2. India has land frontier of about 15,200 km. The total length of the coastline of the mainland, Lakshadweep Islands and Andaman and Nicobar Islands is 7,516.6 km.

3. Countries having common border with India are: Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar and Bangladesh. Sri Lanka is separated from India by a narrow channel of sea formed by the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar.

4. The climate of India can be described as Tropical monsoon type.

5. India is in tenth position in the world and fourth in Asia in plant diversity.

6. India has a great variety of fauna, numbering 89,451 species.

7. The design of the National Flag was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India on July 22,1947.

8. The National emblem of India is an adaptation from the Sarnath Lion Capitol of Emperor Ashoka.

9.The song ‘Jana-gana-mana’, composed by Rabindranath Tagore, was adopted in its Hindi version by the Constituent Assembly, as the National Anthem of India, on January 24, 1950.

10. The national calendar of India is based on the Saka Era, with Chaitra as its first month. A normal year of 365 days the Gregorian Calendar was adopted on March 22, 1957.

11. Agricultural sector of India contributes 25 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and about 70 per cent of the Indian population is dependent on it.

12. The major kharif crops in India are: rice, jowar, bajra, maize, cotton, sugarcane, soyabean, and groundnut.

13. The major rabi crops are: wheat, barley, gram, linseed, rapeseed, and mustard.

14.  India is, one of the largest oilseeds growing countries, contributing about 15 per cent to the acreage under oilseeds in the world.

15.  India is the third largest producer and consumer of fertilizers in the world, after China and USA. It contributes to 9.5 per cent of world’s fertilizer production and 10.6 per cent of world consumption. 

16.  India accounts for about 10 per cent of the production of fruits in the world.

17. Mango is the most important fruit produced in India, covering about 39 per cent of the total area used for fruit production and accounting for 23 per cent of total fruit production of India.

18. India occupies first position in the total production of banana in the world.

19. India is next only to China in the area and production of vegetables. India contributes about 13 per cent of the world vegetable production. 

20. India is the largest producer, processor, consumer and exporter of cashew nut in the world. India produces 45 per cent of the global production of cashew.

21.  India accounts for 57 per cent of the world’s buffalo population and 15 per cent of the cattle population.

22. India is the largest producer of milk in the world and ranks fifth in egg production.

23.The Damodar Valley Corporation was the first multipurpose river valley project to be undertaken after Independence. It was set up in July 1948.

24. Coal is the main source of energy in India and account for about 67 per cent of India’s commercial requirement.

25. The coal reserves of India, as on January 1, 2003 were 2,40,748 million tonnes.

26.  The forest cover of India constitutes 20.55 per cent of its geographical area.

27. India ranks third in the world, after China and USA, in terms of production of coal.

28. The three important gold fields of India are: Kolar (Karnataka), Hutti in Raichur district (Karnataka) and Ramgiri in Anantapur district (Andhra Pradesh).

29.  The main diamond-bearing areas in India are Panna belt in Madhya Pradesh, Munimadugu-Banganapalle conglomerate in Kurnool district, Wajrakarur Kimberlite pipe in Anantapur district and Krishna river basin in Andhra Pradesh.

30. The first radio programme was broadcast in India in 1923 by the Radio Club of Bombay.