India`s most colourful state, Rajasthan, is situated in the north-western part of the country. It shares its borders with the states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. Second largest state in the country after Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan is spread over a total area of 342,214 Sq. km. It is divided into 31 districts, which in turn are divided into sub-divisions and tehsils for revenue and administrative purposes. Rajasthan may be the most vibrant of Indian states rivaled only by Gujarat, but it is the driest part of the country, dogged by frequent droughts. The barren Aravali mountains stretch diagonally across the arid state. The range separates the desert and semi-desert areas of the state in the west from the sub-humid areas in the east The official language of the State is Hindi and most of the government business, especially at the lower and middle levels, is carried out in the official language. The predominant religion in the State is Hinduism though there is a significant concentration of Muslims. The other major religious communities are Jains and Sikhs.
According to 1991 census, the state has a population of 44005990, out of which 10067113 live in urban centres, and 33938877 are concentrated in rural areas. The density of population is 129 persons per 1000 Sq. km.