History of Delhi

History of Delhi enumerates a saga of various dynasties like the Mughals, Khilji and Tuglaks who once ruled this city. The first ever evidence of Delhi can be traced back to the times of Mahabharata in 1400 BC when it was known by the name of Indraprastha. However, it is said that Anagpal Tomar first laid the foundation stone of the seven ancient cities of Delhi much before the 13th century.

Prithviraj Chauhan played a major role in shaping the history of Delhi. In fact he was the last Hindu Emperor who ruled the city of Delhi. After this great Hindu ruler, Qutub-ud-din-Aibak of Turkish origin propounded the Slave Dynasty in Delhi that lasted from 1211 to 1227.

The Khilji Dynasty started in Delhi just after the end of the Slave Empire. From 1296 to 1316 Khilji Dynasty ruled Delhi and also established the Siri city within its premises. The Tughluqs took the rein of Delhi after the Khilji Dynasty and established the third city called as Tughluqabad.

It is believed that the Mughal Empire had immense influence on the all-round socio-economic development of the city. As a whole, the unique History of Delhi helped in shaping up the political, social, architectural, cultural and economic scenario of India in the ancient times.

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INDIAN MAP

The World Factbook : INDIA

Introduction

India

Background:

Aryan tribes from the northwest infiltrated onto the Indian subcontinent about 1500 B.C.; their merger with the earlier Dravidian inhabitants created the classical Indian culture. The Maurya Empire of the 4th and 3rd centuries B.C. - which reached its zenith under ASHOKA - united much of South Asia. The Golden Age ushered in by the Gupta dynasty (4th to 6th centuries A.D.) saw a flowering of Indian science, art, and culture. Arab incursions starting in the 8th century and Turkic in the 12th were followed by those of European traders, beginning in the late 15th century. By the 19th century, Britain had assumed political control of virtually all Indian lands. Indian armed forces in the British army played a vital role in both World Wars. Nonviolent resistance to British colonialism led by Mohandas GANDHI and Jawaharlal NEHRU brought 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. India's nuclear weapons testing in 1998 caused Pakistan to conduct its own tests that same year. Despite impressive gains in economic investment and output, India faces pressing problems such as significant overpopulation, environmental degradation, extensive poverty, and ethnic and religious strife.

Geography

India

Location:	Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan
Geographic coordinates:	20 00 N, 77 00 E
Map references:	Asia
Area:	total: 3,287,590 sq km land: 2,973,190 sq km water: 314,400 sq km
Area - comparative:	slightly more than one-third the size of the US
Land boundaries:	total: 14,103 km 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
Coastline:	7,000 km
Maritime claims:	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate:	varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north
Terrain:	upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plain along the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north
Elevation extremes:	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, arable land
Land use:	arable land: 48.83% permanent crops: 2.8% other: 48.37% (2005)
Irrigated land:	558,080 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:	1,907.8 cu km (1999)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):	total: 645.84 cu km/yr (8%/5%/86%) per capita: 585 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:	droughts; flash floods, as well as widespread and destructive flooding from monsoonal rains; severe thunderstorms; earthquakes
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-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:	dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important Indian Ocean trade routes; Kanchenjunga, third tallest mountain in the world, lies on the border with Nepal

People

India

Population:	1,147,995,904 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:	0-14 years: 31.5% (male 189,238,487/female 172,168,306) 15-64 years: 63.3% (male 374,157,581/female 352,868,003) 65 years and over: 5.2% (male 28,285,796/female 31,277,725) (2008 est.)
Median age:	total: 25.1 years male: 24.7 years female: 25.5 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:	1.578% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:	22.22 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:	6.4 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:	-0.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:	at birth: 1.12 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:	total: 32.31 deaths/1,000 live births male: 36.94 deaths/1,000 live births female: 27.12 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:	total population: 69.25 years male: 66.87 years female: 71.9 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:	2.76 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:	0.9% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:	5.1 million (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:	310,000 (2001 est.)
Major infectious diseases:	degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: chikungunya, dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, and malaria animal contact disease: rabies note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2008)
Nationality:	noun: Indian(s) adjective: Indian
Ethnic groups:	Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and other 3% (2000)
Religions:	Hindu 80.5%, Muslim 13.4%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.1% (2001 census)
Languages:	Hindi 41%, Bengali 8.1%, Telugu 7.2%, Marathi 7%, Tamil 5.9%, Urdu 5%, Gujarati 4.5%, Kannada 3.7%, Malayalam 3.2%, Oriya 3.2%, Punjabi 2.8%, Assamese 1.3%, Maithili 1.2%, other 5.9% note: English enjoys associate status but is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication; Hindi is the national language and primary tongue of 41% of the people; there are 14 other official languages: Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit; Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout northern India but is not an official language (2001 census)
Literacy:	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 61% male: 73.4% female: 47.8% (2001 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):	total: 10 years male: 11 years female: 9 years (2005)
Education expenditures:	3.2% of GDP (2005)

