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INDIA is one of the oldest
civilisations in the world with a kaleidoscopic variety and rich
cultural heritage. It has achieved multifaceted socio-economic
progress during the last 58 years of its Independence. India has
become self-sufficient in agricultural production, and is now the
tenth industrialized country in the world and the sixth nation to
have gone into outer space to conquer nature for the benefit of
the people. It covers an area of 32,87,263 sq km, extending from
the snow-covered Himalayan heights to the tropical rain forests of
the south. As the seventh largest country in the world, India
stands apart from the rest of Asia, marked off as it is by
mountains and the sea, which give the country a distinct
geographical entity. Bounded by the Great Himalayas in the north,
it stretches southwards and at the Tropic of Cancer, tapers off
into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal on the east and
the Arabian Sea on the west.
Lying entirely in the northern hemisphere, the mainland extends
between latitudes 8°4' and 37°6' north, longitudes 68°7' and
97°25' east, and measures about 3,214 km from north to south
between the extreme latitudes and about 2,933 km from east to west
between the extreme longitudes. It has a land frontier of about
15,200 km. The total length of the coastline of the mainland,
Lakshadweep Islands, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is
7,516.6 km.
BACKGROUND
The civilization of India is one of the oldest civilizations in
the World,
 spanning more than 4000 years and witnessing the rise
and fall of several Empires, and projecting a unique assimilation
of various cultures and heritage. The Country has always been
portrayed as a land of spiritual integrity with professors of
Philosophy, who have engineered the magnanimity of its
nationalism. One of the oldest scriptures in the World, the
four-volume Vedas that many regard as the repository of national
thoughts, which have anticipated some of the modern scientific
discoveries, has been created in the orb of this myth oriented
Country. This strong affinity with religion and mythology has been
reflected time and again through various art forms and performing
arts, which are symbolical of the composite culture of India.
Unity in diversity is another facet of the Country’s inherent
nationalism, which had been fused by the feeling of national fervour incited by various foreign invasions that ever made its
way to the Indian shores. Religious tolerance and cultural
amalgamation have given shape to a uniquely secular Nation, which
has created an impressive status of itself in the global arena.
GEOGRAPHY
Location:
The Indian peninsula is separated from mainland Asia by the
Himalayas. The Country is surrounded by the Bay of Bengal in the
east, the Arabian Sea in the west, and the Indian Ocean to the
south.
Geographic Coordinates:
Lying entirely in the Northern Hemisphere, the Country
extends between 8° 4' and 37° 6' latitudes north of the Equator,
and 68°7' and 97°25' longitudes east of it.
Indian Standard Time:
GMT + 05:30
Area:
3.3 Million sq km
Telephone Country Code:
+91
Border Countries:
Afghanistan and Pakistan to the north-west; China, Bhutan
and Nepal to the north; Myanmar to the east; and Bangladesh to the
east of West Bengal. Sri Lanka is separated from India by a narrow
channel of sea, formed by Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar.
Coastline:
7,516.6 km encompassing the mainland, Lakshadweep
Islands, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Climate:
The climate of India can broadly be classified as a
tropical monsoon one. But, in spite of much of the northern part
of India lying beyond the tropical zone, the entire country has a
tropical climate marked by relatively high temperatures and dry
winters. There are four seasons - winter (December-February), (ii)
summer (March-June), (iii) south-west monsoon season
(June-September), and (iv) post monsoon season (October-
November).
Terrain:
The mainland comprises of four regions, namely the great
mountain zone, plains of the Ganga and the Indus, the desert
region, and the southern peninsula.
Natural Resources:
Coal, iron ore, manganese ore, mica, bauxite, petroleum,
titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, magnesite, limestone, arable
land, dolomite, barytes, kaolin, gypsum, apatite, phosphorite,
steatite, fluorite, etc.
Natural Hazards:
Monsoon floods, flash floods, earthquakes, droughts, and
landslides.
Environment – Current
Issues:
Air pollution control, energy conservation, solid waste
management, oil and gas conservation, forest conservation, etc.
Environment – International
Agreements:
Rio Declaration on environment and development, Cartagena
Protocol on biosafety, Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations
Framework Convention on climatic change, World Trade Agreement,
Helsinki Protocol to LRTAP on the reduction of sulphur emissions
of nitrogen oxides or their transboundary fluxes (Nox Protocol),
and Geneva Protocol to LRTAP concerning the control of emissions
of volatile organic compounds or their transboundary fluxes (VOCs
Protocol).
