Outline of India
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to India:
Republic of India - the seventh-largest country by area, located on the Indian subcontinent in South Asia. India was home to the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation, and is the birthplace of four major world religions: Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism in India|Buddhism], Jainism. It is also home to followers of Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Zoroastrianism.. From 1857 to 1947, India was under British rule. India became an independent nation in 1947 after a struggle for independence, and underwent a violent partition, which split the erstwhile British Raj into the independent countries of India and Pakistan,. As of June 2025, India is the most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion. It is recognised as the world's largest democracy by population and has emerged as the globally.
General reference
- Pronunciation:
- Common English country name: India
- Official English country name: The Republic of India
- Common endonym: Bharat, Hindustan
- Official endonym: Bharat Ganarajya
- Adjectival: Indian
- Demonym: Indian
- Etymology: Names of India
- International rankings of India
- ISO country codes: IN, IND, 356
- ISO region codes: See ISO 3166-2:IN
- Internet country code top-level domain: .in
Geography of India
India covers an area of 3,287,263 sq. km, extending from the snow-covered Himalayas in the north to the tropical rainforests in the south. Bounded by the Great Himalayas in the north, the country stretches southward and tapers into the Indian Ocean at the Tropic of Cancer, flanked by the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west.Lying entirely in the Northern Hemisphere, India’s mainland spans latitudes 8°4' to 37°6' N and longitudes 68°7' to 97°25' E. It measures about 3,214 km from north to south and approximately 2,933 km from east to west. The land frontier is about 15,200 km long, and the total coastline; including the mainland, Lakshadweep, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands is 7,516.6 km.
India shares borders with Afghanistan and Pakistan to the northwest; China, Bhutan, and Nepal to the north; Myanmar to the east; and Bangladesh to the east of West Bengal. Sri Lanka lies to the south, separated by the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar.
- India is:
- * a subcontinent
- * a country
- ** a megadiverse country
- Area of India: – 7th largest country
- Location:
- * Eastern Hemisphere
- * Northern Hemisphere
- ** Eurasia
- *** Asia
- **** Greater India
- **** South Asia
- ***** Indian subcontinent
- * Time zone: Indian Standard Time
- * Bordering Countries:
Physical divisions of India
Based on these macro variations, India can be divided into the following physiographic divisions:- The Northern and North-eastern Mountains - The North and Northeastern Mountains consist of the Himalayas and the Northeastern hills. Some important ranges are Great Himalayan Range, Karakoram ranges and the northeast mountain ranges.
- The Northern Plain - Located south of the Himalayas, the northern plains are formed by the deposition of sediments from Himalayan rivers Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra. It is further divided intro Babhar, Tarai, Alluvial plains further dividing into Khadar & Bhangar.
- The Peninsular Plateau - Rising from the height of 150 m above the river plains up to an elevation of 600-900 m is the irregular triangle known as the Peninsular plateau. It is one of the oldest and the most stable landmass of India. Delhi ridge in the northwest,, the Rajmahal hills in the east, Gir range in the west and the Cardamom hills in the south constitute the outer extent of the Peninsular plateau. However, an extension of this is also seen in the northeast, in the form of Shillong and Karbi-Anglong plateau. It is made up of series of patland plateaus such as the Hazaribagh plateau, the Palamu plateau, the Ranchi plateau, the Malwa plateau, the Coimbatore plateau and the Karnataka plateau, etc. On the basis of the prominent relief features, the Peninsular plateau can be divided into three broad groups: The Deccan Plateau The Central Highlands The Northeastern Plateau.
- The Indian Desert - To the northwest of the Aravali hills lies the Great Indian desert also known as Thar Desert.
- The Coastal Plains - It is broadly classified into Eastern coastal plains and Western coastal plains
- The Islands - There are two major island groups in India; one in the Bay of Bengal named Andaman & Nicobar Islands and the other in the Arabian Sea named Lakshadweep.
Geographic features of India
File:Indian Ocean bathymetry srtm.png|thumb|Indian Ocean bathymetry SRTM- Extreme points of India
- * High: Kangchenjunga – third highest peak on Earth
- * Low: Kuttanad
- Population of India: 1,463,526,271 as of 21 June 2025 - Most populous country.
