The Republic of India

India is the largest state in South Asia; its area is about 3.3 million km² (7th in the world) and its capital is Delhi (New Delhi). Since 2023 India has been the most populous country in the world, with about 1.4 billion people, overtaking China. It lies on the Indian peninsula between the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, near busy sea routes linking Europe and Asia, which makes its position favourable. It is a parliamentary republic and a federation made up of 28 states and 8 union territories; Delhi is a separate territory. Nature is varied: in the north the world’s highest mountains, the Himalayas, the Ganges-Brahmaputra plain, the Deccan plateau in the south and the Thar Desert in the west. The climate is monsoonal: most rain falls from June to October, and the Himalayas block cold northern winds so winter is hardly felt, so farmers can take two or three crops a year. Minerals are rich: coal, iron, manganese, bauxite, titanium and others; big rivers include the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Godavari. India is one of the world’s most multi-ethnic and multi-lingual states: Hindi and English are official, with many more languages; about 80 % follow Hinduism, Muslims are about 14 %, and there are Christians, Sikhs and Buddhists too. Urbanisation is fairly low (about 36 %); the largest cities are Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Bengaluru. Density is very high in the Ganges valley and on the coasts. The economy is fast-growing and among the five largest in the world by GDP; it is called “a land of contrasts” because modern industry and simple farming, wealth and poverty exist side by side. Main branches: metallurgy, engineering, chemicals and textiles; Bengaluru is an information-technology centre. Many people work in farming, and India is a world leader in rice, wheat, sugar cane, tea, milk and spices.