   #copyright

India

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Asian Countries;
Countries

   SOS Children works in India. For more information see SOS Children in
   India
                 भारत गणराज्य
   Bhārat Gaṇarājya
   Republic of India

   Flag of India Emblem of India
   Flag          Emblem
   Motto: Satyameva Jayate ( Sanskrit)
   Devanāgarī: सत्यमेव जयते
   ("Truth Alone Triumphs")
   Anthem: " Jana Gaṇa Mana"
   listen
   Location of India
        Capital       New Delhi
                      28°34′N 77°12′E
      Largest city    Mumbai (Bombay)
   Official languages Hindi, English + 21 other official languages
   Government         Federal republic
    - President       A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
    - Prime Minister  Manmohan Singh
      Independence    from the UK
    - Declared        15 August 1947
    - Republic        26 January 1950
                                Area
    - Total           3,166,414† km² ( 7th)
                      1,222,559 sq mi
    - Water (%)       9.56
                             Population
    - 2005 estimate   1,103,371,000 ( 2nd)
    - 2001 census     1,027,015,248
    - Density         329/km² ( 31st)
                      852/sq mi
       GDP ( PPP)     2005 estimate
    - Total           $3.633 trillion ( 4th)
    - Per capita      $3,320 ( 122nd)
     GDP (nominal)    2005 estimate
    - Total           $771,951 million ( 12th)
    - Per capita      $714 ( 134th)
      HDI  (2004)     0.611 (medium) ( 126th)
        Currency      Rupee (₨) ( INR)
       Time zone      IST ( UTC+5:30)
    - Summer ( DST)   not observed ( UTC+5:30)
      Internet TLD    .in
      Calling code    +91
   † Includes only Indian-administered territory.

   India ( Devanagari: भारत Bhārat), officially the Republic of India, is
   a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by
   geographical area, the second most populous country, and the most
   populous liberal democracy in the world. India has a coastline of over
   seven thousand kilometres, bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south,
   the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal on the east. India
   borders Pakistan to the west; China, Nepal and Bhutan to the
   north-east; and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east. In the Indian
   Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka, Maldives and Indonesia.

   Home to the Indus Valley Civilization and a region of ancient trade
   routes and vast empires, the Indian subcontinent has a heritage that
   includes the decimal number system, the Buddhist art of Ajanta, and the
   Taj Mahal. Four major world religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and
   Sikhism originated here, while Islam, Christianity, Judaism and
   Zoroastrianism, arrived in the first millennium CE and shaped India's
   variegated culture. Colonised by the British East India Company in the
   18th century and directly administered by Great Britain starting the
   mid-19th century, India became a modern nation-state in 1947 after a
   struggle for independence marked by widespread use of nonviolent
   resistance as a means of social protest.

   With the world's fourth largest economy in purchasing power and the
   second fastest growing large economy, India has made rapid progress in
   the last decade, most notably in information technology. A declared
   nuclear deterrent state, with an active space program, India is
   considered an emerging superpower. However, although its standard of
   living is projected to rise sharply in the next half-century, India
   currently battles high levels of poverty, persistent malnutrition, and
   environmental degradation. A multi-lingual, multi-ethnic society, India
   is home to a diversity of wildlife in a variety of protected habitat.

Etymology

   The name India /'ɪndiə/ is derived from Indus, which is derived from
   the Old Persian word Hindu, from Sanskrit Sindhu, the historic local
   appellation for the Indus River. The Constitution of India and common
   usage also recognise Bharat /bʰɑːrət̪/ listen ), as an official name of
   equal status. A third name, Hindustan ( /hin̪d̪ust̪ɑːn/) listen  (
   Persian: Land of the Hindus ( Old Persian for Indus) has been used
   since the twelfth century, though its contemporary use is unevenly
   applied.

History

   Stone Age rock shelters with paintings at Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh
   are the earliest known traces of human life on the Indian subcontinent.
   The first known permanent settlements appeared over 9,000 years ago,
   and gradually developed into the Indus Valley Civilization, dating back
   to 3300 BCE. It was followed by the Vedic Civilization which laid the
   foundations of Hinduism and other cultural aspects of early Indian
   society. From around 550 BCE, many independent kingdoms and republics
   known as the Mahajanapadas were established across the country.