- * Census of India
- Atlas of India
Environment of India
- Climate of India
- * Climate change in India
- Ecoregions of India
- * Wildlife of India
- ** Flora of India
- ** Fauna of India
- *** Birds of India
- *** Mammals of India
- * Protected areas of India
- ** National parks of India
- * Environmental issues in India
- Geology of India
- * List of mountains in India/Orography of India
- Renewable energy in India
- * Solar power in India
- * Wind power in India
- Beaches of India
- Glaciers of India
- Islands of India
- Lakes of India
- Mountains of India
- * Volcanoes of India
- Rivers of India
- * Waterfalls of India
- Valleys of India
- List of World Heritage Sites in India
Administrative divisions of India
Administrative divisional structure of India
States and union territories of India
| 1. Andhra Pradesh | 13. Madhya Pradesh | 25. Tripura |
| 2. Arunachal Pradesh | 14. Maharashtra | 26. Uttar Pradesh |
| 3. Assam | 15. Manipur | 27. Uttarakhand |
| 4. Bihar | 16. Meghalaya | 28. West Bengal |
| 5. Chhattisgarh | 17. Mizoram | A. Andaman and Nicobar Islands |
| 6. Goa | 18. Nagaland | B. Chandigarh |
| 7. Gujarat | 19. Odisha | C. Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu |
| 8. Haryana | 20. Punjab | D. Jammu and Kashmir |
| 9. Himachal Pradesh | 21. Rajasthan | E. Ladakh |
| 10. Jharkhand | 22. Sikkim | F. Lakshadweep |
| 11. Karnataka | 23. Tamil Nadu | G. Delhi |
| 12. Kerala | 24.Telangana | H. Puducherry |
States and union territories of India
- Autonomous regions of India
- Emblems of Indian states
- States and union territories of India
- * By name
- ** States by name
- *** Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh|(outline)]
- *** Arunachal Pradesh (outline)
- *** Assam (outline)
- *** Bihar (outline)
- *** Chhattisgarh (outline)
- *** Goa (outline)
- *** Gujarat (outline)
- *** Haryana (outline)
- *** Himachal Pradesh (outline)
- *** Jharkhand (outline)
- *** Karnataka
- *** Kerala
- *** Madhya Pradesh (outline)
- *** Maharashtra
- *** Manipur (outline)
- *** Meghalaya (outline)
- *** Mizoram (outline)
- *** Nagaland (outline)
- *** Odisha
- *** Punjab (outline)
- *** Rajasthan
- *** Sikkim
- *** Tamil Nadu
- *** Telangana
- *** Tripura (outline)
- *** Uttar Pradesh
- *** Uttarakhand (outline)
- *** West Bengal
- ** Union territories by name
- *** Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- *** Chandigarh
- *** Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu
- *** Delhi
- *** Jammu and Kashmir
- *** Ladakh
- *** Lakshadweep
- *** Puducherry
- * By rank
- ** By economic rank
- ** By various rankings
- * By population
- * By population density
- * By size
- * By state code
- List of Indian [state and union territory capitals|State and territory capitals]
Divisions of India
Municipalities of India
- Cities in India
- * National Capital of India: New Delhi
- * Financial Capital of India: Mumbai
- * Cultural Capital of India: Kolkata
- * Manchester of India: Ahmedabad
- * City of Diamond: Surat
- * Detroit of Asia: Chennai
- * Milk city of India: Anand
- * Silicon Valley of India: Bangalore
- * Ceramic Capital of India: Morbi
- * City of Nawabs: Lucknow
- * Pink City of India: Jaipur
- * Big cities in North East India
- * List of city and town nicknames in India
- * Million-plus cities in India
- * most populous cities in India|Most populous cities in India]
Demography of India
Government and politics of India
- Form of government: Sovereign socialist secular federal parliamentary multi-party representative democratic republic.
- * Sovereign – this means an independent nation.
- * Socialist – this implies social and economic equality for all Indian citizens. This guarantees equal opportunity and equal social status. The government attempts to reduce economic inequality by reducing concentration of wealth.
- * Secular – practices separation of religion and state. This implies freedom to choose one's religion. The state gives every citizen the right to practice and propagate a religion of his choice, and also right to reject all religions. The state treats all religions as equal and there is no official state religion.
- * Democratic – this means the government is democratically elected, and the head of the government is elected by the people.
- * Republic – this means the head of the state is not a hereditary monarch but indirectly elected by the people.
