INDIA                                                                           
GEOGRAPHY                                                                       
Total area: 3,287,590 km2; land area: 2,973,190 km2                             
                                                                                
Comparative area: slightly more than one-third the size of the US               
                                                                                
Land boundaries: 14,103 km total; Bangladesh 4,053 km, Bhutan 605               
km, Burma 1,463 km, China 3,380, Nepal 1,690 km, Pakistan 2,912 km              
                                                                                
Coastline: 7,000 km                                                             
Maritime claims:                                                                
                                                                                
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;                                                         
                                                                                
Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm;                        
                                                                                
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;                                                
                                                                                
Territorial sea: 12 nm                                                          
                                                                                
Disputes: boundaries with Bangladesh, China, and Pakistan; water                
sharing problems with downstream riparians, Bangladesh over the Ganges          
and Pakistan over the Indus                                                     
                                                                                
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                     
                                                                                
Natural resources: coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world),                 
iron ore, manganese, mica, bauxite, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas,        
diamonds, crude oil, limestone                                                  
                                                                                
Land use: arable land 55%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures             
4%; forest and woodland 23%; other 17%; includes irrigated 13%                  
                                                                                
Environment: droughts, flash floods, severe thunderstorms common;               
deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; air and water pollution;              
desertification                                                                 
                                                                                
Note: dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important                        
Indian Ocean trade routes                                                       
                                                                                
PEOPLE                                                                          
Population: 866,351,738 (July 1991), growth rate 1.9% (1991)                    
                                                                                
Birth rate: 29 births/1,000 population (1991)                                   
                                                                                
Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1991)                                   
                                                                                
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)                          
                                                                                
Infant mortality rate: 87 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)                       
                                                                                
Life expectancy at birth: 57 years male, 59 years female (1991)                 
                                                                                
Total fertility rate: 3.7 children born/woman (1991)                            
                                                                                
Nationality: noun--Indian(s); adjective--Indian                                 
                                                                                
Ethnic divisions: Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and                  
other 3%                                                                        
                                                                                
Religion: Hindu 82.6%, Muslim 11.4%, Christian 2.4%, Sikh 2.0%,                 
Buddhist 0.7%, Jains 0.5%, other 0.4%                                           
                                                                                
Language: Hindi, English, and 14 other official languages--Bengali,             
Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya,              
Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit; 24 languages spoken by       
a million or more persons each; numerous other languages and dialects,          
for the most part mutually unintelligible; Hindi is the national language       
and primary tongue of 30% of the people; English enjoys associate status        
but is the most important language for national, political, and                 
commercial communication; Hindustani, a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu, is       
spoken widely throughout northern India                                         
                                                                                
Literacy: 48% (male 62%, female 34%) age 15 and over can                        
read and write (1990 est.)                                                      
                                                                                
Labor force: 284,400,000; 67% agriculture (FY85)                                
                                                                                
Organized labor: less than 5% of the labor force                                
                                                                                
GOVERNMENT                                                                      
Long-form name: Republic of India                                               
                                                                                
Type: federal republic                                                          
                                                                                
Capital: New Delhi                                                              
                                                                                
Administrative 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,                                  
Himachal 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                         
                                                                                
Independence: 15 August 1947 (from UK)                                          
                                                                                
Constitution: 26 January 1950                                                   
                                                                                
Legal system: based on English common law; limited judicial review              
of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with                  
reservations                                                                    
                                                                                
National holiday: Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Republic,              
26 January (1950)                                                               
                                                                                
Executive branch: president, vice president, prime minister,                    
Council of Ministers                                                            
                                                                                
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Sansad) consists of an                
upper house or Council of States (Rajya Sabha) and a lower house or             
House of the People (Lok Sabha)                                                 
                                                                                
Judicial branch: Supreme Court                                                  
                                                                                
Leaders:                                                                        
                                                                                
Chief of State--President Ramaswamy Iyer VENKATARAMAN (since 25                 
July 1987); Vice President Dr. Shankar Dayal SHARMA (since 3 September          
1987);                                                                          
                                                                                
Head of Government--Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha RAO (since                   
21 June 1991)                                                                   
                                                                                
