2000 Edition

Background

Nonviolent resistance to British colonialism under Mohandas GANDHI and Jawaharlal NEHRU led to independence in 1947. The subcontinent was divided into the secular state of India and the smaller Muslim state of Pakistan. A third war between the two countries in 1971 resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. Fundamental concerns in India include the ongoing dispute with Pakistan over Kashmir, massive overpopulation, environmental degradation, extensive poverty, and ethnic strife, all this despite impressive gains in economic investment and output.

Area

land

2,973,190 sq km

total

3,287,590 sq km

water

314,400 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly more than one-third the size of the US

Climate

varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north

Coastline

7,000 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Kanchenjunga 8,598 m

lowest point

Indian Ocean 0 m

Environment - 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 growing population is overstraining natural resources

Environment - international agreements

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

20 00 N, 77 00 E

Geography - note

dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important Indian Ocean trade routes

Irrigated land

480,000 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

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

56%

forests and woodland

23%

other

16% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

1%

permanent pastures

4%

Location

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

Map references

Asia

Maritime claims

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

droughts, flash floods, severe thunderstorms common; earthquakes

Natural resources

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

Terrain

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 175,228,164; female 165,190,951) 15-64 years: 62% (male 324,699,562; female 301,821,383) 65 years and over: 4% (male 23,925,371; female 23,138,386) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

24.79 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

8.88 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Infant mortality rate

64.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 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

female

63.13 years (2000 est.)

male

61.89 years

total population

62.5 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

37.7% (1995 est.)

male

65.5%

total population

52%

Nationality

adjective

Indian

noun

Indian(s)

Net migration rate

-0.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

1,014,003,817 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

1.58% (2000 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 (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.11 children born/woman (2000 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

Republic of India

conventional short form

India

Data code

IN

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

telephone

(11) 688-9033, 611-3033

Diplomatic representation in the 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

telephone

(202) 939-7000

Executive branch

cabinet

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

chief of state

President Kicheril Raman NARAYANAN (since 25 July 1997); Vice President Krishnan KANT (since 21 August 1997)

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

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 for a five-year term; 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 October 1999 (next to be held NA October 2004)

head of government

Prime Minister Atal Behari VAJPAYEE (since 19 March 1998)

FAX

(202) 483-3972

(11) 419-0017

consulate(s) general

Chicago, Houston, New York, and San Francisco

consulate(s) general

Calcutta, Chennai (Madras), Mumbai (Bombay)

Flag description

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, G- 6, 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, MINURSO, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the president and remain in office until they reach the age of 65

Legal system

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)

election results

People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - BJP alliance 40.8%, Congress alliance 33.8%, other 25.4%; seats by party - BJP alliance 304, Congress alliance 134, other 105

elections

People's Assembly - last held 5 September through 3 October 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)

National holiday

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

Political parties and leaders

Akali Dal (representing Sikh religious community in Punjab) ; All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or AIADMK ; All India Forward Bloc or AIFB [Prem Dutta PALIWAL (chairman), Chitta BASU (general secretary)]; Asom Gana Parishad ; Bahujan Samaj Party or BSP ; Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP ; Bihar Peoples Party ; Biju Janata Dal or BJD [Navin PATNAIK]; Communist Party of India or CPI ; Communist Party of India/Marxist or CPI/M ; Communist Party of India/Marxist-Leninist or CPI/ML ; Congress (I) Party ; Dravida Munnetra Kazagham or DMK (a regional party in Tamil Nadu) ; Indian National League ; Janata Dal (Ajit) ; Janata Dal United Party or JDU ; Kerala Congress (Mani faction) ; Muslim League ; National Conference or NC (a regional party in Jammu and Kashmir) [Farooq ABDULLAH]; Rashtriya Janata Dal or RJD ; Revolutionary Socialist Party or RSP ; Samajwadi Party or SP ; Samata Party or SAP (formerly Janata Dal members) ; Shiv Sena or SHS ; Tamil Maanila Congress ; Telugu Desam (a regional party in Andhra Pradesh) ; Trinamool Congress

