India – A Brief Introduction
India, officially known as the Republic of India, is a federal constitutional republic with a parliamentary democracy, located in South Asia. With a population of over 1.2 billion people, India is the second most populous nation in the world with China being the only preceding nation. It however holds the status of being the most populous democracy in the world. India has a total geographical area of 3,287,263 square kilometers, which makes it the seventh largest country in the world.
India is bordered by Pakistan in the west; Bhutan, China and Nepal in the northeast, Bangladesh and Myanmar in the east, the Arabian Sea in the southwest, the Bay of Bengal in the southeast and the Indian Ocean in the south. It also shares a maritime border with Sri Lanka, Maldives, Thailand and Indonesia. Of these, Sri Lanka and Maldives lie in the vicinity of mainland India while Thailand and Indonesia are in vicinity of Andaman and Nicobar, which is a union territory of the Union of India.
India has the tenth largest economy in the world in terms of nominal GDP on stands on fourth position on the globe by purchasing power parity. Though problems like corruption, inadequate public health, poverty and illiteracy are still prevalent in India but after the economic reforms of 1991, the country has managed to become one of the fastest growing economies in the world.
India is also recognized for its demonstration of a rich and diverse culture since historic era. It is the point of origin to four major religions of the world – Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. Three other major religions, namely, Zoroastrianism, Christianity and Islam are also known to have penetrated into the Indian soil in early 1st millennium AD. These and several other religions have contributed in providing this nation its cultural diversity. In addition to this diversity of religions, India also displays diversity in languages and dialects. This further adds to its cultural diversity.
Back in its history, India has been home to the Indus Valley and the Harappa Civilization which are believed to be some of the earliest human settlements on the globe. Signs obtained from the archeological sites of these civilizations shows that India had been a rich spot of trade and commerce even in those early years, as it has been in its entire recorded history. Nations wealth and resources have been a source of attraction to the foreign traders and invaders in medieval history of India. Perhaps it was for this reason that this country suffered numerous invasions in the medieval era.
Since the early eighteenth century, India came under the gradual control of the East India Company. Later the nation was directly ruled and administered by the United Kingdom after its failed attempt of independence in form of the revolt of 1857. India finally achieved its independence in 1947 after a long struggle which was marked by non-violent resistance under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi.
The parliamentary democracy of India comprises of 28 states and 7 union territories.
India is a nuclear power and has the third largest army in the world. In terms of the military expenditure the country stands on tenth position on the globe. Along with being a founding member of some potent international organizations and movements like the Non-Alignment Movement (NAM), World Trade Organization (WTO), United Nations (UN), South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), G20 and the G8+5, India also holds a position in the five BRICS and the Common Wealth nations.