AREA: 3,287,263 sq km (1,269,219 sq miles). 

POPULATION: more than 1,00,00,00,000 (official estimate 2000). 

POPULATION DENSITY: 277.8 per sq km. 

CAPITAL: New Delhi. Population: 12,000,000 Approx. (2000). 

LANGUAGE: The official language is Hindi which is spoken by about 30% of the population, English is also often used for official or commercial purposes. In addition, 17 regional languages are recognised by the Constitution. These include Punjabi, Bengali, Gujrati and Oriya which are widely used in the north and Tamil and Telegu which are common in the south. Other regional languages are Marathi, Kannada and Malayalam. The Muslim population largely speak Urdu. 

National Flag : Tricolour in horizontal strips of deep saffron at the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom, in equal proportion. In the center of the white band is the Ashoka Chakra with 24 spokes in navy blue.

National Emblem : Adaptation of the Sarnath Lion of the Ashoka pillar

RELIGION: 80% Hindu, 11% Muslim with Sikh, Christian and Buddhist minorities. 

TIME: GMT + 5.30. 

ELECTRICITY: Usually 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Some areas have a DC supply. Plugs used are of the round 2- and 3-pin type. 

COMMUNICATIONS: Telephone: ISD service is widely available all over India. Otherwise calls must be placed through the international operator. Country code: 91. Outgoing international code: 00. Fax: Facilities are available in most 5-star hotels and some offices of the Overseas Communication Service in large cities. Telegram: International 24-hour service from large hotels and telegraphic offices in major cities. Post: Airmail service to Western Europe takes up to a week. Stamps are often sold at hotels. Press: There are numerous local dailies published in several languages. Many newspapers are in English, the most important include The Times of India, Indian Express, The Hindu, Hindustan Times, The Deccan Herald, The Economic Times, The Telegraph and The Statesman. 

BBC World Service and Voice of America frequencies: From time to time these change. See the section How To Use this Book for more information. 


BBC:

MHz 17.79 15.31 11.75 9.740 

Voice of America: 

MHz 21.55 15.40 9.760 6.035