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India
Cyprus
India
Population
1,028 million (as of 2006)
Area
3.3 million square kilometres
Geographical Location
Lies between latitudes 8°4' and 37°6 ' north and longitudes 68°7 ' and 97°25' east
Coastline Length
7,600 km
Languages
17 official languages, 844 other languages (with script, history & literature) & over 1800 dialects
Major Religions
Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism
National Anthem
"Jana Gana Mana" by Rabindranath Tagore
National Emblem
Replica of the Lion Capital of Sarnath
National Flag
Horizontal tricolour in equal proportion of deep saffron on the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom. In the centre of the white band is a wheel in navy blue colour with 24 spokes.
National Animal
Tiger (Panthera tigris)
National Bird
Peacock
National Flower
Lotus
National Tree
Banyan
National fruit
Mango
National Currency
Rupees (One Rupee = 100 paise)
Fiscal Year
GDP(PPP)
GDP Growth
GDP per capita
GDP by sector
April 1- March 31
USD 4,042 Trillion (2006 estimated)
8,5%
850 (approximately)
Agriculture -19.9% Industry – 19.3% Services- 60.7% 2006 (est.)
Power generation
499.5 billion kilo watt hour in 2000-01
Coal production
332 million tonnes in 2000-01
Crude oil production
32.2 million tonnes in 2000-01
Railway passenger traffic
4,864 million in 2000-01
Railway freight traffic
473 million tonnes in 2000-01
Total road length
2.47 million km in 1996-97
Iron ore export
26.0 million tonnes in 1994-95
Foodgrains production
195.5 million tonnes in 2000-01
Sugar cane production
299.2 million tonnes in 2000-01
Cotton production
9.7 million bales in 2000-01
Oilseed production
18.4 million tonnes in 2000-01
Cement production
99.5 million tonnes in 2000-01
Nitrogenous fertilizer production
11.02 million tonnes in 2000-01
Nuclear energy generation
16.9 billion kilo watt hour in 2000-01
India
Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic Republic
The Indian Union
29 States and six centrally administered Union Territories
Form of Government
Parliamentary, based on universal adult franchise
Legislature
Parliament, consists of President and the two Houses, known as Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and Lok Sabha (House of the People)
Executive
Consists of President, Vice-President and Council of Ministers led by the Prime Minister
Judiciary
Independent of executive
Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi and his Satyagraha, a unique non-violent campaign, India threw off the yoke of British rule at midnight on August 15, 1947. Free India's first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, described the moment as a "Tryst with Destiny".
In less than three years of attaining freedom, India had framed a Constitution and declared itself a Republic on January 26, 1950. The Constitution was given shape by some of the finest minds of the country, who ensured the trinity of justice, liberty and equality for the citizens of India. The Constitution was made flexible enough to adjust to the demands of social and economic changes within a democratic framework. Adopting the path of democracy, the country held its first general elections in 1952. Elections to the Lower House of Parliament, Lok Sabha, have been held regularly every five years.
INDIAN UNION: India is a Union of 29 States and 6 centrally administered Union Territories.
The States are Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. The centrally administered territories are Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Daman & Diu, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Lakshadweep and Pondicherry.Constitution: The country attained freedom on 15 August 1947. The Constitution of the Republic came into effect on 26 January 1950. The Constitution provides for single and uniform citizenship for the whole nation and confers the right to vote on every person who is a citizen of India and 18 years of age or older.
Fundamental Rights: The Fundamental Rights of every Indian citizen include the freedom of speech, expression, belief, assembly and association, migration, and choice of occupation or trade. These rights also protect every Indian from discrimination on grounds of race, religion, creed or sex, and are enforceable in courts of law.
The Legislature: India has a parliamentary form of government based on universal adult franchise. The executive authority is responsible to the elected representatives of the people in the Parliament for all its decisions and actions. Sovereignty rests ultimately with the people. The Parliament is bi-cameral.
Rajya Sabha (Council of States): The Council of States (Upper House) consists of not more than 250 members, of whom 12 are nominated by the President of India and the rest elected. It is not subject to dissolution, one-third of its members retiring at the end of every second year. The elections to the Council are indirect. The allotted quota of representatives of each State are elected by the members of the Legislative Assembly of that State, in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote. The nominated members are persons with special knowledge or practical experience in literature, science, art and social service. The Rajya Sabha is presided over by the Vice-President of India.Lok Sabha (House of the People): The House of the People consists of 545 members. Of these, 530 are directly elected from the 25 States and 13 from the seven Union Territories. Two members are nominated by the President to represent the Anglo-Indian community. Unless dissolved sooner, the term of the House is five years from the date appointed for its first meeting. The Lok Sabha elects its own presiding officer, the Speaker.
Of India is the Head of the State and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. He is elected by an electoral college composed of members of both the Houses of Parliament (Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha) and the legislatures of the nation's constituent States. The President holds office for five years and can be re-elected.
The President does not normally exercise any constitutional powers on his own initiative. These are exercised by the Council of Ministers, headed by the Prime Minister, which is responsible to the elected Parliament.Is elected jointly by the members of both the Houses of Parliament. The person enjoying majority support in the Lok Sabha is appointed Prime Minister by the President. The President then appoints other ministers on the advice of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister can remain in office only as long as he or she enjoys majority support in the Parliament.
Is elected by the members of the Lok Sabha and is normally the leader of the largest party or coalition of parties in the Indian Parliament.
The Judiciary:The judiciary is independent of the executive. It is the guardian and interpreter of the Constitution.
Is the highest judicial tribunal, positioned at the apex of a single unified system for the whole country. Each State has its own High Court. A uniform code of criminal laws applies to the whole country.
The States:The States have their own Legislative Assemblies and in certain cases a second Chamber. All members of the Legislative Assemblies are elected by universal adult franchise. The Heads of the States are called Governors. Appointed by the President, they normally exercise the same powers in the States as the President does at the Union Government level. As in the Central Government, each State has a Cabinet headed by the Chief Minister responsible to the elected State Legislature.
Election Commission:The electoral machinery is centralized in an independent statutory body called the Election Commission. The Commission is responsible for the 'superintendence, direction and control' of the electoral rolls for all elections to Parliament and to the State Legislatures and also for conducting the elections.
