Country Guide

Russia Facts

Geography People and Society Government Economy Communications Transportation Military Transnational Issues

Geography

Location:
North Asia bordering the Arctic Ocean, extending from Europe (the portion west of the Urals) to the North Pacific Ocean


Geographic coordinates:
60 00 N, 100 00 E


Map references:
Asia


Area:
total:17,098,242 sq kmcountry comparison to the world: 1
land:16,377,742 sq km
water:720,500 sq km


Area - comparative:
Area comparison map: '>


Land boundaries:
total:22,407 km
border countries:Azerbaijan 338 km, Belarus 1,312 km, China (southeast) 4,133 km, China (south) 46 km, Estonia 324 km, Finland 1,309 km, Georgia 894 km, Kazakhstan 7,644 km, North Korea 18 km, Latvia 332 km, Lithuania (Kaliningrad Oblast) 261 km, Mongolia 3,452 km, Norway 191 km, Poland (Kaliningrad Oblast) 209 km, Ukraine 1,944 km


Coastline:
37,653 km


Maritime claims:
territorial sea:12 nm
contiguous zone:24 nm
exclusive economic zone:200 nm
continental shelf:200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation


Climate:
ranges from steppes in the south through humid continental in much of European Russia; subarctic in Siberia to tundra climate in the polar north; winters vary from cool along Black Sea coast to frigid in Siberia; summers vary from warm in the steppes to cool along Arctic coast


    Terrain:
broad plain with low hills west of Urals; vast coniferous forest and tundra in Siberia; uplands and mountains along southern border regions


Elevation extremes:
lowest point:Caspian Sea -28 m
highest point:Gora El'brus 5,633 m (highest point in Europe)


Natural resources:
wide natural resource base including major deposits of oil, natural gas, coal, and many strategic minerals, reserves of rare earth elements, timber


Land use:
arable land:7.11%
permanent crops:0.1%
other:92.79% (2011)


Irrigated land:
43,460 sq km (2008)


Total renewable water resources:
4,508 cu km (2011)


Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
4,508 cu km (2011)

Natural hazards:
permafrost over much of Siberia is a major impediment to development; volcanic activity in the Kuril Islands; volcanoes and earthquakes on the Kamchatka Peninsula; spring floods and summer/autumn forest fires throughout Siberia and parts of European Russia


Environment - current issues:
air pollution from heavy industry, emissions of coal-fired electric plants, and transportation in major cities; industrial, municipal, and agricultural pollution of inland waterways and seacoasts; deforestation; soil erosion; soil contamination from improper application of agricultural chemicals; scattered areas of sometimes intense radioactive contamination; groundwater contamination from toxic waste; urban solid waste management; abandoned stocks of obsolete pesticides


Environment - international agreements:
party to:Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified:Air Pollution-Sulfur 94


Geography - note:
largest country in the world in terms of area but unfavorably located in relation to major sea lanes of the world; despite its size, much of the country lacks proper soils and climates (either too cold or too dry) for agriculture; Mount El'brus is Europe's tallest peak; Lake Baikal, the deepest lake in the world, is estimated to hold one fifth of the world's fresh water

People and Society

Nationality:
noun: Russian(s)
adjective:Russian


Ethnic groups:
Russian 77.7%, Tatar 3.7%, Ukrainian 1.4%, Bashkir 1.1%, Chuvash 1%, Chechen 1%, other 10.2%, unspecified 3.9%


Languages:
Russian (official) 96.3%, Dolgang 5.3%, German 1.5%, Chechen 1%, Tatar 3%, other 10.3%


Religions:
Russian Orthodox 15-20%, Muslim 10-15%, other Christian 2% (2006 est.)


Population:
142,470,272 (July 2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 10


Age structure:
0-14 years:16.4% (male 11,980,138/female 11,344,818)
15-24 years:10.7% (male 7,828,947/female 7,482,143)
25-54 years:45.8% (male 31,928,886/female 33,319,671)
55-64 years:13.8% (male 8,408,637/female 11,287,153)
65 years and over:13.1% (male 5,783,983/female 13,105,896) (2014 est.)


Dependency ratios:
total dependency ratio:41.3 %
youth dependency ratio:22.8 %
elderly dependency ratio:18.5 %
potential support ratio:5.4 (2014 est.)


Median age:
total:38.9 years
male:36 years
female:41.9 years (2014 est.)


Population growth rate:
-0.03% (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 200


Birth rate:
11.87 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 168


Death rate:
13.83 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 10


Net migration rate:
1.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 52


Urbanization:
urban population:73.8% of total population (2011)
rate of urbanization:0.13% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)


Major urban areas - population:
MOSCOW (capital) 11.621 million; Saint Petersburg 4.866 million; Novosibirsk 1.478 million; Yekaterinburg 1.355 million; Nizhniy Novgorod 1.245 million; Samara 1.166 million (2011)


Sex ratio:
at birth:1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years:1.06 male(s)/female
15-24 years:1.05 male(s)/female
25-54 years:0.96 male(s)/female
55-64 years:0.86 male(s)/female
65 years and over:0.44 male(s)/female
total population:0.86 male(s)/female (2014 est.)


Mother's mean age at first birth:
24.6 (2009 est.)


Maternal mortality rate:
34 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)


Infant mortality rate:
total:7.08 deaths/1,000 live birthscountry comparison to the world: 160
male:7.93 deaths/1,000 live births
female:6.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)


    Life expectancy at birth:
total population:70.16 yearscountry comparison to the world: 151
male:64.37 years
female:76.3 years (2014 est.)


Total fertility rate:
1.61 children born/woman (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 179


Contraceptive prevalence rate:
79.5%


Health expenditures:
6.2% of GDP (2011)


Physicians density:
4.31 physicians/1,000 population (2006)


Hospital bed density:
9.7 beds/1,000 population (2006)


Drinking water source:
improved:
urban: 98.7% of population
rural: 92.2% of population
total: 97% of population
unimproved:
urban: 1.3% of population
rural: 7.8% of population
total: 3% of population (2012 est.)


Sanitation facility access:
improved:
urban: 74.4% of population
rural: 59.3% of population
total: 70.5% of population
unimproved:
urban: 25.6% of population
rural: 40.7% of population
total: 29.5% of population (2012 est.)


HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1% (2009 est.)country comparison to the world: 47


HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
980,000 (2009 est.)country comparison to the world: 12


HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA


Major infectious diseases:


Obesity - adult prevalence rate:
26.5% (2008)country comparison to the world: 46


Education expenditures:
4.1% of GDP (2008)country comparison to the world: 110

Literacy:
definition:age 15 and over can read and write
total population:99.7%
male:99.7%
female:99.6% (2010 est.)


