As the largest country in the entire South Asian Region, India is a world in itself. The country is the land of mysticism, superstition and myths, snake charmers, yogis and Maharajas. India’s variety has richness, where light, color, noises, smells, flavors are all so vivid and intense.

Area : 3,287,263 sq km (1,269,219 sq miles)

Population : 920,000,000 (official estimate 1995)

Density of population : 279.9 per sq km

Capital : New Delhi

Geography

India shares its 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 extents 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.

Language

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

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

Time : GMT + 5.30.

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