## This template should be used for English speaking countries or for ## countries for which there is no specific language version #language en = SFD 2011/India = '''India''' ([[http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/En-us-India.ogg|{{http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/3c/Speakerlink.svg/11px-Speakerlink.svg.png|Listen|width="11",height="11"}}]]^'''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:En-us-India.ogg|i]]'''^[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA_for_English|/]][[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA_for_English#Key|ˈ]][[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA_for_English#Key|ɪ]][[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA_for_English#Key|n]][[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA_for_English#Key|d]][[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA_for_English#Key|i]][[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA_for_English#Key|ə]][[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA_for_English|/]]), officially the '''Republic of India''' ([[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindi_language|Hindi]]: भारत गणराज्य '''''Bhārat Gaṇarājya'''''; see also [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Official_names_of_India|official names of India]]), is a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovereign_country|country]] located in [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Asia|South Asia]]. It is the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_outlying_territories_by_total_area|seventh-largest]] country by geographical area, the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population|second-most populous]] country with [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_India|over 1.2 billion people]], and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Ocean|Indian Ocean]] on the south, the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabian_Sea|Arabian Sea]] on the southwest, and the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_of_Bengal|Bay of Bengal]] on the southeast, it shares land borders with [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistan|Pakistan]] to the west; [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhutan|Bhutan]], the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People's_Republic_of_China|People's Republic of China]] and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepal|Nepal]] to the northeast; and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangladesh|Bangladesh]] and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burma|Burma]] to the east. In the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lanka|Sri Lanka]] and the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maldives|Maldives]]; in addition, India's [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andaman_and_Nicobar_Islands|Andaman and Nicobar Islands]] share a maritime border with [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thailand|Thailand]] and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indonesia|Indonesia]]. Home to the ancient [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indus_Valley_Civilization|Indus Valley Civilization]] and a region of historic [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trade_route|trade routes]] and vast empires, the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_subcontinent|Indian subcontinent]] was identified with its commercial and cultural wealth for much of its long history.^[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India#cite_note-12|[13]]]^ Four of the world's major religions—[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism_in_India|Hinduism]], [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Buddhism_in_India|Buddhism]], [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statistics_of_Jainism|Jainism]] and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikhism_in_India|Sikhism]]—originated here, while [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parsi|Zoroastrianism]], [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_India|Christianity]] and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_India|Islam]] arrived in the first millennium [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Era|CE]] and also helped shape the region's [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_culture|diverse culture]].^[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India#cite_note-13|[14]]]^ Gradually [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Company_rule_in_India|annexed]] by the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_India_Company|British East India Company]] from the early 18th century and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Raj|colonised]] by the United Kingdom from the mid-19th century, India became an independent nation in 1947 after a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_independence_movement|struggle for independence]] which was marked by [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-violent_resistance|non-violent resistance]] and led by [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahatma_Gandhi|Mahatma Gandhi]]. The [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_India|Indian economy]] is the world's tenth largest economy by [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)|nominal GDP]] and fourth largest economy by [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP)|purchasing power parity]]. Following [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_liberalisation_in_India|market-based economic reforms]] in 1991, India has become one of the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(real)_growth_rate|fastest growing major economies]], and is considered a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newly_industrialized_country|newly industrialized country]]; however, it continues to face the challenges of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty_in_India|poverty]], [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literacy_in_India|illiteracy]], [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption_in_India|corruption]] and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_in_India|inadequate public health]]. A [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_weapons_state|nuclear weapons state]] and a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regional_power|regional power]], it has the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_number_of_troops|third-largest standing army]] in the world and ranks [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures|tenth in military expenditure]] among nations. == Cities == <> == Create a new City == <> ---- CategoryCountry2011