School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total:14 years
male:14 years
female:15 years (2009)


Unemployment, youth ages 15-24:
total:14.8%country comparison to the world: 84
male:14.5%
female:15.1% (2012)

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Russian Federation
conventional short form:Russia
local long form:Rossiyskaya Federatsiya
local short form:Rossiya
former:Russian Empire, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic


Government type:
federation


Capital:
name:Moscow
geographic coordinates:55 45 N, 37 36 E
time difference:UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time:+1hr; note - Russia has announced that it will remain on daylight saving time permanently, which began on 27 March 2011
note:Russia has 9 time zones


Administrative divisions:
46 provinces (oblastey, singular - oblast), 21 republics (respublik, singular - respublika), 4 autonomous okrugs (avtonomnykh okrugov, singular - avtonomnyy okrug), 9 krays (krayev, singular - kray), 2 federal cities (goroda, singular - gorod), and 1 autonomous oblast (avtonomnaya oblast')


Independence:
24 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union); notable earlier dates: 1157 (Principality of Vladimir-Suzdal created); 16 January 1547 (Tsardom of Muscovy established); 22 October 1721 (Russian Empire proclaimed); 30 December 1922 (Soviet Union established)


National holiday:
Russia Day, 12 June (1990)


Constitution:
several previous (during Russian Empire and Soviet eras); latest drafted 12 July 1993, adopted by referendum 12 December 1993, effective 25 December 1993; amended 2008 (2013)


Legal system:
civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts


International law organization participation:
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt


Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal


Executive branch:
chief of state:President Vladimir Vladimirovich PUTIN (since 7 May 2012)
head of government:Premier Dmitriy Anatolyevich MEDVEDEV (since 8 May 2012); First Deputy Premier Igor Ivanovich SHUVALOV (since 12 May 2008); Deputy Premiers Arkadiy Vladimirovich DVORKOVICH (since 21 May 2012), Olga Yuryevna GOLODETS (since 21 May 2012), Aleksandr Gennadiyevich KHLOPONIN (since 19 January 2010), Dmitriy Nikolayevich KOZAK (since 14 October 2008), Dmitriy Olegovich ROGOZIN (since 23 December 2011), Sergey Eduardovich PRIKHODKO (since 22 May 2013), Yuriy Petrovich TRUTNEV (since 31 August 2013)
cabinet:the 'Government' is composed of the premier, his deputies, and ministers; all are appointed by the president, and the premier is also confirmed by the Duma
note:there is also a Presidential Administration (PA) that provides staff and policy support to the president, drafts presidential decrees, and coordinates policy among government agencies; a Security Council also reports directly to the president
elections:president elected by popular vote for a six-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 4 March 2012 (next to be held in March 2018); note - the term length was extended from four to six years in late 2008, effective after the 2012 election; there is no vice president; if the president dies in office, cannot exercise his powers because of ill health, is impeached, or resigns, the premier serves as acting president until a new presidential election is held, which must be within three months; premier appointed by the president with the approval of the Duma
election results:Vladimir PUTIN elected president; percent of vote - Vladimir PUTIN 63.6%, Gennadiy ZYUGANOV 17.2%, Mikhail PROKHOROV 8%, Vladimir ZHIRINOVSKIY 6.2%, Sergey MIRONOV 3.9%, other 1.1%; Dmitriy MEDVEDEV approved as premier by Duma; vote - 299 to 144


Legislative branch:
bicameral Federal Assembly or Federalnoye Sobraniye consists of an upper house, the Federation Council or Sovet Federatsii (166 seats; two members appointed by the top executive and legislative officials in each of the 83 federal administrative units - oblasts, krays, republics, autonomous okrugs and oblasts, and the federal cities of Moscow and Saint Petersburg; term lengths are not fixed but instead are determined by the regional bodies represented) and a lower house, the State Duma or Gosudarstvennaya Duma (450 seats; as of 2007, all members elected by proportional representation from party lists winning at least 7% of the vote; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections:State Duma - last held on 4 December 2011 (next to be held in December 2016)
election results:State Duma - United Russia 49.6%, CPRF 19.2%, Just Russia 13.2%, LDPR 11.7%, other 6.3%; total seats by party - United Russia 238, CPRF 92, Just Russia 64, LDPR 56


    Judicial branch:
highest court(s):Supreme Court of the Russian Federation (consists of 23 members); Constitutional Court (consists of 19 members); Superior Court of Arbitration (consists of a chairman and 4 deputy chairmen); note - as of January 2014 legislation was pending that would merge the Constitutional Court and Superior Court of Arbitration
judge selection and term of office:all members of Russia's three highest courts nominated by the president and appointed by the Federation Council (the upper house of the legislature); members of all three courts appointed for life
subordinate courts:Higher Arbitration Court; regional (kray) and provincial (oblast) courts; Moscow and St. Petersburg city courts; autonomous province and district courts; note - the 14 Russian Republics have court systems specified by their own constitutions


Political parties and leaders:
seventy eight political parties are registered with Russia's Ministry of Justice (as of January 2014), but only four parties maintain representation in Russia's national legislature:
A Just Russia [Sergey MIRONOV]
Communist Party of the Russian Federation or CPRF [Gennadiy ZYUGANOV]
Liberal Democratic Party of Russia or LDPR [Vladimir ZHIRINOVSKIY]
United Russia [Dmitriy MEDVEDEV]


Political pressure groups and leaders:
Confederation of Labor of Russia (KTR)


International organization participation:
APEC, Arctic Council, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIS, BRICS, BSEC, CBSS, CD, CE, CERN (observer), CICA, CIS, CSTO, EAEC, EAPC, EAS, EBRD, FAO, FATF, G-20, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NSG, OAS (observer), OIC (observer), OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNSC (permanent), UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC


Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission:Ambassador Sergey Ivanovich KISLYAK (since 16 September 2008)
chancery:2650 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone:[1] (202) 298-5700, 5701, 5704, 5708
FAX:[1] (202) 298-5735
consulate(s) general:Houston, New York, San Francisco, Seattle


Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission:Chargé d'Affaires Sheila GWALTNEY (since 27 February 2014)
embassy:Bolshoy Deviatinskiy Pereulok No. 8, 121099 Moscow
mailing address:PSC-77, APO AE 09721
telephone:[7] (495) 728-5000
FAX:[7] (495) 728-5090
consulate(s) general:Saint Petersburg, Vladivostok, Yekaterinburg


Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red


National symbol(s):
bear; double-headed eagle


National anthem:
name:'Gimn Rossiyskoy Federatsii' (National Anthem of the Russian Federation)

lyrics/music:Sergey Vladimirovich MIKHALKOV/Aleksandr Vasilyevich ALEKSANDROV
note:in 2000, Russia adopted the tune of the anthem of the former Soviet Union (composed in 1939); the lyrics, also adopted in 2000, were written by the same person who authored the Soviet lyrics in 1943

Economy

Economy - overview:
Russia has undergone significant changes since the collapse of the Soviet Union, moving from a globally-isolated, centrally-planned economy towards a more market-based and globally-integrated economy, but stalling as a partially reformed, statist economy with a high concentration of wealth in officials' hands. Economic reforms in the 1990s privatized most industry, with notable exceptions in the energy and defense-related sectors. The protection of property rights is still weak and the private sector remains subject to heavy state interference. Russia is one of the world's leading producers of oil and natural gas and is also a top exporter of metals such as steel and primary aluminum. Russia's manufacturing sector is generally uncompetitive on world markets and is geared toward domestic consumption. Russia's reliance on commodity exports makes it vulnerable to boom and bust cycles that follow the volatile swings in global prices. The economy, which had averaged 7% growth during 1998-2008 as oil prices rose rapidly, was one of the hardest hit by the 2008-09 global economic crisis as oil prices plummeted and the foreign credits that Russian banks and firms relied on dried up. Slowly declining oil prices over the past few years and difficulty attracting foreign direct investment have contributed to a noticeable slowdown in GDP growth rates. In late 2013, the Russian Economic Development Ministry reduced its growth forecast through 2030 to an average of only 2.5% per year, down from its previous forecast of 4.0 to 4.2%. In 2014, following Russia's military intervention in Ukraine, prospects for economic growth declined further, with expections that GDP growth could drop as low as zero.


