CAPITAL: New Delhi
AREA: 1,269,210 square miles (3,287,240 km2 )
PERCENTAGE OF SURFACE AREA COVERED BY WATER: 9.56%
POPULATION: 1.18 billion
GEOGRAPHY: India is located south of Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and
the Bay of Bengal, with the Indian Ocean to the south. Much of India is separated from Asia
by the Himalayan Mountains. This range contains the world’s highest mountains. Mount
Kanchenjunga, at 28,000 feet (8,500 meters), is the tallest mountain in India. The
Indo-Gangetic Plain, which runs between the Indus and Ganges rivers, lies just south of the
Himalayas. The Thar Desert is located on the northwestern end of India, and much of southern
part of the country is part of the Deccan Plateau.
CLIMATE: With a variation in climate from tropical monsoons in the south to
temperate conditions in the north, India experiences a wide range of weather. The nation has
four seasons: winter (January and February), summer (March to May), a monsoon (rainy) season
(June to September), and a post-monsoon period (October to December).
ECONOMY: India has a diverse economy that includes traditional village
farming, modern agriculture, handicrafts, modern industry, and computer services.
Information technology services are a major source of economic growth, accounting for more
than half of India’s output with less than one-third of its labor force. Slightly more than
half of the work force is in agriculture.