world geo module 9
Sinhalese and Tamils: Differences
Ethnic Differences: About three-fourths of Sri Lankans are Sinhalese; the rest are Tamils. Religious Differences: The Sinhalese practice Buddhism, while the Tamils practice Hinduism. Language Differences: The Sinhalese and the Tamils speak different languages and have different alphabets.
Food and Clothing
For both religious and economic reasons, Indians follow a mostly vegetarian diet. Hindus generally do not eat beef because the cow has religious importance, and Muslims are forbidden to eat pork. Some Indians do, however, eat goat meat and chicken. Those who live near rivers or the sea also eat fish. Most Indians eat some form of rice every day. With it, they may eat a lentil soup called dal (DAHL). In northern India, the people make rotis (RO teez), or flat cakes of wheat or sorghum that are baked on an iron griddle. In southern India, the people eat idlis (ID lees), or steamed pancakes of rice. Because most of India is so hot and humid, clothing is light and loose. Many Indian women wear a sari (SAH ree)—a brightly colored cloth that is draped over the body like a long dress. Some Indian women cover their faces with a veil when they are in public. This custom, called purdah (PUR duh), began among Muslims but is followed by Hindus as well.
Urbanization
India's urban areas are growing rapidly because of widespread immigration from rural villages. These urban areas range in size from towns with 20,000 inhabitants to enormously crowded cities that swell with populations of more than 10 million.
Indian Success
One way that Gandhi peacefully resisted British rule was to boycott—refuse to purchase or use—British cloth. Gandhi stopped wearing Western clothes, and instead wore clothes made from yarn he had spun himself. He devoted two hours each day to spinning his own yarn and urged other Indians to follow his example. Gandhi was so successful that the spinning wheel became a symbol of national pride. As a result of Gandhi's leadership and the boycott by the Indian people, the sale of British cloth in India fell sharply. Gandhi's program of nonviolent resistance developed into a mass movement involving millions of Indians. In spite of Gandhi's pleas to avoid violence, however, some protests against British rule led to riots, and hundreds of people were killed or hurt. Gandhi and his followers attracted support from other countries. And in 1935 the British gave in to mounting Indian and international pressures and agreed to establish provinces that were governed entirely by Indians.
Relationship Between India and Pakistan
Since independence, India and Pakistan have fought three wars. The third war, in 1971, led to the creation of the new nation of Bangladesh. Tensions rose when both nations tested nuclear weapons in 1998, and disputes persist over control of the border territory of Kashmir.
Mughal Valley
The Indus Valley is home to one of the world's oldest civilizations. It was located in what is now Pakistan from about 2500 to 1500 BC. It began to decline as invaders from Central Asia and Afghanistan invaded. Hinduism, a major world religion, came about as a result of the merging of ideas between the people of the Indus Valley and their invaders. Around 500 BC, Buddhism was founded in India. In the 700s BC, Islam was brought to the area that is now Pakistan. The religion began to spend across the region through both conquest and trade. In 1206, Muslim invaders established the Sultanate of Delhi in India. This state ruled by a Sultan continued to expand across South Asia in the 1300s. Though it was able to hold of attacks from some other invaders, it eventually broke into smaller states in the 1400s. In the early 1500s, Muslim invaders from Central Asia defeated the Sultan and created the Mughal empire which ruled most of South Asia by the 1600s.
Indian Independence
0n August 14, 1947, thousands of Indians crowded outside the Assembly building in New Delhi to hear these words: "At the stroke of the midnight hour, while the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance." The speaker was Jawaharlal Nehru (juh WAH huhr lahl NAY roo), the first prime minister of India, just hours before India's independence.
Caste system cont.
1.)Brahmans—the priests, teachers, and judges. 2.)Beneath the Brahmans are the Kshatriyas (kuh SHAHT ree yuhz), or warriors. 3.) Below these two groups are the Vaisyas (VY ee syuhs), farmers and merchants. 4.) The fourth group are the Sudras, craft workers and laborers. 5.) A group called "untouchables," or outcasts, holds the lowest rank in the caste system. Traditionally, untouchables do the work that is considered "unclean," such as street sweeping and tanning hides.