Government

India

Country name:	conventional long form: Republic of India conventional short form: India local long form: Republic of India/Bharatiya Ganarajya local short form: India/Bharat
Government type:	federal republic
Capital:	name: New Delhi geographic coordinates: 28 36 N, 77 12 E time difference: UTC+5.5 (10.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:	28 states and 7 union territories*; Andaman and Nicobar Islands*, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh*, Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli*, Daman and Diu*, Delhi*, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep*, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Puducherry*, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal
Independence:	15 August 1947 (from UK)
National holiday:	Republic Day, 26 January (1950)
Constitution:	26 January 1950; amended many times
Legal system:	based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; separate personal law codes apply to Muslims, Christians, and Hindus
Suffrage:	18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:	chief of state: President Pratibha PATIL (since 25 July 2007); Vice President Hamid ANSARI (since 11 August 2007) head of government: Prime Minister Manmohan SINGH (since 22 May 2004) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister 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 (no term limits); election last held in July 2007 (next to be held in July 2012); vice president elected by both houses of Parliament for a five-year term; election last held in August 2007 (next to be held August 2012); prime minister chosen by parliamentary members of the majority party following legislative elections; election last held April - May 2004 (next to be held no later than May 2009) election results: Pratibha PATIL elected president; percent of vote - 65.8%; Bhairon Singh SHEKHAWAT - 34.2%
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 whom 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) elections: People's Assembly - last held 20 April through 10 May 2004 (next must be held by May 2009) election results: People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party (as of July 2008 confidence vote) - INC 153, BJP 122, CPI (M) 42, SP 33, RJD 24, BSP 17, DMK 16, NCP 11, SS 11, BJD 10, CPI 10, SAD 7, JD (U) 6, PMK 6, JMM 5, LJSP 4, TDP 3, MDMK 2, TRS 2, independent 6, other 27, vacant 2; note - 20 members expelled from their party for failing to vote against the government; 6 members expelled from their party for failing to vote to support the government
Judicial branch:	Supreme Court (one chief justice and 25 associate justices are appointed by the president and remain in office until they reach the age of 65 or are removed for "proved misbehavior")
Political parties and leaders:	Bahujan Samaj Party or BSP [MAYAWATI]; Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP [Rajnath SINGH]; Biju Janata Dal or BJD [Naveen PATNAIK]; Communist Party of India or CPI [Ardhendu Bhushan BARDHAN]; Communist Party of India-Marxist or CPI-M [Prakash KARAT]; Dravida Munnetra Kazagham or DMK [M. KARUNANIDHI]; Indian National Congress or INC [Sonia GANDHI]; Janata Dal (United) or JD(U) [Sharad YADAV]; Jharkhand Mukti Morcha or JMM [Shibu SOREN]; Left Front (an alliance of Indian leftist parties); Lok Jan Shakti Party or LJSP [Ram Vilas PASWAN]; Nationalist Congress Party or NCP [Sharad PAWAR]; Pattali Makkal Katchi or PMK [S. RAMADOSS]; Rashtriya Janata Dal or RJD [Laloo Prasad YADAV]; Samajwadi Party or SP [Mulayam Singh YADAV]; Shiromani Akali Dal or SAD [Parkash Singh BADAL]; Shiv Sena or SS [Bal THACKERAY]; note - India has dozens of national and regional political parties; only parties or coalitions with four or more seats in the People's Assembly are listed
Political pressure groups and leaders:	All Parties Hurriyat Conference in the Kashmir Valley (separatist group); Bajrang Dal (religious organization); National Socialist Council of Nagaland in the northeast (separatist group); Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (religious organization); Vishwa Hindu Parishad (religious organization other: numerous religious or militant/chauvinistic organizations; various separatist groups seeking greater communal and/or regional autonomy
International organization participation:	ADB, AfDB (nonregional members), ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIMSTEC, BIS, C, CERN (observer), CP, EAS, FAO, G-15, G-20, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAS (observer), MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC, SACEP, SCO (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNITAR, UNMIS, UNMIT, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:	chief of mission: Ambassador Ranendra Ronen SEN chancery: 2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; note - Consular Wing located at 2536 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 939-7000 FAX: [1] (202) 265-4351 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, New York, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US:	chief of mission: Ambassador David C. MULFORD embassy: Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110021 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [91] (011) 2419-8000 FAX: [91] (11) 2419-0017 consulate(s) general: Chennai (Madras), Kolkata (Calcutta), Mumbai (Bombay)
Flag description:	three equal horizontal bands of saffron (subdued 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

