List of basic India topics.html

For an alphabetical index of this subject, see the List of India-related articles.

Location of India

India, officially known as the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh largest state by geographical area, the second most populous nation, and the largest democracy in the world.¹² India has the world's twelfth largest economy at market exchange rates and the third largest in purchasing power. Economic reforms have transformed it into the second fastest growing large economy.³ However, it still endures high levels of poverty,⁴ illiteracy, and malnutrition. As a diverse society (pluralistic, multilingual, and multiethnic), Indians have made home to a swathe of wildlife in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve⁵⁶ and elsewhere.

India is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the south, the Arabian Sea to the west, and the Bay of Bengal to the east, with a coastline stretching 7,517 kilometers (4,671 mi).⁷ It borders Pakistan to the west;⁸ China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the north-east; and Bangladesh and Burma to the east.

After being colonised by the United Kingdom from the mid-nineteenth century, India became a modern nation state in 1947 after a struggle for independence that was marked by widespread nonviolent resistance.

The following topic outline is provided as an overview of and introduction to India:

Flag of India

Emblem of India

India portal

Taj Mahal

Satellite photo of India.

1 General reference
2 Geography of India
3 Government and politics of India
4 History of India
- 4.1 History of India by period
- 4.2 History by states and territories
5 Culture of India
6 Economy of India
- 6.1 Economy of states
7 Education in India
- 7.1 Education in states
8 Infrastructure of India
9 See also
10 References
11 External links

General reference

Geography of India

Map of India

Main article: Geography of India

India is: a subcontinent and a country
Location:
Population of India: 1,132,446,000 people (2008 estimate) - 2nd most populous country
Area of India: 3,287,590 km² (1,269,346 sq mi) - 7th largest country
Atlas of India
Subcontinent (India is one)

Environment of India

Main article: Environment of India

Geographic features of India

Main article: Landforms of India

Physical divisions of India

See also: Ecoregions of India

The northern mountains including the Himalayas, which includes the Kuen Lun and the Karakoram ranges and the northeast mountain ranges.
Indo-Gangetic plains
Thar Desert
Central Highlands and Deccan Plateau
Eastern coastal plains
Western coastal plains
Bordering seas and islands

Administrative divisions of India

Main article: Administrative divisions of India

Structure

                               Union of India
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     |                                                                 |
  States                                                     Union Territories
     |                                                                 |
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                                      |
                                  Divisions
                                      |
                                  Districts
                                      |
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     |                    |                      |                    |
  Blocks      Municipal Corporations      Municipalities       City Councils
 (Tehsils)      (Maha-Nagar-Palika)       (Nagar-Palika)     (Nagar-Panchayat)
     |                    |                      |                    |
     |                    ---------------------------------------------
     |                                           |
  Villages                                     Wards
(Graam/Gau'n)