Village Life
About seven out of ten Indians live in villages and farm for a living. Most Indian villages consist of a group of houses surrounded by fields with dirt paths leading to the village school, the pool used for washing clothes, and private vegetable gardens. A larger path may lead to the next village, and sometimes a bus passes by on its way to a large town. Many people own bicycles, and almost no one owns a car. Each section, or social division, of the village shares a well. Houses belonging to the more prosperous families in a village are often built of brick and have tiled roofs and cement floors. Houses owned by poor villagers may be made of mud and thatched with dried grass. The floor is usually made of packed earth. Mud houses have no windows, which would only let in wind and rain. Usually the only furniture is a charpoy (CHAR poy)—a wooden bed frame with knotted string in place of a mattress. Most families move the charpoy outside to the courtyard when the weather turns especially hot. The courtyard is also the place where meals are often cooked.
Afghanistan: Terrorism and War
After the Soviet withdrawal in 1989, civil war broke out. By the mid-1990s, a radical Muslim group called the Taliban controlled most of the nation. The Taliban imposed harsh rule and harbored Muslim extremists from other countries. One of the extremists was Osama bin Laden, an exiled Saudi millionaire who led an international terrorist organization called al-Qaida. In 1998, bin Laden issued a statement to Muslims, proclaiming that "the killing of Americans and their civilian and military allies is a religious duty." Al-Qaida members were linked to a number of attacks against Americans, including bombings of U.S. embassies in east Africa and a navy ship at port in Yemen. On September 11, 2001, al-Qaida hijackers crashed airplanes into the World Trade Center towers in New York City and into the Pentagon near Washington, D.C. Thousands of innocent civilians from many nations were killed in the attacks. Al-Qaida was also suspected of trying to develop chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons. Despite international pressure, leaders of the Taliban continued to shelter bin Laden. In response, an international coalition led by the United States launched military attacks on Taliban and al-Qaida strongholds in Afghanistan. The Taliban were quickly driven from power, and the coalition helped establish a new democratic government that involved representatives of many ethnic groups. However, al-Qaida and Taliban sympathizers still persist in parts of the nation.
Pakistan: Physical Regions
Along Pakistan's northern and western borders, one of the world's highest mountain ranges, the Hindu Kush, reaches majestically toward the sky. Several passes cut through the mountains, making transportation possible. The Khyber (KY ber) Pass allows movement between Peshawar (puh SHAH wuhr) in northwest Pakistan and Kabul (KAH Buhl), the capital of Afghanistan. Just as in India, the towering mountains keep the cold air flowing out of Central Asia from penetrating the subcontinent during the winter. As a result, except at high elevations, temperatures in Pakistan are generally warm or hot. Temperatures in the city of Islamabad average 50°F (10°C) in January and 90°F (32°C) in July. Much of western Pakistan is covered by the rugged Baluchistan (bah LOO chi STAN) Plateau. To the east lie barren stretches of the Thar Desert and brown, dusty plains. Sandwiched between these two forbidding regions is the fertile valley created by the Indus River as it flows south out of the mountains to the Arabian Sea.
Agriculture and Industry- Expanded Industry
Although about 65 percent of Indians are farmers, the country is one of the world's leading industrial nations. India has made great advances in computers and in space research, and in recent years has placed several satellites in orbit. Another recent growth industry is consumer goods, such as televisions. Many of the new customers for these consumer goods are members of India's growing urban middle class. Traditionally, Indian society has been sharply divided between a wealthy minority and a poor majority. Over the past decades, however, teachers, doctors, and government workers have become part of an expanding middle class. Others have moved into the middle class after building their own successful businesses.