GDP (purchasing power parity):
$2.553 trillion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 7
$2.52 trillion (2012 est.)
$2.437 trillion (2011 est.)
note:data are in 2013 US dollars


GDP (official exchange rate):
$2.113 trillion (2013 est.)


GDP - real growth rate:
1.3% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165
3.4% (2012 est.)
4.3% (2011 est.)


GDP - per capita (PPP):
$18,100 (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 77
$17,800 (2012 est.)
$17,100 (2011 est.)
note:data are in 2013 US dollars


Gross national saving:
28.3% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 33
29.5% of GDP (2012 est.)
30.6% of GDP (2011 est.)


GDP - composition, by end use:
household consumption:51.3%
government consumption:18.8%
investment in fixed capital:22%
investment in inventories:1.4%
exports of goods and services:29.6%
imports of goods and services:-23%
(2013 est.)


GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture:4.2%
industry:37.5%
services:58.3% (2013 est.)


Agriculture - products:
grain, sugar beets, sunflower seeds, vegetables, fruits; beef, milk


Industries:
complete range of mining and extractive industries producing coal, oil, gas, chemicals, and metals; all forms of machine building from rolling mills to high-performance aircraft and space vehicles; defense industries (including radar, missile production, advanced electronic components), shipbuilding; road and rail transportation equipment; communications equipment; agricultural machinery, tractors, and construction equipment; electric power generating and transmitting equipment; medical and scientific instruments; consumer durables, textiles, foodstuffs, handicrafts


Industrial production growth rate:
0.1% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165

Labor force:
75.29 million (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 8


Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture:9.7%
industry:27.8%
services:62.5% (2012)


Unemployment rate:
5.8% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 55
5.5% (2012 est.)


Population below poverty line:
11% (2013 est.)


Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%:5.7%
highest 10%:42.4% (2011 est.)


Distribution of family income - Gini index:
42 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 50
41.7 (2011)


    Budget:
revenues:$439 billion
expenditures:$450.3 billion (2013 est.)


Taxes and other revenues:
20.7% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 157

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
-0.5% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57


Public debt:
7.9% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 151
8% of GDP (2012 est.)
note:data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment, debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions


Fiscal year:
calendar year


Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6.8% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 184
5.1% (2012 est.)


Central bank discount rate:
8.25% (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 33
8% (31 December 2011)
note:this is the so-called refinancing rate, but in Russia banks do not get refinancing at this rate; this is a reference rate used primarily for fiscal purposes


Commercial bank prime lending rate:
9.3% (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 95
9.1% (31 December 2012 est.)


Stock of narrow money:
$452.8 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 13
$399.3 billion (31 December 2011 est.)


Stock of broad money:
$1.061 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 18
$893.1 billion (31 December 2011 est.)


Stock of domestic credit:
$947 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 17
$922.6 billion (31 December 2012 est.)


Market value of publicly traded shares:
$874.7 billion (31 December 2012 est.)


Current account balance:
$74.8 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 4
$71.43 billion (2012 est.)


Exports:
$515 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 10
$528 billion (2012 est.)


Exports - commodities:
petroleum and petroleum products, natural gas, metals, wood and wood products, chemicals, and a wide variety of civilian and military manufactures


Exports - partners:
Netherlands 14.6%, China 6.8%, Germany 6.8%, Italy 6.2%, Turkey 5.2%, Ukraine 5.2%, Belarus 4.7% (2012 est.)


Imports:
$341 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 17
$335.7 billion (2012 est.)


Imports - commodities:
machinery, vehicles, pharmaceutical products, plastic, semi-finished metal products, meat, fruits and nuts, optical and medical instruments, iron, steel


Imports - partners:
China 16.6%, Germany 12.2%, Ukraine 5.7%, Japan 5%, United States 4.9%, France 4.4%, Italy 4.3% (2012 est.)


Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$515.6 billion (01 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 6
$537.6 billion (31 December 2012 est.)


Debt - external:
$714.2 billion (30 September 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 22
$636.4 billion (31 December 2012 est.)


Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$552.8 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 16
$497.8 billion (31 December 2012 est.)


Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$439.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 17
$387.2 billion (31 December 2012 est.)


Exchange rates:
Russian rubles (RUB) per US dollar -
31.82 (2013 est.)
30.84 (2012 est.)
30.368 (2010 est.)
31.74 (2009)
24.853 (2008)

Energy

Electricity - production:
1.057 trillion kWh (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 4


Electricity - consumption:
1.038 trillion kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 4


Electricity - exports:
19.14 billion kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 11


Electricity - imports:
2.661 billion kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50


Electricity - installed generating capacity:
223.1 million kW (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 5


Electricity - from fossil fuels:
67.7% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 112


Electricity - from nuclear fuels:
17.8% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 12


Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:
15.1% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100


Electricity - from other renewable sources:
0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 117


Crude oil - production:
10.44 million bbl/day (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 3


Crude oil - exports:
4.72 million bbl/day (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 2


Crude oil - imports:
16,380 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 69


    Crude oil - proved reserves:
80 billion bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 8


Refined petroleum products - production:
4.812 million bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 4


Refined petroleum products - consumption:
3.196 million bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 6


Refined petroleum products - exports:
2.92 million bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 1


Refined petroleum products - imports:
24,300 bbl/day (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97


Natural gas - production:
669.7 billion cu m (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 2


Natural gas - consumption:
457.2 billion cu m (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 2


Natural gas - exports:
196 billion cu m (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 1


Natural gas - imports:
32.5 billion cu m (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 17


Natural gas - proved reserves:
47.8 trillion cu m (1 January 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 1


Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:
1.788 billion Mt (2011 est.)