Cabinet Ministers
Shri Manmohan Singh Prime Minister, in-charge of the Ministries/Departments not specifically allocated to the charge of any Ministers viz:
(i) Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
(ii) Ministry of Planning
(iii) Department of Atomic Energy
(iv) Department of Space
(v) Ministry of Coal
(vi) Ministry of Environment and Forests
2. Shri Pranab Mukherjee External Affairs
3. Shri Arjun Singh Human Resource Development
4. Shri Sharad Pawar Agriculture, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution
5. Shri Lalu Prasad Railways
6. Shri A.K. Antony Defence
7. Shri Shivraj V. Patil Home Affairs
8. Shri A.R. Antulay Minority Affairs
9. Shri Sushilkumar Shinde Power
10. Shri Ram Vilas Paswan Chemicals & Fertilizers and Steel
11. Shri S. Jaipal Reddy Urban Development
12. Shri Sis Ram Ola - Mines Mines
13. Shri P. Chidambaram Finance
14. Shri Mahavir Prasad Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
15. Shri P.R. Kyndiah Tribal Affairs
16. Shri T.R. Baalu Minister of Shipping, Road Transport & Highways
17. Shri Shankarsinh Vaghela Textiles
18. Shri Vayalar Ravi Overseas Indian Affairs
19. Shri Kamal Nath Commerce and Industry
20. Shri H. R. Bhardwaj Law and Justice
21. Shri Santosh Mohan Dev Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises
22. Prof.Saif-ud-din Soz Water Resources
23. Shri Raghuvansh Prasad Singh Rural Development
24. Shri Priyaranjan Dasmunsi Parliamentary Affairs, Minister of Information & Broadcasting
25. Shri Mani Shankar Aiyar Panchayati Raj, Youth Affairs & Sports, Development North
Eastern Region
26. Smt. Meira Kumar Social Justice and Empowerment
27. Shri Murli Deora Petroleum and Natural Gas
28. Smt Ambika Soni Tourism and Culture
29. Shri A. Raja Communications & Information Technology
30. Dr. Anbumani Ramdoss Health & Family Wealthfare
31. Shri Kapil Sibal Science &Technology, Earth Sciences.
32. Shri Prem Chand Gupta Corporate Affairs
Ministers of State (Independent Charge)
1. Shri Oscar Fernandes Labour and Employment
2. Smt. Renuka Chowdhury Women & Child Development
3. Shri Subodh Kant Sahay Food Processing Industries
4. Shri Vilas Muttemwar Renewable Energy
5. Kumari Selja Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation
6. Shri Praful Patel Civil Aviation
7. Shri G.K. Vasan Statistics & Programme Implementation
Ministers of State
1. Shri E. Ahamed External Affairs
2. Shri Suresh Pachouri Personnel, Public Grievances &Pensions, Parliamentary Affairs .3. Shri B. K. Handique Chemicals and Fertilizers, Parliamentary Affairs
4. Smt. Panabaka Lakshmi Health and Family Welfare
5. Shri Dasari Narayan Rao Coal
6. Dr. Shaqeel Ahmed Communications & Information Technology
7. Shri Rao Inderjit Singh Defence
8. Shri Naranbhai Rathwa Railways
9. Shri K. H. Muniappa Shipping Road Transport and Highways
10.Shri M. V. Rajasekharan Planning
11. Shri Kantilal Bhuria Agriculture, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution
12. Shri Manikrao Gavit Home Affairs
13. Shri Sriprakash Jaiswal Home Affairs
14. Shri Prithviraj Chavan Prime Minister's Office
15. Shri Taslimuddin Agriculture, Food & Civil Consumer Affairs & Public Distribution
16. Smt. Suryakanta Patil Rural Development and Parliamentary Affairs
17. Shri Mohammed Ali Ashraf Fatmi Human Resource Development
18. Shri R.Velu Railways
19. Shri S. S. Palanimanickam Finance
20. Shri S. Regupathy Environment and Forests
21. Shri K. Venkatapathy Law and Justice
22. Smt. Subbulakshmi Jegadeesan Social Justice and Empowerment
23. Shri E. V. K. S. Elangovan Textiles
24. Smt. Kanti Singh Heavy Industry
25. Shri Namo Naraian Meena Environment and Forests
26. Shri Jay Prakash Narayan Yadav Water Resources27. Dr. Akhilesh Prasad Food and Public Distribution
28. Shri Pavan Kumar Bansal Finance29. Shri Anand Sharma External Affairs
30. Shri Ajay Maken Urban Development
31. Shri. Dinsha J. Patel Petroleum and Natural Gas
32. Shri M.M. Pallam Raju Defence
33. Dr. T. Subbarami Reddy Mines34. Dr. Akhilesh Das Steel
35. Shri Ashwani Kumar Industry36. Shri Jairam Ramesh Commerce and Industry
37. Shri Chandra Sekhar Sahu Rural Development
38. Smt. D. Purandeswari Human Resources Development
39. Shri M.H. Ambareesh Information and Broadcasting40. Smt. V. Radhika Selvi Home Affairs
Indian Foreign Policy - 50 Years of Achievement
The foundations of foreign policy were laid during the freedom movement when India’s leaders, even when fighting for independence, were engaged with the great causes of the time. The principles of India's foreign policy, that emerged then, have stood the test of time: a belief in friendly relations with all countries of the world, the resolution of conflicts by peaceful means, the sovereign equality of all states, independence of thought and action as manifested in the principles of non-alignment, and equity in the conduct of international relations.
Economic Policy
With the global trend of so many countries throwing open their economies, India has begun to place special stress on economic diplomacy at all levels - bilateral, regional and multilateral. The existing opportunities are being expanded while new ones are being created for trade, investment and technological cooperation with both the developed and the developing world.
But the success of India's economic reform programme may not be possible without a favorable global economic environment. The effort of the government has been, therefore, to forge a consensus at international fora in favor of policies that support the economic development programmes of the developing countries.
Economic and Technical Cooperation
As a country that has achieved self-reliance in diverse fields, Indian economic and technical assistance is eagerly sought by a number of developing countries. India provides many of these countries with its expertise in projects ranging from the construction of cement plants to airports and railway systems. A number of Indian firms have been active in this regard in South East Asia, Africa and West Asia.
The Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme provides Indian expertise and consultancy services to a number of developing countries for feasibility and detailed technical evaluation studies. The programme supports training of personnel in India in a host of areas like agriculture, animal husbandry, and small-scale industries.
India has established a reputation for appropriateness and excellence in a number of areas. Developing countries are increasingly finding cooperation with countries like India a very attractive option.
India provides facilities to students from Asia and Africa for university education, especially in professional areas such as medicine, engineering, and architecture. In addition, thousands have been trained in Indian institutions in diverse fields such as railways, mass media, industrial consultancy, business management, education, agricultural research, shipping and water resources management.India's economy is on the fulcrum of an ever increasing growth curve. With positive indicators such as a stable 8 per cent annual growth, rising foreign exchange reserves of close to US$ 166 billion, a booming capital market with the popular "Sensex" index topping the majestic 13,000 mark, the Government estimating FDI flow of US$ 12 billion in this fiscal, and a more than 22 per cent surge in exports, it is easy to understand why India is a leading destination for foreign investment.
- The economy has grown by 8.9 per cent for the April-July quarter of ’06-07, the highest first-quarter growth rate since '00-01.
- The growth rate has been spurred by the manufacturing sector, which has logged an 11.3 per cent rise in Q1 ’06-07, according to the GDP data released by the Central Statistical Organisation. It was 10.7 per cent in the corresponding period of the last fiscal year. The GDP numbers come just weeks after the monthly IIP growth figures have touched 12.4 per cent.
- Agriculture, which accounts for nearly a quarter of the GDP, has also grown by a healthy 3.4 per cent, unchanged from the corresponding period of last fiscal.
- Other propellers of GDP growth for the first quarter this fiscal have been the trade, hotels, transport and communications sector which grew by 9.5 per cent and construction, which grew by 13.2 per cent. In the corresponding period of last fiscal, these sectors grew by 11.7 per cent and 12.4 per cent, respectively.