Other Religions
Although the majority of Indians are Hindu, other religions practiced in India include Islam, Christianity, Sikhism (SEEK iz uhm), and Jainism (JY nihz uhm). Sikhism began as a movement to combine Hinduism and Islam. Unlike in Hinduism, Sikhs are not divided into castes. Today, many Sikhs are farmers in their native province of Punjab in northwest India. Jainism, which developed in reaction to Hinduism, teaches that violence of any kind is wrong. As a result, Jains are taught to avoid harming any living creature.
Sri Lanka: The Sinhalese and the Tamils
Another challenge in Sri Lanka is keeping the peace. About three-fourths of Sri Lankans are Sinhalese (sin hah LEEZ), descendants of Aryans who migrated from northern India about 500 B.C. Later, the Tamils (TAHM uhlz), a people of Dravidian origin, came to Sri Lanka from southern India. Over the centuries, the Sinhalese and the Tamils often fought each other. Religion and language differences further split the two groups: The Sinhalese practice Buddhism, while the Tamils practice Hinduism; additionally, the two groups speak different languages and have different alphabets. Since Sri Lanka gained its independence from Britain in 1948, the Sinhalese have controlled the government--a government that has faced serious obstacles. In 1971, a radical Sinhalese group tried to overthrow the government. In addition, Tamils have long argued that Sinhalese discrimination has denied them equal rights to education, jobs, and land ownership. Attempts to repress the Tamil language led to calls for the creation of an independent Tamil nation on part of the island. Tamil rebels began a guerrilla war against the Sinhalese in 1983. The conflict led to bloody fighting between government forces and guerrillas, with many civilians caught in the crossfire. This fighting disrupted development in the industry and service sectors of the economy. In late 2001, Norway helped negotiate a ceasefire, but two years of fitful peace talks have not made much progress.
Pakistan: Tradition and Tensions
As in India, most of the people of Pakistan live in farming villages. Almost all Pakistanis are Muslims, and prayers are an important part of daily life. Tradition also plays an important role in their lives. For example, women generally have far fewer freedoms and economic opportunities than do men. Many women avoid contact with men outside the home and cover their faces with a veil in the presence of strangers. Islam holds Pakistan together, but other forces threaten to split it apart. About 60 percent of Pakistanis speak Punjabi or a Punjabi variant, but Urdu, which is spoken by only about 8 percent of the people, is the official language. Disputes among different ethnic groups often turn violent. Tensions rose when Pakistan allowed American and other foreign troops to use its territory as a base for removing the Taliban government from neighboring Afghanistan in 2001. Periodic demonstrations and terrorist attacks changed the control of the military government.
Bangladesh: Geography
Bangladesh: an enormous delta Most of Bangladesh is an enormous delta formed by three powerful rivers—the Ganges, the Brahmaputra, and the Meghna (MAYG nuh). As a result of this huge delta, the soil is very fertile. However, because the country is so close to sea level, floods are a regular occurrence. The climate of Bangladesh is primarily tropical wet, and temperatures rarely drop below 80°F (27°C). Because of the monsoon winds, large amounts of rain fall within a four- to five-month period. The climate and geography of Bangladesh create a delicate balance between prosperity and disaster. In good times, the warm temperatures, abundant water supply, and fertile soil enable farmers to plant and harvest three crops a year. In bad times, the raging rivers overflow, and fierce tropical storms sweep in from the Bay of Bengal, submerging the land in salt water. Record monsoon rains lashed at Bangladesh in 1989 and 1990, causing severe flooding. Millions of people were rendered homeless; power lines were knocked down; and roads, bridges, and railway lines were washed away. Transporting food and medicine from one part of the country to another proved almost impossible. These successive disasters forced the government of Bangladesh to seek a lasting solution to the chronic flooding. The first phase of a Flood Action Plan was launched in the early 1990s, funded with the help of the international aid community. The goal was to identify ways to lessen the effects of flooding and to improve disaster management and relief.
