Basic information

| Item | Details | |---|---| | Official Name | **Republic of India** | | Common Name | **India** | | Native Name(s) | **Bhārat** (Hindi: भारत); **Republic of India / Bharat Ganarajya** are widely used official forms in English and Hindi | | Nicknames | Land of Diversity; the Subcontinent | | Motto | **Satyameva Jayate** (“Truth Alone Triumphs”) | | Geographic Level | Country | | Country | India | | State/Province | Union of 28 states and 8 union territories | | Capital | New Delhi | | Government Type | Federal parliamentary democratic republic | | Date Founded | 15 August 1947 (independence); 26 January 1950 (Constitution came into effect, republic established) | | Time Zone | Indian Standard Time (IST), UTC+5:30 | | Latitude | Approximately 20.5937° N | | Longitude | Approximately 78.9629° E | | Elevation | Varies widely; national mean elevation is not commonly listed in one official figure | | Total Area | Approximately **3,287,263 sq km** | | Population | More than **1.4 billion**; India is widely reported as the world’s most populous country | | Population Density | Roughly **430+ people per sq km** (varies by source year) | | ZIP/Postal Codes | PIN code system (Postal Index Number), 6 digits nationwide | | Area Codes | Country calling code: **+91** | | Official Languages | Hindi in Devanagari script and English for Union government purposes; the Constitution also recognizes 22 scheduled languages | | Currency | Indian Rupee (INR, ₹) | | Demonym | Indian |