- Electricity also grew by 5.4 per cent this first quarter as opposed to 7.4 per cent in the same period last year. The overall growth in this sector was fuelled by growth in July and August. The services sector also grew by 10.6 per cent in the first quarter of ’06-07. It was only 9.8 per cent last year in the same period.
- There has been exceptional growth rate in some specific industries, like commercial vehicles at 36 per cent, telephone connections, by 48.9 per cent and passenger growth in civil aviation by 32.2 per cent.
Some highlights:
- India has more billionaires than China. This year there were 15 billionaires in China but last year in India, there were 20 billionaires, according to the Forbes magazine.
- India has emerged as the world's fastest growing wealth creator, thanks to a buoyant stock market and higher earnings.
- A number of Indian companies surpassed last year's net profit in just six months of the current fiscal, reflecting an accelerated growth in corporate earnings.
- Forty-four per cent of Top 100 Fortune 500 companies are present in India.
With its manufacturing and services sector on a searing growth path, India’s economy may soon touch the coveted 10 per cent growth figure.
Economic Indicators
India's balance of payments position has continued to remain comfortable during 2006-07 so far.
Merchandise exports recorded strong growth, although lower than last year.
Growth in non-oil imports registered a sharp deceleration partly due to a dip in imports of gold and silver. Imports of capital goods increased on the back of investment demand although they also witnessed some deceleration on a high base. Oil imports remained large in view of further hardening of international crude oil prices.
The surplus on the invisibles account remained buoyant during the first quarter of 2006-07, led by exports of software and other business services and private remittances, and financed two-thirds of the trade deficit.
The current account deficit during the first quarter of 2006-07 widened from a year ago, reflecting higher trade deficit.
The higher current account deficit was easily financed by capital flows which have remained large during 2006-07 so far.
India’s foreign exchange reserves were US$ 166.2 billion as on October 20, 2006, showing an increase of US$ 14.5 billion over end-March 2006 level.
Industrial Growth
For the first time in the last 10 years, industrial growth in India has exceeded 10 per cent. Also, for the first time ever, the manufacturing rate of growth has exceeded 12 per cent in six months (April-September 2006). Manufacturing accounts for about 80 per cent of India’s industrial production, while mining and electricity account for approximately 10 per cent each. The mining and quarrying sector has shown a growth of 3.9 per cent.
The electricity sector has registered a double-digit growth of 11.3 per cent during September 2006 as compared to September 2005. Compared with April-September 2005, the two sectors grew by 3.1 per cent and 6.6 per cent respectively, during April-September 2006.
Consumer durables and non-durables have also shown record upward trends. Among the use-base economic sub-groups, intermediate goods have registered an impressive growth of 14.7 per cent during September 2006 over September 2005. Consumer goods have also recorded a high growth of 12.5 per cent with 12.6 per cent growth in consumer durables and 12.5 per cent growth in consumer non-durables.
The National Manufacturing Initiative proposed by the National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council (NMCC) has envisaged stepping up of the manufacturing sector growth from 9 to 10 per cent to 12 to 14 per cent in the 11th Plan period. India is poised to achieve the target of attracting US$ 10 billion of foreign direct investment (FDI) this year as inflows have nearly doubled to US$ 4.4 billion in April-September 2006. Corporate India has recorded its highest rise in salaries at 22 per cent in the first half of 2006-07. The increase was 17 per cent in 2005-06 and between 8.35 per cent and 12.6 per cent in the previous three years.
FIIs
Foreign institutional investors' (FIIs) net investments in equities crossed US$ 7 billion in calendar 2006. FII net investment till 6 November 2006 has been US$ 7.08 billion, according to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi).
As many as 151 new FIIs have opened their offices in India during first 10 months. In the corresponding period last year, 166 new FIIs entered India. The total number of FIIs that have set shops in India are 974 as on November 7.
FDI
India is poised to achieve the target of attracting $10 billion of foreign direct investment (FDI) this year as inflows have nearly doubled to US$ 4.4 billion in April-September 2006. In September 2006, FDI inflows grew 225 per cent to US$ 916 million as compared to US$ 282 million in the same month last year.
Services attracted maximum investment of US$ 1.5 billion showing growth of 350 per cent the growth. Telecom sector with inflows of US$ 405 million showed the maximum growth of 950 per cent.
Outlook
The buoyancy in manufacturing and services sector activities coupled with the recovery in domestic stock markets and positive investment climate suggest that the recent growth momentum in the Indian economy is likely to be maintained in 2006-07.
Research & Development
Following in the footsteps of the information technology enabled services (ITeS) industry, which put India on the world map, yet another sector -- Research and Development (R&D) -- is witnessing increasing vitality and growth. More than 125 Fortune 500 companies have opted to have their R&D base in India. The reasons for this are obvious. India's wealth of scientific talent is unmatched in the world.
- Indian space scientists are designing a new generation satellite with unfurlable antenna for mobile television services. The proposed spacecraft will have multimedia applications as well.
- India conducted its inaugural test flight for Saras, the country's first indigenous civilian light-transport aircraft, in August 2004.
- About 165 institutions in the country are engaged in genetic engineering research, comprising 55 in transgenic work, 25 in therapeutics and 85 in basic research, according to the Department of Biotechnology.
- The country has already started commercial cultivation of genetically modified cotton in Gujarat and some southern states, with several other crops in various stages of getting approvals for commercial plantation.
- India is the only developing country and sixth worldwide to manufacture and launch its own satellites in geo-stationary orbit and even plans a moon mission in 2008. It has also launched satellites for foreign customers such as Germany and Korea.
- In stem cell research, the US Department of Health wants to fund two Indian institutions — Reliance Life Sciences and the National Centre for Biological Sciences.
Having proved its scientific mettle, India has begun to appear on the outsourcing radar with a monotonous regularity. Gone are the days when international companies retained R&D jobs at home and sent abroad work that were clerical and of a repetitive nature. Now, even innovation and design work have begun to move offshore, especially to India. More than 100 Fortune 500 companies — including Delphi, Eli Lilly, General Electric, Hewlett Packard, DaimlerChrysler and others — have put up R&D facilities in India over the past few years.
- Swiss drug-major Novartis has set up a global research centre at Thane to support its over-the-counter (OTC) pipeline in markets such as the US and Europe.
- Swedish truck and bus maker Volvo has opened a technology centre and a product development unit in Bangalore
- PMC-Sierra, a US-based fabless semiconductor company, has set up a development centre with an investment of US$ 7 million
- German major Robert Bosch, which develops embedded software for cars and commercial vehicles, plans to invest US$ 10.1 million to build a second centre in India
- The DaimlerChrysler Research Centre in Bangalore is involved with fundamental and applied research in avionics, simulation and software development.
- Boeing is working with HCL Technologies to co-develop software for everything from navigation systems and landing gear to the cockpit controls for its upcoming 7E7 Dreamliner jet.
- The best-known Indian R&D companies are in pharmaceuticals and biotech sectors. Companies such as Ranbaxy, Dr Reddy's Laboratories, Sun Pharma and Biocon and Shanta Biotech are attracting interest from companies in the US and Europe, which are seeking a strong platform for development skills.
