1996 Edition

Description

the flag of France is used

three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and green with a blue chakra (24-spoked wheel) centered in the white band; similar to the flag of Niger, which has a small orange disk centered in the white band

Location

21 30 S, 39 50 E -- Southern Africa, islands in the southern Mozambique Channel, about one-half of the way from Madagascar to Mozambique Flag ----

20 00 N, 77 00 E -- Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan Flag ----

Area

comparative area

about one-third the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

comparative area

slightly more than one-third the size of the US

land area

0.2 sq km

land area

2,973,190 sq km

total area

0.2 sq km

total area

3,287,590 sq km

Climate

tropical

varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north

Coastline

35.2 km

7,000 km

Environment

current issues

NA

current issues

deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; desertification; air pollution from industrial effluents and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage and runoff of agricultural pesticides; tap water is not potable throughout the country; huge and rapidly growing population is overstraining natural resources

international agreements

NA

international agreements

party to - Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Desertification

natural hazards

maritime hazard since it is usually under water during high tide and surrounded by reefs; subject to periodic cyclones

natural hazards

droughts, flash floods, severe thunderstorms common; earthquakes

Geographic coordinates

21 30 S, 39 50 E

20 00 N, 77 00 E

Geographic note

dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important Indian Ocean trade routes

International disputes

claimed by Madagascar

boundaries with Bangladesh and China in dispute; status of Kashmir with Pakistan; water-sharing problems with downstream riparians, Bangladesh over the Ganges and Pakistan over the Indus (Wular Barrage)

Irrigated land

0 sq km

430,390 sq km (1989)

Land boundaries

0 km

border countries

Bangladesh 4,053 km, Bhutan 605 km, Burma 1,463 km, China 3,380 km, Nepal 1,690 km, Pakistan 2,912 km

total

14,103 km

Land use

arable land

0%

arable land

55%

forest and woodland

0%

forest and woodland

23%

meadows and pastures

0%

meadows and pastures

4%

other

100% (all rock)

other

17%

permanent crops

0%

permanent crops

1%

Location

Southern Africa, islands in the southern Mozambique Channel, about one-half of the way from Madagascar to Mozambique

Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan

Map references

Africa

Asia

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural resources

none

coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world), iron ore, manganese, mica, bauxite, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds, petroleum, limestone

Terrain

a volcanic rock 2.4 meters high

upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plain along the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north

highest point

unnamed location 3 m

highest point

Kanchenjunga 8,598 m

lowest point

Indian Ocean 0 m

lowest point

Indian Ocean 0 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 34% (male 168,030,766; female 159,283,151) 15-64 years: 62% (male 304,805,787; female 281,311,834) 65 years and over: 4% (male 19,148,385; female 19,527,771) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

25.94 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

9.61 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and other 3%

Infant mortality rate

71.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

English enjoys associate status but is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication, Hindi the national language and primary tongue of 30% of the people, Bengali (official), Telugu (official), Marathi (official), Tamil (official), Urdu (official), Gujarati (official), Malayalam (official), Kannada (official), Oriya (official), Punjabi (official), Assamese (official), Kashmiri (official), Sindhi (official), Sanskrit (official), Hindustani a popular variant of Hindu/Urdu, is spoken widely throughout northern India

note

24 languages each spoken by a million or more persons; numerous other languages and dialects, for the most part mutually unintelligible

Life expectancy at birth

female

60.32 years (1996 est.)

male

59.12 years

total population

59.71 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)

female

37.7%

male

65.5%

total population

52%

Nationality

adjective

Indian

noun

Indian(s)

Net migration rate

0.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

uninhabited

952,107,694 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

1.64% (1996 est.)

Religions

Hindu 80%, Muslim 14%, Christian 2.4%, Sikh 2%, Buddhist 0.7%, Jains 0.5%, other 0.4%

Sex ratio

all ages

1.07 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years

1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

3.2 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Administrative divisions

25 states and 7 union territories*; Andaman and Nicobar Islands*, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh*, Dadra and Nagar Haveli*, Daman and Diu*, Delhi*, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachel Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep*, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Pondicherry*, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal

Capital

none; administered by France from Reunion

New Delhi

Constitution

26 January 1950

Council of States (Rajya Sabha)

body consisting of not more than 250 members, up to 12 appointed by the president, the remainder chosen by the elected members of the state and territorial assemblies

Data code

BS

IN

Diplomatic representation in US

chancery

2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; note - Embassy located at 2536 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Naresh CHANDRA

consulate(s) general

Chicago, New York, and San Francisco

telephone

[1] (202) 939-7000

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers was appointed by the president on recommendation of the prime minister

chief of state

President Shankar Dayal SHARMA (since 25 July 1992) was elected for a five-year term by an electoral college consisting of elected members of both houses of Parliament and the legislatures of the states; Vice President Kicheril Raman NARAYANAN (since 21 August 1992) was elected by both houses of Parliament

head of government

Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha RAO (since 21 June 1991) was appointed by the president