- Capital of India: New Delhi
- Elections in India
- *1951 1957 1962 1967 1971 1977 1980 1984 1989 1991 1996 1998 1999 2004 2009 2014 | 2019 | 2024
- Political parties in India
- *Aam Aadmi Party
- * All India Trinamool Congress
- * Bahujan Samaj Party
- * Bharatiya Janata Party
- * Communist Party of India
- * Communist Party of India (Marxist)
- * Dravidian parties
- **Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
- ** All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
- * Indian National Congress
- * Janata Dal (United)
- * Janata Dal (Secular)
- * Nationalist Congress Party
- * Samajwadi Party
- * Shiromani Akali Dal
- * Shivsena
- * Rashtriya Janata Dal
- * Telugu Desam Party
- * Bharat Rashtra Samithi
- * Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party YSRCP
- Political scandals in India
- Taxation in India
Socio-economic issues in India
- Religious violence in India
- Katchatheevu Issue
- Religious tolerance in India
- Terrorism in India
- Naxalism
- Caste system in India
- * Caste politics in India
- * Caste-related violence in India
- * Reservation in India
- Human rights in India
- * LGBT rights in India
- * Freedom of religion in India
Branches of the government of India
Executive of the government of India
- Head of state: President of India
- Vice-President of India
- The Cabinet
- Head of government: Prime Minister of India
- Head of the civil services: Cabinet Secretary of India
Legislature of the government of India
- Parliament of India
- * Rajya Sabha ' – upper house of the parliament
- * Lok Sabha ' – lower house of the parliament
Judiciary of the government of India
Foreign relations of India
International organisation membership
The Republic of India is a member of:Law and order in India
- Cannabis in India
- Capital punishment in India
- Company Law in India
- Indian Contract Act, 1872
- Constitution of India
- * Basic Structure
- * Directive Principles
- * Fundamental Rights
- * Fundamental Rights, [Directive Principles and Fundamental Duties of India|Fundamental Duties]
- Criminal Law in India
- * Indian Penal Code
- * Code of Criminal Procedure (India)
- Indian tort law
- Property Law in India
- Crime in India
- * Bride burning
- * Organised crime in India
- * Eve teasing
- * Female foeticide in India
- * Rape in India
- ** 2012 Delhi gang rape case
- Directive Principles in India
- Dowry law in India
- Fundamental Rights in India
- History of Indian law
- Law enforcement in India
- Nationality Law in India
- Labour Law in India
- List of prisons in India
- Prisons in India
National law enforcement agencies
All India Service for policing – Indian Police ServiceArmed forces of India
- Command
- * Commander-in-chief: President of India
- ** Ministry of Defence of India
- *** Minister of Defence
- **** Defence Secretary
- **** Strategic Nuclear Command
- **** Strategic Forces Command
- **** Chief of [Army Staff of the Indian Army]
- **** Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy
- **** Chief of Air Staff of the Indian Air Force
- Forces
- * Army: Indian Army
- ** Army ranks and insignia of India
- * Navy: Indian Navy
- ** Naval ranks and insignia of India
- ** Indian Ocean Naval Symposium
- * Air Force: Indian Air Force
- ** Air Force ranks and insignia of India
- * Indian Coast Guard
- * Special forces: Special Forces of India
- * Indian Peace Keeping Force
- * Paramilitary forces of India
- * National Security Guard
- * Special Protection Group
- Military academies in India
- India and weapons of mass destruction
- * Integrated Guided Missile Development Program
Government of states
Legislative Assembly elections by states
- Elections in Andhra Pradesh
- Elections in Arunachal Pradesh
- Elections in Assam
- Elections in Bihar
- Elections in Chhattisgarh
- Elections in Delhi
- Elections in Goa
- Elections in Gujarat
- Elections in Haryana
- Elections in Himachal Pradesh
- Elections in Jammu and Kashmir
- Elections in Jharkhand
- Elections in Karnataka
- Elections in Kerala
- Elections in Madhya Pradesh
- Elections in Maharashtra
- Elections in Manipur
- Elections in Meghalaya
- Elections in Mizoram
- Elections in Nagaland
- Elections in Odisha
- Elections in Puducherry
- Punjab (India)|Elections in Punjab]
- Elections in Rajasthan
- Elections in Sikkim
- Tamil Nadu">Tamil cuisine">Tamil Nadu
- Elections in Telangana
- Elections in Tripura
- Elections in Uttar Pradesh
- Elections in Uttarakhand
- Elections in West Bengal
History of India
History of India by period
- Prehistoric India
- * Riwatian people
- * Soanian people
