India
Republic of India
federal republicIndependence 15 August 1947 (from UK)
India as the 1996 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 89 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Geography
Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of | Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan
15 fieldsLand useshare of 3,287,590 sq km
International disputes
- 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)
Terrain
upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plain along the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north
- lowest point:
- Indian Ocean 0 m
- highest point:
- Kanchenjunga 8,598 m
Natural resources
coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world), iron ore, manganese, mica, bauxite, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds, petroleum, limestone
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 rapidly growing population is overstraining natural resources
- natural hazards:
- droughts, flash floods, severe thunderstorms common; earthquakes
- 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
People
15 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1996 est.)
Male · female(1996 est.)
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.)
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:
- 0.98 male(s)/female
- all ages:
- 1.07 male(s)/female (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
Government
Federal republic; 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; Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha RAO (since 21 June 1991) was appointed by the president
21 fieldsAdministrative 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
Legal system
- based on English common law;
- limited judicial review of legislative acts;
- accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Executive branch
- 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
- cabinet:
- Council of Ministers was appointed by the president on recommendation of the prime minister
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
- 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
Other political or pressure groups
- various separatist groups seeking greater communal and/or regional autonomy;
- numerous religious or militant/chauvinistic organizations, including
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
Diplomatic representation in 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
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 939-7000
- consulate(s) general:
- Chicago, New York, and San Francisco
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
Flag
- 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
Economy
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.
21 fieldsInstalled generating capacity, 81,200,000 kW(March 1995)
Economic overview
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.
Industries
textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery
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
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
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
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
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)
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)
Transportation
8 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 288 in all
Networkskm
Railways
- total:
- 62,462 km (11,793 km electrified; 12,617 km double track)
- 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.)
Merchant marine
- total:
- 310 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,787,834 GRT/11,296,222 DWT
- 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.)
Communications
Army, Navy, Air Force, various security or paramilitary | forces (includes Border Security Force, Assam Rifles, and Coast | Guard)
9 fieldsTelephone 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
Branches
Army, Navy, Air Force, various security or paramilitary forces (includes Border Security Force, Assam Rifles, and Coast Guard)
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.)
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “India.” The World Factbook 1996. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/india/1996.