Economy - overview:	India's diverse economy encompasses traditional village farming, modern agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern industries, and a multitude of services. Services are the major source of economic growth, accounting for more than half of India's output with less than one third of its labor force. About three-fifths of the work force is in agriculture, leading the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government to articulate an economic reform program that includes developing basic infrastructure to improve the lives of the rural poor and boost economic performance. The government has reduced controls on foreign trade and investment. Higher limits on foreign direct investment were permitted in a few key sectors, such as telecommunications. However, tariff spikes in sensitive categories, including agriculture, and incremental progress on economic reforms still hinder foreign access to India's vast and growing market. Privatization of government-owned industries remains stalled and continues to generate political debate; populist pressure from within the UPA government and from its Left Front allies continues to restrain needed initiatives. The economy has posted an average growth rate of more than 7% in the decade since 1997, reducing poverty by about 10 percentage points. India achieved 8.5% GDP growth in 2006, 9.0% in 2007, and 7.3% in 2008, significantly expanding production of manufactures. India is capitalizing on its large numbers of well-educated people skilled in the English language to become a major exporter of software services and software workers. Economic expansion has helped New Delhi continue to make progress in reducing its federal fiscal deficit. However, strong growth combined with easy consumer credit and a real estate boom fueled inflation concerns in 2006-08, leading to a series of central bank interest rate hikes that have slowed credit growth and eased inflation concerns. The huge and growing population is the fundamental social, economic, and environmental problem.
GDP (purchasing power parity):	$3.319 trillion (2008 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):	$1.237 trillion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:	7.3% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):	$2,900 (2008 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:	agriculture: 17.2% industry: 29.1% services: 53.7% (2008 est.)
Labor force:	523.5 million (2008 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:	agriculture: 60% industry: 12% services: 28% (2003)
Unemployment rate:	6.8% (2008 est.)
Population below poverty line:	25% (2007 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:	lowest 10%: 3.6% highest 10%: 31.1% (2004)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:	36.8 (2004)
Investment (gross fixed):	34.6% of GDP (2008 est.)
Budget:	revenues: $153.5 billion expenditures: $205.3 billion (2008 est.)
Fiscal year:	1 April - 31 March
Public debt:	59% of GDP (federal and state debt combined) (2008 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):	7.8% (2008 est.)
Central bank discount rate:	6% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:	13.02% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:	$250.9 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:	$647.3 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:	$769.3 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:	$1.819 trillion (31 December 2007)
Industries:	textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery, software
Electricity - production:	665.3 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - consumption:	517.2 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:	378 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - imports:	3.189 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - production by source:	fossil fuel: 81.7% hydro: 14.5% nuclear: 3.4% other: 0.3% (2001)
Oil - production:	880,500 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:	2.722 million bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - exports:	450,700 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - imports:	2.159 million bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - proved reserves:	5.625 billion bbl (1 January 2008 est.)
Natural gas - production:	31.7 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:	41.7 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:	0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:	10 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:	1.075 trillion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)
Current account balance:	-$38.39 billion (2008 est.)
Exports:	$175.7 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.)
Exports - commodities:	petroleum products, textile goods, gems and jewelry, engineering goods, chemicals, leather manufactures
Exports - partners:	US 15%, China 8.7%, UAE 8.7%, UK 4.4% (2007)
Imports:	$287.5 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.)
Imports - commodities:	crude oil, machinery, gems, fertilizer, chemicals
Imports - partners:	China 10.6%, US 7.8%, Germany 4.4%, Singapore 4.4% (2007)
Economic aid - recipient:	$1.724 billion (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:	$274.2 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
Debt - external:	$163.8 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:	$142.9 billion (2008 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:	$54.21 billion (2008 est.)
Currency (code):	Indian rupee (INR)
Currency code:	INR
Exchange rates:	Indian rupees (INR) per US dollar - 43.319 (2008 est.), 41.487 (2007), 45.3 (2006), 44.101 (2005), 45.317 (2004), 46.583 (2003)

