds largest democracy, India’s parliament is composed of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. ... List of Indian ministers in the current government elected in 2004: Names in italics are women ministers. ... Indias size, population, and strategic location give it a prominent voice in international affairs, and its growing industrial base, military strength, and scientific and technical capacity give it added weight. ...

Geography and climate

The Himalaya stretch from Jammu and Kashmir in the north to Arunachal Pradesh in the far east making up most of India's eastern borders.

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. Yumthang Valley in dist. ... Yumthang Valley in dist. ... Perspective view of the Himalaya and Mount Everest as seen from space looking south-south-east from over the Tibetan Plateau. ... Jammu and Kashmir is a historic state in Asia which is currently disputed between India, Pakistan, and to a lesser extent, China. ... Arunachal Pradesh (अरुणाचल प्रदेश) is a northeastern state of India. ... Perspective view of the Himalaya and Mount Everest as seen from space looking south-south-east from over the Tibetan Plateau. ... The Indo-Gangetic Plain is a rich, fertile and ancient land encompassing most of northern and eastern India and parts of Pakistan. ... The Islamic Republic of Pakistan (, or Islami Jamhooriya-e-Pakistan, in Urdu), or Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia and is part of the Greater Middle East. ... The Thar Desert (also known as the Great Indian Desert) is a desert located in the state of Rajasthan in northwest India. ... Introduction The Deccan Plateau is a vast plateau in India, encompassing most of Central and Southern India. ... The Western Ghats or Sahyadri mountains run along the western edge of Indias Deccan Plateau, and separate the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. ... The Eastern Ghats are a discontinuous range of mountains, eroded and cut through by the four major rivers of southern India, the Godavari, Mahanadi, Krishna, and Kaveri. ...

India is home to several major rivers such as the Ganga (Ganges), the Brahmaputra, the Yamuna, the Godavari, and the Krishna. The River Ganges (Ganga in Indian languages) is a major river in northern India. ... The River Ganges (Ganga in Indian languages) is a major river in northern India. ... The Brahmaputra is one of the major rivers of Asia. ... The river Yamuna is a major river of northern India, with a total length of around 1370 km. ... The Godavari River is a major waterway in India, next to the Ganges and Indus rivers. ... The Krishna River is one of the longest rivers of India (about 900 km in length). ...

The Indian climate varies from a tropical climate in the south to a more temperate climate in the north. Parts of India which lie in the Himalayan mountains have a tundra climate. India gets its rains through the monsoons. Map of the climate of the Earth The climate (ancient Greek: κλίμα) is the weather averaged over a long period of time. ... The tropics are the geographic region of the Earth centered on the equator and limited in latitude by the two tropics: the Tropic of Cancer in the north and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere. ... In geography, temperate latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. ... In physical geography, tundra is an area where tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. ... A monsoon is a periodic wind, especially in the Indian Ocean and southern Asia. ...

See also:

• Climate of India
• Ecoregions of India
• National parks of India
• Geology of India

India has three distinct seasons: Summer, Winter and the Monsoons. ... Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests Andaman Islands rain forests (India) Brahmaputra Valley semi-evergreen forests (India) Chin Hills-Arakan Yoma montane forests (India, Myanmar) Eastern highlands moist deciduous forests (India) Himalayan subtropical broadleaf forests (Bhutan, India, Nepal) Malabar Coast moist forests (India) Maldives-Lakshadweep-Chagos Archipelago tropical moist forests... Indias first National park was Hailey National Park, now Jim Corbett National Park, established in 1935. ...

States and Union territories

India is divided into twenty-eight states (which are further subdivided into districts), six Union Territories and the National Capital Territory of Delhi. States have their own elected government, whereas Union Territories are governed by an administrator appointed by the union government. This is a list of districts of India. ... A union territory is an administrative division of India. ... The national capital territory (NCT) is a territory in India which encompasses the capital city, New Delhi and the city of Delhi. ... Delhi (दिल्ली or Dillī in Hindi and Bengali and دیلی in Urdu) is a term that refers to either the State of Delhi or the National Capital Territory (NCT) of the Republic of India. ...

States of India.

States: Download high resolution version (650x790, 142 KB)NPOV map of India from commons. ... Download high resolution version (650x790, 142 KB)NPOV map of India from commons. ... India is subdivided into 28 states, 6 union territories and a national capital territory. ...

Union Territories: Andhra Pradesh (ఆంధర దేశం), a state in South India, lies between 12°41 and 22°N latitude and 77° and 84°40E longitude . ... Arunachal Pradesh (अरुणाचल प्रदेश) is a northeastern state of India. ... Assam (অসম) is a northeastern state of India with its capital at Dispur. ... Bihar (बिहार in Devanagri) is a state situated in the eastern part of India. ... Chhattisgarh (छत्तीसगढ़), a state in central India, formed when the sixteen southeastern districts of Madhya Pradesh gained statehood on November 1, 2000. ... Two letter code GA Country India Capital — Administrative — Judicial1   — Panaji — Mumbai Location — Latitude — Longitude   — 15° N — 73° E Governor SC Jamir Chief Minister Prataph Sing Rane State language Konkani Liberation Day December 19, 1961 Statehood Day May 30, 1987 Population 1. ... Gujarat (Hindi: गुजरात) is the most industrialized state in India after Maharashtra and is located in western India, bordered by Pakistan to the northwest and Rajasthan to the north. ... Haryana (हरयाणा) is a state in northwest India. ... Himachal Pradesh (हिमाचल प्रदेश) is a state in northwest India. ... Jammu and Kashmir is a historic state in Asia which is currently disputed between India, Pakistan, and to a lesser extent, China. ... Jharkhand (झारखंड) is a state of India. ... Karnataka (ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ in Kannada) is one of the four southern states of India. ... Kerala (or Keralam) is a state in South India, occupying a narrow strip of Indias southwestern coast. ... Madhya Pradesh (मध्‍य प्रदेश) is a state in central India. ... Maharashtra (महाराष्ट्र) is a state in west-central India. ... This article needs cleanup. ... Meghalaya (मेघालय) is a small state in north-eastern India. ... Categories: India geography stubs | Mizoram | States and territories of India | Seven Sister States ... Nagaland is a state in the north-eastern part of India. ... Orissa (ଓଡ଼ିଶା) is a state situated in the east coast of India. ... Punjab (ਪੰਜਾਬ, पंजाब) is a state in northwest India, part of a larger Punjab region. ... Rajasthan (राजस्‍थान) is the geographically largest state in northwestern India. ... Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayas. ... Tamil Nadu (தமிழ் நாடு, Land of the Tamils) is a state at the southern tip of India. ... Categories: States and territories of India | Tripura | Seven Sister States | India geography stubs ... Uttaranchal (उत्तरांचल) became the 27th state of the Republic of India on November 9, 2000 after a relatively short and peaceful struggle by its people in the 1990s, having previously comprised part of Uttar Pradesh. ... Uttar Pradesh (Hindi: उत्तर प्रदेश, Urdu: اتر پردیش) is the fifth largest and the most populous state in India. ... West Bengal (পশ্চিম বঙ্গ, Pôščim Bôngô) is a state in the northeast of India. ...

