Capital : New Delhi
Area :
Total: 3,287,590 sq km
Land: 2,973,190 sq km
Water: 314,400 sq km 
People
Population :
1,129,866,200 (2007 estimate)
Population growth :
Population growth rate :
1.61 percent (2007 estimate)
Projected population in 2025 :
1,448,821,234 (2007 estimate)
Projected population in 2050 :
1,807,878,574 (2007 estimate)
Population density :
380 persons per sq km (2007 estimate)
984 persons per sq mi (2007 estimate)
Urban/rural distribution
Share urban
29 percent (2005 estimate)
Share rural
71 percent (2005 estimate)
Largest cities, with population
Kolkata (Calcutta)
13,216,546 (2001)
Delhi
12,791,458 (2001)
Mumbai (Bombay)
11,914,398 (2001)
Chennai (Madras)
6,424,624 (2001)
Hyderābād
5,533,640 (2001)
Ethnic groups
Indo-Aryan
72 percent
Dravidian :
25 percent
Other :
3 percent
Languages :
There are 24 languages spoken in India by at least 1 million people each. Numerous other languages and dialects are also spoken. Hindi is the official national language and is the primary language for 40 percent of the population. Other official languages include Assamese, Bangla, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithali, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu. Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu and is spoken widely throughout northern India. English has associate status as the official working language and is important for national, political, and commercial matters.
Hindi :
40 percent
Bengali :
8 percent
Telugu :
8 percent
Marathi :
7 percent
Tamil :
6 percent
Urdu :
5 percent
Gujarati :
5 percent
Kannada :
4 percent
Malayalam :
4 percent
Oriya :
3 percent
Punjabi :
3 percent
Assamese :
2 percent
Other :
5 percent
Religious affiliations*
Hindu :
80.5 percent
Muslim :
13.4 percent
Christian :
2.3 percent
Sikh :
1.9 percent
Buddhist :
0.8 percent
Nonreligious :
0.7 percent
Other :
0.4 percent
*2001 Census
Health and Education
Life expectancy :
Total :
68.6 years (2007 estimate)
Female :
71.2 years (2007 estimate)
Male :
66.3 years (2007 estimate)
Infant mortality rate :
35 deaths per 1,000 live births (2007 estimate)
Population per physician :
1,951 people (2004)
Population per hospital bed :
1,111 people (2003)
Literacy rate :
Total :
56.6 percent (2005 estimate)
Female :
43 percent (2005 estimate)
Male :
69.5 percent (2005 estimate)
Education expenditure as a share of gross national product (GNP) :
2.9 percent (1999-2000)
Number of years of compulsory schooling :
9 years (2002-2003)
Number of students per teacher, primary school :
41 students per teacher (2002-2003)
Government
Form of government :
Federal republic
Head of state :
President
Head of government :
Prime minister
Legislature :
Bicameral legislature
Lok Sabha (House of the People): 545 members
Rajya Sabha (Council of States): 245 members
Voting qualifications :
Universal at age 18
Constitution :
26 January 1950; amended 1975, 1986, 1992, 2000, 2002, 2003
Highest court :
Supreme Court
Armed forces :
Army, Navy, Air Force
Total number of military personnel :
1,325,000 (2004)
Military expenditures as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) :
2.6 percent (2003)
First-level political divisions
28 states and 7 union territories
Economy
Gross domestic product (GDP, in U.S.$)
$805.7 billion (2005)
GDP per capita (U.S.$)
$736.10 (2005)
GDP by economic sector
Agriculture, forestry, fishing
18.3 percent (2005)
Industry
27.3 percent (2005)
Services
54.4 percent (2005)
Employment
Number of workers
435,035,740 (2005)
Workforce share of economic sector
Agriculture, forestry, fishing
67 percent (1995)
Industry
13 percent (1995)
Services
20 percent (1995)
Unemployment rate :
4.3 percent (2000)
National budget (U.S.$)
Total revenue :
$86,182 million (2004)
Total expenditure :
$108,760 million (2004)
Monetary unit :
1 Indian rupee (Re), consisting of 100 paise
Agriculture :
Sugarcane, rice, wheat, tea, cotton, jute, vegetables, melons, sorghum, millet, cashews, coffee, spices, livestock
Mining :
Iron ore, coal, bauxite, manganese, mica, dolomite, copper, petroleum, natural gas, chromium, lead, limestone, phosphate rock, zinc, gold, silver
Manufacturing :
Textiles, iron and steel, processed agricultural products, machinery, transportation equipment, nonferrous metals, fertilizer, refined petroleum, chemicals, computer software
Major exports :
Gems and jewelry, engineering goods, garments, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, cotton yarn and fabrics, leather and leather goods, marine products, iron ore, tea, vegetables and fruit, petroleum products, handmade carpets
Major imports :
Petroleum and petroleum products, nonelectric machinery, precious and semiprecious stones, inorganic chemicals, iron and steel, fertilizers, electrical machinery, resins and plastics
Major trade partners for exports :
United States, United Kingdom, Hong Kong SAR, Germany, and Japan
Major trade partners for imports :
United States, Singapore, Belgium, United Kingdom, and Germany
Population :
1,129,866,200 (2007 estimate)
Population growth :
Population growth rate :
1.61 percent (2007 estimate)
Projected population in 2025 :
1,448,821,234 (2007 estimate)
Projected population in 2050 :
1,807,878,574 (2007 estimate)
Population density :
380 persons per sq km (2007 estimate)
984 persons per sq mi (2007 estimate)
Urban/rural distribution
Share urban
29 percent (2005 estimate)
Share rural
71 percent (2005 estimate)
Largest cities, with population
Kolkata (Calcutta)
13,216,546 (2001)
Delhi
12,791,458 (2001)
Mumbai (Bombay)
11,914,398 (2001)
Chennai (Madras)
6,424,624 (2001)
Hyderābād
5,533,640 (2001)
Ethnic groups
Indo-Aryan
72 percent
Dravidian :
25 percent
Other :
3 percent
Languages :
There are 24 languages spoken in India by at least 1 million people each. Numerous other languages and dialects are also spoken. Hindi is the official national language and is the primary language for 40 percent of the population. Other official languages include Assamese, Bangla, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithali, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu. Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu and is spoken widely throughout northern India. English has associate status as the official working language and is important for national, political, and commercial matters.