Afghanistan: Ethnic Diversity
Due to invasions and migrations, Afghanistan includes many ethnic groups. The country has two official languages, but many other languages are also spoken. Over the centuries, local groups isolated themselves as protection against invaders. As a result, some groups are unable to communicate with others. In addition to these ethnic and linguistic differences, groups have conflicting opinions about Islamic beliefs and practices.
Afghanistan: Buffer State
During the 1800s, Britain and Russia competed for influence in southern Asia. When they failed to conquer Afghanistan, the two countries agreed to leave it alone. Afghanistan thus became a buffer state—a country separating opposing powers. In December 1979, Soviet troops marched into Afghanistan to help put down a revolt at the request of the Afghan government. Millions of people fled the country, many settling in refugee camps in Pakistan. With the help of the United States, Pakistan armed and trained Afghan resistance fighters who attacked Soviet forces.
Gandhi
During the late 1800s, Indians developed a strong sense of nationalism, or a pride in their nation. In addition, Western ideas of individual rights and self-government began to spread among the country's English-speaking middle class—specifically among the lawyers, doctors, and teachers. Many of these middle-class Indians traveled to England to study, one of which was a young law student named Mohandas Gandhi (moh HAHN dahs GAHN dee). It was Gandhi—later called Mahatma, meaning "the Great Soul"—who led India to independence. Gandhi's belief in using nonviolent resistance against injustice was his most powerful weapon against the British. Nonviolent resistance means opposing an enemy or oppressor by any means other than violence. Gandhi also believed that peace and love were more powerful forces than violence. Everywhere he went, he won the hearts of the Indian people.
Family Life
Families in India are generally large. When a man marries, he usually brings his new wife to live in his parents' house. Often the household includes uncles and other relatives, too. This is known as the joint family system. Everyone in the family has a role to play. Even the youngest children take care of the chickens, goats, or sheep. Older children carry water and help their parents in the fields. People who are too old to help in the fields do light jobs around the house, such as shelling peas or washing rice. Life is very demanding for village women. Click the photo to learn more.
The Caste System
For hundreds of years, Hindu society has been organized according to the caste system. This system is a social hierarchy in which people are born into a particular group that has been given a distinct rank in society. Each caste has its own duties and obligations. Among these duties are obedience to caste rules, as well as to moral laws. People can improve their position in the next life by carrying out their duties in this life. Today, the caste system continues to shape people's lives despite the fact that it has become less rigid. Although some people take up professions that follow the traditions of their caste, many do not. However, social relationships are often, though not always, confined to people within the same caste. Untouchables continue to have fewer educational and employment opportunities than citizens who belong to higher castes. But efforts are being made by the Indian government to offer greater opportunities to untouchables.
Great Britain in India
In 1618, an English trading company set up posts along the Indian coast. By the mid-1700s, the company was building a colonial empire across South Asia, leading to Great Britain eventually taking control of India. The Indian National Congress formed in 1885 to resist British rule. In 1920, Mohandas Gandhi campaigned to keep the boycotts and demonstrations peaceful. Due to distance and the rising resistance, Great Britain could not continue to control its colonies in South Asia. This led to splitting the region into two states based on religion. India and Pakistan were given independence in 1947. The two countries often fought over borders and lands. At first, Pakistan was divided into two large areas on the east and west of India. Eventually civil war broke out and East Pakistan gained independence in 1971, becoming Bangladesh. War has also impacted Afghanistan. In 2001 the United States overthrew the government in response to the September 11th attacks on US soil.
Quality of Life- Education
In 1950, only about 16 percent of Indians could read and write. By the mid-1990s, the figure was nearly 50 percent and was still rising. As a result of intensive government efforts, almost every village now has a primary school, yet many children still fail to complete their schooling. Often their families need them to work in the fields or to care for younger brothers and sisters.
