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The Republic of India

Official Language

Hindi

Destination Stats

Population
Surface Area
Temperature
Water
Energy
Air Quality
Flora
Fauna

Welcome to India… home to the world’s largest human population where its farmers and rivers are the heart and soul of its development and culture!
This section provides additional distinctive details about India that define its ecological uniqueness.  Just choose any tab for the area you would like to explore.

  • Total Population: 1,428,627,663 (2023)
  • Projected: 1.52 billion by 2036
  • 52% Male; 48% Female
  • Birth Rate: 17.3 per 1,000 people
  • Death Rate: 7.34 per 1,000 people
  • Indigenous People: Over 104 million; 705 recognized tribes
  • Ethnicities: Over 2,000 ethnic groups and subgroups. Largest groups are recognized as 1)Indo-Aryan – 72%; 2) Dravidian – 25%; Other – 3%
  • 1.19 global hectares (gha) | 2.94 acres per person. 
  • This is lower than the global average of 2.7 gha | 6.6 acres per person 
  • India’s biocapacity is 0.43 gha | 1.06 acres per person, lower than the global biocapacity of 1.6 gha | 2.96 acres.
  • Agriculture – 57.3%
    • Productive crops (sown): 45.5%
    • Pastures & Grazing: 3.3
    • Fallow (crops under rotation): 4.9%
    • Other Fallow (not being used): 3.6%
  • Forests – 23.1%
  • Non-Agricultural (Human Development): 8.7%
  • Barren/Wasteland – 9.4%
    • Culturable Wasteland (can be productive): 4.0%
  • Miscellaneous (tree crops, groves, etc.) – 1.5%
  • Primary Crops: Rice, Wheat, Jowar, Pulses, Jute, Coffee, Rubber. 
  • Top Non-crop Food Commodities: Milk (largest in the world), mangoes, guava, sugarcane.
  • Top Non-Food Crop: Cotton.

Reference: United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

  • Average Annual Surface Temperature: 25.86°C | 78.55°F
  • Climate:  Ranges from tropical  (south), arid (west) to alpine/glacial (north).
  • Summer – Pre-monsoon: April-May.
  • Summer – Monsoons: June – September.
  • Winter – Post-Monsoon: December – February.
  • Total Water Volume: 1,123 billion cubic meters (bcm) | 296.7 trillion gallons
  • Potable Water Supply: Per person – 1,401 cubic meters| 370,105 US Gallons
  • Average Rainfall: 1,190 mm | 46.9 inches
  • Total Energy Used: 31.78 quadrillion BTU | 800.98 MTOE | 9.32 trillion kWh (2022).
  • Global Rank: #3
  • Primary fuel sources used: Coal (55%), Oil (28%), Natural Gas (7%), Renewables – 9%, Nuclear – 1%.
  • Renewable Energy Global Ranking: #3.  Projects 186% increase by 2030. 
  • World’s 3rd largest renewable energy producer, led by hydro power (56.2% of India’s renewable energy production).
  • ~138,500 known species of flora and fauna.
  • ~47,500 plants and related species
  • ~91,000 animal species.
  • Endangered or Threatened Species: 683 – animals (Bengal Tiger, Asian elephant); 387 – Indian plants (60 are critically endangered).  Per IUCN.
  • India is home to 75% of the world’s tiger population and 60% of the Asian elephant population, both of which rank as the largest worldwide.
  • There are over 1,500 orchid species in India, making it one of the country’s largest plant families.
  • India is home to over 15,000 flowering plant species, 6% of all the world’s flowering plants.

Five of the most captivating natural wonders of India… among many.

  • Living Root Bridges: Scattered throughout India – especially in the northeastern state of Meghalaya, these suspension bridges are made from the roots of living plants.
  • Ranthambhore National Park (RNP): One of the most popular tiger reserves in India and wildlife sanctuary since 1955, RNP is home to a broad spectrum of Indian plant and animal wildlife, forests covering 1,334 km2 (515 square miles). It is also home to the 10th century (CE) Ranthambore Fort.
  • Gandikota Canyon: Referred to as the Grand Canyon of India, Gandikota is a village in the southeastern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh known for its picturesque mountainous terrain, striking gorge forged by the Penna River and its incredible natural beauty. It resides at ~323 meters (~1,060 feet) above sea level and has a consistent year-round temperature of ~28°C (82°F).
  • Loktak Lake: The largest freshwater lake in south Asia, Loktak Lake is known for its floating islands of vegetation covering up to 500 km2 (193 mi2)  during the rainy season. It is located in the northeast Indian state of Manipur.
  • The Valley of Flowers: Located by the Himalayas in the northern Indian State of Uttarakhand, the Valley of Flowers National Park sports of 600 species of exotic flowers from orchids and poppies to daisies and marigolds alongside rolling waterfalls and gripping streams at ~3,500 meters ( feet) above sea level and covering about 87.5 km2 (33.8 mi2).

