Background information on India

History

Without safe water on tap many women have to collect water from rivers and lakes.

Credit: WaterAid / Steve Bainbridge

The huge landmass of the Indus valley, now modern day India, has been populated for thousands of years. Aryan tribes invaded from the North West in about 1500 BC, merging with the existing population and creating the classical Indian culture.

Over the centuries repeated incursions from other nations, Arabs in the 8th century, Turks in the 12th and British in the 15th, created a rich and diverse culture.

Political control of virtually all Indian lands was assumed by the British in the 19th century, with independence in 1947 following the non-violent resistance to British colonialism under Mohandas Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru.

At Independence the subcontinent was divided into the secular state of India and the smaller Muslim state of Pakistan. War between these two countries in 1971 resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh.

India is currently suffering an ongoing dispute with Pakistan over Kashmir. It is also facing massive overpopulation, environmental degradation, extensive poverty, and ethnic and religious strife. Coupled with this have been significant gains in economic investment and output.

Economy

The climate is dominated by the Asiatic monsoon, with rains from the south-west between June and October, and drier winds from the north between December and February. From March to May the climate is dry and hot. The poor monsoon of mid-2002 has reduced agricultural output substantially.

The economy embraces traditional village farming, modern agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern industries, and a multitude of support services. However, struggling against overpopulation, about a quarter of India's population is too poor to be able to afford an adequate diet.

Nevertheless, the growth rate over the last decade has averaged 6%, reducing poverty by about 10 percentage points. The country has large numbers of well-educated skilled people and is a major exporter of software services.