Political pressure groups and leaders

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

expenditures

$66.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $15.9 billion (FY98/99 est.)

revenues

$35.8 billion

Currency

1 Indian rupee (Re) = 100 paise

Debt - external

$98 billion (March 1999)

Economic aid - recipient

$2.9 billion (FY98/99)

Economy - overview

India's economy encompasses traditional village farming, modern agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern industries, and a multitude of support services. More than a third of the population is too poor to be able to afford an adequate diet, and market surveys indicate that fewer than 5% of all households had an annual income equivalent to $2,300 or more in 1995-96. India's international payments position remained strong in 1999 with adequate foreign exchange reserves, reasonably stable exchange rates, and booming exports of software services. Lower production of some nonfoodgrain crops offset recovery in industrial production. Strong demand for India's high technology exports will bolster growth in 2000.

Electricity - consumption

416.346 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

130 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

1.575 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

448.6 billion kWh (FY98/99 est.)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

80.34%

hydro

17.08%

nuclear

2.38%

other

0.2% (1998)

Exchange rates

Indian rupees (Rs) per US$1 - 43.552 (January 2000), 43.055 (1999), 41.259 (1998), 36.313 (1997), 35.433 (1996), 32.427 (1995)

Exports

$36.3 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

US 21%, UK 6%, Germany 6%, Hong Kong 5%, Japan 5%, UAE 4% (1998)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP

purchasing power parity - $1.805 trillion (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

25%

industry

30%

services

45% (1997)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $1,800 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

5.5% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Imports

$50.2 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

US 10%, Belgium 7%, UK 6%, Germany 6%, Saudi Arabia 6%, Japan 6% (1998)

Industrial production growth rate

6% (1999 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

6.7% (1999 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%

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

3 (1999)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 153, FM 91, shortwave 68 (1998)

Radios

116 million (1997)

Telephone system

mediocre service; 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 local and long-distance service; long-distance traffic is carried mostly by coaxial cable and low-capacity microwave radio relay; since 1985 significant trunk capacity has been added in the form of fiber-optic cable and a domestic satellite system with 254 earth stations; mobile cellular service is provided in four metropolitan cities

international

satellite earth stations - 8 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region); nine gateway exchanges operating from Mumbai (Bombay), New Delhi, Calcutta, Chennai (Madras), Jalandhar, Kanpur, Gaidhinagar, Hyderabad, and Ernakulam; 4 submarine cables - LOCOM linking Chennai (Madras) to Penang; Indo-UAE-Gulf cable linking Mumbai (Bombay) to Al Fujayrah, UAE; India-SEA-ME-WE-3, SEA-ME-WE-2 with landing sites at Cochin and Mumbai (Bombay); Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) with landing site at Mumbai (Bombay)

Telephones - main lines in use

18.95 million (1999)

Telephones - mobile cellular

1.9 million (April 1998)

Television broadcast stations

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

Televisions

63 million (1997)

Airports

346 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

238 over 3,047 m: 12 2,438 to 3,047 m: 49 1,524 to 2,437 m: 84 914 to 1,523 m: 74 under 914 m: 19 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

108 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 47 under 914 m: 55 (1999 est.)

Heliports

16 (1999 est.)

Highways

paved

1,517,077 km

total

3,319,644 km

unpaved

1,802,567 km (1996 est.)

Merchant marine

ships by type

bulk 124, cargo 69, chemical tanker 14, combination bulk 1, combination ore/oil 4, container 15, liquified gas 10, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 75, short-sea passenger 2, specialized tanker 2 (1999 est.)

total

321 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,647,268 GRT/11,074,025 DWT

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

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.)

total

62,915 km (12,307 km electrified; 12,617 km double track)

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

$10.055 billion (FY00)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

2.5% (FY00)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 274,679,455 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 161,223,332 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - military age

17 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males

10,759,607 (2000 est.)

Disputes - international

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

INDIAN OCEAN