Political parties and leaders:                                                  
Congress (I) Party, P. V. Narasimha RAO, president;                             
Bharatiya Janata Party, L. K. ADVANI;                                           
Janata Dal Party, V. P. SINGH;                                                  
Communist Party of India/Marxist (CPI/M), E. M. S. NAMBOODIRIPAD;               
Communist Party of India (CPI), C. Rajeswara RAO;                               
Telugu Desam (a regional party in Andhra Pradesh), N. T. Rama RAO;              
All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (AIADMK; a regional party              
in Tamil Nadu), JAYALALITHA;                                                    
Samajwadi Janata Party, CHANDRA SHEKHAR;                                        
Shiv Sena, Bal THACKERAY;                                                       
Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), Tridip CHOWDHURY;                          
Bahujana Samaj Party (BSP), Kanshi RAM;                                         
Congress (S) Party, leader NA;                                                  
Communist Party of India/Marxist-Leninist (CPI/ML), Satyanarayan SINGH;         
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;                                                                       
Asom Gana Parishad (a regional party in Assam), Prafulla MAHANTA                
                                                                                
Suffrage: universal at age 18                                                   
                                                                                
Elections:                                                                      
                                                                                
People's Assembly--last held 21 May, 12 and 15 June                             
1991 (next to be held by November 1996);                                        
results--percent of vote by party NA;                                           
seats--(545 total), 509 elected--Congress (I) Party 225,                        
Bharatiya Janata Party 117,                                                     
Janata Dal Party 55,                                                            
Communist Party of India (Marxist) 35,                                          
Communist Party of India 13,                                                    
Telugu Desam 12,                                                                
AIADMK 11,                                                                      
Samajwadi Janata Party 5,                                                       
Shiv Sena 4,                                                                    
RSP 4,                                                                          
BSP 1,                                                                          
Congress (S) Party 1, other 26; note--second and third rounds of                
voting were delayed because of the assassination of Congress                    
President Rajiv GANDHI on 21 May 1991                                           
                                                                                
Communists: 466,000 members claimed by CPI, 361,000 members claimed             
by CPI/M; Communist extremist groups, about 15,000 members                      
                                                                                
Other political or pressure groups: various separatist groups                   
seeking greater communal autonomy; numerous religious or                        
militant/chauvinistic organizations, including Adam Sena, Anand Marg,           
Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh                          
                                                                                
Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-6,              
G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC,           
ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS,              
NAM, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNAVEM, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UPU,               
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO                                                       
                                                                                
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Abid HUSSEIN;                             
Chancery at 2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008;                  
telephone (202) 939-7000; there are Indian Consulates General in                
Chicago, New York, and San Francisco;                                           
                                                                                
US--Ambassador William CLARK, Jr.; Embassy at Shanti Path,                      
Chanakyapuri 110021, New Delhi; telephone  91  (11) 600651; there are US        
Consulates General in Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras                              
                                                                                
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                                                                         
Overview: India's economy is a mixture of traditional                           
village farming and handicrafts, modern agriculture, old and new branches       
of industry, and a multitude of support services. It presents both the          
entrepreneurial skills and drives of the capitalist system and                  
widespread government intervention of the socialist mold. Growth of 4%          
to 5% annually in the 1980s has softened the impact of population growth        
on unemployment, social tranquility, and the environment. Agricultural          
output has continued to expand, reflecting the greater use of modern            
farming techniques and improved seed that have helped to make India             
self-sufficient in food grains and a net agricultural exporter. However,        
tens of millions of villagers, particularly in the south, have not              
benefited from the green revolution and live in abject poverty. Industry        
has benefited from a partial liberalization of controls. The growth rate        
of the service sector has also been strong. India, however, has been            
challenged more recently by much lower foreign exchange reserves, higher        
inflation, and a large debt service burden.                                     
                                                                                
GNP: $254 billion, per capita $300; real growth rate 4.5% (1990                 
est.)                                                                           
                                                                                
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10.0% (1990)                                  
                                                                                
Unemployment rate: 20% (1990 est.)                                              
                                                                                
Budget: revenues $34 billion; expenditures $54 billion, including               
capital expenditures of $13.3 billion (FY91)                                    
                                                                                