   The empire built by the Maurya dynasty under Emperor Ashoka united most
   of modern South Asia except the kingdoms in the south. From 180 BCE, a
   series of invasions from Central Asia followed including the
   Indo-Greeks, Indo-Scythians, Indo-Parthians and Kushans in the
   northwestern Indian Subcontinent. From the third century CE, the Gupta
   dynasty oversaw the period referred to as ancient India's "Golden Age."
   While the north had larger, fewer kingdoms, in the south there were
   several dynasties such as the Chalukyas, Cholas, Pallavas and Pandyas,
   overlapping in time and space. Science, engineering, art, literature,
   astronomy, and philosophy flourished under the patronage of these
   kings.
   Paintings at the Ajanta Caves in western India.
   Enlarge
   Paintings at the Ajanta Caves in western India.

   Following the invasions from Central Asia, between the tenth to the
   twelfth centuries, much of north India came under the rule of the Delhi
   Sultanate, and later the Mughal dynasty, who gradually expanded their
   reign through large parts of the Indian subcontinent. Nevertheless,
   several indigenous kingdoms flourished, especially in the south, like
   the Vijayanagara Empire. From the sixteenth century onwards, several
   European countries, including Portugal, Netherlands, France and the
   United Kingdom, started arriving as traders, later taking advantage of
   the fractious nature of relations between the kingdoms, to establish
   colonies in the country. By 1856, most of India came under control of
   the British East India Company. A year later, a nationwide insurrection
   of rebelling military units and kingdoms, known locally as the First
   War of Indian Independence (known as the Sepoy Mutiny elsewhere) broke
   out, which failed even as it seriously challenged British rule. As a
   consequence, India came under the direct control of the British Crown
   as a colony of the British Empire.
   Mahatma Gandhi (right) with India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal
   Nehru
   Enlarge
   Mahatma Gandhi (right) with India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal
   Nehru

   In the early twentieth century, a nationwide struggle for independence
   was launched by the Indian National Congress, largely led by Mahatma
   Gandhi. Millions of protesters would engage in mass campaigns of civil
   disobedience with a commitment to ahimsa or non-violence. Finally, on
   15 August 1947, India gained independence from British rule not before
   losing its Muslim-majority areas which were carved out into a separate
   nation-state of Pakistan. Three years later, on 26 January 1950, India
   chose to be a republic, and a new Constitution came into effect.

   Since independence, India has seen sectarian violence and insurgencies
   in various parts of the country, but has maintained its unity and
   democracy. It has unresolved territorial disputes with China, which
   escalated into the brief Sino-Indian War in 1962; and with Pakistan,
   which resulted in wars in 1947, 1965, 1971 and in 1999 in Kargil. India
   is a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement and the United Nations
   (as part of British India). In 1974, India conducted an underground
   nuclear test. This was followed by five more tests in 1998. Significant
   economic reforms beginning in 1991 have transformed India into one of
   the fastest-growing economies and an emerging superpower in the world,
   and added to its global and regional clout.

Government

   CAPTION: National symbols of India

   Flag     Tiranga
   Emblem   Sarnath Lion
   Anthem   " Jana Gana Mana"
   Song     " Vandē Mātaram"
   Animal   Royal Bengal Tiger
   Bird     Indian Peacock
   Flower   Lotus
   Tree     Banyan
   Fruit    Mango
   Sport    Field Hockey
   Calendar Saka

   The Constitution of India declares India to be a sovereign, socialist,
   secular, democratic republic. India has a federal form of government
   and a bicameral parliament operating under a Westminster-style
   parliamentary system. It has three branches of governance: the
   Legislature, Executive, and Judiciary.

   The President is the head of state and Commander-in-Chief of India's
   armed forces; his role in governance is largely ceremonial. The
   President is elected indirectly by an electoral college for five-year
   terms. The Prime Minister is the de facto head of government and holds
   most executive powers. He or she is appointed by the President, with
   the requirement that he or she enjoys the support of the majority of
   the party or coalition securing the most number of seats in the lower
   house of Parliament.

