Basic Country Information

India’s official name is the Republic of India, and in many Indian languages it is also known as Bharat. The capital city is New Delhi, while Mumbai is recognised as the financial centre of the country.

The country has a population of more than one billion people and covers around 3.3 million square kilometres, with a coastline of about 7,600 km stretching along the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal.

Languages in India

India uses Hindi and English at the central level, with English widely used for national, political and commercial communication. Hindi is the primary language for a large share of the population, and there are 14 other major official languages including Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi and Sanskrit.

Many people also speak regional dialects or mixed forms such as Hindustani, which blends Hindi and Urdu and is common across much of northern India.

National Symbols

• National Anthem: “Jana Gana Mana”, written by Rabindranath Tagore.
• National Song: “Vande Mataram”, composed in Sanskrit by Bankim Chandra Chatterji.
• National Animal: Tiger.
• National Bird: Peacock.
• National Emblem: The Ashoka Chakra (the wheel seen on the Indian flag).
• National Tree: Banyan.
• National Flower: Lotus.
• National Fruit: Mango.
• National Sport: Hockey.

Economy in Simple Terms

India’s economy combines traditional village farming and small-scale crafts with large modern industries and a fast-growing services sector. Services now account for more than half of India’s total output, while a large part of the population still depends on agriculture and related work.

Over the past decades, growth has generally been strong and the country has gradually reduced poverty, although big differences remain between urban and rural areas.

Interesting Facts About India

• Indian mathematicians developed the number system and the concept of zero; the digit zero is often linked to the work of Aryabhatta.
• The place value and decimal systems were in use in India more than two thousand years ago.
• Chess is believed to have been invented in India in an early form.
• Ayurveda is one of the world’s oldest systems of medicine, with detailed knowledge of the body, health and disease recorded in classical Indian texts.
• The word “navigation” has roots in Sanskrit, and early navigation is linked to the Sindhu (Indus) river region in ancient India.
• India is today the largest democracy in the world in terms of population.

Why These Facts Matter for Volunteers

Knowing a little about India’s languages, symbols and history helps you understand why people are proud of their country and culture. As a volunteer, this background makes it easier to connect with local communities, show respect and have deeper conversations during your stay.