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
42.9 million (2012)
country comparison to the world: 6


Telephones - mobile cellular:
261.9 million (2012)
country comparison to the world: 5


Telephone system:
general assessment:the telephone system is experiencing significant changes; there are more than 1,000 companies licensed to offer communication services; access to digital lines has improved, particularly in urban centers; Internet and e-mail services are improving; Russia has made progress toward building the telecommunications infrastructure necessary for a market economy; the estimated number of mobile subscribers jumped from fewer than 1 million in 1998 to more than 235 million in 2011; fixed line service has improved but a large demand remains
domestic:cross-country digital trunk lines run from Saint Petersburg to Khabarovsk, and from Moscow to Novorossiysk; the telephone systems in 60 regional capitals have modern digital infrastructures; cellular services, both analog and digital, are available in many areas; in rural areas, the telephone services are still outdated, inadequate, and low density
international:country code - 7; Russia is connected internationally by undersea fiber optic cables; satellite earth stations provide access to Intelsat, Intersputnik, Eutelsat, Inmarsat, and Orbita systems (2011)



    Broadcast media:
6 national TV stations with the federal government owning 1 and holding a controlling interest in a second; state-owned Gazprom maintains a controlling interest in a third national channel; government-affiliated Bank Rossiya owns controlling interest in a fourth and fifth, while the sixth national channel is owned by the Moscow city administration; roughly 3,300 national, regional, and local TV stations with over two-thirds completely or partially controlled by the federal or local governments; satellite TV services are available; 2 state-run national radio networks with a third majority-owned by Gazprom; roughly 2,400 public and commercial radio stations (2007)


Internet country code:
.ru; note - Russia also has responsibility for a legacy domain '.su' that was allocated to the Soviet Union and is being phased out


Internet hosts:
14.865 million (2012)
country comparison to the world: 10


Internet users:
40.853 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 10

Transportation

Airports
1,218 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 5


Airports - with paved runways
total:594
over 3,047 m:54
2,438 to 3,047 m:197
1,524 to 2,437 m:123
914 to 1,523 m:95
under 914 m:125 (2013)


Airports - with unpaved runways
total:624
over 3,047 m:4
2,438 to 3,047 m:13
1,524 to 2,437 m:69
914 to 1,523 m:81
under 914 m:
457 (2013)


Heliports
49 (2013)


Pipelines
condensate 122 km; gas 163,872 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,378 km; oil 80,820 km; oil/gas/water 40 km; refined products 13,658 km; water 23 km (2013)


Railways
total:87,157 kmcountry comparison to the world: 2
broad gauge:86,200 km 1.520-m gauge (40,300 km electrified)
narrow gauge:957 km 1.067-m gauge (on Sakhalin Island)
note:an additional 30,000 km of non-common carrier lines serve industries (2006)


    Roadways
total:1,283,387 kmcountry comparison to the world: 5
paved:927,721 km (includes 39,143 km of expressways)
unpaved:355,666 km (2012)


Waterways
102,000 km (including 48,000 km with guaranteed depth; the 72,000 km system in European Russia links Baltic Sea, White Sea, Caspian Sea, Sea of Azov, and Black Sea) (2009)
country comparison to the world: 2


Merchant marine
total:1,143country comparison to the world: 11
by type:bulk carrier 20, cargo 642, carrier 3, chemical tanker 57, combination ore/oil 42, container 13, passenger 15, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 244, refrigerated cargo 84, roll on/roll off 13, specialized tanker 3
foreign-owned:155 (Belgium 4, Cyprus 13, Estonia 1, Ireland 1, Italy 14, Latvia 2, Netherlands 2, Romania 1, South Korea 1, Switzerland 3, Turkey 101, Ukraine 12)
registered in other countries:439 (Antigua and Barbuda 3, Belgium 1, Belize 30, Bulgaria 2, Cambodia 50, Comoros 12, Cook Islands 1, Cyprus 46, Dominica 3, Georgia 6, Hong Kong 1, Kiribati 1, Liberia 109, Malaysia 2, Malta 45, Marshall Islands 5, Moldova 5, Mongolia 2, Panama 49, Romania 1, Saint Kitts and Nevis 13, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 11, Sierra Leone 7, Singapore 2, Spain 6, Vanuatu 7, unknown 19) (2010)



Ports and terminals
major seaport(s):Kaliningrad, Nakhodka, Novorossiysk, Primorsk, Vostochnyy
river port(s):Saint Petersburg (Neva River)
oil terminal(s):Kavkaz oil terminal
container port(s) (TEUs):Saint Petersburg (2,365,174)

Military

Military branches
Ground Troops (Sukhoputnyye Voyskia, SV), Navy (Voyenno-Morskoy Flot, VMF), Air Forces (Voyenno-Vozdushniye Sily, VVS); Airborne Troops (Vozdushno-Desantnyye Voyska, VDV), Missile Troops of Strategic Purpose (Raketnyye Voyska Strategicheskogo Naznacheniya, RVSN) referred to commonly as Strategic Rocket Forces, and Aerospace Defense Troops (Voyska Vozdushno-Kosmicheskoy Oborony or Voyska VKO) are independent 'combat arms,' not subordinate to any of the three branches; Russian Ground Troops include the following combat arms: motorized-rifle troops, tank troops, missile and artillery troops, air defense of the Ground Troops (2014)


Military service age and obligation
18-27 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service; males are registered for the draft at 17 years of age; service obligation is 1 year (conscripts can only be sent to combat zones after 6 months of training); reserve obligation for non-officers to age 50; enrollment in military schools from the age of 16, cadets classified as members of the armed forces


Manpower available for military service
males age 16-49:34,765,736
females age 16-49:35,410,779 (2013 est.)


    Manpower fit for military service
males age 16-49:22,597,728
females age 16-49:23,017,006 (2013 est.)


Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually
male:696,768
female:664,847 (2013 est.)


Military expenditures
4.47% of GDP (2012)
country comparison to the world: 8
4.13% of GDP (2011)
4.47% of GDP (2010)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international
Russia remains concerned about the smuggling of poppy derivatives from Afghanistan through Central Asian countries; China and Russia have demarcated the once disputed islands at the Amur and Ussuri confluence and in the Argun River in accordance with the 2004 Agreement, ending their centuries-long border disputes; the sovereignty dispute over the islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan, and the Habomai group, known in Japan as the 'Northern Territories' and in Russia as the 'Southern Kurils,' occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, now administered by Russia, and claimed by Japan, remains the primary sticking point to signing a peace treaty formally ending World War II hostilities; Russia's military support and subsequent recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia independence in 2008 continue to sour relations with Georgia; Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia ratified Caspian seabed delimitation treaties based on equidistance, while Iran continues to insist on a one-fifth slice of the sea; Norway and Russia signed a comprehensive maritime boundary agreement in 2010; various groups in Finland advocate restoration of Karelia (Kareliya) and other areas ceded to the Soviet Union following World War II but the Finnish Government asserts no territorial demands; Russia and Estonia signed a technical border agreement in May 2005, but Russia recalled its signature in June 2005 after the Estonian parliament added to its domestic ratification act a historical preamble referencing the Soviet occupation and Estonia's pre-war borders under the 1920 Treaty of Tartu; Russia contends that the preamble allows Estonia to make territorial claims on Russia in the future, while Estonian officials deny that the preamble has any legal impact on the treaty text; Russia demands better treatment of the Russian-speaking population in Estonia and Latvia; Lithuania and Russia committed to demarcating their boundary in 2006 in accordance with the land and maritime treaty ratified by Russia in May 2003 and by Lithuania in 1999; Lithuania operates a simplified transit regime for Russian nationals traveling from the Kaliningrad coastal exclave into Russia, while still conforming, as an EU member state with an EU external border, where strict Schengen border rules apply; preparations for the demarcation delimitation of land boundary with Ukraine have commenced; the dispute over the boundary between Russia and Ukraine through the Kerch Strait and Sea of Azov is suspended due to the occupation of Crimea by Russia; Kazakhstan and Russia boundary delimitation was ratified on November 2005 and field demarcation should commence in 2007; Russian Duma has not yet ratified 1990 Bering Sea Maritime Boundary Agreement with the US; Denmark (Greenland) and Norway have made submissions to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental shelf (CLCS) and Russia is collecting additional data to augment its 2001 CLCS submission


