THE GREAT INDIA

INDIA AT A GLANCE

LOCATION

• THE INDIAN PENINSULA IS SEPARATED FROM MAINLAND OF ASIA BY THE HIMALAYAS.THE COUNTRY IS SURROUNDED BY THE BAY OF BENGAL IN THE EAST, THE ARABIAN SEA IN THE WEST , AND THE INDIAN OCEAN TO THE SOUTH.

GEOGRAPHIC COORDINATES

• LYING ENTIRELY IN THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE,EXTENDS BETWEEN 804' AND 37O6' LATITUDES NORTH OF THE EQUATOR,AND 6807' AND 97025' LONGITUDE EAST.

STANDARD TIME

• GMT+05:30.

AREA

• 3,287,590 SQ.KM

NEIGHBOURS

• NORTH WEST -AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN
• NORTH CHINA,BHUTAN AND NEPAL
• EAST-MYANMAR
• EAST TO WEST BENGAL BUT ENCIRCLED BY INDIAN STATES PARTIALLY BANGLADESH
• SOUTH- SRI LANKA.IT IS SEPARATED FROM INDIA BY A NARROW CHANNEL OF SEA,FORMED BY PALK STRAIT AND THE GULF OF MANNAR.

COASTLINE

• 7,516.6 KM ENCOMPASSING THE MAINLAND,LAKSHADWEEP ISLANDS,AND THE ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS.

CLIMATE

• TROPICAL MONSOON ONE.BUT,IN SPITE OF MUCH OF THE NORTHERN PART OF INDIA LYING BEYOND THE TROPICAL ZONE,THE ENTIRE COUNTRY HAS A TROPICAL CLIMATE MARKED BY RELATIVELY HIGH TEMPERATURE AND DRY WINTERS.

THERE ARE FOUR SEASONS:

• WINTER(DECEMBER-FEBRUARY)
• SUMMER(MARCH-JUNE)
• SOUTH-WEST MONSOON SEASON(JUNE-SEPTEMBER)
• POST MONSOON SEASON(OCTOBER-NOVEMBER)

TERRAIN

• THE MAINLAND COMPRISES OF FOUR REGIONS,

1.THE GREAT MOUNTAIN ZONE
2.PLAINS OF THE GANGA AND THE INDUS
3.THE DESERT REGION
4.THE SOUTHERN PENINSULA.

ETHNIC GROUPS

• FIVE MAJOR RACIAL TYPES-AUSTRALOID,MONGOLOID,EUROPOID,CAUCASIAN AND NEGROID.

LANGUAGES

• 22 DIFFERENT LANGUAGES THAT HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED BY THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA.HINDI AS AN OFFICIAL LANGUAGE.ARTICLE 343(3)EMPOWERED PARLIAMENT TO PROVIDE BY LAW  FOR CONTINUED USE OF ENGLISH FOR OFFICIAL PURPOSES.

COUNTRY NAME

• REPUBLIC OF INDIA;BHARAT GANRAJYA

GOVERNMENT TYPE

• SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC WITH A PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT.

CAPITAL

• NEW DELHI.

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS

• 28 STATES AND 7 UNION TERRITORIES.

INDEPENDENCE

• 15th AUGUST 1947

CONSTITUTION

• THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA CAME INTO FORCE ON 26th JANUARY 1950.

LEGAL SYSTEM

• THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA IS A FOUNTAIN SOURCE OF THE LEGAL SYSTEM IN THE COUNTRY.

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

• THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA IS THE HEAD OF THE STATE,WHILE PRIME MINISTER IS THE HEAD OF THE GOVERNMENT,AND RUNS OFFICE WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE COUNCIL  OF MINISTERS WHO FORM THE CABINET MINISTRY.

LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

• LEGISLATURE COMPRISES OF THE LOK SABHA(HOUSE OF THE PEOPLE)AND THE RAJYA SABHA(COUNCIL OF STATES)

JUDICIAL BRANCH

• THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA IS THE APEX BODY OF THE INDIAN LEGAL SYSTEMS ,FOLLOWED BY OTHER HIGH COURTS AND SUBORDINATE COURTS.

NATIONAL DAYS

• 26th JANUARY(REPUBLIC DAY)
• 15th AUGUST(INDEPENDENCE DAY)
• 2nd OCTOBER(GANDHI JAYANTI)