Afghanistan
In many ways, Afghanistan's history has been influenced by its location and terrain. The towering Hindu Kush forms the central backbone of the country. These mountains are nearly as high and certainly as rugged as the Himalayas. The word kush means "death," a name that probably stems from the danger posed to people crossing the mountains. The Hindu Kush also marks the boundaries of three regions. The first consists of the mountains themselves. At their feet lie several fertile valleys where most Afghans live. North of the Hindu Kush is a region of semiarid plains. The land to the south is mostly desert. For centuries, merchants and soldiers crossed Afghanistan on their way to or from China, Southwest Asia, and India. Although the Hindu Kush formed a barrier, openings such as the Khyber Pass allowed some movement.
Religious Conflict
In the early 1940s, the conflict between India's Hindus and Muslims deepened. For hundreds of years, the relationship between the two groups had often been hostile, but around this time, economic differences divided the two groups even further. The Muslims were generally the poorer peasants or landless workers; whereas, the Hindus were often landowners. For a time, Hindus and Muslims worked together for independence, but as they drew nearer to their goal, both groups began to fear being ruled by the other. In 1946 Britain offered independence to India on the condition that Indian leaders agree to a form of government. However, Hindus and Muslims were unable to reach a consensus. Riots broke out and thousands of people died. Gandhi yearned for a united India, but the violence persisted. Finally, in 1947, British and Indian leaders agreed that the only solution to the conflict was to partition, or divide into parts, the subcontinent with separate countries for Hindus and Muslims. Part of the subcontinent became the mostly Hindu Republic of India. The northwestern and northeastern parts of the subcontinent, where most Muslims lived, formed the nation of Pakistan.
The Partition
Independence came to India and Pakistan on August 15, 1947. The event brought joyous scenes of celebration, but it also brought confusion and suffering. In one of the greatest migrations in history, some 12 million people moved from one region to another. To avoid the rule of a majority religion to which they did not belong, Hindus moved to India where Hindus were the majority, and Muslims moved to Pakistan where Muslims were the majority. The journey was long and torturous. Ashwini Kumar, a young police officer who witnessed the migration, stated: "They passed in eerie silence. They did not look at each other. . . . The creak of wooden wheels, the weary shuffling of thousands of feet, were the only sounds rising from the columns." Most of the refugees left their possessions along the road or traded them for lifesaving water. Many people died from hunger, thirst, or exhaustion. In addition, fighting between Hindus and Muslims killed an estimated one million people.
Urbanization- Life in Cities
India's cities are even busier because they are far more crowded. While New York City has almost 25,000 people per square mile (9,687 per sq km), one district of the Indian city of Mumbai (Bombay) has an astonishing 169,554 inhabitants per square mile (65,465 per sq km)! The writer V. S. Naipaul described Mumbai's bulging population in this way: "In Bombay there isn't room for [the newcomers]. There is hardly room for the people already there. The older apartment blocks are full; the new skyscrapers are full; the small, low huts of the squatters' settlements on the airport road are packed tightly together." Despite the extreme crowding and poverty that exist, most families consider themselves better off in a city than in a village. Most people believe the cities offer far more opportunities for work and education than do rural areas. India's rural population, therefore, has been drawn to many of India's large cities.
Bangladesh: Challenges
Like India, Bangladesh struggles with overpopulation. It is the ninth most populous country in the world. With about 131 million people, it has almost as many people as Mexico and Canada combined. And all of these people are squeezed into an area the size of Wisconsin. Overpopulation and natural hazards have combined to create another problem: hunger. Malnutrition, a lack of food or an unbalanced diet, is an almost constant problem. The Green Revolution has helped to increase agricultural production. Still, the population is growing at a faster rate than the food supply is. To add to its problems, Bangladesh has few roads or bridges. Most travel is by boat along its many waterways. Without massive aid, Bangladesh cannot improve its communications and transportation systems. Bangladesh thus faces some of the greatest challenges of any country in the world.