   The legislature of India is the bicameral Parliament, which consists of
   the upper house called the Rajya Sabha (Council of States), and the
   lower house called the Lok Sabha (House of People). The 245-member
   Rajya Sabha is chosen indirectly by the state legislative assemblies;
   members have staggered six-year terms. Each state sends members to the
   Rajya Sabha proportionate to its population. The Lok Sabha's 545
   members are directly elected by popular vote for five-year terms, and
   is the determinative constituent of political power and government
   formation. All Indian citizens above age 18 are eligible to vote;
   voting is not mandatory.

   The executive arm consists of the President, Vice-President, and the
   Council of Ministers (the Cabinet being its executive committee) headed
   by the Prime Minister. Any minister holding a portfolio must be a
   member of either house of parliament. In the Indian parliamentary
   system, the executive is subordinate to the legislature.

   India's independent judiciary consists of the Supreme Court, headed by
   the Chief Justice of India. The Supreme Court has both original
   jurisdiction over disputes between states and the Centre, and appellate
   jurisdiction over the eighteen High Courts of India, and additionally,
   the power to declare Union and state laws null and void if in conflict
   with the Constitution.

Politics

   The Parliament of India (Sansad Bhavan).
   Enlarge
   The Parliament of India (Sansad Bhavan).

   For most of its independent history, India has been ruled by the Indian
   National Congress. The party enjoyed a parliamentary majority barring
   two brief periods during the 1970s and late 1980s. This rule was
   interrupted between 1977 to 1980, when the Janata Party coalition won
   the election owing to public discontent with the "Emergency" declared
   by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The Janata Dal won elections
   in 1989, but its government managed to hold on to power for only two
   years. Between 1996 and 1998, there was a period of political flux with
   the government being formed first by the right-wing nationalist
   Bharatiya Janata Party followed by a left-leaning United Front
   coalition. In 1998, the BJP formed the National Democratic Alliance
   (NDA) with smaller regional parties, and became the first non-Congress
   and coalition government to complete a full five-year term. The 2004
   Indian elections saw the Congress party winning the largest number of
   seats to form a government leading the United Progressive Alliance,
   supported by left-leaning and other parties opposed to the BJP.

   Since independence, India has maintained cordial relationships with
   most nations. It took a leading role in the 1950s by advocating the
   independence of European colonies in Africa and Asia. During the Cold
   War, India tried to maintain its neutrality and was one of the founding
   members of the Non-Aligned Movement. After the Sino-Indian War and the
   Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, India's relationship with the Soviet Union
   warmed at the expense of ties with the United States and continued to
   remain so until the end of the Cold War. Despite criticism and military
   sanctions, India has consistently refused to sign the CTBT and the NPT,
   preferring instead to maintain sovereignty over its nuclear program.
   Recent overtures by the Indian government have strengthened relations
   with the United States, China, and Pakistan. In the economic sphere,
   India has close relationships with other developing nations in South
   America, Asia, and Africa. In recent years, India has played an
   influential role in the ASEAN, SAARC, and the WTO. India has been a
   long time supporter of the United Nations, with over 55,000 Indian
   military and police personnel having served in 35 UN peace keeping
   operations deployed across four continents.

Administrative divisions

   India is divided into twenty-eight states and seven federally-governed
   union territories. All states and the union territory of Pondichery
   have elected governments. The remaining five union territories have
   centrally-appointed administrators.
   States and territories of India
   Enlarge
   States and territories of India

   States:
    1. Andhra Pradesh
    2. Arunachal Pradesh
    3. Assam
    4. Bihar
    5. Chhattisgarh
    6. Goa
    7. Gujarat
    8. Haryana
    9. Himachal Pradesh
   10. Jammu and Kashmir
   11. Jharkhand
   12. Karnataka
   13. Kerala
   14. Madhya Pradesh

                        15. Maharashtra
                        16. Manipur
                        17. Meghalaya
                        18. Mizoram
                        19. Nagaland
                        20. Orissa
                        21. Punjab
                        22. Rajasthan
                        23. Sikkim
                        24. Tamil Nadu
                        25. Tripura
                        26. Uttaranchal
                        27. Uttar Pradesh
                        28. West Bengal

   Union Territories:
    A. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
    B. Chandigarh
    C. Dadra and Nagar Haveli
    D. Daman and Diu
    E. Lakshadweep
    F. Puducherry
    G. National Capital Territory of Delhi

   All states and union territories are subdivided into districts. In
   larger states, districts may be grouped together to form a division.