- * South Asian Stone Age
- Ancient India
- * Ancient Indian cities
- * Indus Valley civilisation
- * Late Harappan culture
- * Vedic period
- * Iron Age
- ** Mahajanapadas
- ** Magadha Empire
- *** Haryanka dynasty
- *** Shishunaga dynasty
- *** Nanda dynasty
- ** Maurya Empire
- * Middle kingdoms of India
- ** Chola Empire
- ** Satavahana
- ** Shunga Empire
- ** Kushan Empire
- ** Gupta Empire
- ** Pala Empire
- ** Rashtrakuta
- Islamic empires in India
- * Delhi Sultanate
- * Deccan Sultanates
- Hoysala Empire
- Ahom Kingdom
- Vijayanagara Empire
- Mughal Empire
- Maratha Empire
- Colonial India
- * Company rule in India
- * British Raj
- * Princely states
- Indian independence movement
- * Quit India Movement
- * Partition of India
- History of Republic of India
History of India by subject
- Economic history of India
- Economy of India under the British Raj
- History of Buddhism in India
- History of clothing in India
- History of education in the Indian subcontinent
- History of Hinduism
- History of Indian archaeology
- History of Indian football
- * History of the India national football team
- History of Indian influence on Southeast Asia
- History of Indian Institutes of Technology
- History of railways in India
- History of sex in India
- History of the Indian cricket team
- History of the rupee
- Indian maritime history
- Indian natural history
- LGBT history in India
- Linguistic history of India
- List of massacres in India
- Military history of India
- * History of the Indian Air Force
- Peopling of India
- Science and technology in ancient India
- Slavery in India
- Timeline of major famines in India during British rule
- History of Dravidian people
Culture of India
- Caste system in India
- Indian dress
- Festivals in India
- Media in India
- National symbols of India
- * Coat of arms of India
- * Flag of India
- * National anthem of India
- Public holidays in India
- Religion in India
- * Hinduism in India
- * Dravidian in India
- * Islam in India
- * Buddhism in India
- * Christianity in India
- * Judaism in India
- * Jainism in India
- * Sikhism in India
- * Zoroastrianism in India
- * Baháʼí Faith in India
- World Heritage Sites in India
Cuisine of India
- Main dishes
- Sweets and desserts
- Drinks
- Snacks
- Spices
- Condiments
- History
- Supermarket chains in India
- Fast food
Cuisine by regions
- East Indian cuisine
- * Assamese
- * Bengali
- * Bihari
- * Chhattisgarhiya
- * Odiya
- * Sikkimese
- * Assamese
- * Tripuri
- * Naga
- North Indian cuisine
- * Punjabi
- * Uttar Pradeshi
- * Rajasthani
- * Mughlai
- * Pahadi
- * Bhojpuri
- * Benarasi
- * Kashmiri
- * Sindhi
- * Awadhi
- * Haryanvi
- South Indian cuisine
- * Malabar
- * Kerala
- * Tamil
- * Andhra
- * Karnataka
- * Telangana
- * Hyderabadi
- * Mangalorean
- * Chettinad
- * Udupi
- * Coorg
- * Rayalseema cuisine
- West Indian cuisine
- * Goan
- * Gujarati
- * Maharashtrian/Marathi
- * Malvani/Konkani
- * Parsi
The arts in India
- Art in India
- Comics in India
- *Webcomics in India
- Television in India
- Theatre in India
- Indian classical dance
- * Dance forms of Andhra Pradesh
Architecture of India
- Hindu temple architecture
- Buddhist architecture
- Indian rock-cut architecture
- Indian vernacular architecture
- Dravidian Architecture
- Hemadpanthi
- Western Chalukya Architecture
- Badami Chalukya Architecture
- Rajasthani architecture
- Architecture of Karnataka
- Architecture of Bengal
- Hoysala architecture
- Vijayanagara architecture
- Kalinga Architecture
- Maratha Architecture
- Mughal architecture
- Indo-Islamic architecture
- Indo-Saracenic Revival architecture
- Chandigarh
- List of Indian architects
Cinema of India
- Lists of Indian films
- List of Indian documentary films
- List of highest-grossing Bollywood films
- Bhojpuri films">Bhojpuri cuisine">Bhojpuri films
- List of Marathi films
- Assamese films">Cuisine of Assam">Assamese films
- List of Tamil-language films
- List of Telugu-language films
- List of Malayalam films
- List of Kannada films
- Bengali films">Bengali cuisine">Bengali films
- List of Indian film actresses
- List of Indian film actors
- List of Indian film directors
- List of Indian film choreographers
- List of Indian film cinematographers
- List of Indian film score composers
- List of film festivals in India
- List of Indian film producers
- List of Indian film screenwriters
Film Awards
- National Film Awards
- Filmfare Awards
- Stardust Awards
- Star Screen Awards
- Bollywood Movie Awards
- Global Indian Film Awards
- IIFA Awards
- Zee Cine Awards