FAX

[91] (11) 6872028

consulate(s) general

Calcutta, Madras, Mumbai (Bombay)

Flag

the flag of France is used

three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and green with a blue chakra (24-spoked wheel) centered in the white band; similar to the flag of Niger, which has a small orange disk centered in the white band

Independence

none (possession of France)

15 August 1947 (from UK)

International organization participation

AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G- 6, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), PCA, SAARC, UN, UNAMIR, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIH, UNOMIL, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the president

Legal system

based on English common law; limited judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament (Sansad)

Name of country

conventional long form

none

conventional long form

Republic of India

conventional short form

Bassas da India

conventional short form

India

National holiday

Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Republic, 26 January (1950)

Other political or pressure groups

various separatist groups seeking greater communal and/or regional autonomy; numerous religious or militant/chauvinistic organizations, including Adam Sena, Ananda Marg, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh

People's Assembly (Lok Sabha)

elections last held 21 May, 12 and 15 June 1991 (next to be held 27 April through May 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (545 total, 543 elected, 2 appointed) Congress (I) Party 245, BJP 119, Janata Dal Party 39, Janata Dal (Ajit Singh) 20, CPI/M 35, CPI 14, Telugu Desam 13, AIADMK 11, Samajwadi Janata Party 5, Shiv Sena 4, RSP 4, BSP 1, Congress (S) Party 1, other 23, vacant 9; note - the distribution of

seats as of 18 January 1995 is as follows

Congress (I) Party 260, BJP 117, CPI/M 36, Janata Dal Party 24, Samata Party 14, CPI 14, AIADMK 12, Janata Dal (Ajit) 7, Telugu Desam 7, RSP 4, Janata Dal (Ex-Ajit) 3, Samajwadi Party 3, BSP 3, AIFB 3, Shiv Sena 2, Congress (S) Party 1, Kerala Congress (Mani faction) 1, Bihar Peoples Party 1, India National League 1, other 14, vacant 16

Political parties and leaders

Congress (I) Party, P. V. Narasimha RAO, president; Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), L.K. ADVANI; Janata Dal Party, Laloo Prasad YADAV; Janata Dal (Ajit), Ajit SINGH; Janata Dal (Ex-Ajit), leader NA; Communist Party of India/Marxist (CPI/M), Harkishan Singh SURJEET; Communist Party of India (CPI), Indrajit GUPTA; Telugu Desam (Naidu) (a regional party in Andhra Pradesh), Chandrababu NAIDU; All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (AIADMK; a regional party in Tamil Nadu), Jayaram JAYALALITHA; Samajwadi Party (SP), Mulayam Singh YADAV (president), Om Prakash CHAUTALA, Devi LAL; Shiv Sena, Bal THACKERAY; Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), Tridip CHOWDHURY; Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Kanshi RAM; Congress (S) Party, leader NA; Communist Party of India/Marxist-Leninist (CPI/ML), Vinod MISHRA; Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (a regional party in Tamil Nadu), M. KARUNANIDHI; Akali Dal factions representing Sikh religious community in the Punjab; National Conference (NC; a regional party in Jammu and Kashmir), Farooq ABDULLAH; Bihar Peoples Party, Lovely ANAND; Samata Party (formerly Janata Dal members), George FERNANDES; Indian National League, Suliaman SAIT; Kerala Congress (Mani faction), K.M. MANI; All India Forward Bloc (AIFB), Prem Dutta PALIWAL (chairman), Chitta BASU (general secretary); Congress (Tiwari), Arjun SINGH and N.D. TIWARI

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type of government

French possession administered by a Commissioner of the Republic, resident in Reunion

federal republic

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission

Ambassador Frank G. WISNER

embassy

Shanti Path, Chanakyapuri 110021, New Delhi

mailing address

use embassy street address

telephone

[91] (11) 600651

Agriculture

rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, potatoes; cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats, poultry; fish catch of about 3 million metric tons ranks India among the world's top 10 fishing nations

Budget

expenditures

$54.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $11.4 billion (FY94/95)

revenues

$36.5 billion

Currency

1 Indian rupee (Re) = 100 paise

Economic aid

recipient

ODA, $1.237 billion (1993); US ODA bilateral commitments $171 million; US Ex-Im bilateral commitments $680 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA bilateral commitments $2.48 billion; OPEC bilateral aid $200 million; World Bank (IBRD) multilateral commitments $2.8 billion; Asian Development Bank (AsDB) multilateral commitments $760 million; International Finance Corporation (IFC) multilateral commitments $200 million; other multilateral commitments $554 million (1995-96)