Communications

India

Telephones - main lines in use:	38.76 million (2008)
Telephones - mobile cellular:	296.08 million (2008)
Telephone system:	general assessment: recent deregulation and liberalization of telecommunications laws and policies have prompted rapid growth; local and long distance service provided throughout all regions of the country, with services primarily concentrated in the urban areas; steady improvement is taking place with the recent admission of private and private-public investors, but combined fixed and mobile telephone density remains low at about 30 for each 100 persons nationwide and much lower for persons in rural areas; rapid growth in cellular service with modest declines in fixed lines domestic: mobile cellular service introduced in 1994 and organized nationwide into four metropolitan areas and 19 telecom circles each with about three private service providers and one state-owned service provider; in recent years significant trunk capacity added in the form of fiber-optic cable and one of the world's largest domestic satellite systems, the Indian National Satellite system (INSAT), with 6 satellites supporting 33,000 very small aperture terminals (VSAT) international: country code - 91; a number of major international submarine cable systems, including Sea-Me-We-3 with landing sites at Cochin and Mumbai (Bombay), Sea-Me-We-4 with a landing site at Chennai, Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) with a landing site at Mumbai (Bombay), South Africa - Far East (SAFE) with a landing site at Cochin, the i2i cable network linking to Singapore with landing sites at Mumbai (Bombay) and Chennai (Madras), and Tata Indicom linking Singapore and Chennai (Madras), provide a significant increase in the bandwidth available for both voice and data traffic; satellite earth stations - 8 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region); 9 gateway exchanges operating from Mumbai (Bombay), New Delhi, Kolkata (Calcutta), Chennai (Madras), Jalandhar, Kanpur, Gandhinagar, Hyderabad, and Ernakulam (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:	AM 153, FM 91, shortwave 68 (1998)
Radios:	116 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:	562 (1997)
Televisions:	63 million (1997)
Internet country code:	.in
Internet hosts:	2.707 million (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):	43 (2000)
Internet users:	80 million (2007)

Transportation

India

Airports:	346 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:	total: 250 over 3,047 m: 18 2,438 to 3,047 m: 52 1,524 to 2,437 m: 75 914 to 1,523 m: 84 under 914 m: 21 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:	total: 96 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 40 under 914 m: 47 (2007)
Heliports:	30 (2007)
Pipelines:	condensate/gas 9 km; gas 7,488 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,861 km; oil 7,883 km; refined products 6,422 km (2007)
Railways:	total: 63,221 km broad gauge: 46,807 km 1.676-m gauge (17,343 km electrified) narrow gauge: 13,290 km 1.000-m gauge (165 km electrified); 3,124 km 0.762-m gauge and 0.610-m gauge (2006)
Roadways:	total: 3,316,452 km (includes 200 km of expressways) (2006)
Waterways:	14,500 km note: 5,200 km on major rivers and 485 km on canals suitable for mechanized vessels (2008)
Merchant marine:	total: 501 by type: bulk carrier 102, cargo 241, carrier 1, chemical tanker 19, container 13, liquefied gas 18, passenger 3, passenger/cargo 11, petroleum tanker 92, roll on/roll off 1 foreign-owned: 12 (China 1, Germany 2, Hong Kong 1, UAE 6, UK 2) registered in other countries: 61 (Barbados 1, Comoros 2, Cyprus 2, Dominica 2, Liberia 2, Malta 2, Marshall Islands 1, Panama 27, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 7, Singapore 13, unknown 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:	Chennai, Haldia, Jawaharal Nehru, Kandla, Kolkata (Calcutta), Mormugao, Mumbai (Bombay), New Mangalore, Vishakhapatnam

Military

India

Military branches:	Army, Navy (includes naval air arm), Air Force (Bharatiya Vayu Sena), Coast Guard (2008)
Military service age and obligation:	16 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; women officers allowed in noncombat roles only (2008)
Manpower available for military service:	males age 16-49: 301,094,084 females age 16-49: 283,047,141 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:	males age 16-49: 231,161,111 females age 16-49: 236,633,962 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:	male: 11,592,516 female: 10,636,857 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:	2.5% of GDP (2006)

