According to CNN at the time of this post, the death toll is at 21, which is tragic, but far less than the 10,000 who were killed the last time a storm of this magnitude hit India's eastern cost. We can begin by praying for the families and friends mourning the 21 as well as the many others affected and displaced by the storm, while also praising and thanking God for keeping so many safe from the storm.
Cyclones aside, India is a country with many intricacies and challenges. Since economics is my gig (Nate writing again tonight), I'll cover that aspect of the country for this post, and we may come back and revisit the country later in the month, as there is a lot of ground to cover in a discussion of India.
The country as a whole has experienced a major economic boom over the past decade, however hundreds of millions still struggle with poverty, inadequate infrastructure, corruption, prejudice, and a very dense population. To put the country's population density into perspective, the figure for the U.S. as of the 2010 Census was 33 people per square kilometer. The same figure for India is 384 people per square kilometer.
Almost 40% of Indians live below the poverty line, and 40% of children are underweight. As a result of the rampant poverty for many, the country struggles with building and maintaining infrastructure such as public transportation and sanitation services, which leads to health problems for many.
Indian Quick Facts
Population: 1.214 billion
Primary Industry: Industry and Services
Annual Income per Person: $1,017
Political System: Democracy
Primary Religion: Hindu
All facts found in Operation World
Father God, we praise you for the beautiful country of India. We thank you for your protection of many from Cyclone Phailin, and pray you would provide aid to the people who are in need and hurting. We thank you for recent growth in India's economy, and pray that improved conditions there would provide a clearer path for the flow of people and ideas, especially the gospel, that the people of India might know the joy of serving and loving you. Amen.
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