1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
2. Chandigarh
3. Dadra and Nagar Haveli
4. Daman and Diu
5. Lakshadweep
6. Pondicherry

National Capital Territory: Map of Andaman and Nicobar Islands with an extra detailed area around Port Blair The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are a union territory of India. ... Chandigarh is a city in India that serves as the capital of two states: Punjab and Haryana. ... Dadra and Nagar Haveli is a Union Territory in western India. ... Daman and Diu is a union territory in India. ... Lakshadweep is a Union Territory of India. ... Pondicherry (पॉंडिचेरी in Hindi), currently undergoing a name change to Puduchery, is the name of a union territory and its capital in the south of India. ...

• Delhi

India has made no territorial claim in Antarctica but had two scientific bases there – Dakshin Gangotri and Maitri. See also: List of states of India by population Delhi (दिल्ली or Dillī in Hindi and Bengali and دیلی in Urdu) is a term that refers to either the State of Delhi or the National Capital Territory (NCT) of the Republic of India. ... World map showing location of Antarctica A satellite composite image of Antarctica For the Kim Stanley Robinson novel see Antarctica (novel) Antarctica (from Greek ἀνταρκτικός, opposite the arctic) is a continent surrounding the Earths South Pole. ... Dakshin Gangotri was Indias first scientific base station situated in Antarctica. ... maitri, please see metta. ... Indian States See also: States and territories of India Source Census of India Categories: States and territories of India ...

Economy

A nation in rapid development, India has an economy ranked as the tenth largest in the world in terms of currency conversion and fourth largest in terms of purchasing power parity. It recorded one of the fastest annual growth rate of around eight percent in 2003. Owing to its large population, however, India's per-capita income by purchasing power parity works out to be just US$ 2,540, ranked 143rd by the World Bank. India's foreign exchange reserves amount to over US$130 billion. Mumbai serves as the nation's financial capital and is also home to both the headquarters of the Reserve Bank of India and the Bombay Stock Exchange. While 25% of Indians still live below the poverty line, a large middle class has now emerged along with the growth of a promising IT industry. In economics, purchasing power parity (PPP) is a method used to calculate an alternative exchange rate between the currencies of two countries. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Events January January 1 - Luíz Inácio Lula Da Silva becomes the 37th President of Brazil. ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD, in Romance languages: BIRD), better known as the World Bank, is an international organization whose original mission was to finance the reconstruction of nations devastated by WWII. Now, its mission has expanded to fight poverty by means of financing states. ... In finance, the exchange rate between two currencies specifies how much one currency is worth in terms of the other. ... Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the most populous Indian city. ... The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is the central bank of India, and was established on April 1, 1935 in accordance with the provisions of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934. ... The Bombay Stock Exchange is located in Dalal Street, Mumbai. ... The poverty line is the level of income below which one cannot afford to purchase all the resources one requires to live. ... The middle class (or middle classes) comprises a social group once defined by exception as an intermediate social class between the nobility and the peasantry. ... Information technology (IT) or information and communication technology (ICT) is the technology required for information processing. ...

Information Technology is one of India's fastest growing industries, pegged at $13 billion in revenues. Pictured here is Infosys, one of India's leading IT companies.

The Indian economy has shed much of its historical dependence on agriculture, which now contributes to less than 25% of the GDP. Other important industries are mining, petroleum, diamond polishing, films, textiles, information technology services, and handicrafts. Most of India's industrial regions are centred around the major cities. In recent years, India has emerged as one of the largest players in software and business process outsourcing services, with revenues of US$ 12.5 billion in 2003-2004. There are also a lot of small-scale industries that provide steady employment to many of its citizens in small towns and villages. While India receives only around three million foreign visitors a year, tourism is still an important source of its national income. India's major trading partners are the United States, China, the United Arab Emirates and the European Union. Download high resolution version (1024x768, 174 KB) Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (1024x768, 174 KB) Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Information technology (IT) or information and communication technology (ICT) is the technology required for information processing. ... Infosys Technologies Limited (NASDAQ: INFY) (incorporated in 1992, in operation since 1981) is an India based global IT Services, IT Solutions and Technology Services Major. ... Farming, ploughing rice paddy, in Indonesia Agriculture is the process of producing food, feed, fiber and other desired products by cultivation of certain plants and the raising of domesticated animals (livestock). ... The El Chino Mine located near Silver City, New Mexico is an open-pit copper mine Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, usually (but not always) from an ore body, vein, or (coal) seam. ... Nodding donkey pumping an oil well near Sarnia, Ontario, 2001 Petroleum (from Greek petra – rock and oleum – oil), crude oil, sometimes colloquially called black gold, is a thick, dark brown or greenish flammable liquid, which exists in the upper strata of some areas of the Earths crust. ... A scattering of round-brilliant cut diamonds shows off the many reflecting facets. ... Film may refer to: photographic film a motion picture in academics, the study of motion pictures as an art form a thin skin or membrane, or any covering or coating, whether transparent or opaque a thin layer of liquid, either on a solid or liquid surface or free-standing Film... This article is about the type of fabric. ... Information technology (IT) or information and communication technology (ICT) is the technology required for information processing. ... Handicraft, also known as craftwork or simply craft, is a type of work where useful and decorative devices are made completely by hand or using only simple tools. ... The United States of America — also referred to as the United States, the U.S.A., the U.S., America, the States, or (archaically) Columbia—is a federal republic of 50 states located primarily in central North America (with the exception of two states: Alaska and Hawaii). ... The Peoples Republic of China (PRC) comprises most of the cultural, historic, and geographic area known as China. ... The United Arab Emirates is an oil-rich country situated in the south-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia, comprising seven emirates: Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm al-Quwain. ... The European Union or EU is an intergovernmental organisation of European countries, which currently has 25 member states. ...