Transnational Issues

India

Disputes - international:	since China and India launched a security and foreign policy dialogue in 2005, consolidated discussions related to the dispute over most of their rugged, militarized boundary, regional nuclear proliferation, Indian claims that China transferred missiles to Pakistan, and other matters continue; various talks and confidence-building measures have cautiously begun to defuse tensions over Kashmir, particularly since the October 2005 earthquake in the region; Kashmir nevertheless remains the site of the world's largest and most militarized territorial dispute with portions under the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas); India and Pakistan have maintained the 2004 cease fire in Kashmir and initiated discussions on defusing the armed stand-off in the Siachen glacier region; Pakistan protests India's fencing the highly militarized Line of Control and construction of the Baglihar Dam on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir, which is part of the larger dispute on water sharing of the Indus River and its tributaries; UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) has maintained a small group of peacekeepers since 1949; India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in 1964; to defuse tensions and prepare for discussions on a maritime boundary, India and Pakistan seek technical resolution of the disputed boundary in Sir Creek estuary at the mouth of the Rann of Kutch in the Arabian Sea; Pakistani maps continue to show its Junagadh claim in Indian Gujarat State; discussions with Bangladesh remain stalled to delimit a small section of river boundary, to exchange territory for 51 Bangladeshi exclaves in India and 111 Indian exclaves in Bangladesh, to allocate divided villages, and to stop illegal cross-border trade, migration, violence, and transit of terrorists through the porous border; Bangladesh protests India's attempts to fence off high-traffic sections of the border; dispute with Bangladesh over New Moore/South Talpatty/Purbasha Island in the Bay of Bengal deters maritime boundary delimitation; India seeks cooperation from Bhutan and Burma to keep Indian Nagaland and Assam separatists from hiding in remote areas along the borders; Joint Border Committee with Nepal continues to examine contested boundary sections, including the 400 square kilometer dispute over the source of the Kalapani River; India maintains a strict border regime to keep out Maoist insurgents and control illegal cross-border activities from Nepal
Refugees and internally displaced persons:	refugees (country of origin): 77,200 (Tibet/China); 69,609 (Sri Lanka); 9,472 (Afghanistan) IDPs: at least 600,000 (about half are Kashmiri Pandits from Jammu and Kashmir) (2007)
Trafficking in persons:	current situation: India is a source, destination, and transit country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation; internal forced labor may constitute India's largest trafficking problem; men, women, and children are held in debt bondage and face forced labor working in brick kilns, rice mills, agriculture, and embroidery factories; women and girls are trafficked within the country for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced marriage; children are subjected to forced labor as factory workers, domestic servants, beggars, and agriculture workers, and have been used as armed combatants by some terrorist and insurgent groups; India is also a destination for women and girls from Nepal and Bangladesh trafficked for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation; Indian women are trafficked to the Middle East for commercial sexual exploitation; men and women from Bangladesh and Nepal are trafficked through India for forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation in the Middle East tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - India is on the Tier 2 Watch List for a fifth consecutive year for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat human trafficking in 2007; despite the reported extent of the trafficking crisis in India, government authorities made uneven efforts to prosecute traffickers and protect trafficking victims; government authorities continued to rescue victims of commercial sexual exploitation and forced child labor and child armed combatants, and began to show progress in law enforcement against these forms of trafficking; a critical challenge overall is the lack of punishment for traffickers, effectively resulting in impunity for acts of human trafficking; India has not ratified the 2000 UN TIP Protocol (2008)
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; transit point for illicit narcotics produced in neighboring countries and throughout Southwest Asia; illicit producer of methaqualone; vulnerable to narcotics money laundering through the hawala system; licit ketamine and precursor production

Source: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/in.html

State of India - Lakshadweep

Area: 32 sq km

Population: 51,681

Capital Of City: Kavaratti

Languages: Malayalam

Crops:

How You Know: The Lakshadweep islands are coral atolls. An atoll is a coral organism lying at the surface of the ocean, where air and water meet, a condition necessary for the existence of coral life. Each atoll is the top most point of a pillar of limestone extending . Sea water over a lagoon appears turquoise blue. This is because when sunlight penetrates deep waters of the sea the red and yellow rays of the light are absorbed by the water. Thus the light reflected back consists of mostly blue rays. These rays are mixed with the light yellow of the sands which also get reflected because of the clear shallow waters. That is why water over a lagoon seems turquoise blue

History: Lakshadweep, formerly Laccadive (renamed Lakshadweep in 1973), is the smallest Union Territory of India. It is not one big island as many of you might have thought but a collection of islands. The Lakshadweep islands are located some 300 kilometers off the coast of Kerala in the Arabian Sea. What makes them special is that they are India's only coral islands. There are 36 islands in all out of which only 10 are inhabited. Historical records show that around the 7th century, a Muslim saint was shipwrecked on the island of Amini. He converted the inhabitants here to Islam. The rulers of Kerala asserted their sovereignty over the region till the 16th century when it passed to Ali Raja of Cannanore (Kannur) and later, in 1783, to Tipu Sultan. Following the defeat of Tipu Sultan by the British at Srirangapattanam in 1799, the islands were annexed by the East India Company. They remained as a part of British India until the Independence of the country in 1947. The islands were made into a Union Territory in 1956. Ethnically, i.e. by background or origin, the people of this island are very similar to the people of Kerala. Fundu Fact The people of Lakshadweep follow the matriarchal system. This means that after marriage the man goes to live in the woman's house and also brings a dowry with him! Most of the people here belong to the Muslim community and speak Malayalam except in Minicoy where Mahl is spoken. The Lakshadweep islands are very peaceful and crime is almost unheard of. The magnificent turquoise blue lagoons, golden beaches and relative isolation of these islands make them a great tourist destination. Facilities for water sports like windsurfing, scuba diving, parasailing, water skiing and snorkeling are available on most of these islands. The best way to see the islands is through a cruise. Only five of the islands are open to Indian tourists. These are Kavaratti, Minicoy, Kalpeni, Kadamat and Bangaram. For foreigners the choice is limited to the uninhabited island of Bangaram. Other places of tourist interest include the Ujra Mosque at Kavaratti with its beautiful wood carving and the tomb of Hazrat Ubaidullah. The nearly 50 metre tall light house at Minicoy (shown left) is worth a climb. You can get a panoramic view of the top. Those with an interest in history can visit the Buddhist archeological remains at Andrott.