Geography – Note:
India occupies a major portion of the south Asian
subcontinent.
PEOPLE
Population:
 India's population, as on 1 March 2001 stood at 1,028
million (532.1 million males and 496.4 million females).
Population Growth Rate:
The average annual exponential growth rate stands at 1.93
per cent during 1991-2001.
Birth Rate:
The Crude Birth rate according to the 2001 census is
24.8
Death Rate:
The Crude Death rate according to the 2001 census is 8.9
Life Expectancy Rate:
63.9 years (Males); 66.9 years (Females) (As of Sep 2005)
Sex Ratio:
933 according to the 2001 census
Nationality:
Indian
Ethnic Groups:
All the five major racial types - Australoid, Mongoloid,
Europoid, Caucasian, and Negroid find representation among the
people of India.
Religions:
According to the 2001 census, out of the total population
of 1.028 million in the Country, Hindus constituted the majority
with 80.5 %, Muslims came second at 13.4%, followed by Christians,
Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, and others.
Languages:
There are 22 National Languages have been recognized by
the Constitution of India, of which Hindi is the Official Union
Language. Besides these, there are 844 different dialects that are
practiced in various parts of the Country.
Literacy:
According to the provisional results of the 2001 census,
the literacy rate in the Country stands at 64.84 per cent, 75.26%
for males and 53.67% for females.
GOVERNMENT
Country Name:
Republic of India; Bharat Ganrajya
Government Type:
Sovereign Socialist Democratic Republic with a
Parliamentary system of Government.
Capital:
New Delhi
Administrative Divisions:
29 States and 6 Union Territories.
Independence:
15th August 1947 (From the British Colonial Rule)
Constitution:
The Constitution of India came into force on 26th January
1950.
Legal System:
The Constitution of India is the fountain source of the
legal system in the Country.
Executive Branch:
The President of India is the Head of the State, while
the Prime Minister is the Head of the Government, and runs office
with the support of the Council of Ministers who form the Cabinet
Ministry.
Legislative Branch:
The Indian Legislature comprises of the Lok Sabha (House of the
People) and the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) forming both the
Houses of the Parliament.
Judicial Branch:
The Supreme Court of India is the apex body of the Indian
legal system, followed by other High Courts and subordinate
Courts.
Flag Description:
The National Flag is a horizontal tricolour of deep
saffron (kesaria) at the top, white in the middle, and dark green
at the bottom in equal proportion. At the centre of the white band
is a navy blue wheel, which is a representation of the Ashoka
Chakra at Sarnath.
National Days:
26th January (Republic Day)
15th August (Independence Day)
2nd October (Gandhi Jayanti; Mahatma Gandhi's Birthday)
ECONOMY
Economy – Overview:
Half a Century after gaining its independence, India has
overcome all o dds
and achieved phenomenal standards of economic stability, courtesy
the indomitable contributions of various sectors such as
agriculture, tourism, commerce, power, communications, science &
technology, etc., which have acted as the pillars of the Indian
economy. India is today one of the six fastest growing economies
of the world. The country is ranked fourth in terms of Purchasing
Power Parity (PPP) in 2001. The business and regulatory
environment is evolving and moving towards constant improvement.
GDP – Real Growth Rate:
The second quarter (July-September) of the financial year
2005-06 registers a growth rate of 8 percent.
GDP – Purchasing Power
Parity:
India is the fourth largest economy, with US$ 3 trillion
GDP in terms of Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) after USA, China,
and Japan.
GDP – Per Capita:
As of September 2005, the GDP per capita of the Country
stood at US$ 543.
GDP – Composition by Sector:
Services 56%, Agriculture 22%, and Industry 22% (As of
September 2005).
Labour Force:
According to the Report of the Committee on India Vision:
2020, India’s labour force has reached approximately 375 million
in 2002.
Unemployment Rate:
9.1% (As of Sep 2005)
Population below Poverty
Line:
26.10% as on 1999-2000
Inflation Rate:
4.1% as on July 2005.
Public Debt:
The total Debt as on 31st March 2002 stands at Rs. 1372117.58
crores.
Agriculture Products:
Rice, wheat, tea, cotton, sugarcane, potatoes, jute,
oilseed, poultry, etc.
