 Nepal has a mix of ethnic groups › Indo-Nepalese  Migrated from South › Tibeto-Nepalese  Migrated from North  Known for mountaineering skills  Bhutan made up mostly of Bhote  Maldives › Mix of southern India, Sri Lanka, East Africa, and Arabia  Sri Lanka has 2 main ethnic groups › Buddhist Sinhalese  Majority and run the government › Hindu Tamils › Been fighting for independent Tamil since 1980’s.  Over 60,000 Sri Lankans have been killed or disappeared.

 Nepal and Bhutan › Densities avg. 55 – 447 people/sq. mi. (South) › Decreases as elevation increases (North)  25 people/sq. mi. in Himalayan Highlands › Kathmandu Valley – Nepal’s most dense  Sri Lanka › 778 people / sq. mi.  Maldives › Made up of 1,190 islands › 2,586 people / sq. mi.

 Licchavi established in Nepal’s Kathmandu Valley. › Rulers from India  Conquered by Shah dynasty › Spread to South where Britain ruled › Anglo-Nepalese War ( )  Reduced size, but maintained independence.

 Bhutan (1600’s) › Tibetan Buddhism spread from monks fleeing Tibet in 800 A.D.  Sri Lanka › Sinhalese arrived from India (500’s B.C.) › Developed on sea trade route  Maldives › Settled by Buddhists from South Asia › Islam introduced around 12 th century › Portuguese arrived late 1400’s

 Nepal › Hinduism is majority › Buddhism is also practiced  Bhutan and Sri Lanka › Buddhism is dominate religion › Smaller numbers practice Hinduism  Bhutan and Nepal › Colorful prayer flags flown › Prayer wheels on display › Monks chant mantras (repetitive prayers)

 Maldives was founded by Muslim traders as a Islam state.

 Nepal › Nepali widely spoken › 12 other languages present  Sri Lanka › Sinhalese  Official language › Tamil  From Dravidians  Maldives › Dhivehi  Official language › English  Bhutan › DzongkaTibetan origin

 Maldives › Literacy rate 97% › Teach Quran in traditional schools › English language schools teach children through secondary level.  Sri Lanka › Free education from primary through university  Bhutan › Only 20% elementary aged student attend school. › Literacy rate 47%  Nepal › Literacy rate 48%

 Quality and availability is low  Hospitals and health care officials are too few to meet needs of people. › Low life expectancy  Sri Lanka - 73 years is highest › Scarcity of clean water  Waterborne disease (cholera, dysentery)  Maldives › Rely on traditional medicine

 Buddhist stupas (domed shrines) › In Nepal and Sri Lanka  Dzong (Fortified Monasteries) › Bhutan  Dance is popular in Bhutan and Nepal › Tells religious/historical stories