CHAPTER 27: BHUTAN, MALDIVES, NEPAL, AND SRI LANKA

HIMALAYA Created from collision of Indian subcontinent into Eurasian plate Spread c. 1500 miles through Nepal and Bhutan Divided into 3 ranges: 1) Greater Himalaya (north) 2) Lesser Himalaya (center) 3) Outer Himalaya (south) Mt. Everest is in Nepal (GH)

MALDIVES C. 1200 islands grouped into 13 atolls with barrier reefs Most islands were coral reefs formed at the edges of volcanoes Highest point is 8 ft above sea level No island is larger than 5 sq. mi. Only 200 islands are inhabited

HUMAN GEOGRAPHY

BHUTAN Little record before 800 A.D. A.D. 800s: Buddhist monks flee Tibet 1600s: Tibetan Lama (Buddhist monk) named Ngawang Lopsang Gyatso merged religious and political power 1907: Ugyen Wangchuck proclaimed king Adopted British policies and practiced isolationism

BHUTAN CONTINUED 1972: King Jigme Singye Wangchuck begins to modernize country Favors Buddhism---angers Nepalese Hindus---violent protests Wangchuck institutes democratic reforms 2006: Wangchuck abdicates the throne 2008: 1st general elections held; becomes a constitutional monarchy

NEPAL Founded in 1769---Prithvi Narayan Shah conquers area and declares a dynasty Stayed isolated 1950s: Narayan descendants overthrown 1990: King allows elections of parliament---gives rise to communist protests 2008: Abolishes monarchy— still unable to agree on a constitution

MALDIVES Settled by Buddhists from South Asia 12th century: Muslims arrive 1500s: Portuguese then Dutch control it 1887: British control 1965: Independence Becomes a republic 2008: adopts democratic government

SRI LANKA 400s B.C.: Sinhalese people arrive from India Tamil people follow shortly Have been rivals ever since 1500s: Portuguese then Dutch control 1815: British take control 1948: Britain gives independence to Sri Lanka Adopted parliamentary govt 1972: changed name from Ceylon to Sri Lanka

CULTURE

NEPAL 2 main ethnic groups: 1) Indo-Napalese: ancestors migrated from India 2) Tibeto-Nepalese: ancestors from Tibet Nepali is the language Most are Hindu; 10% Buddhist (Buddha was born here)

BHUTAN Bhote people make up ½ the pop. Mostly Buddhist---thousands of stupas (shrines) and dzongs (monasteries) Dzongka is the official language

BHUTAN CONTINUED Home to c. 4500 Buddhist monks 1000s of stupas: shrines Many dzongs: fortified monasteries

SRI LANKA 2 main ethnic groups: 1) Sinhalese: majority; located mostly in the SW; Buddhist 2) Tamils: minority; located mostly in the north; Hindu