Economic overview

no economic activity

India's economy is a mixture of traditional village farming, modern agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern industries, and a multitude of support services. Faster economic growth in the 1980s permitted a significant increase in real per capita private consumption. A large share of the population, perhaps as much as 40%, remains too poor to afford an adequate diet. Financial strains in 1990 and 1991 prompted government austerity measures that slowed industrial growth but permitted India to meet its international payment obligations without rescheduling its debt. Production, trade, and investment reforms since 1991 have provided new opportunities for Indian businessmen and an estimated 200 million plus middle class consumers. New Delhi has always paid its foreign debts on schedule and has stimulated exports, attracted foreign investment, and revived confidence in India's economic prospects. GDP growth in 1992-95 has averaged nearly 5%. Most of the country's external fundamentals - including the current account balance and reserves (now nearly $17 billion) are healthy. Party politics is increasingly shaping the debate over economic reforms. In addition, the 25 Indian states and several union territories, which are playing a more active role in determining economic policy, are further complicating the economic climate. The Indian Government will also have to watch closely rising government expenditures and higher debt servicing which could create a debt trap by the turn of the century. Nevertheless, India should achieve economic growth of 5.5%-6.5% annually through the next several years. Even if a weak coalition government comes to power in 1996 and is unable to push reforms aggressively, parts of the economy that have already benefited from deregulation will continue to grow. Moreover, the country can build on other strengths, including its diverse industrial base, large scientific and technical pool, well-developed legal system, and its large middle class to achieve higher growth.

Electricity

capacity

81,200,000 kW (March 1995)

consumption per capita

324 kWh (1993)

production

314 billion kWh (1993)

Exchange rates

Indian rupees (Rs) per US$1 - 35.766 (January 1996), 32.427 (1995), 31.374 (1994), 30.493 (1993), 25.918 (1992), 22.742 (1991)

Exports

$29.96 billion (f.o.b., 1995)

commodities

clothing, gems and jewelry, engineering goods, chemicals, leather manufactures, cotton yarn, and fabric

partners

US, Japan, Germany, UK, Hong Kong

External debt

$97.9 billion (March 1995)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP

purchasing power parity - $1.4087 trillion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

NA%

industry

NA%

services

NA%

GDP per capita

$1,500 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

5.5% (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs

licit producer of opium for the pharmaceutical trade, but an undetermined quantity of opium is diverted to illicit international drug markets; major transit country for illicit narcotics produced in neighboring countries; illicit producer of hashish and methaqualone; produced 70 metric tons of illicit opium in 1995

Imports

$33.5 billion (c.i.f., 1995)

commodities

crude oil and petroleum products, machinery, gems, fertilizer, chemicals

partners

US, Germany, Saudi Arabia, UK, Belgium, Japan

Industrial production growth rate

10% (1995 est.)

Industries

textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

9% (1995)

Labor force

314.751 million (1990)

by occupation

agriculture 65% (1993 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, various security or paramilitary forces (includes Border Security Force, Assam Rifles, and Coast Guard)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $8.0 billion, 2.7% of GDP (FY95/96)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49

260,624,007

males fit for military service

153,176,413

males reach military age (17) annually

9,770,331 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 96, FM 4, shortwave 0

Radios

70 million (1992 est.)

Telephone system

probably the least adequate telephone system of any of the industrializing countries; three of every four villages have no telephone service; only 5% of India's villages have long-distance service; poor telephone service significantly impedes commercial and industrial growth and penalizes India in global markets; slow improvement is taking place with the recent admission of private and private-public investors, but demand for communication services is also growing rapidly

domestic

local service is provided mostly by open wire and obsolete electromechanical and manual switchboard systems; within the last 10 years a substantial amount of digital switch gear has been introduced for local service; long-distance traffic is carried mostly by open wire, coaxial cable, and low-capacity microwave radio relay; since 1985, however, significant trunk capacity has been added in the form of fiber-optic cable and a domestic satellite system with over 100 earth stations

international

satellite earth stations - 8 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean Region); submarine cables to Malaysia and UAE

Telephones

9.8 million (1995)

Television broadcast stations

274 (government controlled)

Televisions

33 million (1992 est.) Defense

Airports

total

288

with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

59

with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

48

with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m

68

with paved runways over 3 047 m

11

with paved runways under 914 m

62

with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

2

with unpaved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

2

with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m

36 (1995 est.)

Defense note

defense is the responsibility of France

Heliports

15 (1995 est.)

Highways

paved

981,834 km

total

2.037 million km

unpaved

1,055,166 km (1995 est.)

Merchant marine

ships by type

bulk 133, cargo 65, chemical tanker 10, combination bulk 2, combination ore/oil 3, container 11, liquefied gas tanker 6, oil tanker 73, passenger-cargo 5, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1, short-sea passenger 1 (1995 est.)

total

310 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,787,834 GRT/11,296,222 DWT

Pipelines

crude oil 3,005 km; petroleum products 2,687 km; natural gas 1,700 km (1995)

Ports

none; offshore anchorage only Defense

Calcutta, Cochin, Jawaharal Nehru, Kandla, Madras, Mumbai (Bombay), Vishakhapatnam

Railways

broad gauge

37,824 km 1.676-m gauge

narrow gauge

20,653 km 1.000-m gauge; 3,985 km 0.762-m and 0.610-m gauge (1995 est.)

total

62,462 km (11,793 km electrified; 12,617 km double track)

Waterways

16,180 km; 3,631 km navigable by large vessels