|
Data
Code: IN
Government
Type:
Federal Republic
National
Capital:
New Delhi
Administrative
Divisions:
28
states and 7 union territories: Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam,
Bihar, Chandigarh, Dadar and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Delhi, Goa,
Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala,
Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram,
Nagaland, Orissa, Pondicherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu,
Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Uttaranchal, Jharkhand and Chattisgarh
are the new states formed in 2000.
Independence:
15
August 1947 (from UK)
National Holiday:
Anniversary
of the Proclamation of the Republic, 26 January (1950).
Constitution:
26 January 1950.
Legal
System:
Based
on English common law, limited judicial review of legislative acts, accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations.
Suffrage:
18
year of age; universal.
Executive:
Consists
of President, Vice-President and Council of Ministers led by the Prime
Minister
Head
of the Government:
Prime
Minister
Cabinet:
Council
of Ministers appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Prime
Minister.
Elections:
The
President is elected by an electoral college consisting of elected members
of both houses of parliament and the legislatures of the states for a
five-years term. The Vice-President is elected by both houses of parliament.
The Prime Minister is elected by parliamentary members of the majority
party following legislative elections.
Legislative
Branch:
Bicameral
Parliament or Sansad consists of the Council of States or Rajya Sabha
(a body consisting of not more than 250 members, up to 12 of which are
appointed by the president, the remainder are chosen by the elected members
of the state and territorial assemblies and the members serve a six-year
terms) and the People's Assembly or Lok Sabha (545 seats: 543 elected
by popular vote, 2 appointed members serve five-years terms)
Elections:
People's
Assembly-last held 16 February through 7 March 1998.
Judicial
Branch:
Supreme
Court judges are appointed by the president and remain in office until
they reach the age of 65.
Flag:
Horizontal
tricolor in equal proportion of deep saffron on the top, white in the
middle and dark green at the bottom. In the center of the white band is
a wheel in navy blue colour.
ECONOMY
:
India's economy encompasses traditional village farming, modern agriculture,
handicrafts, a wide range of modern industries, and a multitude of support
services. More than a third of the population is too poor to be able to
afford an adequate diet, and market surveys indicate that fewer than 5%
of all households had an annual income equivalent to $2,300 or more in
1995-96. India's international payments position remained strong in 1999
with adequate foreign exchange reserves, reasonably stable exchange rates,
and booming exports of software services. Lower production of some nonfoodgrain
crops offset recovery in industrial production. Strong demand for India's
high technology exports will bolster growth.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $1.805 trillion (1999 est.)
GDP
- real growth rate:
5.5% (1999 est.)
GDP
- per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,800 (1999 est.)
GDP
- composition by sector:
agriculture: 25%
industry: 30%
services: 45% (1997)
Industries:
textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation equipment,
cement, mining, petroleum, machinery, software
Industrial
production growth rate: 6% (1999 est.)
Electricity
- production:
448.6 billion kWh (FY98/99 est.)
Electricity
- production by source:
fossil fuel: 80.34%
hydro: 17.08%
nuclear: 2.38%
other: 0.2% (1998)
Electricity
- consumption:
416.346 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity
- exports:
130 million kWh (1998)
Electricity
- imports:
1.575 billion kWh (1998)
Agriculture
- products:
rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, potatoes; cattle,
water buffalo, sheep, goats, poultry; fish
Exports:
$36.3 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)
Exports
- commodities:
textile goods, gems and jewelry, engineering goods, chemicals, leather
manufactures
Exports
- partners:
US 21%, UK 6%, Germany 6%, Hong Kong 5%, Japan 5%, UAE 4% (1998)
Imports:
$50.2 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)
Imports
- commodities:
crude oil and petroleum products, machinery, gems, fertilizer, chemicals
Imports
- partners:
US 10%, Belgium 7%, UK 6%, Germany 6%, Saudi Arabia 6%, Japan 6% (1998)
Currency:
1 Indian rupee (Re) = 100 paisa
|