See also: List of Indian companies This is a list of Indian companies. ...

Demographics

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), and Chennai (formerly Madras). The Great Wall of China, stretching over 6,700 km, was erected beginning in the 3rd century BC to guard the north from raids by men on horses. ... When the word metropolitan (from the Greek metera = mother and polis = town) is used as an adjective, as in metropolitan bishop, metropolitan France, or metropolitan area it can mean: of or characteristic of a metropolis; see also metropolitan area of or belonging to the home territories of a country, as... Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the most populous Indian city. ... Delhi (दिल्ली or Dillī in Hindi and Bengali and دیلی in Urdu) is a term that refers to either the State of Delhi or the National Capital Territory (NCT) of the Republic of India. ... This article is on Calcutta/Kolkata, the city. ... Chennai (சென்னை in Tamil), formerly known as Madras, is a city on the east coast of southern India. ...

India's literacy rate is 64.8%, with 53.7% of females being literate. The sex ratio is 933 females for every 1000 males.

Although 80.5% of the people are Hindus, India is also home to the second largest population of Muslims in the world (13.4%; see Islam in India). Other smaller religious minorities include Christians (2.33%; see Christianity in India), Sikhs (1.84%), Buddhists (0.76%), Jains (0.40%), Jews (see Jews in India), Parsis, Ahmadi, and Bahá'ís^{[2]  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India#endnote_religion)}. Religion in India is very public, with many practices imbued with pomp and vitality accompanying their underlying spiritual qualities. A melting pot of many religions, India has rich festivals celebrated by one and all. The most widely known and popular celebrations include the Hindu festivals of Diwali, Holi and Dussera. This article is about the Hindu religion OM, the most sacred syllable and quintessential symbol of Hinduism, represents the first manifestation of the unmanifest Brahman. ... A Muslim is a believer in or follower of Islam. ... The gate of the Jami mosque built in 1571 in Fatehpur Sikri, a city built by the Mughal emperor Akbar. ... Christianity is an Abrahamic religion based on the life, teachings, death by crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth as described in the New Testament. ... Christianity is Indias third-largest religion, following Hinduism and Islam. ... The Golden Temple is the most important sacred shrine for Sikhs Sikhism comes from the word Sikh, which means a strong and able disciple. ... Statues of Buddha such as this, the Tian Tan Buddha statue in Hong Kong, remind followers to practice right living. ... The hand with a wheel on the palm symbolizes the Jain Vow of Ahinsa, meaning non-injury and nonviolence. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination of these attributes. ... Jews in India live among Indias predominant Hindu and Muslim populace. ... The main Zoroastrian fire temple in Yazd, Iran. ... Ahmadi Muslims, or Ahmadiyya, are followers of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. ... Known in India as the Lotus Temple, the Bahai House of Worship attracts an average of three and a half million visitors a year. ... List of Festivals in India Hindu Makar Sankranti, Kite Flying Day, Winter festival Baisakhi Mahashivratri Holi Gudi Padwa Ram Navami Guru Purnima Gokul Ashtami Karthikai deepam Pongal Raksha Bandhan, Rakhi, Sacred Thread tied by sister on Brothers hand Onam Ganesh Chaturthi Durga Puja Dussehra or Daserra Diwali Diwali Amvasaya... This article is about the Hindu religion; for other meanings of the word, see Hindu (disambiguation). ... Diwali taking place in a rural area Dīpãvali (also transliterated Deepavali; Sanskrit: row of lights) or Diwãli (contracted spelling) is the Hindu festival of lights, held on the final day of the Vikram calendar, one type of a Hindu calendar that is followed by North Indians. ... Holi is a Hindu Spring festival. ... This article needs cleanup. ...

India is home to two major linguistic families, those of the Indo-Aryan and Dravidian-derived languages. The Indian constitution recognises 22 languages. Hindi along with English are the languages used by the Central Government for official purposes. Two classical languages native to the land are Sanskrit and Tamil. The number of mother tongues in India is as high as 1652. The article describes the languages spoken in the Republic of India. ... The Indo-Aryan languages form a subgroup of the Indo-Iranian languages, thus belonging to the Indo-European family of languages. ... Dravidian may refer to: in the spiritualistic interpretations: the people who are the drav i. ... Hindi (हिन्दी) is a language spoken in most states in northern and central India. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... The Sanskrit language ( संस्कृता वाक्) is one of the earliest attested members of the Indo-European language family and is not only a classical language, but also an official language of India. ... The consonant ழ் believed to be unique to Tamil and Malayalam Tamil of Tamilians is a Dravidian language predominantly spoken in southern India and Sri Lanka, with smaller communities of speakers in many other countries. ... The article describes the languages spoken in the Republic of India. ...

See also:

• List of Indian languages by total speakers
• List of cities in India
• Religion in India

Indian languages spoken by more than ten million people are given below. ... This is a list of cities in India: * indicates capital cities. ... The major religions of India are Hinduism (majority religion), Islam (largest minority religion), Sikhism, Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism and the Baháí Faith. ...

Culture

The Taj Mahal in Agra is India's most popular tourist destination.

The Gumpa dance is a mystic dance celebrated by the Tibetan Buddhist community in Sikkim during the Buddhist New Year — Losar.

India has a rich and unique cultural heritage, and has actively preserved its established traditions throughout history. It has also absorbed customs from both invaders and immigrants. Many cultural practices and monuments, such as the Taj Mahal, have been inherited from the rule of Mughal emperors. Download high resolution version (2040x1681, 2396 KB) Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (2040x1681, 2396 KB) Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... This article is about the Indian monument. ... For other uses, see Agra (disambiguation). ... The Gumpa dance is a special dance celebrated around the time of Losar, the Tibetan New Year. ... The Gumpa dance is a special dance celebrated around the time of Losar, the Tibetan New Year. ... Tibetan Buddhism, (formerly also called Lamaism after their religious gurus known as lamas), is the body of religious Buddhist doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and the Himalayan region. ... Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayas. ... This article is about the Indian monument. ... The Mughal Empire (alternative spelling Mogul, which is the origin of the word Mogul) of India was founded by Babur in 1526, when he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans at the First Battle of Panipat. ...