Industries:
Steel, garments, petroleum, cement, machinery, locomotive, food
processing, pharmaceutical products, mining, etc.
Currency (Code):
Indian Rupee (INR)
Fiscal Year:
1st April to 31st March.
SOURCE
Ministry of Environment, Planning
Commission, Ministry of Health, Press
Information Bureau,
Census of India , Ministry of External Affairs, Union Budget,
Reserve Bank of India
CLIMATE
The climate of India may be broadly
described as tropical monsoon type.
 There are four seasons:
(i) winter (January-February),
(ii) hot weather summer (March-May);
(iii) rainy southwestern monsoon (June-September) and
(iv) post-monsoon, also known as northeast monsoon in the southern
Peninsula (October-December).
India's climate is affected by two seasonal winds - the northeast
monsoon and the southwest monsoon. The north-east monsoon,
commonly known as winter monsoon blows from land to sea, whereas
south-west monsoon, known as summer monsoon blows from sea to land
after crossing the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea, and the Bay of
Bengal. The south-west monsoon brings most of the rainfall during
a year in the country.
PHYSICAL FEATURES
Countries having a common border
with India are Afghanistan and Pakistan to the north-west, China,
Bhutan and Nepal to the north, Myanmar to the east and Bangladesh
to the east of West Bengal. Sri Lanka is separated from India by a
narrow channel of sea formed by the Palk Strait and the Gulf of
Mannar.
The mainland comprises of four
regions, namely, the great mountain zone, plains of the Ganga and
the Indus, the desert region and the southern peninsula.
The Himalayas comprise three almost
parallel ranges interspersed with large plateaus and valleys, some
of which, like the Kashmir and Kullu valleys, are fertile,
extensive and of great scenic beauty. Some of the highest peaks in
the world are found in these ranges. The high altitudes admit
travel only to a few passes, notably the Jelep La and Nathu La on
the main Indo-Tibet trade route through the Chumbi Valley,
north-east of Darjeeling and Shipki La in the Satluj valley,
north-east of Kalpa (Kinnaur). The mountain wall extends over a
distance of about 2,400 km with a varying depth of 240 to 320 km.
In the east, between India and Myanmar, and India and Bangladesh,
hill ranges are much lower. Garo, Khasi, Jaintia and Naga Hills,
running almost east-west, join the chain to Mizo and Rkhine Hills
running north-south.
The plains of the Ganga and the Indus, about 2,400 km long and 240
to 320 km broad, are formed by basins of three distinct river
systems - the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra. They are one
of the world's greatest stretches of flat alluvium and also one of
the most densely populated areas on the earth. Between the Yamuna
at Delhi and the Bay of Bengal, nearly 1,600 km away, there is a
drop of only 200 metres in elevation.
The desert region can be divided into two parts - the great desert
and the little desert. The great desert extends from the edge of
the Rann of Kuchch beyond the Luni river northward. The whole of
the Rajasthan-Sind frontier runs through this. The little desert
extends from the Luni between Jaisalmer and Jodhpur up to the
northern wastes. Between the great and the little deserts lies a
zone of absolutely sterile country, consisting of rocky land cut
up by limestone ridges.
The Peninsular Plateau is marked off from the plains of the Ganga
and the Indus by a mass of mountain and hill ranges varying from
460 to 1,220 metres in height. Prominent among these are the
Aravalli, Vindhya, Satpura, Maikala and Ajanta. The Peninsula is
flanked on one side by the Eastern Ghats where average elevation
is about 610 metres, and on the other by the Western Ghats where
it is generally from 915 to 1,220 metres, rising in places to over
2,440 metres. Between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea lies a
narrow coastal strip, while between Eastern Ghats and the Bay of
Bengal, there is a broader coastal area. The southern point of
plateau is formed by the Nilgiri Hills where the Eastern and the
Western Ghats meet. The Cardamom Hills lying beyond may be
regarded as a continuation of the Western Ghats.
GEOLOGICAL
STRUCTURE
The geological regions broadly
follow the physical features, and may be grouped into three
regions: the Himalayas and their associated group of mountains,
the Indo-Ganga Plain, and the Peninsular Shield.
