India Country Facts

A structured, fast-loading reference card covering India's geography, government, economy, and culture — all key facts in one place.

Basic Facts

Official Name Republic of India (Bhārat Gaṇarājya)
Capital City New Delhi
Largest City Mumbai (~12.5 million city; ~21 million metro)
Population (2024) ~1.44 billion
Official Languages Hindi, English (+ 22 scheduled languages)
Currency Indian Rupee (INR, ₹)
Country Code IN / IND
Calling Code +91
Internet TLD .in
National Day August 15 (Independence Day)
Time Zone IST (UTC+5:30) — single zone nationwide
Drives On Left side

Geography

Total Area 3,287,263 km²
World Rank by Area 7th largest country
Land Borders Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Afghanistan (disputed)
Coastline 7,516 km (Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean)
Highest Point Kangchenjunga, 8,586 m (3rd highest peak in the world)
Lowest Point Indian Ocean sea level (0 m)
Longest River Ganga (Ganges) — ~2,525 km
Largest Lake Chilika Lake, Odisha (~1,100 km² — largest coastal lagoon in Asia)
Major Mountain Ranges Himalayas, Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats, Vindhya, Aravalli
Climate Tropical monsoon (south), arid (northwest), alpine (Himalayas)
Forest Cover ~724,000 km² (~22% of total land area)
Location South Asia, 8°N–37°N, 68°E–97°E

28 States + 8 Union Territories

Andhra Pradesh
AP State
Arunachal Pradesh
AR State
Assam
AS State
Bihar
BR State
Chhattisgarh
CG State
Goa
GA State
Gujarat
GJ State
Haryana
HR State
Himachal Pradesh
HP State
Jharkhand
JH State
Karnataka
KA State
Kerala
KL State
Madhya Pradesh
MP State
Maharashtra
MH State
Manipur
MN State
Meghalaya
ML State
Mizoram
MZ State
Nagaland
NL State
Odisha
OR State
Punjab
PB State
Rajasthan
RJ State
Sikkim
SK State
Tamil Nadu
TN State
Telangana
TG State
Tripura
TR State
Uttar Pradesh
UP State
Uttarakhand
UK State
West Bengal
WB State
Andaman & Nicobar
AN UT
Chandigarh
CH UT
Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu
DH UT
Delhi (NCT)
DL UT
Jammu & Kashmir
JK UT
Ladakh
LA UT
Lakshadweep
LD UT
Puducherry
PY UT

Government

Government Type Federal parliamentary constitutional republic
Head of State President of India (ceremonial)
Head of Government Prime Minister
Parliament Bicameral: Rajya Sabha (245 seats) + Lok Sabha (543 seats)
Constitution Adopted January 26, 1950 (Republic Day)
Independence August 15, 1947 (from British rule)
Legal System Common law system (British colonial legacy)
Voting Age 18 years
Major Political Parties BJP, INC (Congress), AAP, SP, TMC, DMK
UN Membership Founding member since 1945
G20 Membership Yes; hosted G20 Summit in 2023 (New Delhi)
Military Indian Armed Forces (4th largest by active personnel)

Economy

GDP (nominal, 2024) ~$3.94 trillion USD
GDP per Capita ~$2,730 USD
World GDP Rank 5th largest economy (nominal)
GDP by PPP ~$14.6 trillion (3rd largest by PPP)
Inflation Rate ~4.9% (2024)
Unemployment Rate ~3.5% (2024)
Major Exports Petroleum products, gems & jewelry, pharmaceuticals, IT services, textiles
Top Trade Partners USA, UAE, China, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Singapore
Major Industries IT & software, pharmaceuticals, textiles, steel, automobiles, agriculture
Natural Resources Coal, iron ore, manganese, mica, bauxite, rare earth elements, diamonds
Stock Exchange BSE (Sensex) & NSE (Nifty 50) — Mumbai
Central Bank Reserve Bank of India (RBI), est. 1935

Fun Facts

01

India is the world's largest democracy by population, with over 960 million registered voters participating in the 2024 general election — the largest election ever held in human history.

02

The game of chess (Chaturanga) was invented in India around the 6th century AD during the Gupta Empire. It spread through Persia to the Arab world and eventually to Europe.

03

India has the world's largest film industry by number of films produced, releasing over 1,800 films annually across more than 20 languages. "Bollywood" (Hindi cinema) alone produces around 200 films per year.

04

The Indian Railways network is one of the largest in the world, spanning over 68,000 km of track, operating more than 13,000 trains daily, and transporting approximately 23 million passengers every day.

05

India is the birthplace of four major world religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. Together these faiths are followed by over 1.5 billion people globally.

06

The Taj Mahal, built in Agra between 1632 and 1653 by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, is one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World and receives over 7 million visitors per year.

07

India is the world's largest producer and consumer of milk, producing over 230 million tonnes annually — more than the combined output of the USA and Pakistan.

08

The concept of zero as a number was formalized by Indian mathematician Brahmagupta in the 7th century AD, a contribution that underpins all modern mathematics and computing.

Data sourced from the Census of India, World Bank, CIA World Factbook, and the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. Figures are approximate and reflect 2024 estimates.

Summary

A structured, fast-loading reference card covering India's geography, government, economy, and culture — all key facts in one place.

How it works

  1. Browse the cards arranged by topic: Basic Facts, Geography, Government, Economy, and Fun Facts.
  2. Each card presents concise data points drawn from authoritative sources (Census of India, World Bank, CIA World Factbook).
  3. Use the section navigation at the top to jump directly to the category you need.
  4. All figures are static reference data — no input required.

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Last updated: 2026-05-29 · Reviewed by Nham Vu