State of India - Pondicherry

Area: 492 sq km

Population: 8,07,785

Capital Of City: Pondicherry

Languages: Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, English and French

How You Know: Pondicherry still has a large number of Tamil residents with French passports. These are people whose ancestors were in French Governmental service and who chose to remain French at the time of Independence.

History: The Union Territory of Pondicherry includes the former French establishments of Pondicherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam in South India (near the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala). Pondicherry, the capital of the territory was once the original headquarters of the French in India. History The origin of Pondicherry is buried in legends. According to one view, the town was once called Vedapuri and was a seat of Vedic culture. It was also the abode of Sage Agastya. The Pallavas ruled it in the 4th centry A.D., the Chola's ruled in the 10th century and the Pandayas in the 13th century. Later the Vijayanagar Empire took control of the area. Their rule lasted till 1638, when the Sultan of Bijapur took control of the area. In 1497 the Portuguese discovered the route to India and began to expand their influence by occupying coastal areas and building harbour towns. After that the Danes and the Dutch set up an establishment. Fundu Fact During the British rule in India, Pondicherry used to be a hide-out for freedom fighters who wanted to escape the the British authorities. Many freedom fighters like Aurobindo Ghosh, Subramania Bharathi, V.V.Subramania Iyer and Subramania Siva took refuge in Pondicherry. In 1673, February 4th, Bellanger, a French officer, took up residence in the Danish Lodge in Pondicherry and the French Period of Pondicherry began. In 1674 Francois Martin, the first Governor, started to build Pondicherry and transformed it from a small fishing village into a flourishing port-town. Dupleix (1742-1754) was one of the most ambitious French governors. He managed to expand French control in India and dreamed of an all India French empire. His dreams were shattered by Robert Clive, a dare-devil English officer, who defeated Dupleix and ended the French hopes of have a colonial empire in India. On November 1, 1954, the French possessions in India were de facto transferred to the Indian Union and Pondicherry became a Union Territory ending 280 years of French rule in the region. But Pondicherry became officially a part of India as late as 1963 after the French Parliament in Paris ratified the Treaty with India. Having once served as the capital of the French India, Pondicherry still retains some of the original French flavour. Colonial architecture including old churches and public buildings speak of the French heritage in India. The Hotel de Ville, the War Memorial, the 4.25 m-tall Gandhi statue, the 27 m (old) lighthouse and the Dupleix statue are the notable attractions along the 1.5 km-long promenade. The Botanical Garden in the town is a memorial left behind by the French. The Auroville ashram attracts a large number of Indians and foreigners. Also known as the Centre of Integral Yoga, this ashram was founded in 1920 by the famous thinker and freedom fighter Sri Aurobindo. The Chunnambar Water Sports Centre Chunnambar about 8 kilometers from Pondicherry town, has ideal facilities for boating, sailing and kayaking. Festivals Pongal, the grandest festival of Tamils, is celebrated with great fanfare and enthusiasm. The three-day celebration is the mark of harvest end and thanks giving. During this time people used to exchange 'Pongal'- the sweet rice item (a must), sweets and greetings. Masimagam Festival around mid-March is the time when the deities of sixty four temples from in and around Pondicherry are brought in the 'Temple car' to the beach for sea bath rituals after which they are taken back to their temples. Fete De Pondicherry is a cutural festival organised every year between August 15 and 17 to mark the Independence Day of Pondicherry.

State of India - West Bengal

Area: 88,752 sq km

Population: 6,79,82,732

Capital Of City: Kolkata

Languages: Bengali

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How You Know: Under the British rule, the state of Bengal covered a vast area, and included the present day states of Bihar, Orissa and the country of Bangladesh. In 1947, when India became independent, Bengal was partitioned between India and Pakistan, with Pakistan's share being called East Pakistan and India's share called West Bengal.