As a growing pharma R&D hub, India offers tough competition to Europe. An Ernst and Young study has identified India as one of the most favoured destinations for collaborative R&D, bioinformatics, contract research and manufacturing and clinical research as a result of growing compliance with internationally harmonised standards such as Good Laboratory Practices (GLP), current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) and Good Clinical Practices (GCP).
Process innovations and new drug delivery systems have helped domestic drug companies gain a foothold in the global generics market and move up the value chain. This has brought in a new confidence into the sector making it respond to the new market with enthusiasm. Almost every pharma company of reasonable size such as Nicholas Piramal, Torrent Pharma, Glenmark and Lupin have has significantly scaled up its R&D spending in the past year. Members of the India Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA), which comprises most of the research-oriented Indian companies, have increased their spending on research four times over the last four years.
India's potential in the R&D market is enormous. This fact is reflected in global research on the area. A study by Ireland-based leading market research resource, Research & Markets, says the R&D outsourcing market for information technology in India is set to grow from US$ 1.3 billion in 2003 to over US$ 8 billion by 2010.
India's attractiveness as an investment destination for R&D is fuelled by the same factors as the ITeS sector -- its rich talent pool of technical manpower and its cost effectiveness.
These factors coupled with the 150 per cent tax sop the government has offered for automobile R&D centres have fuelled considerable growth in the segment.
Auto major Toyota is planning to set up a centre in India. Daimler Chrysler and General Motors have already set up their research and development centres in Bangalore. Last year, auto companies like Honda Siel and Ford India along with domestic firms such as Ashok Leyland and Maruti Udyog spent a total of Rs 300 crore (US$ 68.9 million) on research and development activities.
Origin
India is home to one of the richest and the most ancient civilizations in the world, which existed over 5,000 years ago. This civilization originated in the Indus River Valley, hence the name given to it was Indus Valley civilization. It is the origin of many of the ideas, philosophies and movements which have shaped the destiny of mankind. The civilization with its main cities Mohenjadaro and Harappa flourished for over eight centuries. Its people thought to be Dravidians, whose descendants still inhabit the far south of India.Aryan and Greek Invasions
The country was influenced by many invasions, the Arya or Aryans (1500BC) as they are known today, are the first invaders. Aryans were a group of nomadic tribes who had originally inhabited the steppes of Central Asia, in particular the region between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea. Tall, fair haired, with clear cut features, they spoke a group of languages which have become known as Indo-European. They settled in the region to the north west of India, known as the Punjab. They brought with them new ideas, new technology and new gods, this is one of the most important epochs in Indian history. With time, the Aryans were engaged in struggle with the dark skinned people or Dasyus. The Dasyus were the Dravidians. The superiority of the Aryans resulted in the Dravidian submission.The second great invasion into India occurred around 500 BC, when the Persian kings Cyrus and Darius, pushing their empire eastward, conquered the prized Indus Valley. After centuries of obscurity, doubt and conjecture, India came into the full light of recorded history with the invasion of Alexander the Great of Macedonia in 327 BC. Although Alexander crossed the Indus and defeated an Indian king, he turned back without extending his power into India.Maurya and Gupta Periods
The receding tide of Greek power led to a period of confusion and uncertainty in northern India as various rulers tried to make capital of the vacuum that Alexander had left behind. These circumstances saw the rise of Mauryas, India's first imperial dynasty, founded by Chandragupta Maurya. Maurya dynasty reached its peak around 260 BC under the Emperor Ashoka, the most famous figures in Indian History. He left a series of inscriptions on pillars and rocks across the sub-continent. But after his death, the Mauryan empire gradually fell apart because his descendants were not as strong rulers as he was. At the beginning of the fourth century AD, India was fragmented into a lot of small kingdoms. They were often invaded by stronger neighbors like Greeks. They conquered Indus Valley again but they didn't stay for long. Out of this seeming Chaos, King Chandragupta II united all of northern India into a great empire again.The Gupta period has been described as the golden age of Indian history and under their rule of northern India, arts, including poetry and literature, flourished. The exquisite Ajanta and Ellora caves were excavated in this period. Gupta period extended from 320AD to 480AD. But in 455 AD the Huns invaded India from the north and destroyed the Guptan Empire. Again India was split into small kingdoms until the Muslim invasions around 1000 AD. In South India, great empires rose, entirely independently from those of the north. These included the Kalachuris, Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Yadhavas, Hoysalas, Pallavas, Cholas, Pandyas, Cheras and the Vijayanagar kingdom.
Muslim Invasions
The Medieval Period in Indian history began with the Muslim Invasions. While the Hindu kingdoms ruled in the south and Buddhism was fading in the north, Muslim invasions from the Middle East began, towards the end of the 12th century. The Muslim period in India began with the Turkish conquests under Mahmud of Ghazni and Muhammad Ghori. Many famous dynasties such as the the Slave Dynasty, Khilji Dynasty, Tughlaq Dynasty, Saiyyid and Lodhi, Bahmani Dynasty, and Others followed. In the16th century, Babur from Fergana (Uzbekistan), a descendant of Genghis Khan swept across the Khyber Pass, defeated Ibrahim Lodi the last ruler of the Delhi Sultanate at the battle of Panipat and established the Great Mughal Dynasty which lasted for 200 years. The Mughal (Mogul) period saw a remarkable blend of Indian, Persian and Central Asian influences manifested in an impressive legacy of magnificent palaces, forts, tombs and landscaped gardens-including India's magnificent edifice, the Taj Mahal. The golden era of the Mughal period was under the rule of Akbar the great.European Invasions
The country’s riches in different cultures, wealth in spices and minerals - made it a target for invasion and colonisation by European powers from the fifteenth century onwards.The Portuguese were the first Europeans to settle in India, in Goa, in the fifteenth century (1498). The Europeans arrived even before the Mughals. The Dutch East India company was chartered in 1602 and they established spice trade and factories in Cochin, Nagapatinam and Agra. They did not have any military ambitions for India. In 1613, the British East India Company, a trading company, started its first trading post in Gujarat. Later in the century, the East India Company opened permanent trading stations at Madras, Bombay, and Calcutta, each under the protection of native rulers.Meanwhile around 1644, the French established trade with India. Pondicherry was the hub of French settlements. Other French factories and settlements were at Surat, their first trading post in 1666, then Masulipatanam, Karikal, Chandernagore in Bengal and Mahe at the Malabar coast. The struggle for establishing supremacy in trade resulted in wars between the English and the French in the Deccan. The latter of the three successive Carnatic wars between them, from 1746-48, 1748-54 and 1758-63 moreover sealed the fate of the French possessions in India. In 1757, at the Battle of Plassey, Robert Clive, an employee of the British East India Company, defeated the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-Daulah and established their political sovereignty in India. It was an important step towards the eventual British dominance of the country. The First War of Independence (Sepoy Mutiny) or the first major Indian rebellion against the British after the battle of Plassey took place in 1857. Although the rebels succeeded in capturing territories in the Gangetic plain, it was recaptured by the British and the rebellion was completely crushed by mid 1858. The British government took over control of India from the East India Company. Britain then ruled India with local rulers for over three hundred years.
