Official name: ভাৰত গণৰাজ্য (Bharôt Gônôrajya)/ভারতীয় প্রজাতন্ত্র (Bhāratīẏa Prajātantra)/भारत गणराज्य (Bhārat Gaṇarājya)/भारत गणराज्य (Bhārat Gaṇarājya)/Republic of India/ભારતીય ગણરાજ્ય (Bhāratīya Gaṇarājya)/ಭಾರತ ಗಣರಾಜ್ಯ (Bhārata Gaņarājya)/भारत गणराज्य (Bhārat Gaṇarājya)/بہرات گاناراجؠا (Bhārat Gaṇarājya)/भारत प्रजासत्ताक (Bhārat Pojastaka)/भारत गणतन्त्र (Bhārat Gaṇatana)/ഭാരതീയ മഹാരാജ്യം (Bhāratīya Mahārājyam)/भारत गणराज्य (Bhārat Gaṇarājya)/ꯔꯤꯄꯕ꯭ꯂꯤꯛ ꯑꯣꯐ ꯏꯟꯗꯤꯌꯥ (Ripablik of Indijā)/भारत गणतन्त्र (Bhārat Gaṇatana)/ଭାରତ ଗଣରାଜ୍ୟ (Bhārata Ganarājya)/ਭਾਰਤ ਗਣਰਾਜ (Bhārat Gaṇarājya)/भारतगणराज्यम् (Bhārata Ganarājyam)/ᱥᱤᱧᱚᱛ ᱨᱮᱱᱟᱜ ᱟᱹᱯᱱᱟᱹᱛ (Bhārat Gaṇarājya)/ريپبلڪ آف انڊيا (Bhārat Gaṇarājya)/இந்தியக் குடியரசு (Intiyak Kuṭiyaracu)/భారత గణతంత్ర రాజ్యం (Bhārata Gaṇatantra Rājyam)/(Bhārat Jamhooria) جمہوریہ بھارت
Population: 1.4 billion (2023)
Type of government: federal parliamentary republic
Head of state: Droupadi Murmu (President)
Head of government: Narendra Modi (Prime Minister)
Gross domestic product (purchasing power parity): $14.59 trillion (2024)
Gini coefficient of wealth inequality: 32.8% (medium) (2021)
Human Development Index: 0.644 (medium) (2022)
Currency: Indian rupee (INR)
Fun fact: It is home to the world’s highest motorable road.
The country’s name comes from the Sanskrit Sindhu, which means “river” and refers to the Indus River. Its endonym Bhārat derives from Bhāratavarṣa, which refers to the Vedic tribe of Bharatas.
India is located in South Asia and borders China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the north, Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east, the Indian Ocean to the south, and Pakistan to the west.
There are nine main climates: cold desert, cold steppe, tundra, and subarctic in the north, monsoon-influenced humid subtropical in the northeast, dry-winter tropical savanna in the center, east, and south, hot steppe in the center and northwest, tropical monsoon in the southwest, and hot desert in the northwest. Temperatures range from −13 °C (8.6 °F) in winter to 40 °C (104 °F) in summer. The average annual temperature is 21.6 °C (70.8 °F).
The country is divided into twenty-eight states (raajy) and eight union territories (kēndra-śāsita pradēśa). The largest cities in India are Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Ahmedabad.
3300-1300 BCE: Indus Valley Civilization
2000-1500 BCE: Ocher Colored Pottery culture
1900-1300 BCE: Cemetery H culture
1700-1300 BCE: Kikata Kingdom
1700 BCE-550 CE: Magadha Empire
1200-600 BCE: Painted Grey Ware Civilization
1200-500 BCE: Kuru Kingdom
1100 BCE-400 CE: Panchala Kingdom
600-345 BCE: Mahājanapadas
345-322 BCE: Nanda Empire
322-184 BCE: Maurya Empire
312-63 BCE: Seleucid Empire
256-120 BCE: Kingdom of Bactria
200 BCE-10 CE: Indo-Greek Kingdom
187-73 BCE: Shunga Empire
100 BCE-203 CE: Satavahana Empire
19-226 CE: Indo-Parthian Kingdom
345-540: Principality of Banavasi
350-1140: Kamarupa Kingdom
510-816: Kingdom of Kannauj
566-1947: Kingdom of Mewar
753-982: Rashtrakuta Empire
855-1010: Emirate of Multan
947-1304: Kingdom of Malwa
977-1186: Ghaznavid Empire
1206-1526: Sultanate of Delhi
1336-1646: Vijayanagara Empire
1347-1527: Bahmani Sultanate
1352-1539, 1554-1576: Sultanate of Bengal
1394-1573: Sultanate of Gujarat
1399-1950: Kingdom of Mysore
1401-1562: Malwa Sultanate
1434-1541: Gajapati Empire
1445-1526: Langah Sultanate
1490-1636: Sultanate of Ahmednagar
1490-1687: Deccan sultanates
1532-1673: Thanjavur Nayak Kingdom
1674-1818: Maratha Empire
1729-1949: Kingdom of Travancore
1747-1823: Durrani Empire
1748-1799: Sikh Confederacy
1947-1948: Indo-Pakistani War
1947-1950: Union of India
1950-present: Republic of India
1954-1961: Free Dadra and Nagar Haveli
1962: First Sino-Indian War
1967: Second Sino-Indian War
India mainly imports from China, the European Union, and the United Arab Emirates and exports to the United States, the European Union, and the United Arab Emirates. Its top exports are refined oil, rice, and sugar.