Welcome from The Republic of India!

Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. (Photo by Aditya Sahoo via Pexels)

India, formally known as The Republic of India, is home to over 1.4 billion people, becoming the world’s most populous country in April 2023. The country occupies the world’s seventh largest area of land – including water surface – of nearly 3.3 million square kilometers or about 1.3 million square miles.  Still, with such a huge population, India is only the world’s 23rd most densely populated country with 481 people per square kilometer or 1,244 people per square mile.  Like China, that’s because its surface area is so large.  China has the world’s second largest population with the fourth largest land area but ranks number 82 in population density. 

With so many people relying heavily on its natural resources, India has remained home to a large variety of wildlife and expansive, lush wildlands making it a global biodiversity hotspot.  Its diverse ecosystems span from the Himalaya Mountains, its tropical rainforests and sandy flats, to its marshy mangroves and river deltas.  Its entire southern portion is surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the world’s third largest ocean containing 20% of the planet’s surface water.

Along with this diversity comes both extreme challenges as well as great opportunities.  This page is about the home of India, where people are part of and can connect with the heart of India and see what it is truly all about… its similarities to the rest of the world as well as its uniqueness. This is the beginning of the India hub and expedition on Ecology Prime™.  This is India….

Official Language: Hindi (there is no one national language)

  • Official Sublanguage (second official language): English
  • The India constitution recognizes 22 languages as its official cultural languages. The different states in India can establish one or more languages as their own official language(s) through legislation.

Unique India Facts: Did You Know…?

  • India is a water rich country with 4% of the world’s freshwater resources (India-WRIS), yet it is home to 18% of the world’s total human population. The rivers have been the heart and soul of India’s growth as well as culture. 
  • Out of India’s 3,119 towns and cities, just 209 have partial water treatment facilities, and only 8 have full wastewater treatment facilities (Word Health Organization – India).
  • India is projected to have the fastest growing rate of energy consumption globally through 2050, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). 
  • Over 80% of India’s energy needs are met by three fuels: coal, oil and solid biomass. (IEA)
  • Natural gas and modern renewable sources of energy, particularly solar, are gaining ground, and were least affected by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019-2022.
  • India is the world’s third largest consumer of electricity and the world’s third largest renewable energy producer with 38% of energy capacity installed in the year 2020.
  • At the Paris Climate Accords, India committed to producing 50% of its total electricity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030.
  • India initiated the International Solar Alliance (ISA), an alliance of 121 countries. India was the world’s first country to set up a ministry of non-conventional energy resources (India Ministry of New and Renewable Energy – MNRE) in early 1980s.
  • India’s biggest challenge to significantly increasing its energy consumption from renewable energy is that the nation’s economy is largely based on coal; however, the country is committed to building a robust post-coal economy by investing in strengthening and re-training coal-dependent communities.
  • India is home to some of Asia’s rarest animals, such as the Bengal Fox, Asiatic Cheetah, Marbled Cat, Bengal Tiger, Asiatic Lion, Red Panda, Indian Elephant, Snow Leopard, Asiatic Wild Ass, Lion Tailed Macaque, Indian Rhinoceros (One-horned Rhinoceros), Markhor, Gaur (Indian Bison) and Wild Asiatic Water Buffalo.
Forests of Uttarakhand, India (Wikimedia CC 2_0 by Haldwani)

Population

Total Population: 1,428,627,663 (July 2023) 

  • World Rank: #1, 17.8% of the world’s total population.
  • Population Density: 481 people/km2 | 1,244/mi2
  • Most Populous City: Mumbai | 21.3 million or 2.13 crores (est. 2023).
  • Least Populous Village: Gangotri | 110 or 0.00011 crore (2023 census pending).

Surface Area

Total Surface Area: 3,287,259 km2 (1,269,218 mi2)

  • World Rank: #7
  • 91% Land Surface Area:  2,991,406 km2 (1,154,990 mi2) – 2.4% of the world’s total land area.
  • 9% Water Surface Area: 295,853 km2 (114,230 mi2) – 0.82% of the world’s water surface.