Indian Independence
Eventually demand grew for Indian independence. The socio- religious movements brought forth by various social reformers all over the country inspired national consciousness to improve their social condition and invoked the spirit of patriotism among the Indian masses. A national movement for independence was created. Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad, Subhash Chandra Bosh, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Mahamana, Sardar Ballabh Bhai Patel, Sarojini Naidu, Chander Shekhar Azad were the notable people of the movement. But the most relevantverent leader of the movement was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, a lawyer who believed in non violent protest (civil disobedience). Gandhi worked with Jawaharlal Nehru, the secretary of the Indian National Congress and transformed the Indian National Congress political party into a mass movement to campaign against the British colonial rule. After several years of struggle, Britain decided to quit India. But a major problem had arisen. A large Muslim minority doubted that an independent India would also mean a Hindu-dominated India. The Muslim League, led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah began to call for an independent Muslim region- Pakistan. On 15th of August, 1947, India became completely independent from colonial rule, ending nearly 350 years of British presence in India. Nehru became the first Prime Minister of independent India.Following independence India was divided, to create Pakistan, which initially also included present-day Bangladesh where there were Muslim majorities. The separation escalated the brewing violence into a bloodbath. It is estimated that over one million people were killed in sectarian violence as up to six million Muslims moved towards Pakistan and up to five million Hindus and Sikhs moved towards India. Mahatma Gandhi opposed partition and in 30th January 1948 he himself was gunned down by a Hindu fundamentalist, enraged by his support for the Muslims. On January 26, 1950 India became a republic. The country adopted a new constitution based on the British parliamentary model. Newly independent, India worked to establish strong institutions of justice, media and bureaucracy.Governments of India
Nehru governed India until his death in and Lal Bahadur Shastri succeeded him as Prime Minister of India in 1964. He successfully repulsed Pakistan's twin attack on India-in the Rann of Kutch and in Kashmir. After India-Pakistan War of 1965, Shastri met in Tashkent with Pakistan's President and signed a “no-war” declaration. After Shastri's death he was succeeded by Nehru's daughter, Indira Gandhi. She rode a wave of success in1971 with India's victory in the second Indo-Pak war (1971), resulting in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh; launching of the India's first satellite into space (1975), nuclear explosion in Pokhran (1974). Other major decisions during her tenure include the nationalization of banks and the abolition of privy purses to the princes. In her attempt to control population growth, she implemented a voluntary sterilization program. But her adversaries criticized it. In 1975, beset with deepening political and economic problems, Mrs. Gandhi declared a state of emergency and suspended many civil liberties. The Emergency was a dark night in Indian democracy.The people also suffered a lot from this emergency rule. In the same year India acquired Sikkim. Seeking a mandate at the polls for her policies, she called for elections in 1977. Congress party lost the election to the Janata Party and Moraji Desai became India's new prime minister. In 1979 Desai's government crumbled and Charan Singh of the Janata Secular Party formed an interim government. But in 1980, Gandhi's government returned to power. In 1984, Mrs. Gandhi was assassinated by her own Sikh guards in apparent retaliation for dispatching troops to the Sikh Golden Temple. The years following the assassination, saw the Sikh Terrorism in Punjab. The situation has returned to normal after a decade of bitter violence. Within 24 hours, Indira's son Rajiv Gandhi was sworn in as the new prime minister. But his government was brought down in 1989 by allegations of corruption. Two major scandals, the "Spy" and the "Bofors" affairs, tarnished his reputation and he resigned his position. This was followed by opposition coalition governments headed by V.P. Singh and then Chandra Shekhar. That alliance also collapsed, resulting in national elections in 1991. But Rajiv Gandhi who stood for the elections, met with a tragic end in 1991 at Sriperumbudur, near Chennai by an LTTE Suicide Bomber when he was attending an election meeting.In the elections INC becomes the largest party and returned to power at the head of a coalition, under the leadership of P.V. Narasimha Rao. In 1996, he and his cabinet officials were subsequently indicted for major corruption. Religious conflict between Hindus and Muslims lead to bloody riots in 1992. Rao's tenure also marked extensive economic reforms under the Finance Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in the early 90s, which paved the way for India's economy growth at a high rate.In 1996, When general elections were held Rao and Congress were badly defeated, and he lost the prime minister ship. The Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged from national elections as the single-largest party in the Lok Sabha but without a parliamentary majority. Under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, BJP coalition government lasted only 13 days. With all political parties wishing to avoid another round of elections, a 14-party coalition led by the Janata Dal formed a government with H.D. Deve Gowda as Prime Minister but his government collapsed within a year. Another minor party leader, I.K. Gujral replaced Dev Gowda. In November 1997, the Congress Party again withdrew support from the United Front. In new elections in February 1998, the BJP won the largest number of seats in Parliament, but fell far short of a majority. The President inaugurated a BJP-led coalition government under Vajpayee. This coalition fell apart and new elections in 1999 improved the position of the BJP, Vajpayee formed a new coalition. In 1999, Pakistani infiltrators crossed the line of control in Kargil, Kashmir resulting in an armed conflict between the Indian army and Pakistani paramilitary forces, resulting in eventual withdrawal by the Pakistani soldiers. In 2004 elections, Congress formed the government under the former Finance Minister popularly known as the father of Indian Economic Reforms, Dr. Manmohan Singh.
India - Art, Culture and Sports
Festivals
The Indian calendar is one long procession of festivals. These are as varied in origin as they are large in number. There are innumerable national, regional, local, religious, seasonal and social festivities. This is not surprising considering the fact that India is the land of gods, goddesses, saints, gurus and prophets. Festivals here are characterised by colour, gaiety, enthusiasm, feasts and a variety of prayers and rituals. Travellers are struck by the scale and multiplicity of the festivities that populate the cultural scene of this land.
People
Languages
India has 17 major languages and 844 different dialects. The Sanskrit of the Aryan settlers has merged with the earlier Dravidian vernaculars to give rise to new languages.
Hindi, spoken by about 45 per cent of the population, is the national language. English has also been retained as a language for official communication.
Indian literature dates back several millennia to the hymns of the vedic Aryans. The oral tradition nurtured classical literature, and produced great works of philosophy and religious doctrine. It also accounted for compilations of anecdotes like the Panchatantra and the Jataka tales, as well as epics like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. In southern India, the creative energies of the Tamil poets found expression in the great works of Sangam literature. The epic Tirukkural by Tiruvalluvar is a masterpiece of this age. In the north, dramatists like Kalidasa and Bhasa produced great dramas in Sanskrit.National Anthem
The song "Jana-gana-mana", composed by Rabindranath Tagore, was adopted by the Constituent Assembly as the national anthem of India on 24 January 1950. It was first sung on 27 December 1911 at the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress. The complete song consists of five stanzas. The First stanza consists of the full version of the National Anthem. It reads:Jana-gana-mana-adhinayaka, jaya he
Bharata-bhagya-vidhata.
