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India From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search ???? ??????? Bharat Ga?arajya Republic of India Flag Emblem Motto: Satyameva Jayate (Sanskrit) ??????? ???? (Devanagari) "Truth Alone Triumphs" Anthem: "Jana Ga?a Mana" listen (help·info) Capital New Delhi 28°34'N 77°12'E Largest city Mumbai (Bombay) Official languages Hindi, English + 21 other official languages Government Federal republic - President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Independence from the UK - Declared 15 August 1947 - Republic 26 January 1950 Area - Total 3,166,414† km² (7th) 1,222,559 sq mi - Water (%) 9.56 Population - 2005 estimate 1,103,371,000 (2nd) - 2001 census 1,027,015,248 - Density 329/km² (31st) 852/sq mi GDP (PPP) 2005 estimate - Total $3.633 trillion (4th) - Per capita $3,320 (122nd) GDP (nominal) 2005 estimate - Total $771,951 million (12th) - Per capita $714 (134th) HDI (2004) 0.611 (medium) (126th) Currency Rupee (?) (INR) Time zone IST (UTC+5:30) - Summer (DST) not observed (UTC+5:30) Internet TLD .in Calling code +91 † Includes only Indian-administered territory. For historical and other uses of "India", see India (disambiguation). India (Devanagari: ???? Bharat), officially the Republic of India (Bharat Ga?arajya), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second most populous country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world. India has a coastline of over seven thousand kilometres, bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal on the east. India borders Pakistan[1] to the west; China, Nepal and Bhutan to the north-east; and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east. In the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka, Maldives and Indonesia. Home to the Indus Valley Civilization and a region of historic trade routes and vast empires, the Indian subcontinent was identified with its commercial and cultural wealth for much of its long history. Four major world religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism originated here, while Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism, arrived in the first millennium CE and shaped India's variegated culture. Politically controlled by the British East India Company from the early 18th century and directly administered by Great Britain starting the mid-19th century, India became a modern nation-state in 1947 after a struggle for independence marked by widespread use of nonviolent resistance as a means of social protest. With the world's fourth largest economy in purchasing power and the second fastest growing large economy,[2] India has made rapid progress in the last decade, most notably in information technology. Although India's standard of living is projected to rise sharply in the next half-century,[3] it currently battles high levels of poverty, persistent malnutrition, and environmental degradation. A multi-lingual, multi-ethnic society, India is home to a diversity of wildlife in a variety of protected habitats. Contents [hide] 1 Etymology 2 History 3 Government 4 Politics 5 Military and foreign relations 6 States and union territories 7 Geography 8 Flora and fauna 9 Economy 10 Demographics 11 Culture 12 See also 13 References 14 External links [edit] Etymology The name India /'?ndi?/ is derived from Indus, which is derived from the Old Persian word Hindu, from Sanskrit Sindhu, the historic local appellation for the Indus River.[4] The Constitution of India and common usage also recognise Bharat /b???r?t?/ listen (help·info)), as an official name of equal status. A third name, ????????, Hindustan ( /hin?dd?ust???n/) listen (help·info) (Persian: Land of the Hindus (Old Persian for Indus) has been used since the twelfth century, though its contemporary use is unevenly applied. [edit] History Main article: History of India Stone Age rock shelters with paintings at Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh are the earliest known traces of human life on the Indian subcontinent. The first known permanent settlements appeared over 9,000 years ago, and gradually developed into the Indus Valley Civilization, dating back to 3300 BCE. It was followed by the Vedic Civilization which laid the foundations of Hinduism and other cultural aspects of early Indian society. From around 550 BCE, many independent kingdoms and republics known as the Mahajanapadas were established across the country. The empire built by the Maurya dynasty under Emperor Ashoka united most of modern South Asia except the kingdoms in the south. From 180 BCE, a series of invasions from Central Asia followed including the Indo-Greeks, Indo-Scythians, Indo-Parthians and Kushans in the northwestern Indian Subcontinent. From the third century CE, the Gupta dynasty oversaw the period referred to as ancient India's "Golden Age." While the north had larger, fewer kingdoms, in