History: West Bengal is one of the most culturally rich and diverse states of India. The state rose to prominence after the British established a trading post at Casim Bazaar in the 17th century and then started the expansion of their colonial empire in India. This proximity with the Britishers meant that Bengal was one of the first places to be exposed to western influences and the English language. Hence a number of early modern Indian social thinkers and intellectuals come from this State. Three of India's Nobel Prize winners are from Bengal. Rabindranath Tagore is undoubtedy one of the most well known Bengali icon. A great social thinker, writer and novelist, Tagore was awarded the Nobel prize for his book of poems 'Gitanjali' and was the first Asian to have been given that honour. His school at Bolpur, called the Santiniketan was formed in 1901 has now expanded into the Viswabharati University. Tagore also wrote and composed over two thousand songs of which 'Jana Gana Mana' written as 'Bharat Bhagya Vidhata' is now our national anthem. West Bengal is one of the few states in India which are ruled by the Communist party. Mr Jyoti Basu the Chief Minister of the state holds the record for being the longest serving democratically elected Chief Minister in the world. His leftist government has won every single state election since 1977. The Sundarbans mangrove sanctuary in the south of West Bengal is famous for its Royal Bengal Tigers. The park covers a vast stretch of mangrove swamp, forested islands and small rivers near the Bay of Bengal and was declared a national park in 1984. You can find the largest tiger population of any national park in the Sunderbans. More than 400 tigers were recorded during the mid-1980s! West Bengal is the only state of India where you can find the Sea, the mountain and the plains. Darjeeling in West Bengal is often referred to as the "Queen of the Mountains". The hills here include the higher reaches of the Himalayas, where the forests of Darjeeling district and the Singhalila National Park share the border with Nepal. The area is a natural habitat for the endangered Red Panda. Land of culture The Dhrupad school of Indian Classical music was founded in Bengal during 16/17th century. Today Calcutta's most famous classical musician is beyond doubt the sitar maestro, Ravi Shankar, who lived in the United States during the 1960s and 70s and introduced Indian classical music to western audiences in a big way. His daughter Anouksha also seems to be following in her father's footsteps. Uday Shankar, elder brother of Ravi Shankar and the partner of the famous ballerina, Anna Pavlova is Bengal's most well known modern dancer. Uday Shankar introduced the concept of fusion of western ballet with India's many classical and folk dance forms long before Hindi films thought of it. The Chhou is unique form of masked dance which comes from Bengal. The dancer impersonates a god, animal, bird, hunter, flower. Chhou masks have human features slightly modified to suggest what they are portraying. The dancer's body communicates the total emotional and psychological tensions of a character. No song is sung, instrumental music ( bamboo flute, drums ) being the only accompaniment. One of the famous Chhou performers is Dhunda Mahato (Dhananjay Mahato). Even before modern theater arrived in Calcutta, Bengal had its own theatrical tradition in the jatra, an open-air theater. The jatra was revived during the Independence movement and used as an effective tool to reach the masses.

State of India - Uttar Pradesh

Area: 2,94,411 sq km

Population: 13,91,12,287

Capital Of City: Lucknow

Languages: Hindi and Urdu

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History: Uttar Pradesh has been one of the most important states in Indian history because of its size and location. Fundu Fact 7 of the India's 10 Prime Ministers come from Uttar Pradesh. The state is one of the most important religious places for Indians. It is believed that the great epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata are based on this state. The Ganges river, which originates and flow through much of the state is the sacred river of Hindus. The birth of Buddhism and Jainism is also connected with Uttar Pradesh. It was at Sarnath, just outside Varanasi, that Buddha first preached his message of the middle way. The name Uttar Pradesh comes from 'United Provinces'. The British had combined Agra and Oudh into one province and called it 'United Provinces of Agra and Oudh'. The name was shortened to the United Provinces in 1935. After independence, the name was changed to a more 'Indian' sounding Uttar Pradesh. Many towns of Uttar Pradesh are famous for their remarkable handicraft products. Chances are you might have heard of Mirzapur's 'hand-knitted carpets', Lucknow's 'chikan' work kurtas, Firozabad's 'glass work', 'Moradabad's 'brass ware', Gorakhpur's 'terracotta' work, Saharanpur's 'wood carving' and Farrukhabad's 'hand printing'. These are only some of the famous exports of Uttar Pradesh. The most popular tourist attraction of Uttar Pradesh is undoubtedly the Taj Mahal. Referred to as the ninth wonder of the world, Taj Mahal is also the monument, which is most often used to represent India. "The world is divided between those who have seen the Taj and those who have not. Very soon, I hope to be on the side that has seen the Taj." William Jefferson Clinton, President, United States of America (while addressing the Indian Parliament on 22.03.2000 before he visited the Taj Mahal). Fatehpur Sikri, the capital city of the Mughals (1570-1586), around 40 km away from Agra is also a must see. The story goes that Emperor Akbar had made a pilgrimage to the powerful saint Sheikh Salim Chisti at this place to ask his blessings for a male heir. The blessings bore fruit and to honour the great saint, Akbar not only name his son Salim but also founded a new city to mark his birth. Lack of adequate water supply and other such factors meant that the city couldn't serve as capital for long, but the majestic palaces built by the Mughal ruler still stand. Land of culture: Kathak, one of the four classical dances of India was born in Uttar Pradesh. Birju maharaj is a well known kathak dancer of India. Heard of Rani Laxmibai, the brave queen of Jhansi? Well, Jhansi is a place in Uttar Pradesh and the fort, which this brave queen defended against the British, still stands as a reminder of the greatness of this courageous lady.