Punjaba-Sindhu-Gujarata-Maratha
Dravida-Utkala-Banga
Vindhya-Himachala-Yamuna-Ganga
Uchchala-Jaladhi-taranga.
Tava shubha name jage,
Tava shubha asisa mage,
Gahe tava jaya gatha,
Jana-gana-mangala-dayaka jaya he
Bharata-bhagya-vidhata.
Jaya he, jaya he, jaya he,
Jaya, jaya, jaya, jaya he!Playing time of the full version of the national anthem is approximately 52 seconds. A short version consisting of first and last lines of the stanza (playing time approximately 20 seconds) is also played on certain occasions. The following is Tagore's English rendering of this stanza:
Thou art the ruler of the minds of all people,
Dispenser of India's destiny.
Thy name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sind,
Gujarat and Maratha,
Of the Dravida and Orissa and Bengal;
It echoes in the hills of the Vindyas and Himalayas,
Mingles in the music of Jamuna and Ganges and is
Chanted by the waves of the Indian Sea.
They pray for thy blessings and sing thy praise.
The saving of all people waits in thy hand,
Thou dispenser of India's destiny.
Victory, victory, victory to thee.
The national emblem of India is a replica of the Lion at Sarnath, near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. The Lion Capital was erected in the third century BC by Emperor Ashoka to mark the spot where the Buddha first proclaimed his gospel of peace and emancipation. The national emblem is thus symbolic of contemporary India's reaffirmation of its ancient commitment to world peace and goodwill.
The four lions (one hidden from view), symbolising power, courage and confidence, rest on a circular abacus. The abacus is girded by four smaller animals, that are considered guardians of the four directions: the lion of the north, the elephant of the east, the horse of the south and the bull of the west. The abacus rests on a lotus in full bloom, exemplifying the fountainhead of life and creative inspiration. The motto 'Satyameva Jayate' inscribed below the emblem in Devanagari script means 'truth alone triumphs'.
National Flag
The Indian flag was designed as a symbol of freedom. The late Prime Minister Nehru called it "a flag not only of freedom for ourselves, but a symbol of freedom to all people."
The flag is a horizontal tricolour in equal proportion of deep saffron on the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom. The ratio of the width to the length of the flag is 2:3. In the centre of the white band, there is a wheel in navy blue to indicate the Dharma Chakra, the wheel of law in the Sarnath Lion Capital. Its diameter approximates the width of the white band and it has 24 spokes. The saffron stands for courage, sacrifice and the spirit of renunciation; the white, for purity and truth; and the green for faith and fertility.
The large Asiatic carnivorous feline quadruped, Panthera tigris, maneless, of tawny yellow colour with blackish transverse stripes and white belly, proverbial for its power and its magnificence, is the national animal of India.
There are very few tigers left in the world today. A decade ago the tiger population in India had dwindled to a few hundreds. The Government of India, under its Project Tiger programme, started a massive effort to preserve the tiger population. Today, thanks to Project Tiger, India's population of tigers is in a comfortable position.
The male bird of species Pavo cristatus, the peacock is a native of India, with striking plumage and upper tail converts marked with iridescent ocelli, and able to expand its tail erect like fan as ostentatious display. Peacocks are related to pheasants.
Found wild in India (and also domesticated in villages) they live in jungle lands near water. They were once bred for food but now hunting of peacocks is banned in India. The peahen has no plumage. These birds do not sound as beautiful as they look - they have a harsh call.
The lotus or waterlily is an aquatic plant of Nymphaea family with broad floating leaves and bright fragrant flowers that grow only in shallow waters. The leaves and flowers float and have long stems that contain air spaces. The big attractive flowers have many petals overlapping in a symmetrical pattern. The root functions are carried out by rhizomes that fan out horizontally through the mud below the water. Lotuses, prized for their serene beauty, are delightful to behold as their blossoms open on the surface of a pond. In India the sacred lotus is legendary and much folklore and religious mythology is woven around it.
The Banyan tree is the Indian fig tree, Ficus bengalensis, whose branches root themselves like new trees over a large area. The roots then give rise to more trunks an branches. Because of this characteristic and its longevity, this tree is considered immortal and is an integral part of the myths and legends of India. Even today, the banyan tree is the focal point of village life and the village council meets under the shade of this tree.
A fleshy fruit, eaten ripe or used green for pickles, of the tree Mangifera indica, the mango is one of the most important and widely cultivated fruits of the tropical world. Its juicy fruit is a rich source of Vitamins A, C and D. In India there are over 100 varieties of mangoes, in different sizes, shapes and colours. Mangoes, have been cultivated in India from time immemorial. The poet Kalidasa sang its praises. Alexander savoured its taste, as did the Chinese pilgrim Hieun Tsang. Akbar planted 100,000 mango trees in Darbhanga, known as Lakhi Bagh
Cyprus
From United Kingdom
- Date
- Total
(3,572 sq mi)
- Water (%)
Negligible
- 2005 est.
835,0002 (157th)
- 2001 census
689,565
- Density
90/km˛ (105th)
(233/sq mi)2005 estimate
- Total
$ 17.49 billion (115th)
- Per capita
$ 21,232 (32nd)
HDI (2003)
0.891 (29th) – high
Cyprus Pound (
CYP) it is scheduled to join the Euro zone on January 1st 2008- Summer (DST)
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Cypriot(s).
Population (2004 est.): government-controlled area: 749,200; area administered by Turkish Cypriots 218,000.
Annual growth rate (2004): 2.3%.
Ethnic groups (1960 census): Greek (77%), Turkish (18%), Armenian and other (4%).
Religions: Greek Orthodox, Muslim, Maronite, Roman Catholic, Armenian Orthodox.
Languages: Greek, Turkish, English.
Education: Years compulsory--6 in elementary; 3 in high school. Attendance--almost 100%. Literacy--about 99%.
Health: Infant mortality rate--9/1,000. Life expectancy--73 yrs. males; 78 yrs. females.
Work force: Government-controlled area (2004), 333,100: agriculture and mining--5.3%; manufacturing and utilities--12.0%; construction--10.7%; trade, hotels, and restaurants--27.1%; transport--5.3%; finance, real estate, and business--11.9%; government, education, and health--18.4%; community and other services--9.3%. Turkish Cypriot-administered area (2003), 95,000: agriculture--14.5%; manufacturing and utilities--9.3%; construction--19.7%; trade, and tourism--11.2%; transport and communication--8.7%; finance--2.5%; business and personal services--15.3%; public services--18.8%.Cyprus (Greek: Κύπρος, Kýpros; Turkish: Kıbrıs), officially the Republic of Cyprus (Greek: Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία, Kypriakí Dimokratía; Turkish: Kıbrıs Cumhuriyeti), is a Eurasian island nation in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea south of the Anatolian peninsula (Asia Minor) or modern-day Turkey. The third largest island in the Mediterranean, it is currently divided into four main portions: the southern Republic of Cyprus (the island nation-state), the unrecognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (occupied by Turkey since 1974), the United Nations-controlled Green Line separating the two, and two British Base Areas. Cyprus has been a member state of the European Union since 1 May 2004.