It has bauxite, chromite, iron, mica, and oil reserves. Services represent 53.3% of the GDP, followed by industry (28.3%) and agriculture (18.4%).
India is a member of the BRICS, the Commonwealth of Nations, the East Asia Summit, the G20, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
Indo-Aryans represent 75% of the population, while Dravidians account for 20% and Kolarians, Tibeto-Burmans, Khasi, and Tai make up 5%. The main religion is Hinduism, practiced by 79.8% of the population.
It has a negative net migration rate and a fertility rate of 2 children per woman. 37.1% of the population lives in urban areas. Life expectancy is 72 years and the median age is 28.7 years. The literacy rate is 77.7%.
The official languages of the country are Assamese (mother tongue of 1.2% of the population), Bengali (8%), Boro (0.1%), Dogri (0.2%), English (0.02%), Gujarati (4.5%), Hindi (43.6%), Kannada (3.6%), Kashmiri (0.5%), Konkani (0.1%), Maithili (1%), Malayalam (2.8%), Marathi (6.8%), Meitei (0.1%), Nepali (0.2%), Odia (3.1%), Punjabi (2.7%), Sanskrit, Santali (0.6%), Sindhi (0.2%), Tamil (5.7%), Telugu (6.7%), and Urdu (4.1%).
India is notable for its religious diversity, with Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Extended families live together in the same house.
Men traditionally wear a loose tunic (kurta), a piece of cloth wrapped around the legs to resemble pants (dhoti) or a skirt (lungi), and a turban (pagri). Women wear a top (choli) and a fabric wrapped around the body with one end over the shoulder (sari).
Traditional houses in India are made of mud bricks and have tiled roofs, a raised veranda, a courtyard surrounded by pillars, and intricately carved woodwork.
The Indian diet is based on meat, rice, and vegetables. Typical dishes include aloo methi (a stir-fry with potatoes and fenugreek leaves), chicken tikka masala (chicken in a yogurt tomato sauce), palak paneer (spinach leaves and paneer cheese), rasagola (syrup filled balls), and samosas (pastries filled with vegetables, peas, or potatoes).
Like other Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, and Muslim countries, India celebrates Eid al-Fitr; Good Friday; Buddha Purnima, which celebrates Buddha; Mahavir Janma Kalyanak, which commemorates the birth of Mahavira; Eid al-Adha; Ashura; Mawlid; Vihayadashami, which celebrates the victory of good over evil; Diwali, the festival of lights; Guru Nanak’s Birthday, and Christmas Day.
Specific Indian holidays include Republic Day on January 26, Independence Day on August 15, and Gandhi Jayanti on October 2, which honors Mahatma Gandhi.
Other celebrations include the Ganesh Festival, when statues of Ganesha are paraded and then submerged in the ocean; Holi, when people throw colored powder on each other, and Onam, when people decorate the ground in front of their houses with flower arrangements.
There are 42 UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Agra Fort, Ajanta Caves, Archeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara at Nalanda, Bihar, Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi, Champaner-Pavagadh Archeological Park, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Churches and Convents of Goa, Dholavira: a Harappan City, Elephanta Caves, Ellora Caves, Fatehpur Sikri, Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area, Great Living Chola Temples, Group of Monuments at Hampi, Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, Group of Monuments at Pattadakal, Hill Forts of Rajasthan, Historic City of Ahmadabad, Humayun’s Tomb, Jaipur City, Kakatiya Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple, Kaziranga National Park, Keoladeo National Park, Khajuraho Group of Monuments, Khangchendzonga National Park, Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya, Manas Wildlife Sanctuary, Mountain Railways of India, Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks, Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Rani-ki-Vav (the Queen’s Stepwell) at Patan, Gujarat, Red Fort Complex, Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka, Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas, Santiniketan, Sun Temple, Sundarbans National Park, Taj Mahal, The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, The Jantar Mantar, Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai, and Western Ghats.
Other landmarks include the Gateway of India, the Hawa Mahal palace, the Masrur Temples, the Pangong Tso lake, and the Swaminarayan Akshardham temple.
Kalpana Chawla - astronaut
Priyanka Chopra - actress
Pusarla Venkata Sindhu - badminton player
Rabindranath Tagore - poet
Sania Mirza - tennis player
Srisaila Sri Rajamouli - movie director
You can find out more about life in India in this article and this video.
