Understanding Cultures

Let us use this platform to share details about our countries, cultures and various other details that no one else knows. Let me start with my own country, India. People from different cultures, please share about your country, culture and its exuberance.

About India

“With the coexistence of multitude of Languages, Cultures & Traditions and multiple religions, India is a classical example of Unity and Diversity.”

Demography

• Population: 1.12 billion (2007 estimate) & 1.02 billion (2001 census)
• Languages: 18 official languages, 216 regional languages and 1600 dialects.

Administration

• Democracy: Bicameral parliamentary democracy
• Union Government: United Progressive Alliance, a Congress-led multi-party coalition
• Head of State: President Pratibha Patil (as on March 2008)
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (as on March 2008)

Judiciary

• Highest Court of Appeal: Supreme Court of India
• Chief Justice: K. G. Balakrishnan
• High Courts: 21 covering all states and Union Territories

Geography

• Capital: New Delhi
• Largest City: Mumbai
• Size: India is the seventh largest country in the world with (approx.) 3.3 million sq. km land mass.
• Subdivision: 28 States & 7 Union Territories.
• Location: The Indian peninsula is separated from mainland Asia by the Himalayas. The country is surrounded by the Bay of Bengal in the east, the Arabian Sea in the west, and the Indian Ocean to the south.
• Border Countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan to the north-west; China, Bhutan and Neap to the north; Myanmar to the east; and Bangladesh to the east of West Bengal. Sri Lanka is separated from India by a narrow channel of sea, formed by the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar.
• Coastline: 7,516.6 km encompassing the mainland, Lakshadweep Islands, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
• Climate: The climate of India can broadly be classified as a tropical monsoon one. But, in spite of much of the northern part of India lying beyond the tropical zone, the entire country has a tropical climate marked by relatively high temperatures and dry winters. There are four seasons – winter (December-February), summer (March-June), south-west monsoon season (June-September), and post-monsoon season (October-November).
• Terrain: The mainland comprises of four regions, namely the great mountain zone, plains of the Ganges and the Indus, the desert region, and the southern peninsula.
• Natural Resources: Coal, iron ore, manganes ore, mica, bauxite, petroleum, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, magnesite, limestone, arable land, dolomite, barytes, kaolin, gypsum, apatite, phosphorite, steatite, flourite, etc.

Economy

• GDP: India became a trillion dollar economy this year, and is the 12th largest economy in real terms (4th largest in PPP terms).
• GDP per capita: $820
• Growth: 9.4% in 2006-07
• Exports: $126.3 billion (goods only, 2006-07) up 22.45% over last year.
• Imports: $190.56 billion (goods incl. oil, 2006-07) up 27.75% over last year.
• Foreign Exchange Reserves: $218 billion (July 13 2007)
• Foreign Direct Investment: $15.72 billion (2006-07, estimated)
• Cumulative FDI 1991-2007: $54.62 billion
• Attractiveness: AT Kearney places India as the second most attractive FDI destination in the world in its latest survey.
• Convertibility: The Indian Rupee is fully convertible on the current account and the talk is of capital account convertibility by 2009

I Strongly urge all the people to share their comments and views on this article. People from India, please add on to the details and people from other countries please write about your country.