State of India - Uttaranchal

Area: 51,125 sq.km

Population: 58%

Capital Of City: Dehradun

Languages: Hindi

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How You Know: Uttaranchal is also known as Dev Bhoomi (Land of Gods and Goddess) because many sacred sites of Hindus are situated here. Prominent among them are Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri (the place where the holiest river of the hindus originates) and Yamnotri, besides the temple of Surkanda Devi and gurudwara Hemkund Saahib. Religious significance apart, Uttaranchal is also a major tourist destination. The hills of the state have some of the most visited hill stations of the country. Towns like Nanital, Almora, Mussorie, Ranikhet, Bhimtal and the like are some of the favorite summer getaways of people from all over India

History: Uttaranchal became the 26th state of India on 1 November 2000. The state has been carved out of Uttar Pradesh and includes two of the most well known hill stations in India viz. Nainital and Dehradun. It shares international borders with Nepal to the east, while the lower Himalayas separate China in the north. The states of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh border it in the west and northwest respectively.The hilly regions of Kumaon and Garhwal have been known as Uttarakhand since the time of the Puranas (ancient Hindu scriptures). In the colonial period, the numerous districts of present Uttaranchal were ruled over by petty hill princes, who owed their loyalties to the British. After independence, the two areas were included in Uttar Pradesh despite pleas by their residents that they were culturally and geographically different from people in the plains. The demand for separation stayed alive over the decades, as the region remained backward as compared to the rest of Uttar Pradesh. The movement gathered momentum in 1994, when Utttar Pradesh police killed more than two-dozen protesters who were preparing for a rally demanding statehood in New Delhi. Dehradun, the capital city, is the biggest town in the region. The well-known tourist destination was established during the time of the Britishers and is known for its picturesque setting, old colonial bungalows, and prestigious private schools (including the Doon School). The 13 districts of UP that are now a part of Uttaranchal are: Almora, Bageshwar, Chamoli, Champawat, Dehradun, Haridwar, Nainital, Pithoragarh, Pauri Garhwal, Rudra Prayag, Tehri Garhwal, Udham Singh Nagar and Uttarkashi. Of the three states formed recently, Uttaranchal is the only one that is facing financial problems with a deficit of Rupees 10 billion ($215 million). The states' continued backwardness due to a lack of natural resources and industries is to be blamed for this. However, the new administration will be hoping to put Uttaranchal's potential for producing hydroelectricity (40,000 MW - thanks to numerous rivers and streams) to good use. Udham Singh Nagar The new state includes the controversial area of Udham Singh Nagar, which has all along been demanding non-inclusion in the new state. Why did Udham Singh Nagar want to be left out? The answer is not hard to guess. Udham Singh Nagar is more a part of the plains than the hills. The migrant majority in this part of Uttaranchal (Sikhs, Bengalis) feels more at home with people of the plains as opposed to the residents of the hills. The people here fear that they would face discrimination under the new administration. The state is home to many tourist destinations and sacred Hindu sites. The tourism industry rakes in around Rs 250 crore every year and can make a bigger contribution to the state's exchequer if proper attention is paid to developing it. Other industries like horticulture, floriculture and fruit-processing, which have been lagging behind those in other hilly states of India, are also expected to get a boost with the formation of the new state. Think real skiing happens only abroad? Come to Auli, in Uttaranchal and you'll be pleasantly surprised. 16 km from Joshimath in the Chamoli district, Auli is a skier's paradise. Skiers can enjoy almost 20 km of virgin slopes, which provide excellent opportunities for cross-country, slalom and down-hill skiing events. A 500 meters long ski lift and an 800 meters long chair lift link the upper and lower slopes. Then there are special snow beaters and snow-packing machines to maintain the smoothness of the slopes. The joys of Switzerland are closer than you think!