India is, by area, the seventh largest country in the world, but by population, it is the second largest. The Indian mainland extends between latitudes 8" 4' and 37” 6’ north and longitudes 68” 7’ and 97” 25’ east. It covers an area of 3,287,263 sq. km. From north to south, the country measures 3,214 km and from east to west 2,933 km. India's land frontiers are approximately 15,200 km long and its coastline is about 7,516 km. includes A & N Island and Lakshadweep regions.
India's northern boundary is demarcated by the Himalayas and other mountain ranges, except in the Nepal region, which is marked by low hills. China, Nepal and Bhutan are India's neighbours in the north-east and Pakistan and Afghanistan in the north-west. To the east of India lies Myanmar, while surrounded by India's eastern and north-eastern states is Bangladesh. Eastern India is, as a result, linked to the north-eastern territories by a strip of land that is only about 50 km wide at its narrowest. Below the broad territorial expanse of northern India is Peninsular India, with the Arabian Sea to its west and the Bay of Bengal to the east. Just south of peninsular india is Sri Lanka, separated from the mainland of india by the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar. The Andaman and Nicobar islands in the Bay of Bengal and Lakshadweep (The 100,000 islands) and Minicoy in the Arabian Sea are integral parts of Indian Territory.
THE LAND REGIONS
This great landmass is divided into four fairly clear, physically identifiable regions: the great norther mountain zone, the sprawing Indo-Gangetic Plain, the desert area and the Southern Peninsula.
The mountain region, about one-sixth the area of India, virtually stretches from one end of India to the other in the northernmost part of the country and comprises three almost parallel ranges between which are found large plateaux and beautiful fertile valleys. These mountain ranges extend over a distance of around 2,400 km. The three ranges together make a wall that is between 240 and 320 km deep. In these mountain ranges are found some of the highest peaks in the world. In Eastern India, however, the ranges are of a much lower altitude.
The river valleys of the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra merge to form the indo-Gangetic plain, which extends across Northern India for about 2,400 km, with a width varying from 260 to 350 km. This almost flat plain, one of the world's greatest stretches of flat alluvium, is amongst the most densely populated areas on earth. It is a little over a quarter as large as the mountain region.
The desert region of India comprises the ‘great desert’ and the ‘little desert’. The former extends northwards from the edge of the Rann of Kachchh and covers virtually the whole of the Rajasthan-Sind frontier. The ‘little desert’ stretches from between Jaisalmer and Jodhpur to a little beyond the north of Rajasthan. Between both deserts is racky waste.
Separated by the Aravall, Vindhiya, Satpura, Maikala and Ajanta mountain ranges from the Indo-Gangetic Plain is the peninsular plateau. This plateau is flanked by the Eastern Ghats and the Western Ghats, the former averaging about 600 metres in height and the latter around 1,000 metres (with certain peaks over 2,000 metres). The western ghats fall abruptly to the Arabian Sea. The narrow strip of land thus formed is an area of great fertility. Between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal is a much broader coastal area of varying fertility. Joining both Ghats at the southern point of the great plateau are the Nigiri Hills.
THE RIVER SYSTEM
India's
river system comprises the Himalayan rivers, the Deccan rivers, the coastal
rivers and the rivers of the inland drainage basin. The snow-fed Himalayan
rivers have a continuous flow and during monsoon months are liable to flood.
The rain-fed Deccan rivers are mainly non-perennial and have an uncertain flow
of water. Like many of the Deccan rivers, several of the coastal rivers, especially
on the west coast, are non-perennial. Most of these coastal rivers have limited
catchment areas. The streams of the inland drainage basin of western Rajasthan
are generally ephemeral in character.
THE CLIMATE
India has four climatic seasons. Winter is from December to February. The hot-weather season (Summer) is from March to May. The South West Monsoon, or the rainy season, is from June to September. And the post-monsoon sea-son, which is the North-East Monsoon in South India is from October-November. Summer is hot everywhere, except in the hills, many a hill station at this time of the year comes to life to celebrate a gay holiday ‘season’. The post-monsoon season and winter are generally the most pleasant times of the year throughout the country.
