India is defined in the Constitution as a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second most populous country and the most populous liberal democracy in the world.

India broke the yoke of British colonialism in 1947 to become a modern nation-state after a struggle for independence that saw the emergence of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru as the world leaders and apostle of peace and non-violence.

India has made rapid economic progress in the last decade. It is no wonder sixty years after independence, India is beginning to deliver on its promise, "unleashing a torrent of growth and wealth creation that is transforming the lives of millions", as Time magazine says in a special cover issue. "India's economic clout is beginning to make itself felt on the international stage, as the nation retakes the place it held as a global-trade giant long before colonial powers ever arrived there," says the US magazine's August 13 issue.

As we celebrate the success of India as a free nation, we have selected some pearls of wisdom about the wonder that is India out of legions. Read on...

Bachendri Pal was the first Indian woman to climb the Everest.

Aryabhatta invented the numerical 'Zero'.

Dhirubhai Ambani started the equity cult in India.

The Ellora Caves are located in Maharashtra.

River Narmada flows from the east to the west.

In India, the President gives the inaugural speech on Independence Day.

The 'Panchsheel' treaty was signed India and China.

The McMahon Line is regarded by India as a legal national border with China.

The Radcliffe Line became the border between India and Pakistan in 1947. The border had already been roughly drawn up by Lord Wavell, the Viceroy of India, but the final version was drawn by Sir Cyril Radcliffe.

Hindi, the official language of the Union along with English, also refers to a standardised register of Hindustani termed as khariboli, which soon emerged as the standard dialect.