Official Name: Bharat (Republic of India)

Capital: New Delhi

Flag: The colours of the Indian flag were taken from the flag of the Indian National Congress. Dark orange represents courage and sacrifice. Green represents faith, fertility, and chivalry. White represents truth and peace. The emblem in the centre, a Buddhist dharma chakra, or wheel of life, was added upon independence in 1947.

Anthem: "Jana-Gana-Mana-Adhinayaka, Jaya Hé" ( Written by Rabindranath Tagore )

IMPORTANT DATES

about 3500 BC Civilization sprang up in the Indus River valley.

about 1700 BC Aryan tribes invaded India and settled mainly in the Punjab region of India. Their arrival set off a series of wars.

326 BC Alexander the Great began to conquer India before his own troops forced him to turn back.

about AD 150-450 Sanskrit culture thrived under the Kushan Empire, and later under the Gupta Empire. Trade with the Middle East and the Roman Empire greatly enriched India.

520 Invading Huns under Mihirakula destroyed Gupta power in India.

1192 Islamic Turkish invaders from Afghanistan overran much of northern India. They founded the Delhi Sultanate.

1398 The Mongol conqueror Tamerlane sacked Delhi. The Delhi Sultanate split into small warring kingdoms.

1498 The Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama arrived at Kozhikode. Portugal soon dominated Indian Ocean trade.

1600 The British East India Company was founded.

1757 British East India Company forces under Robert Clive won control of Bengal at the Battle of Plassey. The company soon began expanding its control.

1857 The Sepoy Mutiny erupted. Indian forces massacred British residents at Delhi, Lucknow, and many other places. The revolt was later crushed by British forces, and the British government assumed full control of India.

1885 The Indian National Congress was founded.

1919 British forces killed more than 400 Indians and wounded over 1,200 in the Jalian Wala Bagh (Amritsar) Massacre.

1920-1921 Mohandas Gandhi introduced non-violent tactics that transformed the Indian independence movement into a popular campaign.

1947 British India was divided into the independent states of India and Pakistan. Jawaharlal Nehru became India's first prime minister.

1948 Mohandas Gandhi was assassinated.

1974 India exploded an atomic bomb, altering the balance of power in South Asia.

1984 Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by Sikh members of her security guard.

1990s Tensions increased between India and Pakistan over the continuing conflict in the Kashmir region.

1991 Indira Gandhi's son Rajiv was assassinated by Tamil separatists while campaigning in a general election won by his Congress (I) Party.

1996 An inconclusive general election in April and May brought an end to the political dominance of the Congress (I) Party.

SALIENT FEATURES

Area 3,287,263 sq km (1,269,219 sq mi)

Highest Point Kanchenjunga 8,598 m (28,208 ft) above sea level

Lowest Point Sea level along the coast

Average Temperatures

Average Annual Rainfall: New Delhi 640 mm (25 in) Bombay 1,810 mm (71 in)

Population : 920,000,000 (1995 estimate)

Population Density : 280 people/sq km (725 people/sq mi) (1995 estimate)

Urban/Rural Breakdown: 26% Urban 74% Rural

Largest Cities: Bombay 9,925,891 Delhi 7,206,704 Calcutta 4,309,819 (1991 census)

Largest Metropolitan Areas: Bombay 12,596,243 Calcutta 11,021,915 Delhi 8,419,084 (1991 census)

Ethnic Groups 72% Indo-Aryans 25% Dravidians 3% Others including Mongoloids

Languages: Official Languages Hindi , English 16 regional languages, including Gujarati, Bengali, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Urdu, Oriya, Malayalam, Kannada, Punjabi, and Bhojpuri, plus many local languages

Religions 82% Hinduism 12% Islam 6% Other including Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Jainism

Form of Government: Federal parliamentary democracy

Head of State: President Five-year term

Head of Government: Prime minister Appointed by the President (the leader of the majority party in the Lower House of Parliament)

Legislature: Bicameral legislature Lok Sabha (House of the People) 545 members

                                                Rajya Sabha (Council of States) 245 members

Voting Qualifications: Universal suffrage for all citizens aged 18 and over

Highest Court: Supreme Court

Armed Services: Army, Navy, Air Force 1,145,000 troops; voluntary service

Political Divisions: 25 states and 6 union territories

Major Universities and Colleges: University of Bombay, University of Calcutta, University of Madras, University of Delhi

Here are some links to India-related sites you may find informative and interesting!

http://www.siri.co.in/indiainfo.html

http://www.indiaplaza.com/index.html

http://travel.indiamart.com/index.html

http://www.timesofindia.com/

http://www.indiabuzz.com/ypages.htm

http://www.nic.in