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Many
writers have described India as not a country but a continent. India
is a huge land mass, that has a range of different climates and people,
ranging from extreme cold - Himalayan mountain range to arid deserts
of Rajeshthan.
There's not enough space write everything about
India but here are some basic information that you may find useful.
| Official
Name |
|
| Capital
|
|
| Flag |
The
colors of the Indian flag were taken from the flag of the Indian
National Congress. Dark orange represents courage and sacrifice.
Green represents faith, fertility, and chivalry. White represents
truth and peace. The emblem in the center was added upon independence
in 1947. It is a Buddhist dharma chakra, or wheel of life, used
in India thousands of years ago. |
| Anthem |
"Jana-Gana-Mana-Adhinayaka,
Jaya H" ("Thou Art the Ruler of the Minds of All People,
Dispenser of India's Destiny")s |
| Currency
|
Rupee
Exchange Rate 35.43 rupees = U.S.$1 (2001) |
| Government |
Federal Republic
Head of State President Elected by an electoral college to a
five-year term Head of Government Prime minister Appointed by
the president Legislature Bicameral legislature Lok Sabha (House
of the People) 545 members Rajya Sabha (Council of States) 245
members Voting Qualifications Universal suffrage for all citizens
age 18 and older Highest Court Supreme Court. |
| Area |
3,165,596
sq km (1,222,243 sq mi) |
| Highest
Point |
Kanchenjunga
8598 m (28,209 ft) above sea level |
| Lowest
Point |
Sea
level along the coast |
| |
| Average
Temperatures |
January
14° C 57° F July 32° C 88° F |
January
24° C 76° F July 27° C 81° F |
| Average
Annual Precipitation |
640
mm (25 in) |
1810
mm (71 in) |
| Population
|
1.2billion
(2000 estimate) |
| Largest
Cities |
Mumbai9,925,891
- Delhi 7,206,704 - Calcutta4,399,819 (1991 census) |
| Official
Languages |
Hindi,
English |
| Other
Languages |
Assamese,
Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Malayalam,
Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi,
Tamil, Telugu, Urdu; many other languages and dialects |
| Hinduism |
82%
|
| Islam |
12% |
| Sikhism |
2% |
| Christianity |
2% |
| Buddhism
and Jainism |
1% |
| Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) |
$356.0
billion (1996 estimate) |
| Chief
Economic Products |
Agriculture
Sugarcane, rice, wheat, tea, cotton, jute, vegetables, melons,
sorghum, millet, cashews, coffee, spices, livestock Fishing
Shrimps and prawns, croakers, Indian oil sardines, Bombay ducks,
anchovies, Indian mackerel, marine catfish Mining Iron ore,
coal, bauxite, manganese, mica, dolomite, copper, petroleum,
natural gas, chromium, lead, limestone, phosphate rock, zinc,
gold, silver Manufacturing Textiles, iron and steel, processed
agricultural products, machinery, transportation equipment,
nonferrous metals, fertilizer, refined petroleum, chemicals,
computer software |
64%Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing 20%Services
16%Industry Major Exports
Gems and jewelry, engineering goods, garments, chemicals and pharmaceuticals,
cotton yarn and fabrics, leather and leather goods, marine products,
iron ore, tea, vegetables and fruit, petroleum products, handmade
carpets.
Petroleum and petroleum products, nonelectric
machinery, precious and semiprecious stones, inorganic chemicals,
iron and steel, fertilizers, electrical machinery, resins and plastics.
United States, Japan, Germany, United Kingdom,
United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong
Armed Services Army, Navy, Air Force 1,145,000
troops; voluntary service
Political Divisions 26 states and six union
territories
Major Universities and Colleges
University of Bombay Mumbai
University of Calcutta Calcutta
University of Madras Chennai
University of Delhi Delhi
| Dates |
Events |
| 2500
BC |
Civilization
sprang up in the Indus River valley |
1500 BC |
Aryan
tribes invaded India and settled mainly in the Punjab region
of India. Their arrival set off a series of wars. |
| 326
BC |
Alexander
the Great began to conquer India before his own troops forced
him to turn back. |
| 321
BC |
Chandragupta
founded the Mauryan Empire. India's first empire, it grew to
encompass nearly all of the Indian subcontinent before disintegrating
in the 2nd century BC. |
| about
AD 100-450 |
Sanskrit
culture thrived under the Kushan Empire, and later under the
Gupta Empire. Trade with the Middle East and the Roman Empire
greatly enriched India. |
| 510 |
Invading
Huns destroyed Gupta power in India. |
| 1175 |
about
1200 Islamic invaders from Afghanistan overran much of northern
India. They founded the Delhi Sultanate. |
| 1398 |
The
Mongol conqueror Tamerlane sacked Delhi. The Delhi Sultanate
split into small warring kingdoms. |
| 1498
|
The
Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama arrived at Calicut. Portugal
soon dominated Indian Ocean trade. |
| 1526 |
Babur,
a central Asian Turk, founded the Mughal Empire. Art and architecture
flourished, producing such monuments as Agra's Taj Mahal. |
| 1600 |
The
English East India Company was founded and quickly established
trading posts in India. |
| 1739 |
The
Persian king Nadir Sah invaded India and plundered Delhi, critically
weakening the Mughal Empire. |
| 1757 |
English
East India Company forces under Robert Clive won control of
Bengal at the Battle of Plassey. The company soon expanded its
control over much of the Indian Peninsula. |
| 1857-1859 |
The
Sepoy Rebellion erupted. Indian forces massacred British residents
at Delhi, Lucknow, and many other places. British forces crushed
the revolt, and the British government exiled the Mughal emperor
and assumed direct control of India. |
| 1885 |
The
Indian National Congress was founded, marking the beginning
of the Indian independence movement. |
| 1919 |
British
forces killed more than 400 Indians and wounded over 1200 in
the Amritsar Massacre. |
| 1920-1921 |
Mohandas
Gandhi introduced nonviolent tactics that transformed the Indian
independence movement into a popular campaign. |
| 1947 |
British
India was divided into the independent states of India and Pakistan.
Jawaharlal Nehru became India's first prime minister. War broke
out between India and Pakistan over the territory of Jammu and
Kashmir |
| 1948 |
Mohandas
Gandhi was assassinated. |
| 1949 |
India
and Pakistan signed a cease-fire agreement that divided Jammu
and Kashmir into two sectors, but the status of the region remained
unresolved. |
| 1965 |
Indo-Pak
war |
| 1971 |
Indo-Pak
war 2 |
| 1974
|
India
exploded an atomic bomb, and as the first South Asian nation
to do so, altered the balance of power in South Asia. |
| 1984 |
Prime
Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by Sikh members of her
security guard. |
1990s |
Tensions
increased between India and Pakistan over the continuing conflict
in Jammu and Kashmir. |
| 1996 |
Elections
swept the Congress Party, which had dominated India's government
since independence, from power. The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya
Janata Party captured the highest number of parliament seats.
No party won a majority, making a coalition government necessary. |
| 1999 |
India
tests series of Atomic bombs, tension increases as Pakistan
exploded atomis bomb |
| 2001 |
A
huge eaarthquakes rocks Gujarat, killing over 20 thousand and
injurying many hundreds of thousands, totally wiping out the
city of Bhuj, village of Anjar and many more. India's wost natural
disaster, captures the world attention. |
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