    Refugees and internally displaced persons
IDPs:at least 34,900 (armed conflict, human rights violations, generalized violence in North Caucasus, particularly Chechnya and North Ossetia) (2013)
stateless persons:178,000 (2012); note - Russia's stateless population consists of Roma, Meskhetian Turks, and ex-Soviet citizens from the former republics; between 2003 and 2010 more than 600,000 stateless people were naturalized; most Meskhetian Turks, followers of Islam with origins in Georgia, fled or were evacuated from Uzbekistan after a 1989 pogrom and have lived in Russia for more than the required five-year residency period; they continue to be denied registration for citizenship and basic rights by local Krasnodar Krai authorities on the grounds that they are temporary illegal migrants



Trafficking in persons



Illicit drugs
limited cultivation of illicit cannabis and opium poppy and producer of methamphetamine, mostly for domestic consumption; government has active illicit crop eradication program; used as transshipment point for Asian opiates, cannabis, and Latin American cocaine bound for growing domestic markets, to a lesser extent Western and Central Europe, and occasionally to the US; major source of heroin precursor chemicals; corruption and organized crime are key concerns; major consumer of opiates
 Information/ Data by CIA - The World Factbook

LookForAttorney.com | Country Guide of India

Country Guide

India Facts

Geography People and Society Government Economy Communications Transportation Military Transnational Issues

Geography

Location:
Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan


Geographic coordinates:
20 00 N, 77 00 E


Map references:
Asia


Area:
total:3,287,263 sq kmcountry comparison to the world: 7
land:2,973,193 sq km
water:314,070 sq km


Area - comparative:
Area comparison map: '>


Land boundaries:
total:13,888 km
border countries:Bangladesh 4,142 km, Bhutan 659 km, Burma 1,468 km, China 2,659 km, Nepal 1,770 km, Pakistan 3,190 km


Coastline:
7,000 km


Maritime claims:
territorial sea:12 nm
contiguous zone:24 nm
exclusive economic zone:200 nm
continental shelf:200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin


Climate:
varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north


Terrain:
upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plain along the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north


    Elevation extremes:
lowest point:Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point:Kanchenjunga 8,598 m


Natural resources:
coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world), iron ore, manganese, mica, bauxite, rare earth elements, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds, petroleum, limestone, arable land


Land use:
arable land:47.87%
permanent crops:3.74%
other:48.39% (2011)


Irrigated land:
663,340 sq km (2008)


Total renewable water resources:
1,911 cu km (2011)


Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
1,911 cu km (2011)

Natural hazards:
droughts; flash floods, as well as widespread and destructive flooding from monsoonal rains; severe thunderstorms; earthquakes


Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; desertification; air pollution from industrial effluents and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage and runoff of agricultural pesticides; tap water is not potable throughout the country; huge and growing population is overstraining natural resources


Environment - international agreements:
party to:Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified:none of the selected agreements


Geography - note:
dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important Indian Ocean trade routes; Kanchenjunga, third tallest mountain in the world, lies on the border with Nepal

People and Society

Nationality:
noun: Indian(s)
adjective:Indian


Ethnic groups:
Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and other 3% (2000)


Languages:
Hindi 41%, Bengali 8.1%, Telugu 7.2%, Marathi 7%, Tamil 5.9%, Urdu 5%, Gujarati 4.5%, Kannada 3.7%, Malayalam 3.2%, Oriya 3.2%, Punjabi 2.8%, Assamese 1.3%, Maithili 1.2%, other 5.9%


Religions:
Hindu 80.5%, Muslim 13.4%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.1% (2001 census)


Population:
1,236,344,631 (July 2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 2


Age structure:
0-14 years:28.5% (male 187,016,401/female 165,048,695)
15-24 years:18.1% (male 118,696,540/female 105,342,764)
25-54 years:40.6% (male 258,202,535/female 243,293,143)
55-64 years:7% (male 43,625,668/female 43,175,111)
65 years and over:5.7% (male 34,133,175/female 37,810,599) (2014 est.)


Dependency ratios:
total dependency ratio:51.8 %
youth dependency ratio:43.6 %
elderly dependency ratio:8.1 %
potential support ratio:12.3 (2014 est.)


Median age:
total:27 years
male:26.4 years
female:27.7 years (2014 est.)


Population growth rate:
1.25% (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 94


Birth rate:
19.89 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 86


Death rate:
7.35 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 118


Net migration rate:
-0.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 112


Urbanization:
urban population:31.3% of total population (2011)
rate of urbanization:2.47% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)


Major urban areas - population:
NEW DELHI (capital) 22.654 million; Mumbai 19.744 million; Kolkata 14.402 million; Chennai 8.784 million; Bangalore 8.614 million; Hyderabad 7.837 million (2011)


Sex ratio:
at birth:1.12 male(s)/female
0-14 years:1.13 male(s)/female
15-24 years:1.13 male(s)/female
25-54 years:1.06 male(s)/female
55-64 years:1.08 male(s)/female
65 years and over:0.91 male(s)/female
total population:1.08 male(s)/female (2014 est.)


Mother's mean age at first birth:
19.9 (2005-06 est.)


Maternal mortality rate:
200 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)


Infant mortality rate:
total:43.19 deaths/1,000 live birthscountry comparison to the world: 50
male:41.9 deaths/1,000 live births
female:44.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)


    Life expectancy at birth:
total population:67.8 yearscountry comparison to the world: 163
male:66.68 years
female:69.06 years (2014 est.)


Total fertility rate:
2.51 children born/woman (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 81


Contraceptive prevalence rate:
54.8% (2007/08)


Health expenditures:
3.9% of GDP (2011)


Physicians density:
0.65 physicians/1,000 population (2009)


Hospital bed density:
0.9 beds/1,000 population (2005)


Drinking water source:
improved:
urban: 96.7% of population
rural: 90.7% of population
total: 92.6% of population
unimproved:
urban: 3.3% of population
rural: 9.3% of population
total: 7.4% of population (2012 est.)


Sanitation facility access:
improved:
urban: 60.2% of population
rural: 24.7% of population
total: 36% of population
unimproved:
urban: 39.8% of population
rural: 75.3% of population
total: 64% of population (2012 est.)


HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.3% (2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 101


HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
2.085 million (2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 3


HIV/AIDS - deaths:
135,500 (2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 3


Major infectious diseases:


Obesity - adult prevalence rate:
1.9% (2008)country comparison to the world: 184


Children under the age of 5 years underweight:
43.5% (2006)country comparison to the world: 2


Education expenditures:
3.2% of GDP (2011)country comparison to the world: 134

Literacy:
definition:age 15 and over can read and write
total population:62.8%
male:75.2%
female:50.8% (2006 est.)


School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total:12 years
male:12 years
female:11 years (2011)


Child labor - children ages 5-14:



Unemployment, youth ages 15-24:
total:10.7%country comparison to the world: 107
male:10.4%
female:11.6% (2012)

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of India
conventional short form:India
local long form:Republic of India/Bharatiya Ganarajya
local short form:India/Bharat


Government type:
federal republic


Capital:
name:New Delhi
geographic coordinates:28 36 N, 77 12 E
time difference:UTC+5.5 (10.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)


Administrative divisions:
29 states and 7 union territories*; Andaman and Nicobar Islands*, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh*, Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli*, Daman and Diu*, Delhi*, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep*, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Puducherry*, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal


Independence:
15 August 1947 (from the UK)


National holiday:
Republic Day, 26 January (1950)


Constitution:
previous 1935 (preindependence); latest draft completed 4 November 1949, adopted 26 November 1949, effective 26 January 1950; amended many times, last in 2013 (2013)


Legal system:
common law system based on the English model; separate personal law codes apply to Muslims, Christians, and Hindus; judicial review of legislative acts


International law organization participation:
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt


Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal


Executive branch:
chief of state:President Pranab MUKHERJEE (since 22 July 2012); Vice President Mohammad Hamid ANSARI (since 11 August 2007)
head of government:Prime Minister Narendra MODI (since 26 May 2014)
cabinet:Union Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
elections:president elected by an electoral college consisting of elected members of both houses of Parliament and the legislatures of the states for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held in July 2012 (next to be held in July 2017); vice president elected by both houses of Parliament for a five-year term; election last held in August 2012 (next to be held in August 2017); prime minister chosen by parliamentary members of the majority party following legislative elections
election results:Pranab MUKHERJEE elected president; percent of vote - Pranab MUKHERJEE 69.31%, Purno SANGMA - 30.69%


Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Sansad consists of the Council of States or Rajya Sabha (a body consisting of 245 seats up to 12 of which are appointed by the president, the remainder chosen in staggered elections by the elected members of the state and territorial assemblies; members serve six-year terms) and the People's Assembly or Lok Sabha (545 seats; 543 members elected by popular vote, 2 appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms)
elections:People's Assembly - last held April-May 2014 in 9 phases; (next election must be held by May 2019)
election results:People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA, ; seats by party - BJP 282, INC 44, AIADMK 37, AITC 34, BJD 20, SS 18, TDP 16, TRS 11, CPI(M) 9, YSRC 9, LJP 6, NCP 6, SP 5, AAP 4, RJD 4, SAD 4, independents 3, other 31


Judicial branch:
highest court(s):Supreme Court (the chief justice and 25 associate justices); note - parliament approved an additional 5 judges in 2008
note - in mid-2011 India’s Cabinet approved the program, National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reform, to eliminate judicial corruption and reduce the backlog of cases
judge selection and term of office:justices appointed by the president to serve until age 65
subordinate courts:High Courts; District Courts; Labour Court


Political parties and leaders:
Aam Aadmi Party or AAP [Arvind KEJRIWAL]
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or AIADMK [J. JAYALALITHAA]
All India Trinamool Congress or AITC [Mamata BANERJEE]
Bahujan Samaj Party or BSP [MAYAWATI]
Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP [Rajnath SINGH]
Biju Janata Dal or BJD [Naveen PATNAIK]
Communist Party of India or CPI [Suravaram Sudhakar REDDY, Secretary-General]
Communist Party of India-Marxist or CPI(M) [Prakash KARAT]
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or DMK [M.KARUNANIDHI]
Indian National Congress or INC [Sonia GANDHI]
Janata Dal (United) or JD(U) [Sharad YADAV]
Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) [Ram Vilas PASWAN]
Nationalist Congress Party or NCP [Sharad PAWAR]
Rashtriya Janata Dal or RJD [Lalu Prasad YADAV]
Rashtriya Lok Dal or RLD [Ajit SINGH]
Samajwadi Party or SP [Mulayam Singh YADAV]
Shiromani Akali Dal or SAD [Parkash Singh BADAL]
Shiv Sena or SS [Uddhav THACKERAY]
Telugu Desam Party or TDP [Chandrababu NAIDU]
Telegana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) [K. Chandrashekar RAO]
YSR Congress(YSRC) [Jaganmohan REDDY]
note:India has dozens of national and regional political parties


    Political pressure groups and leaders:
All Parties Hurriyat Conference in the Kashmir Valley (separatist group)


International organization participation:
ABEDA, ADB, AfDB (nonregional member), ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIMSTEC, BIS, BRICS, C, CD, CERN (observer), CICA, CP, EAS, FAO, FATF, G-15, G-20, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS (observer), MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC, SACEP, SCO (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNITAR, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNSC (temporary), UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO


Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission:Ambassador Subrahmanyam JAISHANKAR (since 10 March 2014)
chancery:2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; note - Consular Wing located at 2536 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:[1] (202) 939-7000
FAX:[1] (202) 265-4351
consulate(s) general:Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York, San Francisco


Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission:Ambassador Nancy J. POWELL (since 19 April 2012)
embassy:Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110021
mailing address:use embassy street address
telephone:[91] (11) 2419-8000
FAX:[91] (11) 2419-0017
consulate(s) general:Chennai (Madras), Hyderabad; Kolkata (Calcutta), Mumbai (Bombay)


Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of saffron (subdued orange) (top), white, and green, with a blue chakra (24-spoked wheel) centered in the white band; saffron represents courage, sacrifice, and the spirit of renunciation; white signifies purity and truth; green stands for faith and fertility; the blue chakra symbolizes the wheel of life in movement and death in stagnation


National symbol(s):
the Lion Capital of Ashoka, which depicts four Asiatic lions standing back to back mounted on a circular abacus, is the official emblem; the Bengal tiger is the national animal; the lotus is the national flower


National anthem:
name:'Jana-Gana-Mana' (Thou Art the Ruler of the Minds of All People)

lyrics/music:Rabindranath TAGORE
note:adopted 1950; Rabindranath TAGORE, a Nobel laureate, also wrote Bangladesh's national anthem

