NEW DELHI The name Delhi also refers to the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT), which is a special union territory jointly administered by the Central government, NCT's elected government and three municipal corporations Delhi, Delhi Cantonment and New Delhi.   New Delhi, an urban area within the metropolis of Delhi, is the seat of the Government of India. Delhi's metropolitan area, known as the National Capital Region (NCR) encompasses the entire NCT as well as the neighbouring satellite towns of Faridabad and Gurgaon in Haryana, and Noida and Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh making it the 5th most populous megalopolis in the world, with 19.5 million people.     Delhi has the most vibrant history among prominent cities or towns of India. It was the "capital of seven empires" in Indian history and has over 60,000 recognized monuments built over several millennia, as per the Archaeological Survey of India. It is believed to be the site of Indraprastha, founded by the Pandavas of the Mahabharata around 5000 BC. The name Delhi may originate from the Persian word Dahleez (Urdu: ?????) (English: threshold, or frontier) or from the name of a Mauryan king, Raja Dhillu. Another possible etymology is the the city's original name, Dhillika. The people of Delhi are known as Delhi-ites. The latter is a historical and cultural term describing people of the old city and the associated diaspora. The Persianized surname Dahelvi is also related to residents of Delhi.

Delhi at a Glance Country: India State: National Capital Territory / Union Territory of Delhi District: Delhi District STD code: 011 Max. Temp.: 46 Degree Celcius Min. Temp.: 04 Degree Celcius Winter: Late Nov.-Early Feb. Spring: March to Mid April Summer: April end to Aug end Autumn: Sep to Nov. end Best Season: October to March River: Yamuna Area: 1,483 sq km Time zone: GMT+5:30 Population: 13,850,507 (2001) Density: 9,339.52 sq km Literacy Rate: - Total 81.7% - Male 87.3% - Female 74.7% Sex Ratio: 821 Urbanisation Ratio: 89.9%(1991) Language: Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi and English and most other Indian Languages Classification: National capital territory Chief Minister: Sheila Dixit Ruling Party: Congress Major Political parties: Congress, BJP Gross domestic product: USD 500 billion approx.(2003) Accessibility: As a major entry point for India many major international flights go through New Delhi. It is also extensively connected by air, road and rail with the rest of the country. Domestic airport:Palam Airport International airport: Indira Gandhi International Airport Importance: Capital of India, separate state, Second largest metropolitan city in India, Industrial & IT Hub, Education center par excellence. Seat of government and influence