Basic facts about India

India, with an area of 32,87,263 sq.km. is the seventh largest country in the world.

The countries which are larger than India (in area) are Russia, Canada, USA, China, Brazil and Australia.

India has a land frontier of about 15,200 km and a coastline of 7516.6 km. A ratio of approximately 2 : 1

Among the Indian states, Gujarat has the longest coastline of approximately 1600 km.

The southernmost point of Indian mainland is Kanyakumari. Indira Point which is the southernmost point of India was submerged in the 2004 Tsunami.

The countries which have a common border with India are Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh.

India shares the longest border with Bangladesh (4,000 km appx).

The nearest country with which India does not share a border is Sri Lanka which is separated from India by a narrow channel of sea formed by Palk Strait on one side and Gulf of Mannar on the other.

India’s population as on 1 March 2001 stood at 1,028 million (532.1 million males and 496.4 million females).

India accounts for a meagre 2.4 per cent of the world surface area of 135.79 million sq km. Yet, it supports and sustains a whopping 16.7 per cent of the world population..

As per provisional data of Census 2011, India's population stands at 1,21,01,93,422.

The sex ratio is 940 females per 1000 males.

The overall literacy rate is 74.04% (82.14 for males and 65.46 for females).

Three most populous countires of the world viz. China (1.34 billion), India (1.21 billion) and USA (308.7 million) account for 40% population of the world.

The census moment, the referral time at which the snapshot of the population is taken was 00.00 hours of 1 March 2001. Until the 1991 Census, the sunrise of 1 March was taken to be the census moment.

India's Greatness

1st to introduce government supported family planning in the world.

Largest postal network in the world.

Largest livestock population.

Largest producer of milk.

Largest producer of millets in the world

Largest consumer of gold jewellery.

Largest producer of jute.

Largest producer of ginger.

Largest producer of bananas.

Largest producer of castor oil seeds.

Largest producer of mangoes.

Largest producer of safflower oil seeds.

Largest producer of papayas.

Second largest producer of tea, the first position being held by China.

Second largest producer of sugarcane, the first position being held by Brazil.

Second largest producer of wheat, the first position being held by China.

Second largest producer of onions, the first position being held by China.

Second largest producer of potatoes, the first position being held by China.

Second largest producer of garlic, the first position being held by China.

Second largest producer of rice, the first position being held by China.

Second largest producer of cottonseed, the first position being held by China.

Second largest producer of cement., next to China.

India has the second largest arable land in the world. The USA has the largest arable land in the world.

India is the third largest producer and second largest consumer of fertiliser in the world.

India has the largest deposits of Thorium in the world most of which is found in Kerala.

NOTE: The agricultural information is as per latest data available on the website of Food and Agricultural Organisation.

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