Facts about India

• India is about 1/3 the size of the United States, yet it is the second most populous country in the world, with a population of 1,166,079,217. India is the seventh largest country in the world, at 1.27 million square miles.
• India is the largest democracy in the world.
• The Kumbh Mela (or Grand Pitcher Festival) is a huge Hindu religious festival that takes place in India every 12 years. In 2001, 60 million people attended, breaking the record for the world’s biggest gathering. 
• It is illegal to take Indian currency (rupees) out of India.
• India leads the world with the most murders (32,719), with Russia taking second at 28,904 murders per year.
• India has one of the world’s highest rates of abortion.
• More than a million Indians are millionaires, yet most Indians live on less than two dollars a day. An estimated 35% of India’s population lives below the poverty line.