the south there were several dynasties such as the Chalukyas, Cholas, Pallavas and Pandyas, overlapping in time and space. Science, engineering, art, literature, astronomy, and philosophy flourished under the patronage of these kings. Paintings at the Ajanta Caves in western India, sixth century AD.Following the invasions from Central Asia, between the tenth to the twelfth centuries, much of north India came under the rule of the Delhi Sultanate, and later the Mughal dynasty, who gradually expanded their reign through large parts of the Indian subcontinent. Nevertheless, several indigenous kingdoms flourished, especially in the south, like the Vijayanagara Empire. In the seventeenth and eighteenth century, the Mughal supremacy declined and the Maratha Empire became the dominant power. From the sixteenth century onwards, several European countries, including Portugal, Netherlands, France and the United Kingdom, started arriving as traders, later taking advantage of the fractious nature of relations between the kingdoms, to establish colonies in the country. By 1856, most of India came under control of the British East India Company. A year later, a nationwide insurrection of rebelling military units and kingdoms, known locally as the First War of Indian Independence (known as the Sepoy Mutiny elsewhere) broke out, which failed even as it seriously challenged British rule. As a consequence, India came under the direct control of the British Crown as a colony of the British Empire. Mahatma Gandhi (right) with India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal NehruFrom early twentieth century, the Indian Independence Movement of the Indian National Congress steadily gained widespread support, largely led by Mahatma Gandhi. Millions of protesters would engage in mass campaigns of civil disobedience with a commitment to ahimsa or non-violence. Finally, on 15 August 1947, India gained independence from British rule not before losing its Muslim-majority areas which were carved out into a separate nation-state of Pakistan. Three years later, on 26 January 1950, India chose to be a republic, and a new Constitution came into effect. Since independence, India has seen sectarian violence and insurgencies in various parts of the country, but has maintained its unity and democracy. It has unresolved territorial disputes with China, which escalated into the brief Sino-Indian War in 1962; and with Pakistan, which resulted in wars in 1947, 1965, 1971 and in 1999 in Kargil. India is a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement and the United Nations (as part of British India). In 1974, India conducted an underground nuclear test. This was followed by five more tests in 1998. Significant economic reforms beginning in 1991 have transformed India into one of the fastest-growing economies and an emerging superpower in the world, and added to its global and regional influence. [edit] Government Main article: Government of India National symbols of India Flag Tiranga Emblem Sarnath Lion Anthem "Jana Gana Mana" Song "Vande Mataram" Animal Royal Bengal Tiger Bird Indian Peacock Flower Lotus Tree Banyan Fruit Mango Sport Field Hockey Calendar Saka The constitution of India declares India to be a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic. India has a federal form of government and a bicameral parliament operating under a Westminster-style parliamentary system. It has three branches of governance: the Legislature, Executive, and Judiciary. The President is the head of state; his role in governance is largely ceremonial. The President is elected indirectly by an electoral college for five-year terms. The Prime Minister is the de facto head of government and holds most executive powers. He or she is appointed by the President, with the requirement that he or she enjoys the support of the party or coalition securing the majority of seats in the lower house of Parliament. The legislature of India is the bicameral Parliament, which consists of the upper house called the Rajya Sabha (Council of States), and the lower house called the Lok Sabha (House of People). The literal translations of the names of the two houses are State's Assembly and People's Assembly. The 245-member Rajya Sabha is chosen indirectly by the state legislative assemblies; members have staggered six-year terms. Each state sends members to the Rajya Sabha proportionate to its population. The Lok Sabha's 545 members are directly elected by popular vote for five year terms. The executive branch consists of the President, Vice-President, and the Council of Ministers (the Cabinet being its executive committee) headed by the Prime Minister. Any minister holding a portfolio must be a member of either house of parliament. In the Indian parliamentary system, the executive is subordinate to the legislature.[5] India's independent judiciary consists of the Supreme Court, headed b