Indian society is largely pluralist, multilingual and multicultural. Religious practices of various faiths are an integral part of everyday life in society. Education is highly regarded by members of every socio-economic stratum. The traditional Indian family values are highly respected and considered sacred, although urban families have grown into a nuclear family system, owing to the socio-economic constraints imposed by the traditional joint family system. Multiculturalism or cultural pluralism is a policy, ideal, or reality that emphasizes the unique characteristics of different cultures in the world, especially as they relate to one another in immigrant receiving nations. ... A nuclear family is a household consisting of two married, heterosexual parents and their legal children (siblings), as distinct from the extended family. ... Complex Family is a generic term for any family structure involving more than two adults. ...

Indian music is represented by a wide variety of forms. The two main forms in terms of classical music are the Carnatic from South India and Hindustani from the north. Popular forms of music also prevail, the most notable being Filmi music. In addition to this are the diverse traditions of folk music. Many dance forms exist in India – Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Kathak, Kathakali and others. They often have a narrative form (based on the Indian epics) and are usually infused with devotional and spiritual elements. The music of India includes multiples varieties of folk and pop music, along with Carnatic and Hindustani classical music. ... The origins of Indian classical music can be found from the oldest of scriptures, part of the Hindu tradition, the Vedas. ... This article or section should include material from List of Carnatic singers. ... South India is a geographic and linguistic-cultural region of India. ... Hindustani (हिन्‍दुस्‍थानी) classical music is an Indian classical music tradition originating in the North of the Indian subcontinent circa the 13th and 14th centuries CE. Developing a strong and diverse tradition over several centuries, it has contemporary traditions established primarily in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. ... Filmi is Indian popular music as written and performed for Indian cinema. ... Indian classical dance is performed in different styles. ... A Bharatanatyam Dancer Bharatanatyam (also spelled Bharathanatyam, Bharatnatyam or Bharata Natyam) is a South Indian classical dance form. ... Odissi (or Orissi) is the traditional style of dance which originated in the temples of the state of Orissa in Eastern India, where it was performed by the devdasis. ... Kuchipudi is a classical dance form from Andhra Pradesh, a southern state of India. ... Kathak is an Indian dance form similar to Bharatanatyam that arose out of the Vaishnava devotees dancing to the episodes from Krishnas life. ... Kathakali (katha for story, kali for performance or play) is an expressive form of Indian dance-drama. ... Itihasa (Sanskrit: thus verily happened) refers collectively to the epic Hindu scriptures, detailing the actions of divine incarnations on earth while interspersing them with often large sections of philosophical and ethical discourse. ...

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 and the epics of the Mahabharatha and Ramayana. Sangam literature from Tamil Nadu represents some of India's oldest secular traditions. There have been many notable Indian writers in modern times, both in Indian languages and English. India's only Nobel laureate in literature was the Bengali writer Rabindranath Tagore. Indian literature is the oldest in the world. ... This article is about the Hindu religion; for other meanings of the word, see Hindu (disambiguation). ... The Vedas are part of the Hindu Shruti; these religious scriptures form part of the core of the Brahminical and Vedic traditions within Hinduism and are the inspirational, metaphysical and mythological foundation for later Vedanta, Yoga, Tantra and even Bhakti forms of Hinduism. ... The Mahabharata (Devanagari: महाभारत, phonetically Mahābhārata - see note), sometimes just called Bharata, is the great religious, philosophical and mythological epic of India. ... Lord Ram, Laxman, Sita and Hanuman(crouching) The Ramayana (Sanskrit: vehicle of Rama) is part of the Hindu smriti, written by Valmiki (c. ... The Sangam is a collection of Tamil literature composed between 1500 and 2000 years ago. ... Tamil Nadu (தமிழ் நாடு, Land of the Tamils) is a state at the southern tip of India. ... Indian the writing in English (IWE) is the body of work of writers in India who write in the English language and whose mother tongue is usually one of the numerous languages of India. ... The Nobel Prize in literature is awarded annually to an author from any country who has produced the most outstanding work of an idealistic tendency. The work in this case generally refers to an authors work as a whole, not to any individual work, though individual works are sometimes... This article is about the Bengali language. ... Rabindranath Tagore (or Rabindranath Thakur) (May 6, 1861 – August 7, 1941), also called Gurudev, was a Bengali poet, Brahmo philosopher and nationalist who was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1913, becoming the first Asian to be awarded a Nobel. ...

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 language director Satyajit Ray. India is a major regional center for cinema. ... Typical Bollywood Movie Poster Bollywood is the informal name given to the popular Mumbai-based film industry in India. ... Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the most populous Indian city. ... Hindi (हिन्दी) is a language spoken in most states in northern and central India. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Malayalam (മലയാളം) is the major language of the state of Kerala, in southern India. ... The consonant ழ் believed to be unique to Tamil and Malayalam Tamil of Tamilians is a Dravidian language predominantly spoken in southern India and Sri Lanka, with smaller communities of speakers in many other countries. ... Telugu belongs to the family of Dravidian languages and is the official language of the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. ... This article is about the Bengali language. ... Satyajit Ray (May 2, 1921 - April 23, 1992) was a Bengali film director whose films are perhaps the greatest testament to Bengali and Indian cinema. ...

Rice and wheat (in bread forms) are the staple foods in the country. The gastronomy of India is extremely diverse, as ingredients, spices and cooking methods all vary from region to region. The country is notable for its wide variety of vegetarian cuisine. Spicy food and sweets are popular in India. Traditional dress in India greatly varies across the regions in its colours and styles. The sari and salwar kameez are popular styles of dress for women. Traditional raiments for men are the kurta and dhoti. Species Oryza barthii Oryza glaberrima Oryza latifolia Oryza longistaminata Oryza punctata Oryza rufipogon Oryza sativa References ITIS 41975 2002-09-22 This article is about the food grain, not the university or Condoleezza Rice; see also rice (disambiguation). ... Species T. monococcum T. spelta References:   ITIS 42236 2002-09-22 Wheat (Triticum spp) is a grass that is cultivated around the world. ... Regional cuisines Indian cuisine can be broken down into three distinct regional styles: North Indian Rajasthan/Gujarat Punjab Kashmir Benaras Mughlai/durbar South Indian Kerala Andhra Kannada/Mysore Tamil cuisine Maharashtrian Eastern Bengali Assamese Thanks to Indias geography, wheat is a staple of North Indian foods, while rice is... For animals adapted to eat primarily plants, sometimes referred to as vegetarian animals, see Herbivore. ... Indias national costume for women is the sari. ... Sari has two meanings: name of an Indian garment worn by women. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... This article concerns how a man differs from women. ... A kurta is a traditional piece of clothing in Pakistan and India, a long shirt which usually comes down till the knees. ... The dhoti is a style of Indian mens wear. ...

