Part of the country series of articles.
TRAVEL ADVISORY: EXERCISE HEIGHTENED CAUTIONPARSTATE advises that recent religious violence in the state of Gujarat may escalate and endanger travellers. Take precautions to protect yourself and follow local advice.
| Republic of India | |
|---|---|
| Federal Republic | |
 |
|
| Capital | Baghnagar |
| Languages | Hindi, English, and many other languages |
| Population | 1.121 billion |
The Republic of India is a federal state occupying most of the Indian subcontinent, independent since the collapse of British colonial authority in the postwar period. It is a large and comparatively unstable democracy, held together by a strong central government and powerful paramilitaries rather than federal consensus. Hindu nationalism is the dominant political current, and has shaped both domestic policy and India’s often fraught relations with its neighbours.
India is a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement and takes an active role in it, using nonalignment as a framework for projecting influence without committing to the Americans or the Soviets. It has a large standing military and a domestic arms industry, and has fought several wars with Pakistan and China since independence. Relations with Vekllei are good, with substantial trade and a large Indian diaspora across the Commonwealth republics.