Urbanization- Life in Towns
Many of India's people live in small- or medium-sized towns. India's towns are far more populated and lively than its rural villages. A writer who taught in India described a typical town: "Cows wander through the streets, washermen bang clothing against rocks in nearby streams, homes built of mud and tar paper and corrugated tin and planks and cardboard lean against one another, ready to be toppled by the first big storm. But the pace of the Indian town nearly terrifies the villager. The streets are often a wild free-for-all, with buses bearing down on pedestrians, dogs and goats scurrying out of the way of three-wheeled taxis and cars, bicycles weaving past the carters who wearily push their loads of flour sacks uphill."
South Asia population
More than 1 billion people live in India. South Asia is one of the most densely populated regions on earth. People all over the region are moving to the cities in search of jobs. In the early 2000s, two cities in India- Kolkata and Mumbai were in the top 10 most populated cities in the world. India is growing at a rate of 1.6% which means that its population will double in 36 years. With so many people also comes a great diversity of language and culture. Hindi is spoken by more than half of the people in India but many other languages are spoken across South Asia. Hinduism is practiced primarily in India and Nepal while Islam is the dominant religion in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. Buddhism is practiced in Bhutan.
South Asia ecosystems
Most of India is made up of tropical grasslands. South Asia is also made up of other types of grasslands and deserts as well as highlands and tropical rain forests. Plant life depends on the elevation and the amount of rain the area receives. There is an abundance of wildlife in South Asia, though the growing population of people means habitat loss and poaching for animals. Species like rhinoceroses, elephants, and tigers are being protected by conservation groups. Many National Parks are home to Asian elephant sanctuaries. There are also wetland sanctuaries for birds and other animals that depend on wetland ecosystems.
Major Indian Cities
Mumbai, on India's west coast, is the country's busiest port and its financial center. Chennai, once called Madras, and Kolkata, once called Calcutta, are major east coast centers of commerce and the shipping industry. The city of New Delhi, India's capital and center of government, is located in the country's interior on the banks of the Yamuna River. Varanasi (vah RAH na see), one of India's oldest cities, is built on the banks of the Ganges. Hindus regard it as the holiest city in the world. Hindus believe that if someone is lucky enough to die within the city limits of Varanasi, he or she is released from the reincarnation cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. Devout Hindus hope to visit the city at least once within their lifetime to wash in the sacred Ganges River. Many pilgrims collect Ganges water, which they take home for use in family worship.
Agriculture and Industry- Advances in Farming
One of India's main goals has been to feed its growing population. More land has been farmed, and better farming methods, increased irrigation, and higher quality seeds have produced more and better crops. Despite these advances, though, only a few families own enough land to support themselves. And almost half of the farmers do not own any land at all. To add to their income, many farmers have set up cottage industries in which they make goods in their own homes using their own tools and machines. They may spin yarn and weave cloth or make things like jewelry or pottery. These goods can then be sold in the cities and towns.
British India
Since the mid-1700s, Britain had controlled India. The colonial rulers made many changes, such as ending slavery, improving schools, and building a large railroad network--all of which benefited India. Other changes, however, were not so favorable towards the country. One area that British control had a negative effect on was India's flourishing textile industry. The Indians were among the first people to grow cotton. They then spun the cotton into thread and wove new fabrics, such as calico, cashmere, chintz, and muslin. The British, however, wanted to use India as a market for their own cheaper, machine-made textiles. To do this, the British imported raw cotton from India, made it into cloth, and shipped the finished product back to India for sale. As a result, millions of Indian textile workers lost their jobs. In addition, the British did not treat their subjects as equals. For example, both the government and the army were organized with British officials in all of the positions of power, and Indians were expected to take positions at the lower levels. This situation angered many Indians.
Modernization of Indian Villages
Some modern technologies have made their way into many Indian villages. Most villages now have electricity, and television reaches 75 percent of all Indians. Because illiteracy is still widespread, television, radio, and movies are more powerful media than newspapers for spreading new ideas to villagers. Indians are avid moviegoers, and the Indian film industry produces hundreds of films annually. India's leaders hope that as villagers come to learn more about modern life and better farming techniques, they will be able to produce more food. The constant threat of a shortage of food in the face of an increasing population is a major concern of the Indian government.