Hindi :
40 percent
Bengali :
8 percent
Telugu :
8 percent
Marathi :
7 percent
Tamil :
6 percent
Urdu :
5 percent
Gujarati :
5 percent
Kannada :
4 percent
Malayalam :
4 percent
Oriya :
3 percent
Punjabi :
3 percent
Assamese :
2 percent
Other :
5 percent
Religious affiliations*
Hindu :
80.5 percent
Muslim :
13.4 percent
Christian :
2.3 percent
Sikh :
1.9 percent
Buddhist :
0.8 percent
Nonreligious :
0.7 percent
Other :
0.4 percent
*2001 Census
Health and Education
Life expectancy :
Total :
68.6 years (2007 estimate)
Female :
71.2 years (2007 estimate)
Male :
66.3 years (2007 estimate)
Infant mortality rate :
35 deaths per 1,000 live births (2007 estimate)
Population per physician :
1,951 people (2004)
Population per hospital bed :
1,111 people (2003)
Literacy rate :
Total :
56.6 percent (2005 estimate)
Female :
43 percent (2005 estimate)
Male :
69.5 percent (2005 estimate)
Education expenditure as a share of gross national product (GNP) :
2.9 percent (1999-2000)
Number of years of compulsory schooling :
9 years (2002-2003)
Number of students per teacher, primary school :
41 students per teacher (2002-2003)
Government
Form of government :
Federal republic
Head of state :
President
Head of government :
Prime minister
Legislature :
Bicameral legislature
Lok Sabha (House of the People): 545 members
Rajya Sabha (Council of States): 245 members
Voting qualifications :
Universal at age 18
Constitution :
26 January 1950; amended 1975, 1986, 1992, 2000, 2002, 2003
Highest court :
Supreme Court
Armed forces :
Army, Navy, Air Force
Total number of military personnel :
1,325,000 (2004)
Military expenditures as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) :
2.6 percent (2003)
First-level political divisions
28 states and 7 union territories
Economy
Gross domestic product (GDP, in U.S.$)
$805.7 billion (2005)
GDP per capita (U.S.$)
$736.10 (2005)
GDP by economic sector
Agriculture, forestry, fishing
18.3 percent (2005)
Industry
27.3 percent (2005)
Services
54.4 percent (2005)
Employment
Number of workers
435,035,740 (2005)
Workforce share of economic sector
Agriculture, forestry, fishing
67 percent (1995)
Industry
13 percent (1995)
Services
20 percent (1995)
Unemployment rate :
4.3 percent (2000)
National budget (U.S.$)
Total revenue :
$86,182 million (2004)
Total expenditure :
$108,760 million (2004)
Monetary unit :
1 Indian rupee (Re), consisting of 100 paise
Agriculture :
Sugarcane, rice, wheat, tea, cotton, jute, vegetables, melons, sorghum, millet, cashews, coffee, spices, livestock
Mining :
Iron ore, coal, bauxite, manganese, mica, dolomite, copper, petroleum, natural gas, chromium, lead, limestone, phosphate rock, zinc, gold, silver
Manufacturing :
Textiles, iron and steel, processed agricultural products, machinery, transportation equipment, nonferrous metals, fertilizer, refined petroleum, chemicals, computer software
Major exports :
Gems and jewelry, engineering goods, garments, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, cotton yarn and fabrics, leather and leather goods, marine products, iron ore, tea, vegetables and fruit, petroleum products, handmade carpets
Major imports :
Petroleum and petroleum products, nonelectric machinery, precious and semiprecious stones, inorganic chemicals, iron and steel, fertilizers, electrical machinery, resins and plastics
Major trade partners for exports :
United States, United Kingdom, Hong Kong SAR, Germany, and Japan
Major trade partners for imports :
United States, Singapore, Belgium, United Kingdom, and Germany