Once independent, British India had territory in India and Pakistan. At this time, Pakistan was divided into East Pakistan and West Pakistan. The two regions were on either sides of India, which served as a 1,000 mile barrier between them.
Conflict and Division
West Pakistan and East Pakistan were extremely different, except for their high Muslim populations. Their cultural traditions and geography were far from similar. West Pakistan bordered the Middle East, while East Pakistan bordered Southeast Asia.
The Pakistani government was dominated by West Pakistan. They used government funds to improve economic conditions in West Pakistan. Because the industrial development was limited to West Pakistan, this caused East Pakistan to receive insufficient funds. In case of a 1970 cyclone that severely damaged East Pakistan, West Pakistan delayed sending support. This caused an uproar in East Pakistan.
When East Pakistanis finally managed to win a majority in the seats of parliament, the government would not accept the results of the election. A civil war ensued, and Indian troops aided East Pakistan. Because of this assistance, East Pakistan managed a victory.
Economic Development
After the civil war was ended, Pakistan began to formulate plans for modernization in this area. Most of the Pakistani population inhabited rural areas, so it was necessary for the government to produce extra funding for these areas. By developing improved agriculture, Pakistan increased the productivity of farms.
By developing more local industries, Pakistan reduced reliance on foreign imports and aid. Factories were built and expanded, and cotton production was increased. Another crucial aid was the successful textile industry.
Forces for Change
Despite many successes, today Pakistan is experiencing challenges in both politics and economy. Pakistan's population is rapidly increasing, and many people live in poverty because of the high rates of illiteracy. The political elections are influenced by the military, and sometimes elected candidates are prevented from taking office.
Like many countries in this region, Pakistan has suffered variations of Islamic fundamentalism. In this movement, the leaders have pushed towards governing with the Koran in order to improve people's lives. This movement caused Pakistan to form a constitutional amendment in 1991. This amendment caused the Pakistani law to revolve around the teachings of the Koran. However, this caused much disagreement among Muslims about how to implement the Koranic laws, ao this amendment is rarely used.
Bangladesh is a country about the size of Wisconsin that is densely populated. More than 120 million people live in this country. Although the land is fertile and there is an excess of water, Bangladesh is prone to terrible flooding.
The national progress of Bangladesh is very limited, due to the frequent natural disasters. Although harvests were plenty, food production cannot keep up with the growing population.
The government of Bangladesh has struggled to improve conditions. Despite this, the world value for cash crops has declined. This is a problem, because cash crops are this country's main source of income.
In addition to these problems, Bangladesh has a very poor transportation system. This in turn shunts the growth of communications technology. A good system of communication is necessary for a country's growth, so Bangladesh continues to struggle economically.
After establishing independence from the British, the country of Ceylan became known as Sri Lanka. It gained its independence shortly after World War II.
Sri Lanka's economy is prosperous, and is based on exports. The main industries are tea, coconut and rubber. Because the literacy rate is 75 percent, Sri Lanka looks forward to an optimistic future.
Ethnic Tensions
About 70 percent of Sri Lankans speak Sinhalese, and buddhism is their religion. Their ancestry comes from Northern India. An 18-percent minority comes from Southern India. These people speak Tamil, and Hinduism is their native practice.
Tensions began to rise between the Tamils and Sinhalese, because of ethnic problems. The Tamils claimed that they were being discriminated against, and demanded an independent state from the Sinhalese majority. When the government refused, a guerilla war took place that ravaged the entire country.
Indian Involvement
During the beginning of the conflict, India supported the Tamil separatists. However, as the fighting progressed, the Indian Prime Minister, Rajiv Ghandi decided to change sides. He sent troops to the Sinhalese side. The Tamil guerillas assassinated Ghandi in 1991. Efforts for peace have failed, and the fighting continues in Sri Lanka.
Bhutan and Nepal also occupy the northern part of this region. They are both landlocked,
because of the Himalayas. Bhutan is a monarchy, and the major religion is Buddhism. The majority in Nepal are Hindu. They were once ruled by a King who had vast power, but now have a democracy.
In these countries, farming is very common. However, their progress is impeded because of the mountainous geography. In Nepal, deforestation is a problem, because of the rapidly growing population. Wood is being used for fuel. This causes erosion, which forcese the farmers to move to a different part of land.