Geography

   Elevated regions in India
   Enlarge
   Elevated regions in India

   India constitutes the major portion of the Indian subcontinent, which
   sits atop the Indian Plate and the northwesterly portion of the
   Indo-Australian Plate. India's northern and northeastern states are
   partially situated in the Himalayan Range. The rest of northern,
   central, and eastern India consists of the fertile Indo-Gangetic Plain.
   In the west, bordering southeastern Pakistan, lies the Thar Desert.
   Southern India is almost entirely composed of the peninsular Deccan
   plateau, which is flanked by two hilly coastal ranges, the Western
   Ghats and the Eastern Ghats.

   India is home to several major rivers, including the Ganges, the
   Brahmaputra, the Yamuna, the Godavari, the Kaveri, the Narmada, and the
   Krishna. India has three archipelagos — Lakshadweep, which lies off the
   southwestern coast; the volcanic Andaman and Nicobar Islands island
   chain to the southeast, and the Sunderbans in the Ganges Delta of West
   Bengal.

   The climate in India varies from tropical in the south to more
   temperate in the Himalayan north, where elevated regions receive
   sustained winter snowfall. India's climate is strongly influenced by
   the Himalayas and the Thar Desert. The Himalayas, along with the Hindu
   Kush mountains in Pakistan, prevent cold Central Asian katabatic winds
   from blowing in. This keeps the bulk of the Indian subcontinent warmer
   than most locations at similar latitudes. The Thar Desert is
   responsible for attracting the moisture-laden summer monsoon winds
   that, between June and September, provide most of India's rainfall.

Flora and fauna

   Now the world's rarest monkey, the golden langur typifies the
   precarious survival of much of India's megafauna.
   Enlarge
   Now the world's rarest monkey, the golden langur typifies the
   precarious survival of much of India's megafauna.

   India, lying within the Indomalaya ecozone, hosts significant
   biodiversity; it is home to 7.6% of all mammalian, 12.6% of avian, 6.2%
   of reptilian, and 6.0% of flowering plant species. Many ecoregions,
   such as the shola forests, also exhibit extremely high rates of
   endemism; overall, 33% of Indian plant species are endemic. India's
   forest cover ranges from the tropical rainforest of the Andaman
   Islands, Western Ghats, and Northeast India to the coniferous forest of
   the Himalaya. Between these extremes lie the sal-dominated moist
   deciduous forest of eastern India; teak-dominated dry deciduous forest
   of central and southern India; and the babul-dominated thorn forest of
   the central Deccan and western Gangetic plain. Important Indian trees
   include the medicinal neem, widely used in rural Indian herbal
   remedies. The pipal fig tree, shown on the seals of Mohenjo-daro,
   shaded the Gautama Buddha as he sought enlightenment.

   Many Indian species are descendants of taxa originating in Gondwana, to
   which India originally belonged. Peninsular India's subsequent movement
   towards, and collision with, the Laurasian landmass set off a mass
   exchange of species. However, volcanism and climatic changes 20 million
   years ago caused the extinction of many endemic Indian forms. Soon
   thereafter, mammals entered India from Asia through two zoogeographical
   passes on either side of the emerging Himalaya. As a result, among
   Indian species, only 12.6% of mammals and 4.5% of birds are endemic,
   contrasting with 45.8% of reptiles and 55.8% of amphibians. Notable
   endemics are the Nilgiri leaf monkey and the brown and carmine
   Beddome's toad of the Western Ghats. India contains 172, or 2.9%, of
   IUCN-designated threatened species. These include the Asiatic lion, the
   Bengal tiger, and the Indian white-rumped vulture, which suffered a
   near-extinction from ingesting the carrion of diclofenac-treated
   cattle.

