Country Information

South Asia.

3,287,263 sq km (1,269,219 sq miles).

1,220,800,359 (2013).

371.4 per sq km.

New Delhi.

Republic.

India shares borders to the northwest with Pakistan, to the north with China, Nepal and Bhutan, and to the east with Bangladesh and Myanmar. To the west lies the Arabian Sea, to the east the Bay of Bengal and to the south the Indian Ocean. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are Indian territory but lie off the coast of Thailand in the Bay of Bengal. Sri Lanka lies off the southeast coast, and the Maldives off the southwest coast.

The far northeastern states and territories are all but separated from the rest of India by Bangladesh as it extends northwards from the Bay of Bengal towards Bhutan. India is separated from the rest of Asia by mountain ranges, forest, and desert -the Himalayan mountain range in the north, the Thar Desert in the west and the Chin Hills and Patkai ranges in the east. The Indus River runs through the northern disputed territory of Jammu & Kashmir. The most sacred of rivers, the Ganges, is in the east.

Hindi is the official language of India and, used by about 40% of the population, India's most widely spoken. English is also enshrined in the constitution for a wide range of official purposes. In addition, 18 regional languages are recognised by the constitution. These include Bengali, Gujarati, Oriya and Punjabi, which are used in respective regions, and Tamil and Telugu, which are common in the south. Other regional languages include Kannada, Malayalam and Marathi. The Muslim population largely speaks Urdu.

About 80% Hindu, 13% Muslim, with Sikh, Christian, Jain, Parsi and Buddhist minorities.

GMT + 5.5.

The traditional Hindu greeting is to fold the hands, tilt the head forward and say namaste. Indian women generally prefer not to shake hands. All visitors are asked to remove footwear when entering places of religious worship. Most Indians also remove their footwear when entering their homes; visitors should follow suit. Many Hindus are vegetarian and many, especially women, do not drink alcohol. Most Sikhs and Parsis do not smoke. Women are expected to dress modestly and men should also dress respectfully. Women should not wear short skirts and tight or revealing clothing, although there is a more casual approach to clothing in Goa.

230-240 volts AC, 50Hz. Some areas have a DC supply. Plugs are of the round two- and three-pin type.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh since 2004.

President Pranab Mukherjee since 2012.

Pratibha Patil became India's first female president in July 2007 and her supporters hailed her election as a victory for women. She succeeds APJ Abdul Kalam, an esteemed scientist and the architect of the country's missile programme. Patil, of the ruling Congress Party, was previously the governor of Rajasthan.

India has seen several women in powerful positions - most notably Indira Gandhi, one of the world's first female prime ministers in 1966 - but activists say that women still face widespread discrimination both within and beyond the political arena.

Indian foreign policy continues to be dominated by relations with Pakistan. The main cause of friction is the status of Kashmir, a disputed territory straddling both nations. Historically, the USA and China had backed Pakistan while India had close relations with the Soviet Union. The demise of the Soviet Union has not, however, damaged India. China has long viewed India as a rival, however relations between these two emerging economic powers have been steadily improving over recent years.