Introducation of India

The Republic of India is a country in South Asia comprising a major portion of the Indian subcontinent. It has a coastline which stretches over seven thousand kilometres, and shares a border with Pakistan to the west, the People’s Republic of China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the northeast, and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east.

On the Indian Ocean, it is adjacent to three island nations — the Maldives to the southwest, Sri Lanka to the south, and Indonesia to the southeast. India also claims a border with Afghanistan to the northwest.

The name India is derived from the Old Persian version of Sindhu, the historic local appellation for the river Indus (see Origin of India’s name). The Constitution of India, and common usage also recognises Bharat as an official name of equal status. This name is derived from the Sanskrit name of an ancient Hindu king whose story can be found in the Mahabharata.

A third name, Hindustanlisten (Persian: Land of the Hindus) has been used since the twelfth century AD, though its contemporary use is unevenly applied due to domestic disputes over its representativeness as a national signifier.

India is the fourth largest economy in the world in PPP terms, and the tenth largest in absolute (GNP) terms. It is the second most populous country in the world, with a population of over one billion, and is the seventh largest country by geographical area.

It is home to one of the most ancient civilizations in recorded history, and a centre of important historic trade routes. Four major world religions - Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism have Indian origins. India was a part of the British Empire before gaining independence in 1947. In the last twenty years, the country has grown significantly, especially in the economic and military spheres.