South Asia
South Asia is a large triangle of land that extends into the Indian Ocean. Millions of years ago, a huge collision between the Earth's crust that is now in South Asia and the rest of Asia pushed the earth upward toward the sky. The effect of the collision was the Himalayas, the world's largest mountains. These mountains form a barrier between South Asia and the rest of the continent. Though isolated enough to allow the development of unique cultures, people and ideas did move in and out of South Asia keeping it connected with neighboring regions.
South Asia Geography & Climate
South Asia is often referred to as a subcontinent because of its size. A subcontinent is a large section that forms a distinct part or feature of a continent. Diverse geographic landscapes are located all over South Asia. The Himalayas include more than 30 of the world's tallest mountains. This system of the Himalayas is actually made up of several parallel mountain ranges that run through Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, and Bhutan. The Indus River, home to the region's oldest civilizations, begins in the Himalayas and runs through Pakistan to the Arabian Sea. Pakistan is also covered with stretches of hot deserts. Parts of India's west coast contain rain forest. Depending on altitude and distance from the Indian Ocean, the climate around South Asia varies dramatically. Monsoons are typical in South Asia. In the winter, dry air blows across the region from the northeast. In the summer, moisture-filled air is blown into the area from the southwest. Though monsoons bring much-needed rain to help with drought, the downpours can cause severe flooding.
South Asia economy
South Asia is still dependent on agriculture as the dominant economic activity. About two-thirds of the people in the region are engaged in work that is directly related to the land. This includes hunting, commercial and subsistence farming, fishing, and mining. The film industry is also extremely important in India. The country produces more movies than any other in the world. In India, the film industry is called Bollywood, which is a combination of the words Bombay and Hollywood.
Sri Lanka: Magnificent Island
Sri Lanka, meaning "magnificent island," is located in the Indian Ocean 33 miles (53 km) southeast of the tip of India. Sri Lanka's climate is tropical, but it is cooled by ocean breezes. The heaviest rains fall in the southwestern part of the island, which contains plantations where crops, such as coconuts and rubber, are grown for export. Another major crop is tea which comes mainly from the higher slopes of the island's mountains. Sri Lanka produces about one-eighth of the world's tea. Sri Lanka was once covered with a thick rain forest. Today, almost two-thirds of that forest is gone, cut down for farming and development. Scientists think that this deforestation may have helped change the island's weather and caused droughts. Restoring the rain forest is a major government challenge.
Quality of Life- Sanitation
The Indian government has also worked to improve people's health. In 1950, the average Indian's life expectancy was only 32 years. By the mid-1990s, it had risen to 60 years, and the government aims to increase that figure to 64 years by the early twenty-first century. Yet, many Indians cannot afford even basic medical care. In cities like Mumbai, many people live on the street, and millions of others live in slums that do not have healthy water or sanitation. Unhealthy water is also a problem in many rural areas. In the past, most Indians drank from open wells, which were breeding grounds for bacteria. Since the 1970s, the government has drilled hundreds of thousands of deep, machine-made wells with covers that reduce the risk of contamination. As a result, diseases such as malaria and cholera have become much less common.
Pakistan: Irrigation and Electricity
The Indus River is the lifeline of a largely dry country. The river basin contains most of Pakistan's agricultural areas, as well as its major hydroelectric power stations. Hydroelectric power is electricity produced by the movement of water. Since much of Pakistan receives less than 10 inches (25 cm) of rain annually, farmers must irrigate the land, or supply it with water. The Tarbela Dam was built to control the extreme seasonal changes of the Indus River. It holds more water than any other embankment dam in the world. An embankment dam is a wall of soil and rock built to hold back water. The Tarbela Dam is one of the world's biggest producers of hydroelectric power. It has also turned millions of acres of arid desert into lush cropland. The dam has created problems, however. The river picks up silt as it flows through northern Pakistan, and this silt is piling up behind the dam. Engineers estimate that within 20 years the dam will be unable to supply irrigation water.