Rainfall in India tends to be variable. The north-eastern region, the western slopes of the Western Ghats and parts of the Himalayas have very heavy rainfall, receiving over 2,000 mm annually. The eastern part of the peninsula, extending up to the northern plains, receives rainfall varying from 1,000 to 2,000 mm a year, while the area from Western Deccan up to the Punjab plains gets between 100 mm and 500 mm a year. Rajasthan, Kachchh and Ladakh have hardly any rainfall.
FLORA & FAUNA
India has a wealth of flora and fauna. It is estimated that there are over 372 species of mammals, 1,228 species of birds, 60,000 species of insects in addition to hundreds of species of fishes and reptiles in the country.
India's animal wealth comprises the elephant, the last remaining lions outside Aftica, the Royal Bengal tiger and a declining rhinoceros population, the wild buffalo (Indian bison), several of the leopard and smaller cat species and a wide variety of deer, monkeys and wild goat. A wide range of snakes, lizards and crocodiles comprises the main reptile population, while the bird wealth of the country ranges from colourful peacocks and parrots to large stocks of migrant water birds.
Much of the fauna of the country is protected by the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. A consequence of the protective measures has been the development of 84 national parks, 447 wildlife sanctuaries and 35 zoological gardens.
Indian flora varies from the Western Himalayan to the Eastern Himalayan and Assamese, from the species of the Indus Plain to those of the Gangetic Plain, from the Deccani and Malabari to the Vegetation of the Andaman Islands. The floral wealth ranges from the Alpine to the temperate thorn, from the coniferous to the evergreen, from scrub to deciduous forests, from thick tropical jungle to cool temperate woods.
POPULATION
India's 28 States and 8 Union Territories have a population officially assessed in 2001 as 1027, 015,247. The average density of population per sq km. at the time was 324. Ranging from a high of 9294 to a low of 13. For every 1,000 males there are 933 females. The literacy rate in the country is 65.38%. Hindus account for approximately 82.4% of the population, Muslims for about 11.7%, Christians for about 2.3%, Sikhs for around 2.0% and Buddhists for about 0.7%.
GOVERNMENT
India is a Sovereign Democratic Socialist Secular Republic enjoying a parliamentary system of Government. The republic has a Constitution, which came into force on January 26, 1950.
The country being a union of States, the Constitution is federal in structure but has unitary features. The President of India is the constitutional head of the executive of the Union, but the real executive power vests in the council of Ministers, headed by the Prime Minister. This Council is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha (the House of the People). In each state, there is similar organisation. The Governor is the head of the State executive, but the Council of Ministers, with the Chief Minister as the head, is responsible to the State Legislative Assembly, which carries on the executive Government. The areas of jurisdiction of the Union and the States are clearly demarcated.
The Union Parliament comprises of the President, the speaker and two Houses, the Rajya Sabha (the Council of Ministers) and the Lok Sabha. The Lok Sabha has 543 members, mostly elected from 28 States and 8 Union Territones. Two nominated members represent the Anglo-Indiancammunity. The Rajya Sabha cannot have more than 250 members, including nominated members, and at present, it is constituted of 245 members, 233 representing the States and Union Territories and 12 nominated to represent literature, science, art and social service.
The Indian Constitution guarantees citizens certain Fundamental Rights: the right to equality, the right to freedom (including speech etc.), the right against exploitation, the right to free profession of religion, the right of minorities to conserve their cultures, the right to property and the right to constitutional remedies for enforcement of these rights.
LANGUAGE
Hindi is the official language of India, but English may also be used. Though India has 1,652 dialects, the main languages of the country, besides Hindi and English, are Assamese, Bengali, Gujarathi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. Sanskrit is also constitutionally recognised as one of India's languages.