India, a socialist, secular republic in South Asia, extends from the snow-covered Himalayas in the north to the tropical rain forests in the south and tapers off into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal on the east and the Arabian Sea on the west. It spreads over 3.28 million square kilometres and is the 7th largest country in the world, consisting of 28 provinces or states and 8 union territories administered by the national government. The country houses over 1.45 billion people from diverse cultures, traditions, and religions. India has a federal framework with parliamentary democracy. It has a three-tier government—the national or the central government, the provincial or the state government, and the local government at the village and town level.