Exports: $17.0 billion (f.o.b., FY90);                                          
                                                                                
commodities--gems and jewelry, engineering goods, clothing,                     
textiles, chemicals, tea, coffee, fish products;                                
                                                                                
partners--EC 25%, US 19%, USSR and Eastern Europe 17%, Japan 10%                
                                                                                
Imports: $24.8 billion (c.i.f., FY90);                                          
                                                                                
commodities--petroleum, capital goods, uncut gems and jewelry,                  
chemicals, iron and steel, edible oils;                                         
                                                                                
partners--EC 33%, Middle East 19%, Japan 10%, US 9%, USSR and                   
Eastern Europe 8%                                                               
                                                                                
External debt: $69.8 billion (1990 est.)                                        
                                                                                
Industrial production: growth rate 8.4% (1990); accounts                        
for about 25% of GDP                                                            
                                                                                
Electricity: 70,000,000 kW capacity; 245,000 million kWh produced,              
290 kWh per capita (1990)                                                       
                                                                                
Industries: textiles, food processing, steel, machinery,                        
transportation equipment, cement, jute manufactures, mining, petroleum,         
power, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, electronics                                  
                                                                                
Agriculture: accounts for about 30% of GNP and employs 67% of                   
labor force; self-sufficient in food grains; principal crops--rice,             
wheat, oilseeds, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, potatoes;                        
livestock--cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats and poultry; fish catch of           
about 3 million metric tons ranks among the world's top 10 fishing              
nations                                                                         
                                                                                
Illicit drugs: licit producer of opium poppy for the                            
pharmaceutical trade, but some opium is diverted to illicit                     
international drug markets; major transit country for illicit narcotics         
produced in neighboring countries                                               
                                                                                
Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $4.4                   
billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments          
(1980-88), $20.1 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $315 million;           
USSR (1970-89), $11.6 billion; Eastern Europe (1970-89), $105 million           
                                                                                
Currency: Indian rupee (plural--rupees);                                        
1 Indian rupee (Re) = 100 paise                                                 
                                                                                
Exchange rates: Indian rupees (Rs) per US$1--18.329 (January                    
1990), 17.504 (1990), 16.226 (1989), 13.917 (1988), 12.962 (1987), 12.611       
(1986), 12.369 (1985)                                                           
                                                                                
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March                                                   
                                                                                
COMMUNICATIONS                                                                  
Railroads: 61,850 km total (1986); 33,553 km 1.676-meter broad                  
gauge, 24,051 km 1.000-meter gauge, 4,246 km narrow gauge (0.762 meter          
and 0.610 meter); 12,617 km is double track; 6,500 km is electrified            
                                                                                
Highways: 1,633,300 km total (1986); 515,300 km secondary and                   
1,118,000 km gravel, crushed stone, or earth                                    
                                                                                
Inland waterways: 16,180 km; 3,631 km navigable by large vessels                
                                                                                
Pipelines: crude oil, 3,497 km; refined products, 1,703 km; natural             
gas, 902 km (1989)                                                              
                                                                                
Ports: Bombay, Calcutta, Cochin, Kandla, Madras, New Mangalore,                 
Port Blair (Andaman Islands)                                                    
                                                                                
Merchant marine: 308 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,087,451               
GRT/10,150,460 DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 8 passenger-cargo,          
100 cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 8 container, 54 petroleum, oils, and       
lubricants (POL) tanker, 10 chemical tanker, 9 combination ore/oil,             
115 bulk, 2 combination bulk                                                    
                                                                                
Civil air: 93 major transport aircraft                                          
                                                                                
Airports: 345 total, 288 usable; 198 with permanent-surface                     
runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 57 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;            
88 with runways 1,220-2,439 m                                                   
Telecommunications: poor domestic telephone service, international              
radio communications adequate; 4,700,000 telephones; stations--96 AM,           
4 FM, 274 TV (government controlled); domestic satellite system for             
communications and TV; 3 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth stations; submarine        
cables to Malaysia and United Arab Emirates                                     
                                                                                
DEFENSE FORCES                                                                  
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Police Force, Border Security                  
Forces, Coast Guard, Assam Rifles                                               
                                                                                
Manpower availability: males 15-49, 232,793,714; 137,259,444 fit                
for military service; about 9,431,908 reach military age (17) annually          
                                                                                
Defense expenditures: $9.2 billion, 3.5% of GNP (FY91)                          
                                                                                
