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People:
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Nationality: Noun and adjective--Indian(s).
Population (1999 est.): one billion; urban 32%.
Annual growth rate: 1.8%.
Density: 311/sq. km.
Ethnic groups: Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid 2%, others. Religions: Hindu 81.3%, Muslim 12%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other groups including Buddhist, Jain, Parsi 2.5%.
Languages: Hindi, English, and 16 other official languages.
Education: Years compulsory--9 (to age 14). Literacy--54%. Health: Infant mortality rate--71/1,000. Life expectancy--63 years.
Work force (est.): 416 million. Agriculture--63%; industry and commerce--22%; services and government--11%; transport and communications--4%.
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Government:
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Type: Federal republic.
Independence: August 15, 1947.
Constitution: January 26, 1950.
Branches: Executive--president (chief of state), prime minister (head of government), Council of Ministers (cabinet). Legislative--bicameral parliament (Rajya Sabha or Council of States and Lok Sabha or House of the People). Judicial--Supreme Court.
Political parties: Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress (I), Janata Dal (United), Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India-Marxist, and numerous regional and small national parties.
Political subdivisions: 25 states,* 7 union territories.
Suffrage: Universal over 18.
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Economy:
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GDP: $390 billion.
Real growth rate (1998-99): 6.8%.
Per capita GDP: $420.
Natural resources: Coal, iron ore, manganese, mica, bauxite, chromite, thorium, limestone, barite, titanium ore, diamonds, crude oil.
Agriculture (25% of GDP): Products--wheat, rice, coarse grains, oilseeds, sugar, cotton, jute, tea.
Industry (29% of GDP): Products--textiles, jute, processed food, steel, machinery, transport equipment, cement, aluminum, fertilizers, mining, petroleum, chemicals, computer software.
Trade: Exports--$34 billion: agricultural products, engineering goods, precious stones, cotton apparel and fabrics, handicrafts, tea.
Imports--$42 billion: petroleum, machinery and transport equipment, edible oils, fertilizer, jewelry, iron and steel. Major trade partners--U.S., EU, Russia, Japan, Iraq, Iran, central and eastern Europe.
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