Economy

Economy - overview:
India is developing into an open-market economy, yet traces of its past autarkic policies remain. Economic liberalization measures, including industrial deregulation, privatization of state-owned enterprises, and reduced controls on foreign trade and investment, began in the early 1990s and served to accelerate the country's growth, which averaged under 7% per year from 1997 to 2011. India's diverse economy encompasses traditional village farming, modern agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern industries, and a multitude of services. Slightly less than half of the work force is in agriculture, but, services are the major source of economic growth, accounting for nearly two-thirds of India's output with less than one-third of its labor force. India has capitalized on its large educated English-speaking population to become a major exporter of information technology services, business outsourcing services, and software workers. India's economic growth began slowing in 2011 because of a decline in investment, caused by high interest rates, rising inflation, and investor pessimism about the government's commitment to further economic reforms and about the global situation. In late 2012, the Indian Government announced additional reforms and deficit reduction measures, including allowing higher levels of foreign participation in direct investment in the economy. The outlook for India's long-term growth is moderately positive due to a young population and corresponding low dependency ratio, healthy savings and investment rates, and increasing integration into the global economy. However, India has many challenges that it has yet to fully address, including poverty, corruption, violence and discrimination against women and girls, an inefficient power generation and distribution system, ineffective enforcement of intellectual property rights, decades-long civil litigation dockets, inadequate transport and agricultural infrastructure, limited non-agricultural employment opportunities, high spending and poorly-targeted subsidies, inadequate availability of quality basic and higher education, and accommodating rural-to-urban migration. Growth in 2013 fell to a decade low, as India's economic leaders struggled to improve the country's wide fiscal and current account deficits. Rising macroeconomic imbalances in India and improving economic conditions in Western countries, led investors to shift capital away from India, prompting a sharp depreciation of the rupee. However, investors' perceptions of India improved in early 2014, due to a reduction of the current account deficit and expectations of post-election economic reform, resulting in a surge of inbound capital flows and stabilization of the rupee.


GDP (purchasing power parity):
$4.99 trillion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 4
$4.833 trillion (2012 est.)
$4.63 trillion (2011 est.)
note:data are in 2013 US dollars


GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.67 trillion (2013 est.)


GDP - real growth rate:
3.2% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 108
5.1% (2012 est.)
7.5% (2011 est.)


GDP - per capita (PPP):
$4,000 (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 169
$3,900 (2012 est.)
$3,800 (2011 est.)
note:data are in 2013 US dollars


Gross national saving:
33.7% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 16
28.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
30.3% of GDP (2011 est.)


GDP - composition, by end use:
household consumption:56.4%
government consumption:12.4%
investment in fixed capital:29.6%
investment in inventories:8.2%
exports of goods and services:25.2%
imports of goods and services:-31.8%
(2013 est.)


GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture:17.4%
industry:25.8%
services:56.9% (2013 est.)


Agriculture - products:
rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, lentils, onions, potatoes; dairy products, sheep, goats, poultry; fish


Industries:
textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery, software, pharmaceuticals


Industrial production growth rate:
0.9% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 152

Labor force:
487.3 million (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 2


Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture:49%
industry:20%
services:31% (2012 est.)


Unemployment rate:
8.8% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 98
8.5% (2012 est.)


Population below poverty line:
29.8% (2010 est.)


Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%:3.6%
highest 10%:31.1% (2005)


    Distribution of family income - Gini index:
36.8 (2004)
country comparison to the world: 80
37.8 (1997)


Budget:
revenues:$181.3 billion
expenditures:$281.6 billion (2013 est.)


Taxes and other revenues:
10.3% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 208

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
-5.7% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 175


Public debt:
51.8% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 63
51.7% of GDP (2012 est.)
note:data cover central government debt, and exclude debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data exclude debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions


Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March


Inflation rate (consumer prices):
9.6% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 208
9.7% (2012 est.)


Central bank discount rate:
7.75% (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 34
8% (31 December 2010 est.)
note:this is the Indian central bank's policy rate - the repurchase rate


Commercial bank prime lending rate:
10.6% (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 76
10.63% (31 December 2012 est.)


Stock of narrow money:
$303.1 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 16
$317.4 billion (31 December 2012 est.)


Stock of broad money:
$1.376 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 13
$1.396 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)


Stock of domestic credit:
$1.379 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 15
$1.401 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)


Market value of publicly traded shares:
$1.263 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)


Current account balance:
-$74.79 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 190
-$91.47 billion (2012 est.)


Exports:
$313.2 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 19
$296.8 billion (2012 est.)


Exports - commodities:
petroleum products, precious stones, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, vehicles, apparel


Exports - partners:
UAE 12.3%, US 12.2%, China 5%, Singapore 4.9%, Hong Kong 4.1% (2012)


Imports:
$467.5 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 12
$488.9 billion (2012 est.)


Imports - commodities:
crude oil, precious stones, machinery, fertilizer, iron and steel, chemicals


Imports - partners:
China 10.7%, UAE 7.8%, Saudi Arabia 6.8%, Switzerland 6.2%, US 5.1% (2012)


Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$295 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 11
$296 billion (28 December 2012 est.)


Debt - external:
$412.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 29
$378.9 billion (31 December 2012 est.)


Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$310 billion (30 November 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 20
$225.1 billion (31 December 2012 est.)


Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$120.1 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 28
$118.1 billion (31 December 2012 est.)


Exchange rates:
Indian rupees (INR) per US dollar -
58.68 (2013 est.)
53.437 (2012 est.)
45.726 (2010 est.)
48.405 (2009)
43.319 (2008)

Energy

Electricity - production:
871 billion kWh (FY11/12 est.)
country comparison to the world: 6


Electricity - consumption:
698.8 billion kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 6


Electricity - exports:
62 million kWh (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 81


Electricity - imports:
5.7 billion kWh (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 36


Electricity - installed generating capacity:
199.9 million kW (31 March 2012 est)
country comparison to the world: 6


Electricity - from fossil fuels:
65.8% of total installed capacity (31 March 2012 est)
country comparison to the world: 118


Electricity - from nuclear fuels:
2.4% of total installed capacity (31 March 2012 est)
country comparison to the world: 25


Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:
19.5% of total installed capacity (31 March 2012 est)
country comparison to the world: 91


Electricity - from other renewable sources:
12.3% of total installed capacity (31 March 2012 est)
country comparison to the world: 21


Crude oil - production:
990,200 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 21


Crude oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 130


Crude oil - imports:
3.272 million bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 4


    Crude oil - proved reserves:
5.476 billion bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23


Refined petroleum products - production:
4.216 million bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 5


Refined petroleum products - consumption:
3.292 million bbl/day (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 5


Refined petroleum products - exports:
1.247 million bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 6


Refined petroleum products - imports:
379,600 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 16


Natural gas - production:
40.38 billion cu m (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 22


Natural gas - consumption:
64.49 billion cu m (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 11


Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 119


Natural gas - imports:
16.39 billion cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23


Natural gas - proved reserves:
1.241 trillion cu m (1 January 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23


Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:
1.726 billion Mt (2011 est.)

