Republic Of India / Bharatiya Ganarajya
In Southern Asia; upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plain along the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north; 3,287,263 km² (slightly > 1/3 U.S.), 49% arable.

Capital New Delhi (pop est. 12.6M)

Population 1.2 B (365/km²)

Life expectancy 66 years

HIV/AIDS 0.3%

Literacy 61%

Lang(s) Hindi (national language, spoken by 41%); other 14 official languages – Bengali 8%, Telegu 7%, Marathi 7%, Tamil 6%, Urdu 5%, Gujarati 5%, Malayalam 3%, Kannada 4%, Oriya 3%, Punjabi 3%, Assamese 1%, Maithili 1%, other 6%, English (official, most important language for national, political and commercial communication; 14 other official languages);

Religions Hindu (81%), Muslim (13%), Christian (2%), Sikh (2%); other groups including Buddhist, Jain, Parsi (2%)

Ethnic Groups Indo-Aryan (72%), Dravidian (25%), Mongoloid and other (3%)

Gov’t Federal Republic

GDP/cap $3,100

PCVs 1961-1976, agriculture, food production, nutrition, family planning, health, childcare programs, English language, science education (4,325 volunteers served)

Nat’l holiday Republic Day, 26 January (1950)