325 lines
26 KiB
Plaintext
325 lines
26 KiB
Plaintext
INDIA
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GEOGRAPHY
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Total area: 3,287,590 km2; land area: 2,973,190 km2
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Comparative area: slightly more than one-third the size of the US
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Land boundaries: 14,103 km total; Bangladesh 4,053 km, Bhutan 605
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km, Burma 1,463 km, China 3,380, Nepal 1,690 km, Pakistan 2,912 km
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Coastline: 7,000 km
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Maritime claims:
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Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
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Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm;
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Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
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Territorial sea: 12 nm
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Disputes: boundaries with Bangladesh, China, and Pakistan; water
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sharing problems with downstream riparians, Bangladesh over the Ganges
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and Pakistan over the Indus
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Climate: varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in
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north
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Terrain: upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling
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plain along the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north
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Natural resources: coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world),
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iron ore, manganese, mica, bauxite, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas,
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diamonds, crude oil, limestone
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Land use: arable land 55%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures
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4%; forest and woodland 23%; other 17%; includes irrigated 13%
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Environment: droughts, flash floods, severe thunderstorms common;
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deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; air and water pollution;
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desertification
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Note: dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important
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Indian Ocean trade routes
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PEOPLE
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Population: 866,351,738 (July 1991), growth rate 1.9% (1991)
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Birth rate: 29 births/1,000 population (1991)
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Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
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Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
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Infant mortality rate: 87 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
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Life expectancy at birth: 57 years male, 59 years female (1991)
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Total fertility rate: 3.7 children born/woman (1991)
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Nationality: noun--Indian(s); adjective--Indian
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Ethnic divisions: Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and
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other 3%
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Religion: Hindu 82.6%, Muslim 11.4%, Christian 2.4%, Sikh 2.0%,
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Buddhist 0.7%, Jains 0.5%, other 0.4%
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Language: Hindi, English, and 14 other official languages--Bengali,
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Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya,
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Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit; 24 languages spoken by
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a million or more persons each; numerous other languages and dialects,
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for the most part mutually unintelligible; Hindi is the national language
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and primary tongue of 30% of the people; English enjoys associate status
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but is the most important language for national, political, and
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commercial communication; Hindustani, a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu, is
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spoken widely throughout northern India
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Literacy: 48% (male 62%, female 34%) age 15 and over can
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read and write (1990 est.)
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Labor force: 284,400,000; 67% agriculture (FY85)
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Organized labor: less than 5% of the labor force
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GOVERNMENT
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Long-form name: Republic of India
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Type: federal republic
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Capital: New Delhi
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Administrative divisions: 25 states and 7 union territories*;
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Andaman and Nicobar Islands*, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh,
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Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh*, Dadra and Nagar Haveli*,
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Daman and Diu*, Delhi*, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana,
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Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala,
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Lakshadweep*, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya,
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Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Pondicherry*, Punjab, Rajasthan,
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Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal
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Independence: 15 August 1947 (from UK)
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Constitution: 26 January 1950
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Legal system: based on English common law; limited judicial review
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of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
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reservations
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National holiday: Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Republic,
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26 January (1950)
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Executive branch: president, vice president, prime minister,
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Council of Ministers
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Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Sansad) consists of an
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upper house or Council of States (Rajya Sabha) and a lower house or
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House of the People (Lok Sabha)
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Judicial branch: Supreme Court
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Leaders:
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Chief of State--President Ramaswamy Iyer VENKATARAMAN (since 25
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July 1987); Vice President Dr. Shankar Dayal SHARMA (since 3 September
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1987);
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Head of Government--Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha RAO (since
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21 June 1991)
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Political parties and leaders:
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Congress (I) Party, P. V. Narasimha RAO, president;
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Bharatiya Janata Party, L. K. ADVANI;
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Janata Dal Party, V. P. SINGH;
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Communist Party of India/Marxist (CPI/M), E. M. S. NAMBOODIRIPAD;
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Communist Party of India (CPI), C. Rajeswara RAO;
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Telugu Desam (a regional party in Andhra Pradesh), N. T. Rama RAO;
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All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (AIADMK; a regional party
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in Tamil Nadu), JAYALALITHA;
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Samajwadi Janata Party, CHANDRA SHEKHAR;
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Shiv Sena, Bal THACKERAY;
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Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), Tridip CHOWDHURY;
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Bahujana Samaj Party (BSP), Kanshi RAM;
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Congress (S) Party, leader NA;
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Communist Party of India/Marxist-Leninist (CPI/ML), Satyanarayan SINGH;
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Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (a regional party in Tamil Nadu),
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M. KARUNANIDHI;
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Akali Dal factions representing Sikh religious community in the Punjab;
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National Conference (NC; a regional party in Jammu and Kashmir), Farooq
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ABDULLAH;
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Asom Gana Parishad (a regional party in Assam), Prafulla MAHANTA
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Suffrage: universal at age 18
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Elections:
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People's Assembly--last held 21 May, 12 and 15 June
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1991 (next to be held by November 1996);
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results--percent of vote by party NA;
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seats--(545 total), 509 elected--Congress (I) Party 225,
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Bharatiya Janata Party 117,
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Janata Dal Party 55,
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Communist Party of India (Marxist) 35,
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Communist Party of India 13,
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Telugu Desam 12,
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AIADMK 11,
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Samajwadi Janata Party 5,
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Shiv Sena 4,
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RSP 4,
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BSP 1,
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Congress (S) Party 1, other 26; note--second and third rounds of
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voting were delayed because of the assassination of Congress
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President Rajiv GANDHI on 21 May 1991
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Communists: 466,000 members claimed by CPI, 361,000 members claimed
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by CPI/M; Communist extremist groups, about 15,000 members
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Other political or pressure groups: various separatist groups
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seeking greater communal autonomy; numerous religious or
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militant/chauvinistic organizations, including Adam Sena, Anand Marg,
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Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
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Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-6,
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G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
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ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS,
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NAM, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNAVEM, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UPU,
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WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Abid HUSSEIN;
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Chancery at 2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008;
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telephone (202) 939-7000; there are Indian Consulates General in
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Chicago, New York, and San Francisco;
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US--Ambassador William CLARK, Jr.; Embassy at Shanti Path,
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Chanakyapuri 110021, New Delhi; telephone 91 (11) 600651; there are US
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Consulates General in Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras
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Flag: three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and
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green with a blue chakra (24-spoked wheel) centered in the white
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band; similar to the flag of Niger which has a small orange disk centered
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in the white band
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ECONOMY
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Overview: India's economy is a mixture of traditional
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village farming and handicrafts, modern agriculture, old and new branches
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of industry, and a multitude of support services. It presents both the
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entrepreneurial skills and drives of the capitalist system and
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widespread government intervention of the socialist mold. Growth of 4%
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to 5% annually in the 1980s has softened the impact of population growth
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on unemployment, social tranquility, and the environment. Agricultural
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output has continued to expand, reflecting the greater use of modern
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farming techniques and improved seed that have helped to make India
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self-sufficient in food grains and a net agricultural exporter. However,
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tens of millions of villagers, particularly in the south, have not
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benefited from the green revolution and live in abject poverty. Industry
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has benefited from a partial liberalization of controls. The growth rate
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of the service sector has also been strong. India, however, has been
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challenged more recently by much lower foreign exchange reserves, higher
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inflation, and a large debt service burden.
