Capital New Delhi
Largest city Mumbai (Bombay)
Official language(s) Hindi, English and 21 other languages
Area
- Total 3,287,590 km² (7th) , 1,269,346 sq mi , - Water (%) 9.56
Population
- 2005 est. 1,103,371,000 (2nd), - 2001 census 1,027,015,247
- Density 329/km² (20th), 852/sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2005 estimate
- Total $3.633 trillion (4th)
- Per capita $3344 (122nd)

HDI (2003) 0.602 (127th) – medium
Currency Rupee (Rs.)1 (INR)
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
- Summer (DST) not observed (UTC+5:30)
Calling code +91

India, officially the Republic of India, is a country located in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, and the second most populous country in the world. India has a coastline of over seven thousand kilometres,[1] and borders Pakistan[2] to the west, Nepal, the People's Republic of China and Bhutan to the north-east, and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east. In the Indian Ocean, it is adjacent to the island nations of Sri Lanka, Maldives and Indonesia.

Home to the Indus Valley Civilization, a centre of important trade routes and vast empires, India has long played a major role in human history. Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism, all have their origins in India, while Islam and Christianity enjoy a strong cultural heritage. Colonised as part of the British Empire in the nineteenth century, India gained independence in 1947 as a unified nation after an intense struggle for independence. The country has one of the most diverse populations, wildlife, geographical terrain and climate systems found anywhere in the world.