1999 Edition

Area

total: 0.2 sq km land: 0.2 sq km water: 0 sq km

total: 3,287,590 sq km land: 2,973,190 sq km water: 314,400 sq km

Area--comparative

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

slightly more than one-third the size of the US

Climate

tropical

varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north

Coastline

35.2 km

7,000 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 2.4 m

lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Kanchenjunga 8,598 m

Environment--current issues

NA

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

Environment--international agreements

party to: NA signed, but not ratified: NA

party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

21 30 S, 39 50 E

20 00 N, 77 00 E

Geography--note

dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important Indian Ocean trade routes

Irrigated land

0 sq km (1993)

480,000 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

0 km

total: 14,103 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

Land use

arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100% (all rock)

arable land: 56% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 4% forests and woodland: 23% other: 16% (1993 est.)

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

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural hazards

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

droughts, flash floods, severe thunderstorms common; earthquakes

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 m high

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 34% (male 175,463,726; female 165,722,164) 15-64 years: 61% (male 318,004,920; female 295,245,556) 65 years and over: 5% (male 23,571,270; female 22,840,914) (1999 est.)

Birth rate

25.39 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate

8.5 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Infant mortality rate

60.81 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 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 Hindi/Urdu 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

total population: 63.4 years male: 62.54 years female: 64.29 years (1999 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 52% male: 65.5% female: 37.7% (1995 est.)

Nationality

noun: Indian(s) adjective: Indian

Net migration rate

-0.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Population

uninhabited

1,000,848,550 (July 1999 est.)

Population growth rate

1.68% (1999 est.)

Religions

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

Sex ratio

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: 1.03 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.18 children born/woman (1999 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, Himachal 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

New Delhi

Constitution

26 January 1950

Country name

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Bassas da India

conventional long form: Republic of India conventional short form: India

Data code

BS

IN

Dependency status

possession of France; administered by a high commissioner of the Republic, resident in Reunion

Executive branch

chief of state: President Kicheril Raman NARAYANAN (since 25 July 1997); Vice President Krishnan KANT (since 21 August 1997) head of government: Prime Minister Atal Behari VAJPAYEE (since 19 March 1998) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: president elected by an electoral college consisting of elected members of both houses of Parliament and the legislatures of the states for a five-year term; election last held 14 July 1997 (next to be held NA July 2002); vice president elected by both houses of Parliament; election last held 16 August 1997 (next to be held NA August 2002); prime minister elected by parliamentary members of the majority party following legislative elections; election last held NA March 1998 (next to be held NA March 2003) election results: Kicheril Raman NARAYANAN elected president; percent of electoral college vote--NA; Krishnan KANT elected vice president; percent of Parliament vote--NA; Atal Behari VAJPAYEE elected prime minister; percent of vote--NA

Flag 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

Government type

federal republic

Independence

15 August 1947 (from UK)

International organization participation

AfDB, AsDB, BIS, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G6, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA (observer), IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MIPONUH, MONUA, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNOMIL, UNOMSIL, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Naresh CHANDRA chancery: 2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; note--Embassy located at 2536 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, New York, and San Francisco Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Richard F. CELESTE embassy: Shanti Path, Chanakyapuri 110021, New Delhi mailing address: use embassy street address consulate(s) general: Calcutta, Chennai (Madras), Mumbai (Bombay)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the president and remain in office until they reach the age of 65 Political parties and leaders: Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP PALIWAL (chairman), Chitta BASU (general secretary)]; Muslim League factions representing Sikh religious community in the Punjab; National Conference or NC (a regional party in Jammu and Kashmir) NA] Political pressure groups and leaders: 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

Legal system

NA Diplomatic representation in the US: none (possession of France) Diplomatic representation from the US: none (possession of France)

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

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament or Sansad consists of the Council of States or Rajya Sabha (a body consisting of not more than 250 members, up to 12 of which are appointed by the president, the remainder are chosen by the elected members of the state and territorial assemblies; members serve six-year terms) and the People's Assembly or Lok Sabha (545 seats; 543 elected by popular vote, 2 appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms) elections: People's Assembly--last held 16 February through 7 March 1998 (next to be held NA March 2003) election results: People's Assembly--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--BJP 178, Congress (I) Party 141, CPI/M 32, SP 20, ADMK 18, RJD 17, Telugu Desam 12, SAP 12, CPI 9, BJD 9, Akali Dal factions 8, Trinamool Congress 7, SHS 6, DMK 6, Janata Dal Party 6, BSP 5, RSP 5, independents and others 44, vacant 8, appointed by the president 2

National holiday

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture--products

rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, potatoes; cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats, poultry; fish

Budget

revenues: $42.12 billion expenditures: $63.79 billion, including capital expenditures of $13.8 billion (FY98/99 budget est.)

Currency

1 Indian rupee (Re) = 100 paise

Debt--external

$93 billion (1998)

Economic aid--recipient

$1.604 billion (1995)

Economy--overview

no economic activity

India's economy encompasses traditional village farming, modern agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern industries, and a multitude of support services. 67% of India's labor force work in agriculture, which contributes 25% of the country's GDP. Production, trade, and investment reforms since 1991 have provided new opportunities for Indian businesspersons and an estimated 300 million middle class consumers. New Delhi has avoided debt rescheduling, attracted foreign investment, and revived confidence in India's economic prospects since 1991. Many of the country's fundamentals--including savings rates (26% of GDP) and reserves (now about $30 billion)--are healthy. Even so, the Indian Government needs to restore the early momentum of reform, especially by continuing reductions in the extensive remaining government regulations. India's exports, currency, and foreign institutional investment were affected by the East Asian crisis in late 1997 and 1998; but capital account controls, a low ratio of short-term debt to reserves, and enhanced supervision of the financial sector helped insulate it from near term balance-of-payments problems. Exports fell 5% in 1998 mainly because of the fall in Asian currencies relative to the rupee. Energy, telecommunications, and transportation bottlenecks continue to constrain growth. A series of weak coalition governments have lacked the political strength to push reforms forward to address these and other problems. Indian think tanks project GDP growth of about 4.5% in 1999. Inflation will remain a worrisome problem.