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
31.08 million (2012)
country comparison to the world: 10


Telephones - mobile cellular:
893.862 million (2013)
country comparison to the world: 2


Telephone system:
general assessment:supported by recent deregulation and liberalization of telecommunications laws and policies, India has emerged as one of the fastest growing telecom markets in the world; total telephone subscribership base exceeded 900 million in 2011, an overall teledensity of roughly 75%, and subscribership is currently growing more than 20 million per month; urban teledensity now exceeds 100% and rural teledensity is steadily growing
domestic:mobile cellular service introduced in 1994 and organized nationwide into four metropolitan areas and 19 telecom circles each with multiple private service providers and one or more state-owned service providers; in recent years significant trunk capacity added in the form of fiber-optic cable and one of the world's largest domestic satellite systems, the Indian National Satellite system (INSAT), with 6 satellites supporting 33,000 very small aperture terminals (VSAT)
international:country code - 91; a number of major international submarine cable systems, including Sea-Me-We-3 with landing sites at Cochin and Mumbai (Bombay), Sea-Me-We-4 with a landing site at Chennai, Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) with a landing site at Mumbai (Bombay), South Africa - Far East (SAFE) with a landing site at Cochin, the i2i cable network linking to Singapore with landing sites at Mumbai (Bombay) and Chennai (Madras), and Tata Indicom linking Singapore and Chennai (Madras), provide a significant increase in the bandwidth available for both voice and data traffic; satellite earth stations - 8 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region); 9 gateway exchanges operating from Mumbai (Bombay), New Delhi, Kolkata (Calcutta), Chennai (Madras), Jalandhar, Kanpur, Gandhinagar, Hyderabad, and Ernakulam (2011)



    Broadcast media:
Doordarshan, India's public TV network, operates about 20 national, regional, and local services; a large and increasing number of privately owned TV stations are distributed by cable and satellite service providers; by 2011, more than 100 million homes had access to cable and satellite TV offering more than 700 TV channels; government controls AM radio with All India Radio operating domestic and external networks; news broadcasts via radio are limited to the All India Radio Network; since 2000, privately-owned FM stations have been permitted and their numbers have increased rapidly (2007)


Internet country code:
.in


Internet hosts:
6.746 million (2012)
country comparison to the world: 17


Internet users:
61.338 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 6

Transportation

Airports
346 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 21


Airports - with paved runways
total:253
over 3,047 m:22
2,438 to 3,047 m:59
1,524 to 2,437 m:76
914 to 1,523 m:82
under 914 m:14 (2013)


Airports - with unpaved runways
total:93
over 3,047 m:1
2,438 to 3,047 m:3
1,524 to 2,437 m:6
914 to 1,523 m:38
under 914 m:
45 (2013)


Heliports
45 (2013)


Pipelines
condensate/gas 9 km; gas 13,581 km; liquid petroleum gas 2,054 km; oil 8,943 km; oil/gas/water 20 km; refined products 11,069 km (2013)


Railways
total:63,974 kmcountry comparison to the world: 4
broad gauge:54,257 km 1.676-m gauge (18,927 km electrified)
narrow gauge:7,180 km 1.000-m gauge; 2,537 km 0.762-m gauge and 0.610-m gauge (2009)


    Roadways
total:4,689,842 kmcountry comparison to the world: 2
note:includes 79,116 km of national highways and expressways, 155,716 km of state highways, and 4,455,010 km of other roads (2013)


Waterways
14,500 km (5,200 km on major rivers and 485 km on canals suitable for mechanized vessels) (2012)
country comparison to the world: 9


Merchant marine
total:340country comparison to the world: 29
by type:bulk carrier 104, cargo 78, chemical tanker 22, container 14, liquefied gas 11, passenger 4, passenger/cargo 15, petroleum tanker 92
foreign-owned:10 (China 1, Hong Kong 2, Jersey 2, Malaysia 1, UAE 4)
registered in other countries:76 (Cyprus 4, Dominica 2, Liberia 8, Malta 3, Marshall Islands 10, Nigeria 1, Panama 24, Saint Kitts and Nevis 2, Singapore 21, unknown 1) (2010)



Ports and terminals
major seaport(s):Chennai, Jawaharal Nehru Port, Kandla, Kolkata (Calcutta), Mumbai (Bombay), Sikka, Vishakhapatnam
container port(s) (TEUs):Chennai (1,558,343), Jawaharal Nehru Port (4,307,622)

Military

Military branches
Army; Navy (includes naval air arm); Air Force; Coast Guard (2011)


Military service age and obligation
16-18 years of age for voluntary military service (Army 17 1/2, Air Force 17, Navy 16 1/2); no conscription; women may join as officers, but for noncombat roles only (2012)


Manpower available for military service
males age 16-49:319,129,420
females age 16-49:296,071,637 (2010 est.)


Manpower fit for military service
males age 16-49:249,531,562
females age 16-49:240,039,958 (2010 est.)


    Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually
male:12,151,065
female:10,745,891 (2010 est.)


Military expenditures
2.43% of GDP (2012)
country comparison to the world: 31
2.58% of GDP (2011)
2.43% of GDP (2010)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international
since China and India launched a security and foreign policy dialogue in 2005, consolidated discussions related to the dispute over most of their rugged, militarized boundary, regional nuclear proliferation, Indian claims that China transferred missiles to Pakistan, and other matters continue; Kashmir remains the site of the world's largest and most militarized territorial dispute with portions under the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas); India and Pakistan resumed bilateral dialogue in February 2011 after a two-year hiatus, have maintained the 2003 cease-fire in Kashmir, and continue to have disputes over water sharing of the Indus River and its tributaries; UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan has maintained a small group of peacekeepers since 1949; India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in 1964; to defuse tensions and prepare for discussions on a maritime boundary, India and Pakistan seek technical resolution of the disputed boundary in Sir Creek estuary at the mouth of the Rann of Kutch in the Arabian Sea; Pakistani maps continue to show its Junagadh claim in Indian Gujarat State; Prime Minister Singh's September 2011 visit to Bangladesh resulted in the signing of a Protocol to the 1974 Land Boundary Agreement between India and Bangladesh, which had called for the settlement of longstanding boundary disputes over undemarcated areas and the exchange of territorial enclaves, but which had never been implemented; Bangladesh referred its maritime boundary claims with Burma and India to the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea; Joint Border Committee with Nepal continues to examine contested boundary sections, including the 400 sq km dispute over the source of the Kalapani River; India maintains a strict border regime to keep out Maoist insurgents and control illegal cross-border activities from Nepal


    Refugees and internally displaced persons
refugees (country of origin):100,003 (Tibet/China); 65,674 (Sri Lanka); 11,122 (Burma); 10,328 (Afghanistan) (2013)
IDPs:at least 531,000 (about 250,000 are Kashmiri Pandits from Jammu and Kashmir) (2014)



Illicit drugs
world's largest producer of licit opium for the pharmaceutical trade, but an undetermined quantity of opium is diverted to illicit international drug markets; transit point for illicit narcotics produced in neighboring countries and throughout Southwest Asia; illicit producer of methaqualone; vulnerable to narcotics money laundering through the hawala system; licit ketamine and precursor production
 Information/ Data by CIA - The World Factbook