Geography Terms: Chapter 25: Section 2

mushairas

A mushaira is a poetry reading that can draw many people, as poetry is important to the people there. Bangladesh's most recognized poet in Rabindranath Tagore, who wrote poems about Bangladesh and won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1913. His song "My Golden Bengal" is Bangladesh's national anthem.

Kashmir

A territory that is disputed by Pakistan and India.

Ramadan

An Islamic holiday that lasts a month. During Ramadan, Muslims will fast from sunrise to sunset.

Economy

Both countries have growing populations and their economies rely on agriculture. Per capita income is low. In these countries, farmers have little land, struggle with subsistent agriculture, and use inefficient farming methods, thus hindering the evolution of agriculture. Climate also plays a role in this dilemma. Pakistan's most fertile area is the irrigated areas of the Indus Valley. Bangladesh's delta areas are ideal for farming. Bangladesh's principal crop is rice and its main export crop is jute. Fishing is also essential to Bangladesh's economy.

microcredit

Microcredit has been important to economic growth. It loans money (microloans) to poor entrepreneurs or businesses to small to get other loans. This program originated in Bangladesh.

Industry

Neither Pakistan or Bangladesh is very industrialized. Factories lack critical resources. However, both countries have increasing textile industries. Both countries export cotton and Pakistan also exports wool rugs and leather.

Ethnic Groups

Pakistan has five primary ethnic groups, each of which with its own language: Pujabis (who make up more than half of its people), Sindhis, Pathans, Balochs, and Muhajirs. the Muhajirs migrated from India in 1947 because of the partition. Pakistan's national language is Urdu, the language of the Muhajirs. In Bangladesh, the people are mostly Bengalis. Bengalis speak a language that comes from Sanskrit, the Indo-Aryan language.

purdah

Purdah is a custom of Islam that many Pakistanis follow. It prevents women from having contact with men who are not related. Purdah is much less common in Bangladesh. This is an example of how Pakistan is stricter on imposing Islamic law on its citizens.

Qawwali

Qawwali is a type of devotional singing performed by Muslims called Sufis.

Indus Valley Civilization

The Indus Valley civilization began in modern-day Pakistan in around 2500 BC. Some of its cities, like Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro had brick buildings and sophisticated sanitation systems. It collapsed around 1500 BC, a little bit before the Aryans invaded. Others to later take control of the area were Mauryan, Gupta, and Mughal Empires, and later Great Britain.

ship breakers

These are people who destroy ships when they are no longer useful. Ship breakers can be found in the port of Chittagong, in Bangladesh. The ships are repurposed after their destruction.

The Partition of Pakistan

When Britain relinquished control of India, India and Pakistan separated. Pakistan separated into West Pakistan and East Pakistan. The partition caused violence, killing about one million people and causing another 10 million to flee. East and West Pakistan were eventually driven apart by ethnic differences, East Pakistan becoming Bangladesh in 1971. Pakistan and Bangladesh have both experienced corrupt governments and military rule.

partition

a division or separation

jute

a plant used in rope, carpet, and sacks.

entrepreneurs

people who start businesses