Government type

federal republic

Capital

New Delhi

Administrative divisions

28 states and 7 union territories*; Andaman and Nicobar Islands*, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh*, Chhattisgarh, Dadar 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, Pondicherry*, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal

National holiday

Republic Day, 26 January (1950), Independence Day, 15 August (1947), Birthday of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti, 2 October.

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Map references

Asia

Area

total: 3,287,590 sq km
land: 2,973,190 sq km
water: 314,400 sq km

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

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

GDP

purchasing power parity - US$ 2.86 Trillion (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

7 - 8% (2005-06 projected)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - US$ 2690

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 22%
industry: 22%
services: 56% (2005)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 60%, services 23%, industry 17% (1999)

Industries

textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery, software

Agriculture - products

rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, potatoes

Exports

US$ 79.59 billion (April - March 2004-05)
US$ 28.13 billion (April - July 2005)

Exports - commodities

Textile goods, gems and jewelry, engineering goods, chemicals, leather manufactures

Exports - partners

US 18.4%, China 7.8%, UAE 6.7%, UK 4.8%, Hong Kong 4.3%, Germany 4% (2004)

Imports

US$ 106.12 billion (April - March 2004-05)
US$ 42.11 billion (April - July 2004-05)

Imports - commodities

crude oil, machinery, gems, fertilizer, chemicals

Imports - partners

US 7%, Belgium 6.1%, China 5.9%, Singapore 4.8%, Australia 4.6%, UK 4.6%, Germany 4.5% (2004)

Currency

Indian rupee (INR)

Currency code

INR

Exchange rates

US$ 1 = Rs. 43.81 (September 12 2005)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March