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People and Places^267

FIND OUT MORE. Age of Empire 422–423 • Cinema 346–347 • Hinduism 286 • Winds 51

2 FISHING IN SRI LANKA

Stilt fishing is famous in Sri Lanka.

The fishermen perch on poles

embedded in the seabed, and fish

with a rod and line. The small fish

that swim in the shallow waters

are a valuable catch.

Stilt fishing is

thousands of

years old

Mumbai’s rich

live in elegant

housing that

overlooks the

Arabian Sea

4 REPUBLIC DAY, INDIA

Parades in New Delhi mark the

anniversary of Republic Day,

when India became a republic

on 26 January 1950.

WHAT IS CITY LIFE LIKE IN INDIA?

India’s two largest cities are crowded, bustling places

where modern, high-rise office buildings stand next to

ancient temples, monuments, and mosques. Calcutta is

a major industrial city, and Mumbai (Bombay) is the

centre of India’s huge film industry. As more people

move from the countryside in search of work,

overcrowding in the cities’ slums is a growing problem.

MUMBAI, INDIA 3

Mumbai, on India’s

western coast, has a

modern, high-rise

skyline. Here, extreme

wealth is seen

alongside extreme

poverty: 100,000

people live on the

city’s streets.

PAKISTAN

Capital city: Islamabad

Area: 803,940 sq km

(310,401 sq miles)

Population: 166 million

Official language: Urdu

Major religion: Sunni Muslim

Currency: Pakistani rupee

INDIA

Capital city: New Delhi

Area: 3,287,590 sq km

(1,269,338 sq miles)

Population: 1.14 billion

Official languages: Hindi

and English

Major religion: Hindu

Currency: Indian rupee

MALDIVES

Capital city: Male’

Area: 300 sq km (116 sq miles)

Population: 305,000

Official language: Dhivehi

Major religion: Sunni Muslim

Currency: Rufiyaa

SRI LANKA

Capital city: Colombo

Area: 65,610 sq km

(25,332 sq miles)

Population: 20.1 million

Official languages: Sinhala, Tamil,

and English

Major religion: Buddhist

Currency: Sri Lanka rupee

NEPAL

Capital city: Kathmandu

Area: 140,800 sq km

(54,363 sq miles)

Population: 28.8 million

Official language: Nepali

Major religion: Hindu

Currency: Nepalese rupee

BANGLADESH

Capital city: Dhaka

Area: 144,000 sq km

(55,598 sq miles)

Population: 160 million

Official language: Bengali

Major religion: Muslim (mainly

Sunni)

Currency: Taka

BHUTAN

Capital city: Thimphu

Area: 47,000 sq km

(18,147 sq miles)

Population: 2.2 million

Official language: Dzongkha

Major religion: Mahayana

Buddhist

Currency: Ngultrum

WHICH CROP IS IMPORTANT TO SRI LANKA?

The island of Sri Lanka has over 2,000 tea plantations

and is the world’s largest tea exporter. The best tea

grows on the hillsides in the cooler, central highlands.

Tea is harvested by hand, as machines would bruise

the fragile leaves and spoil their delicate flavour. The

leaves are then rolled, dried, and packed for export.

HOW DID BRITAIN INFLUENCE INDIA?

India was a British colony from the mid-19th century

until 1947, when it gained its independence. British

influences can still be seen in the region today, such

as the widespread use of English, the European style

of architecture, the vast rail network, the passion for

cricket, and in the legal and political systems.

SOUTHERN ASIA