See also:

• List of World Heritage sites in India
• Indian architecture
• Indian family name
• Cuisine of India (Wikibooks entry for Cuisine of India)

List of World Heritage sites in India. ... Virupaksha Temple, Hampi Indian architecture is that vast tapestry of production of the Indian Subcontinent that encompasses a multitude of expressions over space and time, transformed by the forces of history considered unique to the sub-continent, sometimes destroying, but most of the time absorbing. ... Indian family names are derived from several sources: Caste or subcaste name: These are analogous to western family names like Smith and Barber to the extent that they represent occupation. ... Regional cuisines Indian cuisine can be broken down into three distinct regional styles: Due to Indias geography, wheat is a staple of North Indian foods, while rice is the primary constituent of Southern and Eastern foods. ...

Sports and games

Unlike other comparable countries, India is not a major sporting power. India's national sport is field hockey, although cricket is now the de facto national game due to its success and popularity in recent times. Though cricket popularity is widepsread, it is not the most popular sport in many states of India, particulary India's northeast states. India has had little success in international events like the Olympics, where it has garnered just a single medal in each of the previous three Olympics. A game of field hockey in progress Field Hockey is a popular sport for men and women in many countries around the world. ... For more coverage of cricket, go to the Cricket Portal. ... For months before the Olympic Games, runners relay the Olympic Flame from Olympia to the opening ceremony. ... A Medal can mean three things: a wearable medal awarded by a government for services to a country (such as Armed force service); strictly speaking this only refers to a medal of coin-like appearance, but informally the word also refers to an Order (decoration); a table medal awarded by...

Some traditional indigenous sports are kabaddi, Kho Kho and gilli-danda, which are played in most parts of the country. Chess^{[3]  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India#endnote_chess)}, carrom^{[4]  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India#endnote_carrom)}, polo^{[5]  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India#endnote_polo)}, and badminton^{[6]  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India#endnote_badminton)} are some other games and sports that are said to have originated in India. Football (soccer) also finds a large viewership in almost the entire country, and is the most popular sport in many states of India. Kabaddi or Kabadi is a team pursuit sport, primarily played in India. ... Gilli-danda is a game popular across the length and breadth of India. ... From left, a white king, black rook and queen, white pawn, black knight, and white bishop. ... Carrom is a family of table games sharing a similarity in that their mechanics lie somewhere between billiards and shuffleboard. ... This article is about the sport. ... This article is about the racquet sport badminton. ... The striker (wearing red jersey) has run past the defender (in white jersey) and is about to take a shot at the goal, while the goalkeeper positions himself to stop the ball. ...

Holidays

India has only three National Holidays. Other holidays pertaining to festivals, religious holidays and births of leaders are legislated by the individual states.

January 26 is the 26th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Republic Day in India Although India obtained its independence on August 15th 1947, the Constitution of India has been in effect since 26 January 1950. ... August 15 is the 227th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (228th in leap years), with 138 days remaining. ... An Independence Day is an annual celebration commemorating the anniversary of a nations assumption of independent statehood, usually after ceasing to be a colony of another state. ... October 2nd is the 275th day (276th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 90 days remaining. ...

Trivia

• Traffic moves on the left side (and cars have right-hand drive).
• The Indian English spoken in India is modelled on British English.
• Date format: dd/mm/yyyy
• Number format: 10,000,000 = 1 crore. 100,000 = 1 lakh. (See Indian numbering system)
• Postal Code (PIN): 6 digits.
• Official Measurements: Metric (SI)
• Electric power 220 V; 50 Hz
  • Power plugs: Type C, D & M (CEE 7/16; CEE 7/17; BS 546)
• Television signals use PAL B/G
• The financial year starts on April 1.

Western vehicular traffic is generally organized, flowing in lanes of travel for a particular direction, with interchanges, traffic signals, or signage at intersectons to facilitate the orderly and timely flow of traffic. ... This article concerns rules of the road regarding land vehicles; for sea-going vehicles, see International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea. ... This article concerns rules of the road regarding land vehicles; for sea-going vehicles, see International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea. ... Indian English is a catch-all phrase for the dialects or varieties of English spoken widely in India (by about 11% of the population, according to the 1991 census) and the Indian subcontinent in general, but also by Desis. ... Diagram showing the geographical locations of selected languages and dialects of the British Isles. ... A date in a calendar is a reference to a particular day by means of a calendar system. ... A crore is a unit in a traditional number system, still widely used in India. ... A lakh (also spelled lac) is a unit in a traditional number system, still widely used in India, equal to a hundred thousand. ... India has an ancient numbering system using a unique grouping of 2 decimal places, rather than the commonplace 3 decimal places. ... A PIN code is the postal code used by the Indian Postal Service. ... SI (disambiguation). ... Transmission lines in Lund, Sweden Electric power, often known as power or electricity, involves the production and delivery of electrical energy in sufficient quantities to operate domestic appliances, office equipment, industrial machinery and provide sufficient energy for both domestic and commercial lighting, heating, cooking and industrial processes. ... CEE 7/7 plug and socket Domestic AC power plugs and sockets allow a connection between the mains (domestic, usually single-phase, AC electrical power) and the appliances commonly used in homes. ... An American family watching television in the 1950s. ... For other meanings of PAL see PAL (disambiguation). ... April 1 is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 274 days remaining. ...

