India - Nuts and Bolts

India has three main regions: the mountainous Himalayas in the north; the Indo-Gangetic Plain, a flat, hot plain south of the Himalayas; and the Peninsular Shield in the south, where India's neighbors Sri Lanka and the Maldives are located. The coldest months are January and February, with sweltering heat between March and May. The southwestern monsoon season is from June to September. The post monsoon, or northeast monsoon, in the southern peninsula occurs from October to December.

India is hot, dirty and humid throughout most of the year. The north is cool in the highlands and alpine above that. If you are looking to latch onto some bacteria, southern India is the place to do it. Bombay may be the dirtiest city on earth and there will be plenty of people to pass on germs to you. The hottest months are April to July, the wettest months from June to August.

There are more than 900 million people crammed into India's 3.3 million square kilometers (1.3 million square miles). About 40 percent of India's people live below the poverty line, defined as the resources needed to provide 2,100 to 2,400 calories per person per day. About 70 percent of the population lives in the countryside. The official language is Hindi, but English is the second language and is widely spoken. All official documents are in English. In keeping with India's diverse makeup, 18 languages are recognized for official use in regional areas, of which the most widely spoken are Telugu, Bengali, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu and Gujarati, each with its own script. Hindus do not eat beef. Muslims avoid pork. Sikhs do not smoke. Strict Hindus are also vegetarian and do not drink.

Banking hours: 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Monday to Friday; 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Saturday. Business hours: 9 a.m.-noon, 1-5 p.m., Monday to Friday. Stores are open 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday to Saturday. The workweek is Monday through Friday.

The rupee (about 31 to the U.S. dollar) is the currency and should be changed only through banks and authorized money changers. Electricity is 230-240v/50hz.

Embassy Locations

U.S. Embassy

Shanti Path, Chanakyapuri 110 021

New Delhi

Tel.: [91] (11) 600651

U.S. Consulates General

In Bombay:

U.S. Consulate General

Lincoln House

78 Bhulabhai Desai Road

Bombay 400026

Tel.: [91] (22) 363-3611

In Calcutta:

U.S. Consulate General

5/1 Ho Chi Minh Sarani

Calcutta 700071

Tel.: [91] (33) 242-3611, 242-2336, 242-2337

In Madras:

U.S. Consulate General

220 Mount Road, Madras 600006

Tel.: [91] (44) 827-3040, 827-7542

Other Useful Numbers

Ministry of Communications

Sanchar Bhawan, New Delhi 110 003

Tel.: 383600

Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation

Parivahan Bhavan, Sansad Marg, New Delhi 100 001

Tel.: 351700

Ministry of External Affairs

South Block, New Delhi 110 011

Tel.: 301-1813

Web Resources

The Times of India

http://www.timesofindia.com/

Oneworld Online

http://www.oneworld.org/news/asia/india.html

SAPRA (Security and Political Risk Analysis India)

http://www.subcontinent.com/sapra/sapra_3.html

The Hindu

http://www.webpage.com/index.h tml

IndiaExpress

http://www.indiaexpress.com/news/

The Hindustan Times

http://www.hindustantimes.com/

Deccan Chronicle

http://www.deccan.com/

India Abroad

http://www.indiaabroad.com/

News India

http://www.newsindia-times.com/

The Afternoon Dispatch and Courier

http://www.afternoondc.com/index1.htm

Deccan Herald

http://www.deccanherald.com/

The Ministry of External Affairs of the Indian Government

http://www.meadev.gov.in/

The Consortium Of Indian Military Websites

http://www.bharat- rakshak.com/

Press Information Bureau of the Government of India

http://www.nic.in/India-Image/PIB/

U.S. State Department Consular Information Sheets

http://travel.state.gov/india.html

The Ethnologue

http://www.sil.org/ethnolo gue/countries/Inda.html