India 🇮🇳
India is a country in Asia with a population of 1,417,173,173. Its capital is New Delhi. The official currency is INR, and the main languages are Hindi, English.
Quick facts
- Capital: New Delhi
- Continent: Asia
- Population: 1,417,173,173
- Area: 3,287,263 km²
- Density: 431 people per km²
- Currency: INR
- Languages: Hindi, English
- ISO code: IN
Where India sits
India 🇮🇳 is one of 48 countries in Asia, with its capital at New Delhi. It covers 3,287,263 square kilometres — 7th in the world — and is home to about 1,417,173,173 people, 2nd globally.
The countries it shares a continent with include China, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Japan. If you are learning geography region by region — which works far better than alphabetically, because memory for places is spatial — those are the ones to learn alongside it.
How India compares
Raw figures are hard to hold on their own, so it helps to anchor them. In population, India sits closest to China and United States. In land area, its nearest counterparts are Argentina and Kazakhstan.
At 431 people per square kilometre it is about 7.3 times the world average of 59.4. It ranks higher by population than by area, so it is more crowded than its size alone suggests.
Hindi is an official language in 2 countries here, among them Fiji. The INR is used by India and no one else.
To see India next to every other country, sort the country rankings by population, area or density; its currency and languages are listed alongside every other country's in world currencies and world languages.
How to remember India
New Delhi lies within Delhi, in the north of India. Add 'New' to Delhi and you have the capital. For the flag, picture a wheel rolling along the white middle stripe, with 24 spokes.
The flag of India: saffron, white and green, with a navy blue wheel
🇮🇳 The flag is three horizontal stripes of saffron, white and green, with a navy blue 24-spoke wheel, the Ashoka Chakra, in the centre. Saffron stands for courage and sacrifice, white for purity and truth, and green for faith and fertility. The wheel stands for the wheel of life in movement.
Region and neighbours
India is a large country in South Asia, bounded by the Indian Ocean to the south, the Arabian Sea to the southwest and the Bay of Bengal to the southeast. It shares land borders with 6 countries: Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
- Pakistan 🇵🇰 — capital Islamabad
- China 🇨🇳 — capital Beijing
- Nepal 🇳🇵 — capital Kathmandu
- Bhutan 🇧🇹 — capital Thimphu
- Bangladesh 🇧🇩 — capital Dhaka
- Myanmar 🇲🇲 — capital Naypyidaw
Three facts about India
- India is the world's seventh-largest country by area and the largest by population.
- Kanchenjunga, 8,586 m high, is India's highest point.
- India is a federal union of 28 states and 8 union territories.
Sources: Wikipedia: India, Wikipedia: Flag of India, Wikipedia: New Delhi, CIA World Factbook.
Quiz yourself on India
- Asian capitals quiz — match India to New Delhi
- Asian flags quiz — spot the India flag among its neighbours
Quizzes that include India
Three angles are worth covering for any country — where it is, what its flag looks like, and what its capital is. For India those are:
- Asia map quiz — place it on a blank map
- Asia flags quiz — identify its flag among its neighbours
- Asia capitals quiz — match it to New Delhi
- India capital quiz — five quick questions starting with India
- Daily Map Challenge — five countries to find on a blank world map, the same five for everyone each day
Doing all three for one continent before moving on is far more efficient than learning flags globally, then capitals globally, then the map.
Read more about India
- Capital of India: New Delhi — the capital in detail, with size and density rankings
- All 48 countries of Asia
Nearby countries
- Afghanistan 🇦🇫 — capital Kabul
- Armenia 🇦🇲 — capital Yerevan
- Azerbaijan 🇦🇿 — capital Baku
- Bahrain 🇧🇠— capital Manama
- Bangladesh 🇧🇩 — capital Dhaka
- Bhutan 🇧🇹 — capital Thimphu
- Brunei 🇧🇳 — capital Bandar Seri Begawan
- Cambodia 🇰🇠— capital Phnom Penh
- China 🇨🇳 — capital Beijing
- Georgia 🇬🇪 — capital Tbilisi
- Indonesia 🇮🇩 — capital Jakarta
- Iran 🇮🇷 — capital Tehran
Frequently asked questions
What are the colours of the India flag?
The flag of India is three horizontal stripes of saffron, white and green, with a navy blue 24-spoke wheel, the Ashoka Chakra, in the centre. Saffron stands for courage and sacrifice, white for purity and truth, and green for faith and fertility. The wheel stands for the wheel of life in movement.
Which countries border India?
India shares land borders with Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
How can I remember the capital of India?
New Delhi lies within Delhi, in the north of India. Add 'New' to Delhi and you have the capital. For the flag, picture a wheel rolling along the white middle stripe, with 24 spokes.