The Republic of Cyprus has a presidential constitution adopted in 1960. The President of the Republic is elected by universal suffrage and, with a five-year mandate, exercises executive functions through a Council of Ministers appointed and presided over by the President. The political system of Cyprus is unicameral. Its legislative chamber is made up of 80 members (56 Greek Cypriot and 24 Turkish Cypriot) elected according to a system of proportional representation for a five-year mandate. The 24 seats reserved for Turkish Cypriots are not occupied at present. Judicial power is held by the Supreme Court and district tribunals. In 1974, following a right-wing coup by the military regime in Athens, the armed forces of Ankara occupied more than one-third (approximately 35.4%) of the island. The Greek Cypriot majority was expelled and a separate administration set up. In 1983, this administration became the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus " (TRNC), recognised only by Ankara and presided over by Rauf Denktash. Today, the northern zone is patrolled by 35,000 Turkish soldiers. On 21 April 2003, Turkish and Greek Cypriot authorities agreed to open up the border zone and symbolically pull down the wall dividing the island for the last 30 years. The two British military bases of Dhekelia, near Larnaca, and Akrotiri-Episcopi, near Limassol making up the Sovereign Base Area (SBA) are not part of the territory of the Republic. The coalition government formed after the 16 February 2003 presidential elections includes the Akel party (Communists with 5 Ministers), Diko (Democrats with 4), and Kisos (Socialists, with 2). Since 27 July 2001, the Akel party (with 34.71% of the votes), Disy (Democratic Alliance) of the retiring President, Clerides (34%), Papadopoulos' Diko (14.84%), Kisos (6.51%), and other minor groups have had seats in Parliament.
International Relations
Partly due to its proximity to the Middle East, Cyprus is in a strategically important position. Since 1974, the country's main foreign policy objective has been the withdrawal of Turkish troops from the island and the reaching of a settlement on the so-called "Cyprus issue". Cyprus has also supported all initiatives aimed at fostering its membership in the EU. Cyprus signed the Accession Treaty on 16 April 2003, and on 24 April 2004 a referendum was held on the UN plan (the so called Annan Plan) for the reunification of the island. The referendum, however, rejected the plan following a decided no vote by Greek/Cypriot voters. The EU membership that became official on May 1st 2004 for the moment regards the Greek/Cypriot part of the island only. Cyprus has been a member of the United Nations since 1960, of the Council of Europe since 1961 and of OSCE and WTO since 1975 and 1995 respectively. Cyprus was, before her accesion to the EU on 1st May 2004, a member of a non aline movement since 1960, following her intergration to the EU, Cyprus is no longer a full member of the.l
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Government
Cyprus is an independent sovereign Republic with a presidential system of government. Under the 1960 Constitution, executive power is exercised by the President of the Republic, elected by universal suffrage for a five-year term of office. The President exercises executive power through a Council of eleven Ministers appointed by him. Ministers may be chosen from outside the House of Representatives.
Cyprus is a member of the E.U, United Nations and U.N. Agencies. It is also a member of the Council of Europe, the Commonwealth, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe and many other international Organisations.
Legislature
The legislative authority in the Republic is exercised by the House of Representatives now consisting of eighty members (56 of whom are to be Greek Cypriots and 24 Turkish Cypriots) elected by universal suffrage for a five-year term. At the time of its establishment, the House consisted of 50 members, 35 of whom were to be Greek Cypriots and 15 Turkish Cypriots. According to the constitution the ratio o the House is 70% Greek Cypriots and 30% Turkish Cypriots. Following the withdrawal of the Turkish Cypriot members, the House has been functioning only with the Greek Cypriot members.
Judiciary
The administration of justice is exercised by the island’s separate and independent Judiciary. Under the 1960 Constitution and other legislation in force, the following judicial institutions have been established: The Supreme Court of the Republic, The Assize Courts, District Courts, Military Court, Industrial Disputes Court, Rent Control Courts and Family Courts. The Supreme Court is the final appellate court of the Republic and the final adjudicator in matters of constitutional and administrative law.
Political Background
In July 1974, Turkey, using as a pretext the criminal coup against President Makarios, invaded Cyprus in violation of the UN Charter and all principles governing international relations. As a result, 35,6% of the island was occupied, 162.000 Greek Cypriots - about a quarter of the population - were forcibly expelled from this area and became refugees in their own country. They are still deprived of the right to return to their homes and properties. In addition about 1.479 Greek Cypriots are still missing. The blow was heavy. Byzantine churches, monuments and antiquities were destroyed or looted and many items were smuggled abroad. Sadly, the island’s cultural heritage that reaches back to the 7th millennium B.C. and is part of the common heritage of mankind continues to this day to be systematically and deliberately destroyed in the occupied areas.
A series of UN General Assembly and Security Council resolutions condemned the invasion of Cyprus and its occupation, demanding the return of the refugees to their homes in safety and the tracing of the missing persons and called for respect of the human rights of all Cypriots. Moreover, the European Commission of Human Rights found the Government of Turkey guilty of gross violations of human rights in Cyprus during and after the invasion.
The international community through UN Security Council Resolutions 541 of 1983 and 550 of 1984 condemned the unilateral declaration of an Independent state by the Turkish side and declared it both illegal and invalid, and called for the immediate withdrawal of the declaration. The opinion of the international community was ignored, but no other country has recognized Northern Cyprus.
Efforts to Reach a Solution
Negotiations for the solution of the Cyprus problem have been going on intermittently since 1975 under the auspices of the United Nations. Progress in the talks has invariably been obstructed by Turkish intransigence. In December 1999 the UN embarked on yet another effort to secure a settlement on Cyprus through proximity talks which would take full consideration of relevant UN resolutions and treaties. Direct talks were launched on 16 January, 2002 between the then President of the Republic Glafcos Clerides, as the representative of the Greek Cypriot community, and the Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash. In an effort to move the process forward the UN Secretary-General presented, on 11 November,2002, a detailed plan for a comprehensive settlement (The Annan Plan). The plan was re-submitted twice in revised form on 10 December, 2002 and on 26 February, 2003. The leaders of the two communities were asked to meet the UN Secretary-General in The Hague on 10 March, 2003 for talks and to agree to put the plan to separate referenda. The Turkish Cypriot leader, however, with the support, once again, of the Government of Turkey, rejected the plan outright, leading the talks in The Hague to collapse.
On 4 February, 2004 the UN Secretary-General called for the resumption of negotiations in New York and on 13 February it was agreed that the two sides would begin negotiating in good faith on the basis of the Secretary-General's plan, seeking to agree on changes that fell within the parameters of the plan.
On 24 April, 2004 the people of Cyprus were asked to approve or reject, through separate, simultaneous referenda held by the two communities, the UN Secretary-General's revised proposal for the Comprehensive Settlement of the Cyprus Problem. By a vote of 64,9% the Turkish Cypriots approved the plan, but a clear majority of 75,8% of Greek Cypriots rejected it. The Greek Cypriots felt the finalized text was not balanced and did not meet their main concerns regarding security and the functionality and viability of the solution. By their vote the Greek Cypriots did not reject the solution to the Cyprus problem which remains their primary goal. They only rejected the particular plan (Annan V) which was put before them. Greek Cypriot concerns largely centre around some serious shortcomings of the Annan Plan which did not provide for:
-The removal of foreign troops from Cyprus and the elimination of the right of foreign powers to unilaterally intervene in Cyprus;
-Adequate guarantees to ensure that the commitments undertaken by the parties involved would be carried out;
-A property recovery system that appropriately recognised the rights and interests of displaced Greek Cypriots who were forced from their homes in 1974, and a property compensation arrangement that did not require Greek Cypriots to fund their own restitution;
-The right of all Cypriots to acquire property and to live wherever they chose without restrictive quotas;
-A functional government without deadlocks or voting restrictions based on ethnicity.
On May 1, 2004 the Republic of Cyprus became a full member of the EU completing a long journey that lasted more than three decades. The President of Cyprus, along with the other EU leaders signed in Rome, on October 29, 2004, the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe.
The Government of Cyprus is committed to seeking a solution of the Cyprus problem which will allow Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots alike, to enjoy the benefits and advantages of European Union membership. A settlement must allow Cyprus to function effectively within the EU and must ensure respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all Cypriots as well as a peaceful, prosperous and secure future for all the citizens of the island.
GDP (2004): $15.4 billion.
Annual real growth rate (2004): 3.6%.
Per capita GDP income (2004): Greek Cypriots--$20,961; Turkish Cypriots--about $7,350.
Agriculture and natural resources (4.4% of GDP):Products: potatoes and other vegetables, citrus fruits, olives, grapes, wheat, carob seeds.
Resources: pyrites, copper, asbestos, gypsum, lumber, salt, marble, clay, earth pigment.
Industry and construction(19.3% of GDP): Types-mining, cement, construction, utilities, manufacturing, chemicals, non-electric machinery, textiles, footwear, food, beverages, tobacco.
Services and tourism (76.2% of GDP):Trade, restaurants, and hotels 20.4%;
transport 10.9%;
finance, real estate, and business 23.8%;
government, education, and health 16.1%;
community and other services 4.9%.
Trade (2004):Exports--$1.2 billion: citrus, grapes, wine, potatoes, pharmaceuticals, clothing, footwear. Major markets--EU (especially the U.K. and Greece), Middle East, Russia.
Imports--$5.8 billion: consumer goods, raw materials for industry, petroleum and lubricants, food and feed grains. Major suppliers--Greece, Italy, Germany, U.K. (U.S. trade surplus--for 2004: $112.0 million.)
Cyprus has an open, free-market, services-based economy with some light manufacturing. Cyprus's accession as a full member to the European Union as of May 1, 2004, has been an important milestone in its recent economic development. The Cypriots are among the most prosperous people in the Mediterranean region. Internationally, Cyprus promotes its geographical location as a "bridge" between West and East, along with its educated English-speaking population, moderate local costs, good airline connections, and telecommunications.In the past 20 years, the economy has shifted from agriculture to light manufacturing and services.
The service sector, including tourism, contributes 76.2% to the GDP and employs 72.0% of the labor force. Industry and construction contribute 19.3% and employ 22.7% of labor. Manufactured goods account for approximately 58.0% of domestic exports. Agriculture and mining is responsible for 4.4% of GDP and 5.3% of the labor force. Potatoes and citrus are the principal export crops.
Following a classical pattern, growth rates have gradually begun to decline as the Cypriot economy has matured over the years. The average rate of growth went from 6.1% in the 1980s, to 4.4% in the 1990s to 3.4% from 2000 to 2004. In 2004, growth picked up to 3.6%, from 1.9% in 2003. Unemployment was fairly constant at 3.6% in 2004, while inflation declined to 2.3% in 2004 from 4.1% the year before. As in recent years, the services sectors, and tourism in particular, provided the main impetus for growth.
Trade is vital to the Cypriot economy: the island is not self-sufficient in food, and has few natural resources. The trade deficit increased by 18.4% in 2004, reaching $4.6 billion.
Cyprus must import fuels, most raw materials, heavy machinery, and transportation equipment. More than 50% of its trade is with the European Union, particularly with the United Kingdom.
The economic outlook remained bright in 2005: growth was expected to remain strong (around 4.0%), with low unemployment (less than 4.0%), and low inflation (around 2.3%). Equally important, public finances were expected to continue improving, with the fiscal deficit forecast to decline to 2.9% of GDP in 2005, from 4.2% in 2004, and 6.3% in 2003.
The Church of Cyprus is one of the autocephalous churches of the Orthodox Christian communion whose territory consists of the island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea. The church is led by the Archbishop of Nova Justiniana and All Cyprus. Although through the centuries the island has been occupied by various parties, the church has retain its independence. Cyprus as a whole comprises of many different religions, yet, in terms of majorities there are only two. The majority (78 %) are followers of the Greek Orthodox Church and its faith. 18 % can be considered as Muslims and thus followers of Islam. The rest 4 % are the smaller religious groups of the Anglicans, Roman and Latin Christians, Maronites, Armenian Orthodox, Greek Evangelic, Jews and others.
Places of worship – Churches
Islamic Centers:
Al-Omariya Mosque, Nicosia
Grand Mosque Larnaca, Larnaca
LARNACA OLD MOSQUE, Larnaca Marina
Catholic:
Holy Cross:22662132
Roman Catholic - Maronite:
Panyia ton Haritwn:22670434
NAME/SURNAME
DESCRIPTION/ADDRESS
PHONE NUMBER
CALCUTTA INDIAN RESTAURANT
2 Georgiou A, 4047 Germasogeia
25322511
GANGA INDIAN RESTAURANT
Selinis, EVACHRIST APTS 4, 7041 Oroklini
24824949
GANGA INDIAN RESTAURANT
" Telefax Service
24824948
KERALAM SOUTH INDIAN RESTAURANT
Mobile Telephone, PAFOS
99562852
KOH-I-NOOR INDIAN RESTAURANT
Kleious, YOULA COURT, Shop 7, 8042 Pafos
26965544
KOH-I-NOOR INDIAN RESTAURANT
" Telefax Service
26965545
MASALAS INDIAN RESTAURANT
10 Ithakis, 7081 Pyla
24644950
NEW DELHI INDIAN RESTAURANT CO. LTD
29 Poseidonos Ave, Flat S28, 8042 Pafos
26938932
P A TASTE OF INDIA RESTAURANT LTD
Poseidonos Ave, 8042 Pafos
26961700
PREMA INDIAN RESTAURANT
Tafon Ton Vasileon, PANARETI 1, 8046 Pafos
26222126
RAJ INDIAN RESTAURANT
329 Protara - Kavo Gkreko, Shop 15-, 5296 Paralimni, PARALIMNI
23832318
TANDOORI NIGHTS INDIAN RESTAURANT
18 Kryou Nerou, AGIA NAPA
23721507
TASTE OF INDIA
8 Archiepiskopou Makariou III, Flat 1, AGIA NAPA
23722274
TASTE OF INDIA
Raj Tandoor
3 Chatzigeorgaki Kornesiou, 2415 Egkomi
Limassol, Yermasoyia
22464100
25322466
Tourism information : www.visitcyprus.org.cy
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