India, officially Republic
of India (Hindi Bharat), country in southern Asia, located on the
subcontinent of India. It is bounded on the north by China, Nepal, and Bhutan;
on the east by Bangladesh, Myanmar (formerly known as Burma), and the Bay of
Bengal; on the south by the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannār (which separates
it from Sri Lanka) and the Indian Ocean; and on the west by the Arabian Sea and
Pakistan. India is divided into 28 states and 7 union territories (including
the National Capital Territory of Delhi). New Delhi is the country’s capital.
The world’s seventh largest
country in area, India occupies more than 3 million sq km (1 million sq mi),
encompassing a varied landscape rich in natural resources. The Indian Peninsula
forms a rough triangle framed on the north by the world’s highest mountains,
the Himalayas, and on the east, south, and west by oceans. Its topography
varies from the barren dunes of the Thar Desert to the dense tropical forests
of rain-drenched Assam state. Much of India, however, consists of fertile river
plains and high plateaus. Several major rivers, including the Ganges, Brahmaputra,
and Indus, flow through India. Arising in the northern mountains and carrying
rich alluvial soil to the plains below, these mighty rivers have supported
agriculture-based civilizations for thousands of years.
With more than 1 billion
inhabitants, India ranks second only to China among the world’s most populous
countries. Its people are culturally diverse, and religion plays an important
role in the life of the country. About 81 percent of the people practice
Hinduism, a religion that originated in India. Another 13 percent are Muslims,
and millions of others are Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains. Eighteen
major languages and more than 1,000 minor languages and dialects are spoken in
India.
India’s long history
stretches back to the Indus Valley civilization of about 2500-1700 bc. For hundreds of years, India was
home to massive empires and regional kingdoms. British rule in India began in
the ad 1700s. Foreign domination
engendered Indian nationalism, which eventually led to India winning its
independence in 1947. With independence, part of India became the new
predominantly Muslim nation of Pakistan. The two nations subsequently struggled
over border differences and Hindu-Muslim relations. India and Pakistan fought
two wars over the Jammu and Kashmīr region, and the status of the territory
remains in dispute. India’s federal political system, a democracy for more than
50 years, has demonstrated a remarkable resilience in resolving domestic and
international crises. India has grown since independence to have great
influence on Asia and a massive world presence. The country is a member of the
Commonwealth of Nations, an association of political entities that once gave or
currently give allegiance to the British monarchy.
The Indian economy has also
evolved since independence. Once heavily dependent on agriculture, it has
expanded in recent years into the realms of industry and services. Economic
reforms in 1991 dramatically altered economic policy to privatize state-owned
enterprises and to promote competition and investment. The economic focus of
the country has since changed from one based on self-sufficiency to one based
on trade with other countries.
