Transcript Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, and Sri Lanka

Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives,
and Sri Lanka
Chapter 24
Section 3
Population Patterns
• Nepal – The 2 main ethnic group in Nepal are Tibeto-Nepalese &
Sherpas.
• Bhutan – The Bhote are the major ethnic group of Bhutan.
• Maldives – No Major ethnic group. Since it is an island nation, it
was isolated from humans for many years. The people that live
there today are a mix of ethnic groups from all over Southern Asia.
• Sri Lanka - 2 main ethnic groups that despise each other, the
Sinhalese, who are mostly Buddhist, and the Tamils who are
Hindu.
Density & Distribution
• Population densities can vary within these 4 countries. One thing
that is constant about populations in these 4 countries is the
decrease in population densities is Altitude. The higher the
Altitude the lower the population densities.
• In Nepal, the most densely populated area is the Kathmandu
Valley, which is very fertile.
The Himalayan Countries
• During the 1700’s, a dynasty from Nepal began expanding
Southward. As they tried to expand their empire, they eventually
came in contact with the British, who had colonies in India. The
Nepalese Dynasty & the British would then begin the AngloNepalese War which reduced Nepal to its current size.
• Bhutan’s early history is relatively unknown. What is do know
about Bhutan can be traced back to the arrival of Tibetan monks.
Most of Bhutan’s history.
The Himalayan Countries
• Bhutan was once ruled by a lama, or a Buddhist monk. After the
lama’s death the country broke out into Civil war. Today Bhutan is
working towards becoming a constitutional monarchy with a
representative government.
• Nepal, whose location in the Himalayan mountains kept it from
being colonized is in a political state of disarray. Several groups in
the country are still trying to decide which political ideology to
adapt.
Importance of the Island Nations
• The Island of Sri Lanka, which is only a few miles off the coast of
India was used as a trading port by both the Romans and the
Greeks.
• The Maldives were first settled by Buddhist from Southern Asia and
eventually Muslims. The Portuguese used these islands as part of
their colonial trading network, along with the city of Goa in India.
Sri Lanka’s Modern History
• Sri Lanka’s location made it a very desirable piece of land to
control. Through out it’s history Sri Lanka was controlled by the
British, Dutch, Portuguese and Spanish.
• The Dutch had the biggest influence on Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan law is
based upon Dutch law, even when the British controlled the
island.
• 1 year after England gave India its independence, it granted Sri
Lanka its independence. At the time Sri Lanka was known as
Ceylon
• Sri Lanka was greatly affected by the 2004 Tsunami
Religion
• The majority of Nepal’s population is Hindu, similar to India.
• Buddhism is the dominant religion in both Sri Lanka & Bhutan,
although the sect of Buddhism practiced in these countries varies
from region to region.
• The Maldives have been predominately Muslim since the arrival of
Muslim traders in the 12th century.