Genreal Information

Goverment

India is a union of 25 states and 6 territories. The states are as follows: Andhra Pradesh, Aunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Coa, Cujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. The six territories are Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Damon & Diu, Lakshadweep, and Pondicherry.

The chief executive and head of state is a president, but actual executive power resides in a council of ministers, or cabinet, headed by a prime minister. The president appoints the prime minister. The cabinet is responsible to a parliament, which is composed of the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and the Lok Sabha (House of the People).

Population

The exact origins of Indius people are impossible to determine because of the large variety of races and cultures that have been assimilated into the subcontinent. India is the second most populous country in the world, second only to China, with a population of about (1997) 966,783,171. The northern plains region is the most fertile and densely populated area. Hindus are India's largest religious group. More than 1600 languages or dialects are spoken in India, and India's official language is Hindi. Since gaining its independence from Great Britain in 1947, India has began to develop a modern, comprehensive school system. Indian culture is primarily Hindu-oriented. Many Hindu institutions, including the rigid system, still have wide-ranging effects on Indian society. Sanskrit, the ancient language of Hindu scriptures, was also used for the core of classical Indian literature. The bulk of early classical painting and sculpture also belongs to the mainstream of Hindu tradition, while Islam provided renowned architectural traditions.