See also

This page lists articles on Wikipedia that are related to India and Indian culture. ... Prehistory The prehistory of India goes back to the old Stone age Palaeolithic. ... This is a timeline of Indian history. ... The Indus Valley Civilization existed along the Indus River and the Vedic Sarasvati River in present-day Pakistan. ... Meluhha refers to one of ancient Sumerias prominent trading partners, but precisely which one remains an open question. ... Proto-Indo-European Indo-European studies The Aryan invasion theory is a historical theory first put forth by the German Indologist Friedrich Max Müller and others in the mid nineteenth century in order to provide a historical explanation for the existence of Indo-European languages in India. ... In ancient times, trade between India and Greece flourished with silk, spices and gold being traded. ... The Mauryan dynasty ruled the Mauryan empire, the first unified empire of India, from 322 BCE to 183 BCE. The rulers of the Mauryan dynasty were: Chandragupta Maurya (322 - 298 BCE) - founder of the Mauryan empire. ... Emperor Ashoka (a possible picturisation) Ashoka the Great (also Asoka, Aśoka, pronounced as Ashok-uh, not Ashokaa) was the ruler of the Mauryan empire from 273 BC to 232 BC. A convert to Buddhism, Ashoka reigned over most of the Indian subcontinent, from present day Afghanistan to Bengal and as... The Sunga dynasty ruled the Sunga empire of central and eastern India from 185 BCE to around 73 BCE. Some of its main rulers were: Pusyamitra Sunga, founder of the dynasty. ... Approximate extent of the Satavahana Empire, circa 150 CE. The Sātavāhanas, also known as the Andhras, were a dynasty which ruled in Southern and Central India starting from around 230 BCE. Although there is some controversy about when the dynasty came to an end, the most liberal estimates are of... Maximum extent of Indo-Greek territory circa 175 BCE. The Indo-Greeks (or sometimes Greco-Indians) designate a series of Greek kings, who invaded and controlled parts of northwest and northern India from 180 BCE to around 10 BCE. They are the continuation of the Greco-Bactrian dynasty of Greek... The Indo-Scythian King of Kings Azes II (c. ... Coin of Gondophares (20-50 AD), first king of the Indo-Parthians kingdom. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Approximate territory of the Western Kshatrapas ( 35- 405 CE). ... Silver coin of the Gupta King Kumara Gupta I (414-455 CE). ... Buddha and Bodhisattvas, 11th century, Pala Empire. ... During the middle ages, several Islamic regimes established empires in India. ... The Mughal empire Main article: Mughal empire India in the 16th century presented a fragmented picture of rulers, both Muslim and Hindu, who lacked concern for their subjects and who failed to create a common body of laws or institutions. ... The British Raj is an informal term for the period of British colonial rule of most of the Indian subcontinent, or present-day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka (previously known as Ceylon). ... The British East India Company, sometimes referred to as John Company, was a joint-stock company of investors, which was granted a Royal Charter by Elizabeth I on December 31, 1600, with the intent to favor trade privileges in India. ... The Governor-General of India (or Governor-General and Viceroy of India) was the head of the British administration in India. ... The Governor-General of India (or Governor-General and Viceroy of India) was the head of the British administration in India. ... An engraving titled Sepoy Indian troops dividing the spoils after their mutiny against British rule gives a contemporary view of events from the British perspective. ... The Indian independence movement was a series of steps taken in the Indian subcontinent for independence from British colonial rule, beginning with the Rebellion of 1857. ... The Quit India Movement was a call for immediate independence for India issued by MK Gandhi on August 8, 1942. ... The Partition of India was the process by which British dependencies and treaty states in the Indian subcontinent were granted independence in the 1940s. ... The Non-Aligned Movement, or NAM is an international organization of over 100 states which consider themselves not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. ... The Sino-Indian war was a short border war between India and the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), the worlds two most populous countries, which took place in late 1962. ... The Indo-Pakistani War of 1947 sometimes known as the First Kashmir War was a war fought between India and Pakistan over the region of Kashmir from 1947 to 1949. ... The 1965 war, also known as the Second Kashmir War, between India and Pakistan was the culmination of a series of skirmishes that occurred between April 1965 and September 1965. ... The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military conflict between India and Pakistan. ... Location Before 1947, Kargil was a part of Gilgit-Baltistan. ... Military branches: Indian Army, Indian Navy (including naval air arm), Air Force, various security or paramilitary forces (includes Border Security Force, Assam Rifles, Rashtriya Rifles, National Security Guards, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Special Frontier Force, Central Reserve Police Force, Defense Security Corps and several other units) and the Strategic Forces... Although India occupies only 2. ... The postage stamps and postal history of India are complicated by the patchwork of British and local rule prior to partition in 1947. ... According to its constitution, India is a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic. ... Indian Law is largely derived from the British Common Law. ... The Constitution of India, the worlds lengthiest written constitution (with 395 articles and 8 schedules) was passed by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949. ... Political parties in India lists political parties in India. ... The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; Indian Peoples Party) is one of the largest political parties in India. ... Election symbol of the Congress Election symbol of the Congress The Indian National Congress (also known as the Congress Party) is the largest subscription-based organisation in the world. ... Indias size, population, and strategic location give it a prominent voice in international affairs, and its growing industrial base, military strength, and scientific and technical capacity give it added weight. ... The worlds largest democracy, India’s parliament is composed of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. ... India is subdivided into 28 states, 6 union territories and a national capital territory. ... According to its constitution, India is a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic. ... Contents // Categories: Stub ... Chamber of the Estates-General, the Dutch legislature. ... The Lok Sabha (House of the People) is the lower house of Parliament of India. ... The Rajya Sabha (House of States) is the upper house of the parliament of India. ... Under the doctrine of the separation of powers, the executive is the branch of a government charged with implementing, or executing, the law. ... The President of India is the ceremonial head of state of India and the supreme commander of the Indian armed forces. ... The Vice-President of India is second behind the President in the Executive branch of the Government of India. ... The Prime Minister of India is, in practice, the most powerful person in the government of India. ... List of Indian ministers in the current government elected in 2004: Names in italics are women ministers. ... The Attorney General of India is the Indian governments chief legal advisor, and its primary lawyer in the Supreme Court of India. ... The Election Commission of India is a constitutional body created to hold free and fair elections in India. ... The External Affairs Minister commonly known as the Foreign Minister represents India and the government of India in the international community. ... India has a multitude of Law Enforcement agencies. ... The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), established in 1963, is the premier investigation agency of India which focuses primarily on economic crimes and corruption charges, though at times, it is put in charge of investigating other crimes as well. ... The Criminal Investigations Department, or CID is a section of police around the world who deal with the examination and detection of crimes. ... India has a number of intelligence agencies. ... The Intelligence Bureau is Indias internal intelligence agency. ... The Research and Analysis Wing is Indias premier external intelligence body. ... The judiciary, also referred to as the judicature, consists of justices, judges and magistrates among other types of adjudicators. ... The Supreme Court of India is the highest court of the land as established by Chapter IV of the Constitution of India. ... Military branches: Indian Army, Indian Navy (including naval air arm), Air Force, various security or paramilitary forces (includes Border Security Force, Assam Rifles, Rashtriya Rifles, National Security Guards, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Special Frontier Force, Central Reserve Police Force, Defense Security Corps and several other units) and the Strategic Forces... The Indian Army is the army of the Republic of India. ... Bharatiya Nau Sena:-The Indian Navy is one of the worlds largest navies. ... The Indian Air Force was established on October 8, 1932. ... The Border Security ForceIndias No. ... The Indian Coast Guard is a paramilitary outfit created to guard the countrys vast coastline. ... Location Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan Geographic coordinates 68 - 97° East, 8 - 37° North (average 77 00 E, 20 00 N) Map references: Asia Area total: 3,287,590 km² land: 2,973,190 km² water: 314,400 km² Area... Perspective view of the Himalaya and Mount Everest as seen from space looking south-south-east from over the Tibetan Plateau. ... The Western Ghats or Sahyadri mountains run along the western edge of Indias Deccan Plateau, and separate the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. ... The Eastern Ghats are a discontinuous range of mountains, eroded and cut through by the four major rivers of southern India, the Godavari, Mahanadi, Krishna, and Kaveri. ... The Indo-Gangetic Plain is a rich, fertile and ancient land encompassing most of northern and eastern India and parts of Pakistan. ... Introduction The Deccan Plateau is a vast plateau in India, encompassing most of Central and Southern India. ... The Thar Desert (also known as the Great Indian Desert) is a desert located in the state of Rajasthan in northwest India. ... The River Ganges (Ganga in Indian languages) is a major river in northern India. ... The Rann of Kutch is a marshy region located in the Gujarat state of India, which borders the Sind region of Pakistan. ... The Brahmaputra is one of the major rivers of Asia. ... North-East India is the easternmost region of India consisting of the following states: Nagaland Arunachal Pradesh Mizoram Manipur Meghalaya Tripura Sikkim Assam Sikkim became an Indian protectorate in 1947 and a full state in 1975. ... Here are some of the mountains in India: Peaks Kanchanjenga Nanga Parbat Doddabetta Kalsubhai Mount Abu Ranges in India The Himalaya Western Ghats Eastern Ghats Aravalli Range Nilgiri Hills Vindhya Range Satpura Range Garo Hills Khasi Hills Shivalik Hills Annamalai & cardomom hills, kerala Categories: Mountains of India | India geography stubs... This is a list of valleys in India. ... This is a list of islands of India. ... Here as some of the rivers in India: Beas Brahmaputra Dahisar Damodar Ganga Ghaggar River Godavari Gomti Indus Jhelum Kaveri Koyna Krishna Mandovi Mhanadi Mithi Narmada Oshwiwara Ravi Sabarmati Sutlej Tapti Ulhas Vashishti Yamuna Zuari See also List of rivers of Asia Bharathapuzha Categories: Lists of rivers ... India is subdivided into 28 states, 6 union territories and a national capital territory. ... This is a list of cities in India: * indicates capital cities. ... This is a list of districts of India. ... What follows is a list of unofficial, or quasi-official regions of India. ... Work on improving this article is currently in progress. ... The Indian Rupee (Symbol: INR) is Indias national currency, subdivided into 100 paise (singular paisa). ... The Bombay Stock Exchange is located in Dalal Street, Mumbai. ... The National Stock Exchange of India, also known as NSE, is one of largest and advanced stock markets in India. ... The single most common indicator which is used to quantify standard of living is the per capita purchasing power parity (PPP) adjusted gross domestic product (GDP). ... This is a list of Indian companies. ... The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is the central bank of India, and was established on April 1, 1935 in accordance with the provisions of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934. ... Although India occupies only 2. ... The article describes the languages spoken in the Republic of India. ... The single most common indicator which is used to quantify standard of living is the per capita purchasing power parity (PPP) adjusted gross domestic product (GDP). ... The major religions of India are Hinduism (majority religion), Islam (largest minority religion), Sikhism, Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism and the Baháí Faith. ... Categories: Wikipedia cleanup | India-related stubs ... The culture of India is one of the oldest cultures known to humanity. ... The music of India includes multiples varieties of folk and pop music, along with Carnatic and Hindustani classical music. ... This article or section should include material from List of Carnatic singers. ... Hindustani (हिन्‍दुस्‍थानी) classical music is an Indian classical music tradition originating in the North of the Indian subcontinent circa the 13th and 14th centuries CE. Developing a strong and diverse tradition over several centuries, it has contemporary traditions established primarily in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. ... Beginnings Indian Pop music is something that can be considered a conglomerate of music. ... India is a major regional center for cinema. ... A huge industry by itself, the Indian silver screen has thousands of programmes in all the states of India. ... Typical Bollywood Movie Poster Bollywood is the informal name given to the popular Mumbai-based film industry in India. ... State Owned (Doordarshan) DD National DD News DD Metro DD Bharati DD Keralam DD Podhighai DD Saptagiri DD Kannada DD Bangla DD Kashir News NDTV 24x7 NDTV India Star News Zee News Sahara Samay Sun News Asianet News Aaj Tak Headlines Today BBC World CNN CNBC India INDIA TV Entertainment... Indian literature is the oldest in the world. ... Regional cuisines Indian cuisine can be broken down into three distinct regional styles: North Indian Rajasthan/Gujarat Punjab Kashmir Benaras Mughlai/durbar South Indian Kerala Andhra Kannada/Mysore Tamil cuisine Maharashtrian Eastern Bengali Assamese Thanks to Indias geography, wheat is a staple of North Indian foods, while rice is... National holidays There are four national holidays in India, applicable in all states: Republic Day, January 26. ... Folklore in India paints pictures of piety, valour, gods and goddesses. ... Indian classical dance is performed in different styles. ... Virupaksha Temple, Hampi Indian architecture is that vast tapestry of production of the Indian Subcontinent that encompasses a multitude of expressions over space and time, transformed by the forces of history considered unique to the sub-continent, sometimes destroying, but most of the time absorbing. ... Education in India is divided into preprimary, primary, middle (or intermediate), secondary (or high school), and higher levels. ... The article describes the languages spoken in the Republic of India. ... Media penetration as of 2003 Media in India, especially news media, are undergoing significant changes in the current liberalised environment. ... Indian English is a catch-all phrase for the dialects or varieties of English spoken widely in India (by about 11% of the population, according to the 1991 census) and the Indian subcontinent in general, but also by Desis. ... Indian citizenship/nationality law: Relevant Indian legislation is the Citizenship Act 1955, which has been amended by the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 1986 and the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 1992. ... Indian citizenship/nationality law: Relevant Indian legislation is the Citizenship Act 1955, which has been amended by the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 1986 and the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 1992. ... India has an ancient numbering system using a unique grouping of 2 decimal places, rather than the commonplace 3 decimal places. ... The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is Indias national space agency. ... Telephones - main lines in use: 44 million (September 2004) Source: Business Today, November 21, 2004 issue Telephones - mobile cellular: 45 million (September 2004) Source: Business Today, November 21, 2004 issue Cellphone teledensity up to 2. ... Railways: total: 63,518 km (15,009 km electrified; 12,617 km double track) broad gauge: 45,142 km 1. ... India has a vast network of National Highways. ... An Indian Railway Ticket from Chennai to Vijayawada by Howrah Mail. ... Passengers and drivers meet at this auto rickshaw stand in Chennai. ... The Indian National Flag is also known as the Tiranga, which in Hindi means tricolour. ... India is one of the most attractive tourist destinations in Asia. ... With over 25 vernacular languages(apart from English) and an increasing literacy rate, India has a wide variety of sources for news and entertainment. ... Licence plates on the back of a taxi in Kolkata. ...

