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India
will sideswipe you with its size, clamour and diversity. Nothing
in the country is ever quite what you expect, and the only
thing to expect is the unexpected which comes in many forms
and will always want to sit next to you. India is a litmus
test for many travellers and some visitors are only too happy
to get on an aircraft and fly away, but if you enjoy delving
into convoluted cosmologies and thrive on sensual overload,
then India is one of the most intricate and rewarding dramas
unfolding on earth.
Full
country name: Republic of India
Area: 3,287,590 sq km (1,229,737 sq mi)
Population: 1,014,003,817
Capital city: New Delhi
People: 72% Indo-Aryan, 25% Dravidian, 3% other
Language: Hindi
Religion: 80% Hindu, 14% Muslim, 2.4% Christian, 2% Sikh,
0.7% Buddhist, 0.5% Jains, 0.4% other
Government: Federal Republic
President: Dr Abdul Kalam
GDP:
US$2.2 trillion
GDP per head: US$2200
Annual growth: 5.4%
Inflation: 5.4%
Major industries: Textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel,
transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery,
rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, potatoes;
cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats, poultry, fish
Major trading partners: US, Hong Kong, UK, Japan, Germany,
Belgium, Saudi Arabia
India
Flight from UK
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