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GNP: $254 billion, per capita $300; real growth rate 4.5% (1990
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est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10.0% (1990)
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Unemployment rate: 20% (1990 est.)
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Budget: revenues $34 billion; expenditures $54 billion, including
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capital expenditures of $13.3 billion (FY91)
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Exports: $17.0 billion (f.o.b., FY90);
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commodities--gems and jewelry, engineering goods, clothing,
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textiles, chemicals, tea, coffee, fish products;
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partners--EC 25%, US 19%, USSR and Eastern Europe 17%, Japan 10%
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Imports: $24.8 billion (c.i.f., FY90);
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commodities--petroleum, capital goods, uncut gems and jewelry,
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chemicals, iron and steel, edible oils;
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partners--EC 33%, Middle East 19%, Japan 10%, US 9%, USSR and
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Eastern Europe 8%
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External debt: $69.8 billion (1990 est.)
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Industrial production: growth rate 8.4% (1990); accounts
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for about 25% of GDP
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Electricity: 70,000,000 kW capacity; 245,000 million kWh produced,
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290 kWh per capita (1990)
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Industries: textiles, food processing, steel, machinery,
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transportation equipment, cement, jute manufactures, mining, petroleum,
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power, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, electronics
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Agriculture: accounts for about 30% of GNP and employs 67% of
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labor force; self-sufficient in food grains; principal crops--rice,
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wheat, oilseeds, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, potatoes;
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livestock--cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats and poultry; fish catch of
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about 3 million metric tons ranks among the world's top 10 fishing
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nations
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Illicit drugs: licit producer of opium poppy for the
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pharmaceutical trade, but some opium is diverted to illicit
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international drug markets; major transit country for illicit narcotics
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produced in neighboring countries
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Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $4.4
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billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
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(1980-88), $20.1 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $315 million;
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USSR (1970-89), $11.6 billion; Eastern Europe (1970-89), $105 million
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Currency: Indian rupee (plural--rupees);
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1 Indian rupee (Re) = 100 paise
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Exchange rates: Indian rupees (Rs) per US$1--18.329 (January
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1990), 17.504 (1990), 16.226 (1989), 13.917 (1988), 12.962 (1987), 12.611
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(1986), 12.369 (1985)
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Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
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COMMUNICATIONS
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Railroads: 61,850 km total (1986); 33,553 km 1.676-meter broad
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gauge, 24,051 km 1.000-meter gauge, 4,246 km narrow gauge (0.762 meter
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and 0.610 meter); 12,617 km is double track; 6,500 km is electrified
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Highways: 1,633,300 km total (1986); 515,300 km secondary and
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1,118,000 km gravel, crushed stone, or earth
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Inland waterways: 16,180 km; 3,631 km navigable by large vessels
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Pipelines: crude oil, 3,497 km; refined products, 1,703 km; natural
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gas, 902 km (1989)
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Ports: Bombay, Calcutta, Cochin, Kandla, Madras, New Mangalore,
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Port Blair (Andaman Islands)
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Merchant marine: 308 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,087,451
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GRT/10,150,460 DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 8 passenger-cargo,
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100 cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 8 container, 54 petroleum, oils, and
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lubricants (POL) tanker, 10 chemical tanker, 9 combination ore/oil,
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115 bulk, 2 combination bulk
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Civil air: 93 major transport aircraft
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Airports: 345 total, 288 usable; 198 with permanent-surface
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runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 57 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
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88 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
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Telecommunications: poor domestic telephone service, international
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radio communications adequate; 4,700,000 telephones; stations--96 AM,
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4 FM, 274 TV (government controlled); domestic satellite system for
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communications and TV; 3 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth stations; submarine
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cables to Malaysia and United Arab Emirates
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DEFENSE FORCES
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Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Police Force, Border Security
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Forces, Coast Guard, Assam Rifles
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Manpower availability: males 15-49, 232,793,714; 137,259,444 fit
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for military service; about 9,431,908 reach military age (17) annually
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Defense expenditures: $9.2 billion, 3.5% of GNP (FY91)
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