India became independent on 15th August 1947. It has four geographic regions, namely, the northern mountain zone, plains of the Ganga and Indus, the desert region, and the Southern Peninsula. Agriculture provides livelihood to about 64 per cent of the total population. The total area under cultivation is 142.02 million hectares in 1997-98, and area under irrigation is 89.56 million hectares in 1997. The main crops of the region are wheat, rice, maize, millet, pulses, oilseeds, cotton, sugarcane, spices, vegetables and fruit. The mineral resources of the region are coal, lignite, aluminum, copper, lead and zinc. The major industries are steel, petroleum refinery, chemicals, cement, ship building, heavy and light engineering products, railway engines and wagons, textiles, computer hardware and software, and communication. Coastal areas have warm summers and cool winters, and the hinterland has hot summers and cold winters. The average annual rainfall varies widely across the country, ranging from 10 cms. in the North West Desert to over 300 cms. in parts of Assam.