References

1. ^  India facts and figures (http://www.indianembassy.org/dydemo/indiaprofile/profile.htm), Embassy of India (http://www.indianembassy.org)
2. ^  Census of India 2001, Data on Religion (http://www.censusindia.net/results/religion_main.html), Census of India (http://www.censusindia.net) (Official site)
3. ^  History of Chess (http://www.karpov.ru/en/club/index.php), Anatoly Karpov.
4. ^  The Origins of Carrom (http://www.carrom.org/old/origins.html), Carrom.org (http://www.carrom.org)
5. ^  History of Polo (http://www.fippolo.com/aboutpolo/history.asp), Federation of International polo (http://www.fippolo.com/)
6. ^  Battledore and Shuttlecock (http://www.tradgames.org.uk/games/Battledore-Shuttlecock.htm), Online guide to traditional games (http://www.tradgames.org.uk/)

• Manorama Year Book 2003 – ISBN 81-900461-8-7
• Discovery of India — Jawaharlal Nehru—ISBN 0195623592
• Lonely Planet India — ISBN 1740594215
• Ethnologue report on Languages of India (http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=India)
• CIA — The World Factbook — India (http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/in.html) — CIA's Factbook on India
• Country Profile: India  (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/country_profiles/1154019.stm) — BBC's Country Profile on India
• Travel information at countryguide.com (http://www.countryguide.com/India/)
• Historical Maps of India (http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~poyntz/India/maps.html)
• Indian States (http://www.statoids.com/uin.html) — Table of Indian states and codes from Statoids (http://www.statoids.com/statoids.html)
• India the Media (http://www.country-studies.com/india/the-media.html)

Anatoli Karpov Anatoli Yevgenyevich Karpov (Анато́лий Евге́ньевич Ка́рпов) (born May 23, 1951) is a Russian chess grandmaster and former World Champion. ... Jawaharlal Nehru (जवाहरलाल नेहरू, Javāharlāl Nehrū) (November 14, 1889 – May 27, 1964), also called Pandit (Teacher) Nehru, was the leader of the socialist wing of the Indian National Congress during and after Indias struggle for independence from the British Empire. ... CIA, see CIA (disambiguation). ... ...

External links

• Travel guide to India from Wikitravel

• Wikicities has a wiki about India: India
• India Paper Money (http://numismondo.com/pm/ind/) - Example of a rare 19th Century 20 Rupee and all of the Haj Pilgrim Issues from the 1950's and 60's

Official

• GOI Directory (http://goidirectory.nic.in) — Directory of governmental websites
• Prime Minister's Office (http://pmindia.nic.in) Official Website
• President of India (http://presidentofindia.nic.in) Official Website
• Indian Parliament (http://parliamentofindia.nic.in) Official Website
• Ministry of Defence (http://mod.nic.in) — Official MOD site
• Indiaimage — National Informatics Centre (http://indiaimage.nic.in/) — Basic Portal to Govt. of India Websites
• Census of India (http://www.censusindia.net) — Office of the Census Commissioner
• Indian Postal Service (http://www.indiapost.org)
• Supreme Court of India (http://supremecourtofindia.nic.in)
• Ministry of External Affairs (http://www.mea.gov.in) — Discover India. Definitive site for information and links.
• Central Board of Excise and Customs, India (http://www.customs.gov.in) —
• Election Commission of India (http://www.eci.gov.in) — India's political watchdog.
• Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC) (http://www.eepc.gov.in) — Indian Export Organisation
• Department of Electronics (http://www.doe.gov.in)
• Tourism of India (http://www.tourismofindia.com/) — Ministry of Tourism
• Department of Education, Govt. of India (http://www.education.nic.in)

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Other uses

India is also the letter I in the NATO phonetic alphabet.
I is the 9th letter in the Latin alphabet. ... A different kind of phonetic alphabet is the International Phonetic Alphabet. ...

Footnotes

¹ The Government of India considers 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 Pakistani-administered territory. Jammu and Kashmir is a historic state in Asia which is currently disputed between India, Pakistan, and to a lesser extent, China. ... Afghanistan (Pashtu/Dari-Persian: Afğānistān افغانستان) is a country in Central Asia. ... The United Nations, or UN, is an international organization made up of 191 states established in 1945. ... 1948 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ...