Guide to India

Name: Republic of India
Location: Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan.Pakistan borders to the west, the People's Republic of China, Nepal and Bhutan to the northeast and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east. On the Indian Ocean it sits close to the Maldives to the southwest, Sri Lanka to the south and Indonesia to the southeast. India's nothern states are partially situated in the Himalayan Mountain Range.
Comprises: Indian subcontinent
Population: 1.1 billion (UN, 2005)
Capital: New Delhi
Other Major City: Mumbai (Bombay)
Area: 3.1 million sq km (1.2 million sq miles), excluding Indian-administered Kashmir (100,569 sq km/38,830 sq miles)
Major languages: Hindi, English and 17 other official languages
Major religions: Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism
Life expectancy: 62 years (men), 65 years (women) (UN)
Monetary unit: 1 Indian Rupee = 100 paise
Main exports: Agricultural products, textile goods, gems and jewellery, software services and technology, engineering goods, chemicals, leather products
GNI per capita: US $620 (World Bank, 2005)
Internet domain: .in
International dialling code: +91
Time Zone: GMT/UTC + 5.5
Daylight Saving: Not used
Electricity: 240V 50HzHz
Climate: Varies from tropical monsoon in the south to temperate in the north. The Indian climate is generally determined by three seasons: the hot, the wet (monsoon) and the cool. The length of the season varies between the north and south.
Monsoon: June to October. Signs of the Monsoon season begin in May when the air is humid, electrical storms are common as are short rainstorms and dust storms. When the Monsoon arrives in June the rain falls steadily.
Best time to go: November to around mid-February when it is cooler. Bear in mind that Delhi and other nothern cities can be cool at night. The Himalayan states have very cold winters and April to September is the best time to plan a trip. From February to May, everywhere except the far North sees temperatures climbing to 45 degrees centrigrade while June to October brings heavy monsoon rains
Airports: Indira Gandhi International, New Delhi (DEL) / Chatrapati Shivayi International, Mumbai (BOM) / Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International, Kolkata (Calcutta) (CCU) / Madras International, Chennai (MAA) / Raj Sansi International, Amritsar (ATQ)
Approximate flight times: From London to Delhi is 8 hours 35 minutes, to Kolkata (Calcutta) is 9 hours 45 minutes, to Chennai is 11 hours and to Mumbai is eight hours 30 minutes. From Los Angeles to Delhi is 20 hours 30 minutes. From New York to Delhi is 15 hours 30 minutes. From Singapore to Delhi is five hours 40 minutes. From Sydney to Delhi is 13 hours.
National Airline: Air India www.airindia.com (020 8560 9996) and Jet Airways www.jetairways.com

Visa Requirements
Both Irish and UK residents needs a visa valid for six months. This costs £30 from The High Commission, India House, London Tel: 020 7836 8484 or from consulates in Edinburgh and Birmingham. The High Commission has a postal service too but this may take around a week.

Health
It is recommended to have the following:
Typhoid and Hepatitis A and B jabs. Check whether you need a booster for polio and tetanus. Malaria is a serious risk except in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu, Kashmir and Sikkim. Pharmacies in India can usually help with minor problems and most doctors speak English. If you find yourself suffering from a Delhi Belly a good antidote is to eat natural yoghurt and rice which should do the trick within a few days.

12 February 2008