New! Mother Earth™

Temperature

Average Annual Temperature (2012-2021): 25.86°C (78.55°F)

  • Coldest temperature on record: -48.8°C (-54.4°F) in Dras, Ladakh, on January 9, 1995.
  • Hottest temperature on record: 51°C (123.8°F) in Phalodi, Rajasthan, on May 19, 2016.

Water

Total Water Volume: 1,123 billion cubic meters (bcm) – or about 296.7 trillion gallons. 

  • Total water volume includes surface water (690 bcm or 182.3 trillion gallons) and ground water (433 bcm or 114.4 trillion gallons).
  • Annual Precipitation (average baseline): 1,190 mm | 46.9 inches.
  • Potable water supply per person (projected 2025): 1,401 m3 (370,105 US Gallons).
  • India’s monsoons can make the annual rainfall highly variable from year to year.

Destinations: Australia

Australia

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Energy

Annual Total Energy Usage: 31.78 quadrillion BTU (768.6 MTOE – megatonnes of oil equivalent or 8.938 billion kWh – kilowatt hours)

  • Global Ranking in energy consumption: #3, behind China (1) and the United States (2).
  • Energy Sources (% of total):  Coal (44%), Oil (24%), Biomass (22%), Natural Gas (6%), Other Renewables (4%).

Air Quality

Air Quality Index – AQI (on average): 151 – Lower Unhealthy

  • Global ranking (Average Pollution): #5 most polluted.
  • Most polluted city: Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh | AQI = 378 – Hazardous (real time average per AQI India).
  • Least polluted city: Cuttack, Odisha | AQI = 30 – Good (real time average per AQI India).
  • Leading pollutants and sources: Coal-based power generation, industrial pollution, agricultural and automotive emissions.

Dinosaur Time Warp!

Flora

47,500 species – about 7-8% of the world’s total plant species.

  • Includes ~15,000 flowering plants. 
  • Includes 2,603 tree species. 
  • About 15,000 plants are threatened or endangered, about 33% of all plants in India, including 18% of its tree species.
  • There are 35 billion trees in India, or only 25 trees per person.

Fauna

91,000 species – about 6.5% of the world’s total animal species.

  • 683 animal species are endangered or threatened, .75% of its total fauna species. (IUCN 2018)
    • 60,000 insect species
    • 2,456 fish species
    • 1,230 bird species
    • 372 mammal species
    • 440 reptile species
    • 200 amphibian species
    • 500 mollusk species

Indigenous Ecology

India: Sources and Research

We’d like to credit this diverse list of organizations for providing source material to create this platform.

Notable India Colleges & Universities for Environmental Studies

  • Chintan Environmental Research & Action Group: With a focus on the marginalized communities, women and children citizens, Chintan uses waste management as a tool to fight poverty, child labor, gender-based violence and exclusion, and climate change, while creating green livelihoods.  Its impact is felt throughout India.  
  • Greenpeace India: A branch of the international Greenpeace environmental group whose reach extends to over 55 other countries, Greenpeace India is considered to be one of the best nonprofit environmental groups serving the country. Its mission is to use non-violent creative action to pave the way towards a greener, more peaceful world, and to confront the systems that threaten India’s environment.
  • Clean Air Asia – India: A branch of Clean Air Asia, this nonprofit organization focuses on creating solutions that reduce air pollution and its detrimental health impacts as well as to significantly mitigate the climate crisis.  Since its arrival in 2008, it has become one of the most effective environmental organizations in India in improving environmental conditions and the lives of Indian citizens.
  • The Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI): Established in 1994, WPSI’s mission is to bring new focus and energy in tackling the growing wildlife crisis in India, to protect endangered species and their habitats through awareness, support, and training. One of the leading environmental organizations in India, WPSI works with various government authorities in taking on the illegal wildlife poaching trade and human-animal conflicts to ensure a greener future and a peaceful coexistence between human and the wildlife.
  • India Climate Collaborative (ICC): ICC is a first of its kind collaborative working system that integrates cooperation of government, business, philanthropy, academia, and civil society to overcome the climate crisis facing the world’s population and India today. Launched in January 2020, ICC is an India-only climate narrative to identify solutions for the harsh effects of climate change.

Research & Development Credits:

iConsult Collaborative
College of Professional Studies | Syracuse University

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