Nepal and Bhutan
The countries of Nepal (nuh PAHL) and Bhutan (boo TAHN) span a great range in altitude, from a low elevation of about 230 feet (70 m) to that of the highest mountains in the world, the Himalayas. The tallest of the towering Himalayan peaks, Mount Everest in Nepal, towers 29,035 feet (8,850 m) high. The southern lowlands of Nepal and Bhutan are hot and humid, and monsoon rains pour down every summer. Tropical crops flourish here, including citrus fruits, sugar cane, and rice. In the cooler, high areas, people grow wheat, millet, and potatoes. Most crops are grown in terraced fields built into the hillsides. Nepal is about 90 percent Hindu, while Bhutan is about 75 percent Buddhist. Hinduism is more common in the lowlands, while Buddhism is the religion of the high areas. Yet, each religion has influenced the other. For example, people often celebrate festivals honored by both religions. Both high mountains and politics kept Nepal and Bhutan somewhat separated from the rest of the world until the middle of the twentieth century. Today, Bhutan continues to discourage contact with tourists and other foreigners in an effort to preserve its traditional culture. Nepal, on the other hand, welcomes those who come to hike in its mountains and enjoy its magnificent scenery. The Sherpas, who live high in the mountains of Nepal, are skilled mountaineers. Many of them make a living by guiding climbers through the challenging mountain terrain.
Hinduism
The majority of people in India practice Hinduism, an ancient, polytheistic religion that teaches the unity of all life. Hindus believe that every living thing has a spirit, or soul, which comes from the Creator, Brahma. Because every creature possesses a soul, Hindus treat animals with great respect. Cows are especially sacred to Hindus and may wander freely through the city streets. Hindus also consider the Ganges River to be holy. The Ganges is believed to purify the souls of people who bathe in it or drink its water. As a result, the banks of the Ganges are often lined with Hindus who have come there for healing. According to Hinduism, the final goal of every living thing is unity with Brahma—a state of bliss without change or pain. To achieve this goal, the soul passes through cycles of reincarnation, which is the belief that the souls of humans and animals go through a series of births, deaths, and rebirths. Hindus believe that the soul does not die, but passes from body to body until it becomes pure enough to be united with Brahma.
Bangladesh
Unrest continued to grow as many people in East Pakistan began to feel that their region was being treated merely as a colony of West Pakistan. Then, in 1970, more than 300,000 East Pakistanis died in a devastating flood caused by a cyclone and tidal wave. Many people in East Pakistan accused the government of deliberately delaying shipments of food and relief supplies to the victims. The disaster touched off fighting between the two regions, and India joined the conflict on the side of the East Pakistanis. In the face of such opposition, the West Pakistani forces surrendered and on December 16, 1971, East Pakistan became the independent country of Bangladesh, meaning "Bengali Nation."
Two Pakistans
When Pakistan became independent, it consisted of two regions—West Pakistan and East Pakistan—separated by 1,100 miles (1,770 km) of Indian territory. The boundaries of East and West Pakistan were not based on any physical landforms but rather on the predominance of Islam in these two regions. In fact, Islam was the only thread that connected these two very different regions. The people of West Pakistan belonged to several ethnic groups, but most residents of East Pakistan were Bengalis. Many people in West Pakistan spoke Urdu, which became the official language of the new country. The situation upset the East Pakistanis, who were proud of their Bengali language and their literary tradition. Economics and politics further complicated the already difficult situation. West Pakistan contained some factories, while East Pakistan was largely agricultural. Despite being economically less developed, though, East Pakistan paid more taxes than West Pakistan. At the same time, more than half the national budget was spent in West Pakistan where the government was located. Moreover, most positions of power in the government and the army were held almost exclusively by West Pakistanis.