India is a vast country with enormous geographical variations. The features that make Indian geography unique are - its mountain ranges, valleys, desert regions, tropical rain forests, fertile plains, dry plateaus, coastal areas etc. Read on to know other facts about India:

India is the largest democracy in the world. Other names of the country include Bharat or Hindustan. The identity of India is unique with its incredible diversity, both culturally and physically. India offers big regional variations in its climate, from cool mountain pastures beside the glaciers, through windy plateau, to warm river valleys and burning deserts. This diversity in the climatic conditions throughout the country is also reflected in its rich flora and fauna.

By area, India is the seventh largest country in the world. It consists of twenty-eight states and seven Union Territories. Area covered by India is 3.3 million sq. kms. Regarding the location of India, it lies in the northern hemisphere. The Indian mainland measures 3214 kms from north to south between extreme latitudes and about 2933 kms from east to west between extreme longitudes. Its land frontier is approximately 15200 kms.

India is also the second largest populous country in the world, next only to China. Its population is around 1027 million (as per 2001 census). Around 16% of the world's population lives in India. However, regarding area, India accounts for only 2.42% of the total world area.

India lies between 8º4' and 37º6' north of the Equator. Surrounding the country is the Bay of Bengal in the east, the Arabian Sea in the west and the Indian Ocean in the south. In the neighborhood of India lie Bangladesh (in east), Pakistan (in west), Nepal (in north-east), China (in north-east) and Sri Lanka (in south). Separating India from Sri Lanka is the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Straits. Also a part of India is the Andaman and Nicobar Island in the Bay of Bengal and the Lakshwadeep in the Arabian Sea.

India, also known as Bharat or Hindustan.
Area: 3.3 million sq. km
Population: 1027 million (as per 2001 Census)
Capital: New Delhi
Religion: India is a secular country where many religions co-exist. The major religions practiced are-
Hindu: 80%
Muslim: 14%
Christian: 2.4%
Sikh: 2%
Buddhist: 0.7%
Jain: 0.5%
Zoroastrian and others: 0.4%
Location: Between latitudes 8 ° 4' and 37 ° 6 ' north and longitudes 68 ° 7 ' and 97 ° 25' east.
Coastline length: 7,600 km
Languages: 17 Major languages, 844 dialects. Hindi and English are most Popular
Climate: India experiences three major seasons - winters, summers and Monsoon.
States and Union Territories: India has 28 states and 7 Union Territories
Government: Democratic form of Government
Time Zone: The Indian time zone, Indian Standard Time (IST) is 5.5 hours (5 hours and 30 minutes) ahead of the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
Business Hours: 10 A.M. - 5 P.M. (Monday to Friday)