This weekend, Obama will head to India for the second time in his two-term presidency.
He'll be the first president to visit the South Asian nation twice -- and the first in ages to make a long-distance trip just to stop in one single country. Obama also hosted India's new prime minister, Narendra Modi, in D.C. back in September.
It's clear that diplomatic relations with India have become a priority for the president – especially since pro-business, pro-America Modi rocketed to power last May. So if we're going to sidle up next to India and become better friends, we'd best get to know the country.
Here's our list of 18 fascinating facts you should know about India.
There's a lake near the Chinese border where, for one month of the year, the water clears and you can see a few hundred ancient skeletons.
The lake is called Roopkund and the skeletons are 1,200 years old.
Local legend has it that an ancient king went on a pilgrimage through the Himilayas with his pregnant wife and a troupe of servants when a hailstorm sent them all toppling over the edge.
Source: Deccan Herald
Mumbai's high court has a 300,000-case backlog, some of which are 20 years old.
As of a couple of years ago, there were some 4 million pending cases across all high courts in India. And only two-thirds of available high court judge positions are filled.
Source: CNN International
Mumbai has just 1.1 square meters of open space per person.
Open space is defined as gardens, parks, recreation grounds, and playgrounds.
Compare that with New York's 26.4 square meters, or London's 31.68.
Source: Times of India
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