The Himalayan mountain belt to the north and the Naga-Lushai
mountain in the east, are the regions of mountain-building
movement. Most of this area, now presenting some of the most
magnificent mountain scenery in the world, was under marine
conditions about 600 million years ago. In a series of
mountain-building movements commencing about 70 million years ago,
the sediments and the basement rocks rose to great heights. The
weathering and erosive agencies worked on these to produce the
relief seen today. The Indo-Ganga plains are a great alluvial
tract that separates the Himalayas in the north from the Peninsula
in the south.
The Peninsula is a region of relative stability and occasional
seismic disturbances. Highly metamorphosed rocks of the earliest
periods, dating back as far as 380 crore years, occur in the area;
the rest being covered by the coastal-bearing Gondwana formations,
lava flows belonging to the Deccan Trap formation and younger
sediments.
RIVERS
The rivers of India can be
classified into four groups viz., Himalayan rivers, Deccan rivers,
Coastal rivers, and Rivers of the inland drainage basin.
 The Himalayan Rivers are formed by melting snow and glaciers and
therefore, continuously flow throughout the year. During the
monsoon months, Himalayas receive very heavy rainfall and rivers
swell, causing frequent floods. The Deccan Rivers on the other
hand are rain fed and therefore fluctuate in volume. Many of these
are non-perennial. The Coastal streams, especially on the west
coast are short in length and have limited catchment's areas. Most
of them are non-perennial. The streams of inland drainage basin of
western Rajasthan are few. Most of them are of an ephemeral
character.
The main Himalayan river systems are those of the Indus and the
Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna system. The Indus, which is one of the
great rivers of the world, rises near Mansarovar in Tibet and
flows through India, and thereafter through Pakistan, and finally
falls in the Arabian Sea near Karachi. Its important tributaries
flowing in Indian Territory are the Sutlej (originating in Tibet),
the Beas, the Ravi, the Chenab, and the Jhelum. The
Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna is another important system of which the
principal sub-basins are those of Bhagirathi and the Alaknanda,
which join at Dev Prayag to form the Ganga. It traverses through
Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal. Below Rajmahal
hills, the Bhagirathi, which used to be the main course in the
past, takes off, while the Padma continues eastward and enters
Bangladesh. The Yamuna, the Ramganga, the Ghaghra, the Gandak, the
Kosi, the Mahananda and the Sone are the important tributaries of
the Ganga. Rivers Chambal and Betwa are the important
sub-tributaries, which join Yamuna before it meets the Ganga. The
Padma and the Brahmaputra join inside Bangladesh, and continue to
flow as the Padma or Ganga. The Brahmaputra rises in Tibet, where
it is known as Tsangpo and runs a long distance till it crosses
over into India in Arunachal Pradesh under the name of Dihang.
Near Passighat, the Debang and Lohit join the river Brahmaputra
and the combined river runs all along the Assam in a narrow
valley. It crosses into Bangladesh downstream of Dhubri.
The principal tributaries of Brahmaputra in India are the
Subansiri, Jia Bhareli, Dhansiri, Puthimari, Pagladiya and the
Manas. The Brahmaputra in Bangladesh receives the flow of Tista,
etc., and finally falls into Ganga. The Barak River, the Head
stream of Meghna, rises in the hills in Manipur. The important
tributaries of the river are Makku, Trang, Tuivai, Jiri, Sonai,
Rukni, Katakhal, Dhaleswari, Langachini, Maduva and Jatinga. Barak
continues in Bangladesh till the combined Ganga—Brahmaputra join
it near Bhairab Bazar.
In the Deccan region, most of the major river systems flowing
generally in east direction fall into Bay of Bengal. The major
east flowing rivers are Godavari, Krishna, Cauvery, Mahanadi, etc.
Narmada and Tapti are major West flowing rivers.
The Godavari in the southern Peninsula has the second largest
river basin covering 10 per cent of the area of India. Next to it
is the Krishna basin in the region, while the Mahanadi has the
third largest basin. The basin of the Narmada in the uplands of
the Deccan, flowing to the Arabian Sea, and of the Kaveri in the
south, falling into the Bay of Bengal are about the same size,
though with different character and shape.
There are numerous coastal rivers, which are comparatively small.
While only handful of such rivers drain into the sea near the
delta of east cost, there are as many as 600 such rivers on the
west coast.
A few rivers in Rajasthan do not drain into the sea. They drain
into salt lakes and get lost in sand with no outlet to sea.
Besides these, there are the Desert Rivers which flow for some
distance and are lost in the desert. These are Luni and others
such as, Machhu, Rupen, Saraswati, Banas and Ghaggar.
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