936,000,000 (1997).

284.7 per sq km.

New Delhi.

7,206,704 (1991).

India shares borders to the northwest with Pakistan, to the north with China, Nepal and Bhutan, and to the east with Bangladesh and Myanmar. To the west lies the Arabian Sea, to the east the Bay of Bengal and to the south the Indian Ocean. Sri Lanka lies off the southeast coast, and the Maldives off the southwest coast. The far northeastern states and territories are all but separated from the rest of India by Bangladesh as it extends northwards from the Bay of Bengal towards Bhutan. The Himalayan mountain range to the north and the Indus River (west) and Ganges River (east) form a physical barrier between India and the rest of Asia. The country can be divided into five regions: Western, Central, Northern (including Kashmir and Rajasthan), Eastern and Southern.

Republic since 1947. Head of State: President Kocherit Raman Narayanan since 1997. Head of Government: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee since 1998.

The official language is Hindi which is spoken by about 30% of the population; English is also often used for official or commercial purposes. In addition, 17 regional languages are recognised by the Constitution. These include Punjabi, Bengali, Gujerati and Oriya which are widely used in the north and Tamil and Telegu which are common in the south. Other regional languages are Marathi, Kannada and Malayalam. The Muslim population largely speak Urdu.

80% Hindu, 11% Muslim with Sikh, Christian and Buddhist minorities.

GMT + 5.30.

Usually 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Some areas have a DC supply. Plugs used are of the round 2- and 3-pin type.

Telephone: IDD service is widely available all over India. Otherwise calls must be placed through the international operator. Country code: 91. Outgoing international code: 00. Fax: Facilities are available in most 5-star hotels and some offices of the Overseas Communication Service in large cities. Telegram: International 24-hour service from large hotels and telegraphic offices in major cities. Post: Airmail service to Western Europe takes up to a week. Stamps are often sold at hotels. Press: There are numerous local dailies published in several languages. Many newspapers are in English, the most important include The Times of India, Indian Express, The Hindu, Hindustan Times, The Deccan Herald, The Economic Times, The Telegraph and The Statesman.