- Nandi Awards
- Karnataka State Film Awards
Cinema by region
Music of India
- Indian classical music
- * Hindustani classical music
- * Carnatic classical music
- Indian folk music
- * Bhavageete
- * Bhangra (music)
- * Pandavani
- * Lavani
- * Dandiya
- * Baul music
- Qawwali
- Indian pop
- Indian hip hop
- Filmi
- Indian rock
- Sangeet Natak Akademi
- Thyagaraja Aradhana
- Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana
- Chembai sangeetha utsavam
- List of Indian playback singers
- Indian musical instruments
Music by states and territories
Literature of India
- List of Indian poets
- List of Indian authors
- Indian epic poetry
- Jnanpith award
- Sahitya Akademi Award
- Indian Literature (journal)
- Indian folklore
Literature by language
Sports in India
Multi-sport events
- India at the Olympics
- India at the Commonwealth Games
- India at the Asian Games
- India at the Lusofonia Games
General topics
Specific sports
- Cricket in India
- Field hockey in India
- Football in India
- Kabaddi
- Indian martial art
- Pickleball in India
- Rugby union in India
- Wrestling in India
Major Sports Leagues
- Hockey India League
- Indian Premier League
- I-League
- Indian Super League
- Indian Badminton League
- Pro Kabaddi
- Ultimate Table Tennis
- Ultimate Kho Kho
Economy and infrastructure of India
- Economic rank, by nominal GDP (2011): 9th
- Agriculture in India
- * Animal husbandry in India
- * Fishing industry in India
- * Forestry in India
- Banking in India
- * Banks in India
- * Reserve Bank of India
- Bombay Stock Exchange
- Communications in India
- * Amateur radio in India
- * Internet in India
- ** Asia-Pacific Network Information Centre
- Companies of India
- Currency of India: Rupee
- *ISO 4217: INR
- Economic development in India
- Economic history of India
- Economic Survey of India
- Energy in India
- Finances of India
- * Finance minister of India
- * Finance Commission of India
- * Five-Year Plans of India
- * Union budget of India
- * Taxation in India
- ** Central Excise (India)
- Health care in India
- * Abortion in India
- Mining in India
- Poverty in India
- National Stock Exchange of India
- Tourism in India
- Transport in India
- * Airports in India
- * Automobile industry in India
- * Inland waterways of India
- * Ports in India
- * Rail transport in India
- * Roads in India
- Water supply and sanitation in India
Education in India
| Ranking | Name of University | City | State |
| 1 | Indian Institute of Science | Bengaluru | Karnataka |
| 2 | Jawaharlal Nehru University | New Delhi | Delhi |
| 3 | Jamia Millia Islamia | New Delhi | Delhi |
| 4 | Manipal Academy of Higher Education | Manipal | Karnataka |
| 5 | Banaras Hindu University | Varanasi | Uttar Pradesh |
| 6 | University of Delhi | Delhi | Delhi |
| 7 | Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham | Coimbatore | Tamil Nadu |
| 8 | Aligarh Muslim University | Aligarh | Uttar Pradesh |
| 9 | Jadavpur University | Kolkata | West Bengal |
| 10 | Vellore Institute of Technology | Vellore | Tamil Nadu |
Tourism in India
Tourist attractions
- List of World Heritage Sites in India
- List of National Geo-heritage Monuments in India
- List of national parks of India
- List of lakes of India
- List of waterfalls in India
- List of State Protected Monuments in India
- List of beaches in India
- Incredible India
- List of Geographical Indications in India
- Medical tourism in India
- List of botanical gardens in India
- List of hill stations in India
- List of gates in India
- List of zoos in India
- List of hindu temples in India
- List of protected areas of India
- List of aquaria in India
- List of forts in India
- List of forests in India
- Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India
- Jain pilgrimage sites in India
- Hindu pilgrimage sites in India
- List of mosques in India
- List of rock-cut temples in India
- Wildlife sanctuaries of India
- List of rivers of India
- List of mountains in India
- List of ecoregions in India
- Coral reefs in India
- List of stadiums in India
Tourism in states
List of tourism in different states of IndiaGovernment
- of the Government of India
- of Indian Government websites
General reference
- . The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency.
- Encyclopædia Britannica entry on
- BBC country profile of
- Library of Congress Country Studies entry on
Other
- – The Official Tourism Website of Ministry of Tourism, Government of India
- Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas
- – Directory of popular Indian websites.