   In recent decades, human encroachment has posed a threat to India's
   wildlife; in response, the system of national parks and protected
   areas, first established in 1935, was substantially expanded. In 1972,
   India enacted the Wildlife Protection Act and Project Tiger to
   safeguard crucial habitat; further federal protections were promulgated
   in the 1980s. Along with over 500 wildlife sanctuaries, India now hosts
   14 biosphere reserves, four of which are part of the World Network of
   Biosphere Reserves; 25 wetlands are registered under the Ramsar
   Convention.

Economy

   The Bombay Stock Exchange Sensex index reflects investor confidence in
   the Indian economy.
   Enlarge
   The Bombay Stock Exchange Sensex index reflects investor confidence in
   the Indian economy.

   For most of its democratic history, India adhered to a quasi-socialist
   approach, with strict government control over private sector
   participation, foreign trade, and foreign direct investment. However,
   since 1991, India has gradually opened up its markets through economic
   reforms by reducing government controls on foreign trade and
   investment. Privatisation of publicly-owned industries and the opening
   of certain sectors to private and foreign participation has continued
   amid political debate.

   With a GDP growth rate of 8.4%, the Indian economy is among the fastest
   growing in the world. It is the world's fourth largest as measured by
   purchasing power parity (PPP), with a GDP of US$3.63 trillion. However,
   when measured by USD exchange-rate terms, it is the twelfth largest in
   the world, with a GDP of US$785.47 billion. Wealth distribution in
   India, a developing country, is fairly uneven, with the top 10% of
   income groups earning 33% of all income. India's per capita income of
   US$3,400 is ranked 122nd in the world. Despite strong growth, the World
   Bank and others worry about the chronic federal and state budget
   deficits, currently approximately 9% of GDP.

   India has a labour force of 496.4 million, 60% of which is employed in
   agriculture or agriculture-related industries. The service sector
   accounts for 23% of GDP; the agricultural and industrial sectors make
   up 22% and 17% respectively. Major agricultural crops include rice,
   wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, and potatoes. Major
   industries include textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel,
   transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, and machinery.
   More recently, India has capitalised on its large pool of educated,
   English-speaking people to become an important outsourcing destination
   for multinational corporations. India has also become a major exporter
   of software as well as financial, research, and technology services.
   India's most important trading partners are the United States, the
   European Union, Japan, China, and the United Arab Emirates.

Demographics

   Apatani tribal women in Arunachal Pradesh.
   Enlarge
   Apatani tribal women in Arunachal Pradesh.

   With an estimated population of 1.1 billion, India is the world's
   second most populous country. Almost 70% of Indians reside in rural
   areas, although in recent decades migration to larger cities has led to
   the exponential rise in the urban population. India's largest urban
   agglomerations are Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai , Bangalore and
   Hyderabad.

   India is home to two major linguistic families: Indo-Aryan (spoken by
   about 74% of the population) and Dravidian (spoken by about 24%). Other
   languages spoken in India come from the Austro-Asiatic and
   Tibeto-Burman linguistic families. The Indian constitution recognises
   23 official languages. Hindi and English are used by the Union
   Government of India for official purposes, wherein Hindi has a de jure
   priority. Sanskrit and Tamil enjoy classical language status in India.
   The number of dialects in India is as high as 1,652.
   Breakup of India's religions: ██ Hinduism — 80.5% ██ Islam — 13.8%
   ██ Christianity — 2.3% ██ Sikhism — 1.9% ██ Buddhism, Jainism,
   others — 1.5%
   Enlarge
   Breakup of India's religions: ██  Hinduism — 80.5% ██  Islam — 13.8%
   ██  Christianity — 2.3% ██  Sikhism — 1.9% ██  Buddhism, Jainism,
   others — 1.5%

   Although 80.5% of Indians report themselves as Hindus, India's Muslim
   population is the world's second largest; they constitute 13.4% of the
   population. Other religious groups include Christians (2.3%), Sikhs
   (1.9%), Buddhists (0.8%), Jains (0.4%), Jews, Zoroastrians, and
   Bahá'ís.