Electricity--consumption

406.02 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity--exports

130 million kWh (1996)

Electricity--imports

1.675 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity--production

404.475 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity--production by source

fossil fuel: 80.35% hydro: 17.8% nuclear: 1.83% other: 0.02% (1996)

Exchange rates

Indian rupees (Rs) per US$1--42.508 (January 1999), 41.259 (1998), 36.313 (1997), 35.433 (1996), 32.427 (1995), 31.374 (1994)

Exports

$32.17 billion (f.o.b., 1998)

Exports--commodities

textile goods, gems and jewelry, engineering goods, chemicals, leather manufactures

Exports--partners

US 19%, Hong Kong 6%, UK 6%, Japan 6%, Germany 5% (1997)

Fiscal year

1 April--31 March

GDP

purchasing power parity--$1.689 trillion (1998 est.)

GDP--composition by sector

agriculture: 25% industry: 30% services: 45% (1997)

GDP--per capita

purchasing power parity?$1,720 (1998 est.)

GDP--real growth rate

5.4% (1998 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 4.1% highest 10%: 25% (1994)

Imports

$41.34 billion (c.i.f., 1998)

Imports--commodities

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

Imports--partners

US 10%, Belgium 7%, UK 7%, Germany 7%, Saudi Arabia 6%, Japan 6% (1997)

Industrial production growth rate

5.5% (1997)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

14% (1998 est.)

Labor force

NA

Labor force--by occupation

agriculture 67%, services 18%, industry 15% (1995 est.)

Population below poverty line

35% (1994 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Radio broadcast stations

AM 153, FM 91, shortwave 62 (1998 est.)

Radios

111 million (1998 est.)

Telephone system

mediocre; local and long distance service provided throughout all regions of the country, with services primarily concentrated in the urban areas; major objective is to continue to expand and modernize long-distance network in order to keep pace with rapidly growing number of local subscriber lines; steady 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 by microwave radio relay and coaxial cable, with open wire and obsolete electromechanical and manual switchboard systems still in use in rural areas; starting in the 1980s, a substantial amount of digital switch gear has been introduced for localand long-distance service; long-distance traffic is carried mostly by 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 254 earth stations; cellular telephone service in four metropolitan cities international: satellite earth stations--8 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean Region); four gateway exchanges operating from Mumbai, New Delhi, Calcutta, and Chennai; submarine cables to Malaysia, UAE, Singapore, and Japan

Telephones

12 million (1996)

Television broadcast stations

562 (82 stations have 1 kW or greater power and 480 stations have less than 1 kW of power) (1997)

Televisions

50 million (1999 est.)

Airports

341 (1998 est.) Airports--with paved runways: total: 230 over 3,047 m: 11 2,438 to 3,047 m: 48 1,524 to 2,437 m: 82 914 to 1,523 m: 70 under 914 m: 19 (1998 est.) Airports--with unpaved runways: total: 111 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 50 under 914 m: 51 (1998 est.)

Heliports

17 (1998 est.)

Highways

total: 3,319,644 km paved: 1,517,077 km unpaved: 1,802,567 km (1996 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 311 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,627,497 GRT/11,038,723 DWT ships by type: bulk 126, cargo 63, chemical tanker 11, combination bulk 2, combination ore/oil 3, container 12, liquefied gas tanker 10, oil tanker 76, passenger-cargo 5, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 2 (1998 est.)

Pipelines

crude oil 3,005 km; petroleum products 2,687 km; natural gas 1,700 km (1995) Ports and harbors: Calcutta, Chennai (Madras), Cochin, Jawaharal Nehru, Kandla, Mumbai (Bombay), Vishakhapatnam

Railways

total: 62,915 km (12,307 km electrified; 12,617 km double track) broad gauge: 40,620 km 1.676-m gauge narrow gauge: 18,501 km 1.000-m gauge; 3,794 km 0.762-m and 0.610-m gauge (1998 est.)

Waterways

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

Military branches

Army, Navy (including naval air arm), Air Force, various security or paramilitary forces (includes Border Security Force, Assam Rifles, and Rashtriya Rifles)

Military expenditures--dollar figure

$10.012 billion (FY98/99)

Military expenditures--percent of GDP

2.7% (FY98/99)

Military manpower--availability

males age 15-49: 269,339,985 (1999 est.) Military manpower--fit for military service: males age 15-49: 158,141,508 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--military age

17 years of age

Military manpower--reaching military age annually

males: 10,661,786 (1999 est.)

Military--note

defense is the responsibility of France

Disputes--international

claimed by Madagascar

boundary with China in dispute; status of Kashmir with Pakistan; water-sharing problems with Pakistan over the Indus River (Wular Barrage); a portion of the boundary with Bangladesh is indefinite; dispute with Bangladesh over New Moore/South Talpatty Island

Illicit drugs

world's largest producer of licit 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; cultivated 2,050 hectares of illicit opium in 1997, a 34% decrease from 1996, with a potential production of 30 metric tons, a 36% decrease from 1996