India

Inhabitants of the Indus River valley developed an urban culture of commerce and agricultural trade, forming the Indian civilization around 2500 BC  The country is home to more than 15 percent of the world's population, making it the second most populous country. Over its thousands of years of history, India has been invaded from all directions. British presence in the region began with the British East India Company in 1619, and spread to include most of present-day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka by the 1850's.  Independence came in 1947, when India became a republic in the Commonwealth, and East and West Pakistan (today Bangladesh and Pakistan) were created.  The Indian economy relies heavily on the services industry, which accounts for more than half of India's output and less than a third of the labor force, and the agricultural sector which employs more than half of the population. With one of the youngest median ages among large economies, and approximately 22 births per 1000 individuals in the country every year, India has a large population of young mothers. Counterpart International's (Counterpart) work in the country focuses on providing for the health of mothers and children, in addition to empowering women to take charge of their safety and health.

Map and country information, The World Factbook 2009. Washington, DC: Central Intelligence Agency, 2009.