   At the time of India's independence in 1947, India's literacy rate was
   11%. Since then, it has increased to 65.1% (54.3% for females and 75.3%
   of males). The state of Kerala has the highest literacy rate (91%);
   Bihar has the lowest (47%). The national sex ratio is 933 females per
   1,000 males. One of the primary reasons for such a skewed ratio is the
   high prevalance of female infanticide, particularly in rural areas.
   India's median age is 24.66, and the population growth rate of 1.38%
   per annum; there are 22.32 births per 1,000 people.

Culture

   India's culture is marked by a high degree of syncretism; it has
   managed to preserve established traditions whilst absorbing new
   customs, traditions, and ideas from invaders and immigrants. Many
   Indian cultural practices, languages, customs, and monuments are
   examples of this co-mingling over centuries. Famous monuments, such as
   the Taj Mahal and other examples of Islamic-inspired architecture, have
   been inherited from the Mughal dynasty. These are the result of
   traditions that combined elements from all parts of the country.
   The Taj Mahal in Agra is India's most popular tourist destination.
   Enlarge
   The Taj Mahal in Agra is India's most popular tourist destination.

   Indian music is highly diversified. Classical music is mainly split
   between the North Indian Hindustani and South Indian Carnatic
   traditions. Highly regionalised forms of popular music include Filmi
   and folk music like Bhangra. Many classical dance forms exist,
   including Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Manipuri, Odissi
   and Yakshagana. They often have a narrative form and are usually
   infused with devotional and spiritual elements. The earliest literary
   traditions in India were mostly oral, and were only later transcribed.
   Most of these are represented by religious texts such as the Vedas, the
   Mahabharata, and the Ramayana; Sangam literature from Tamil Nadu is
   among India's oldest. The many notable Indian writers of the modern
   era, using both Indian languages and in English, include Rabindranath
   Tagore. The Indian film industry is the world's most prolific; its most
   recognisable face is the Mumbai-based " Bollywood", which produces
   mainly Hindi films. Other strong cinema industries are based on the
   Punjabi, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, and Bengali languages.
   A Toda tribal hut.
   Enlarge
   A Toda tribal hut.

   The cuisine of India is extremely diverse, as ingredients, spices and
   cooking methods vary from region to region. Rice and wheat are the
   nation's main staple foods. The country is notable for its wide variety
   of vegetarian and non-vegetarian cuisine. Spicy food and sweets are
   popular in India. Traditional Indian dress greatly varies across the
   regions in its colours and styles, and depend on various factors,
   including climate. Popular styles of dress include the sari for women
   and the lungi or dhoti for men.

   India's national sport is field hockey, although cricket is now the de
   facto national game. In some states, particularly those in the
   northeast, football is the most popular sport and is widely watched. In
   recent times, tennis has gained popularity. Chess is also gaining
   popularity with the rise of the number of recognised Indian
   grandmasters. Chess, according to the most commonly held view,
   originated in India. Traditional indigenous sports include kabaddi, kho
   kho, and gilli-danda, which are played in most parts of the country.

   Indian festivals come in a large variety; many are celebrated
   irrespective of caste and creed. The most widely celebrated include the
   Hindu festivals of Diwali and Holi, the Sikh festivals of Vaisakhi and
   Diwali the Muslim celebration of Eid ul-Fitr, Christmas of Christians
   and the Buddha_Purnima of Buddhism. India has three national holidays.
   Other sets of holidays, varying between nine and twelve, are officially
   observed in the individual states. Religious practices are an integral
   part of everyday life and are a very public affair. Traditional Indian
   family values are highly respected, although urban families now prefer
   a nuclear family system due to the socio-economic constraints imposed
   by the traditional joint family system.

Military of India

   The Agni-II ballistic missile.
   Enlarge
   The Agni-II ballistic missile.

   India maintains the third largest military force in the world. The
   armed forces of India consists of the Indian Army, Indian Air Force and
   the Indian Navy. There are auxillary forces like the Indian
   Paramilitary Forces, the Indian Coast Guard and the Strategic Forces
   Command. India is a declared nuclear weapons nation. The Indian Army
   maintains the second largest active troops in the world. The Indian
   Navy is the fifth largest in terms of manpower and the Indian Air Force
   is the fourth largest in the world.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
