ABSTRACT
India is one of the oldest civilizations in the world, with a rich cultural heritage dating back about 9,000 years. Geographically, it is the seventh largest country in the world, covering an area of 3,287,263 km2. India is the second most populous country, with a population of 1.028 billion people. Although the population density is one of the highest in the world (16.7% of the world population within 2.4% of the world’s surface area), an overwhelming majority of Indians (72.2%) live in rural areas (Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, 2008). Males outnumber females 532.1 million to 496.4 million, while the life expectancy is very similar: 63.7 for males and 60.9 to 66.9 for females.
