. Index  

. Flag  

. Geography  

. People 

. Government  

. Economy  

. Transportation  

. Commun'tions  

. Defense  

. Gender Issues  

. HR Issues  

. Media  

. Relevant Links   

. Feedback    

=========== 

India

 
     
    • Population: 
      952,000,000 (1997 est.) 
     
    • Age structure: 
     
        0-14 years: 
        35% (female 159,921,309; male 168,812,255) 
     
        15-64 years: 
        61% (female 274,105,407; male 296,145,798) 
     
        65 years and over: 
        4% (female 18,870,762; male 18,690,283) (July 1997 est.) 
     
    • Population growth rate: 
      1.77% (1997 est.) 
     
    • Birth rate: 
      27.78 births/1,000 population (1997 est.) 
     
    • Death rate: 
      10.07 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.) 
     
    • Net migration rate: 
      0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.) 
     
    • Infant mortality rate: 
      76.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.) 
     
    • Life expectancy at birth: 
     
        total population: 
        59.04 years 
     
        male: 
        58.5 years 
     
        female: 
        59.61 years (1997 est.) 
     
    • Total fertility rate: 
      3.4 children born/woman (1997 est.) 
     
    • Nationality: 
     
        noun: 
        Indian(s) 
     
        adjective: 
        Indian 
     
    • Ethnic divisions: 
      Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and other 3% 
     
    • Religions: 
      Hindu 80%, Muslim 14%, Christian 2.4%, Sikh 2%, Buddhist 0.7%, Jains 0.5%, other 0.4% 
     
    • Languages: 
      English enjoys associate status but is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication, Hindi the national language and primary tongue of 30% of the people, Bengali (official), Telugu (official), Marathi (official), Tamil (official), Urdu (official), Gujarati (official), Malayalam (official), Kannada (official), Oriya (official), Punjabi (official), Assamese (official), Kashmiri (official), Sindhi (official), Sanskrit (official), Hindustani a popular variant of Hindu/Urdu, is spoken widely throughout northern India 
     
        note: 
        24 languages each spoken by a million or more persons; numerous other languages and dialects, for the most part mutually unintelligible 
     
    • Literacy: 
      age 7 and over can read and write
     
        total population: 
        52% 
     
        male: 
        64% 
     
        female: 
        39% 
     
    • Labor force: 
      314.751 million (1997) 
     
        by occupation: 
        agriculture 65% (1997 est.) 
         
    • Women in the Labor Force:

      • 25% (1997) 
         
    • Refugee Information:
       
        Indians are a highly religious people. Politics and religion are irrevocably interwined. Indians show respect to women and have no inhibitions in dealing with a female counterpart. Indian women usually prefer not to shake hands. The accepted custom in greeting women is to raise the hands, press the palms together and say `Namaste' (in short - hello). Indians are modest and conservative in dress. Visitors' own clothing should also be likewise. Indian guests may often be vegetarian in diet. Most Indians do not eat beef because of their reverence for the cow. The consumption of alcohol in public is prohibited in many parts of India. Dinners are usually served late at functions in private homes and generally conclude the evening. Indians are usually surprised by the Western obsession with time, as the beliefs that `time is money' and `once passed will never return' are alien concepts. Most Indians do not value time materially. 

        Business cards should be given with the right hand as the left hand is considered unclean. Feet are also considered unclean and should never be pointed at anyone.