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Did you know that India has never invaded any country in her last 10,000 years? This and many other interesting and astounding facts about India

GLOBAL IMPORTS

World imports actually declined by one per cent in 1998 to $5.465 trillion against a 3 per cent growth in the previous year. However, volume wise these rose by 4 per cent though much lower than the 9.5 per cent increase recorded in 1997. While North America registered a 10.5 per cent growth (volume) Asia imported 8 per cent less in 1998 than in the previous year. And the former clocked 5 per cent rise at $1.152 trillion while Asia saw a whopping 18 per cent drop in its imports in value terms. A minor shift in the pattern of import shares of different regions is discernible in ten years. North America increased its share to more than 20 per cent in 1998 as against more than 18 per Netherlands cent in 1990. It is significant to note that Latin America had increased its share to more than 6 per cent in 1998 from 3.6 per cent in 1990. (Chart I). Western Europe took only 43.4 per cent against nearly 49 per cent ten years ago. While CIS countries increased their dependence Asia reduced its share marginally.

The U.S. was the leading importer with a share of nearly 17 per cent ( Chart II). The country increased its imports by 5 per cent at $944.4 billion. Japan's share was 5 per cent but its imports declined by 17 per cent in 1998. Among the developing countries, China's imports dropped by 2 per cent and its share in world imports was 2.5 per cent. India's imports rose by 3 per cent to $ 42.2 billion with a share of less than one per cent in 1998.

GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT

The total Gross National product (GNP) of all countries was nearly $29 trillion (at market rates) in 1998 , a modest 1.5 per cent rise over 1997. The low income countries' GNP totalled $1.8 trillion; up 3.8 per cent . But East Asia and the Pacific recorded a negative growth of 1.1 per cent because of the problems in the region while the high income group's GNP edged by 1.6 per cent to $22.6 trillion, according to German the latest World Development Report. In developing countries, China's GNP went up by 7.4 per cent to $929 billion in 1998. India's the second highest in the growth was developing world. Its income grew by 6.1 per cent to $330 billion (Chart I). South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia and the Russian Federation all recorded negative GNP growth in 1997-98, when severe financial crises hit these economies. The Latin American countries fared better. Among the developed countries, the U.S. GNP grew by 3.7 per cent to nearly $8 trillion in 1998. But Japan's income declined by 2.6 percent to $4 trillion plus and that of Germany edged down by less than half per cent in the same period (Chart II).

The GNPs of France, Italy and the U.K. scored growths of two per cent and more. The rest of the developed nations recorded growth of more than three per cent with Canada registering a rise of over 6 per cent . lncomes of Australia and Spain grew by 3.8 per cent and 3.7 per cent respectively.

Tribes of India
In 1981, The Indian Post and Telegraph Department brought out a set of four stamps portraying some tribes of India.

Khiamngan Naga
The Naga tribes dwell in the hilly tract on the eastern frontiers of India. They practice jhum (shifting) cultivation; Mia and Tsokum, their traditional festivals, mark the sowing and harvesting seasons.

Toda
The Todas are a small pastoral tribe inhabiting the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu. Their economy, social status as well as religious practice centre round the bbuffalo. They rear the animal and sell its milk and milk products for livelihood. The dead are cremated along with a buffalo in the belief that it will serve the departed soul in the next world.

Bhil
Among the tribals in India, Bhills are the most numerous. They live in compact but isolated villages over a fairly well defined territory comprising the western districts o Madhya Pradesh and the adjoining areas of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan. The panchayat consisting of elders is a fature of their village life.

Dandami Maria
The Dandami Maria, also known by other names like Bison-horn Maria, and Khalpati Maria, is a subgroup of the Gond, one of the largest tribes in India. The verdant forests in Bastar District of Madhya Pradesh are their home.

Nehru: independent India's first winner

POLL '52: THAT ELECTION
The election to the first Lok Sabha established India as the largest democracy in the world. Unlike the present multiphased polling, the election for all the 462 seats was held on a single day: August 25. the size of the Indian electorate then was 173 million and the voting percentage was as high as 61.2 percent. This election established Nehru as the undisputed leader of not just the congress party but of the nation. The Congress won all the assemblies too. The cost of the first general election was just over Rs 10 crore.