S

Subcontinent
Afnan Shahid
India
S Geography: India is the seventh largest country in the
world. It covers an area of 32, 87, 590 square kilometers
and it is an important country of South Asia. India is 4
times larger than Pakistan. It borders on China in the
northeast. Other neighbors are Pakistan on the west,
Nepal and Bhutan on the north, and Burma and
Bangladesh on the east. The country can be divided into
three distinct geographic regions: the Himalayan region
in the north, which contains some of the highest
mountains in the world, the Gangetic Plain, and the
plateau region in the south and central part. Its three
great river systemsthe Ganges, the Indus, and the
Brahmaputrahave broad channels and all rise in the
Himalayas.

India
India
S Culture: The culture of India is among the world's oldest,
reaching back about 5,000 years. India has 28 states and
seven territories, and each has at least one official
language. While the national languages are Hindi and
English, there are about 22 official languages and nearly
400 living languages spoken in various parts of the
country. Most of the languages of India belong to two
families, Aryan and Dravidian. India is known as the
birthplace of Hinduism. About 84 percent of the population
in India is Hindu. here are many variations of Hinduism,
and four predominant sects Shaiva, Vaishnava,
Shakteya and Smarta. Wheat, Basmati rice and pulses with
chana (Bengal gram) are important for the Indian diet. The
food is rich with curries and spices, including ginger,
coriander, cardamom, turmeric, dried hot peppers, and
cinnamon, among others. Many Hindus are vegetarians,
but lamb and chicken are common in main dishes for non-
vegetarians.
India
S Culture: Much of Indian food is eaten with fingers or bread
used as utensils. The most well known building in India is
the Taj mahal. It was built by Shah Jahan to honor his third
wife, Mumtaz Mahal. India is well known for its film
industry, which is based in Mumbai and is often referred to
as Bollywood. The country began as a major producer of
movies in the 1930s. Indian clothing is identified with the
colorful silk saris worn by many of the countrys women.
The traditional clothing for men is the dhoti. The country
celebrates Republic Day (Jan. 26), Independence Day
(Aug. 15) and Mahatma Gandhi's Birthday (Oct. 2). There
are also a number of Hindu festivals that are celebrated,
including Diwali.

India
S Administration: Today India is a federation of 28 states and 7 union
territories and formally this federation is known as a Union. The head of the
country is the President in whom all executive powers are entrusted, but the
real administrator of the country is the Prime Minister. After the national
elections are held the President calls the most suitable candidate to form a
government, known as the central government. The President can also
declare, according to government advice, on new elections and if necessary
an emergency state. According to the Constitution, elections are to be held
once in every five years, unless the parliament dissolves earlier or on the
other hand, emergency is declared and in such a case parliament can
continue another year. The Indian Parliament consists of two houses. The
Lower House called the Lok Sabha and the Upper House called the Rajya
Sabha. The upper house consists of 250 people. The states have their own
legislatures. Some states have two Houses and some only one House.
Head of a state is called Chief Minister, who is member of the Lower House.
Constitutionally the figurehead of the state is the Governor.

India
S Religion: There are four major religions in India: Hinduism,
Jainism, Sikhism, and Buddhism. The most dominant religion in
India today is Hinduism. About 80 percent of the Indians are
Hindus. Hinduism is classified as an ancient religion. Today
about .7% of people in India are Buddhists and .5% are Jains.
India
S Architecture: The Taj Mahal is well known building in
India. Shah Jahan built it for his third wife. Many things
influenced Indian architecture. Foreigners and religion
influenced it. India also has many ancient temples.

India
S Trade and commerce: India is an important trade
partner for the Europeans and an emerging global
economic power. The country chains a large and growing
market of more than 1 billion people. The Ministry of
Commerce and Industry administers two departments,
the Department of Commerce and the Department of
Industrial Policy & Promotion. The department regulates
foreign trade policy and responsibilities.

India
S Economy: India has one of the largest and fastest growing
economies in the world. Unfortunately it is also one of the poorest
countries in the world. The main reason for this is the very large
population that the country has. There has been strong growth in
recent years, as the government has made an effort to improve the
economic strength of the nation. For many years the Indian economy
struggled due to poor government policy. There were way too many
regulations designed to limit foreign investment. The growth of the
Indian economy is somewhat unusual in that it has done so with very
little export. India has a very good education system, which is helping
them improve the economy. India has many setbacks and one of
them being that they do not have enough resources.

Pakistan
S Geography: Pakistan is situated in the western part of
the Indian subcontinent, with Afghanistan and Iran on
the west, India on the east, and the Arabian Sea on the
south. The name Pakistan is derived from the Urdu
words Pak (meaning pure) and stan (meaning country).
It is nearly twice the size of California.

Pakistan

Pakistan
S Culture: Urdu is the official language of Pakistan. About 97 percent
of people in Pakistan are Muslim. 77 percent are Sunni and 23
percent are Shiah. English is also used among the elite class of
Pakistan. Urdu is closely related to Hindu, but it is written in an
extended Arabic alphabet. Muslims have to pray five times a day.
Friday is the Muslim holy day so therefore most things are closed that
day. During Ramadan all Muslims are required to fast. Pakistanis
focus on other types of meats such as beef, lamb, chicken, fish and
vegetables as well as traditional fruit and dairy. The influence of
Central Asian, South Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine in Pakistani
food is global.

Pakistan
S Administration: The government is a federal
government established by the Constitution of Pakistan.
The government is made up of three states: executive,
legislative, and Judicial. The president acts as a
figurehead while Prime Minister acts as the chief
executive. The Senate is the upper house and the lower
house is called the National Assembly. The full name of
the nation- state is the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
Pakistan
S Religion: 97% of people in Pakistan are Muslims. &&
percent are Sunnis while 20 percent are Shiahs. The
other 3 percent is made up of Hindus, Sikhs, and
Christians.

Pakistan
S Architecture: There are many monuments in Pakistan.
For example, Masjid Wazir Khan in Lahore and the
Badshahi Masjid in Lahore. The Indus civilization had a
huge impact on Pakistani Architecture.

Pakistan
S Trade and Commerce: Pakistan is a member of the
World trade Organization. The trade deficit for 2013/2014
is $7.43. Pakistan's exports continue to be dominated by
cotton textiles and apparel; imports include petroleum
and petroleum products, edible oil, chemicals, fertilizer,
capital goods, industrial raw materials, and consumer
products. Pakistans exports improved from $7.5 billion in
1999 to $18 billion in 2008.

Pakistan
S Economy: Agriculture is the mainstay of Pakistan's economy,
employing more than 40% of the population. Cotton, wheat, rice,
sugarcane, fruits, vegetables, and tobacco are the chief crops, and
cattle, sheep, and poultry are raised. There is also a fishing industry.
Most of Pakistan's agricultural output comes from the Indus basin.
The country is now self-sufficient in food, as vast irrigation schemes
have extended farming into arid areas, and fertilizers and new
varieties of crops have increased yields. The annual cost of
Pakistan's imports usually exceeds its earnings from exports. The
chief imports are petroleum, machinery, plastics, transportation
equipment, edible oils, paper, iron and steel, and tea. Exports include
textiles and clothing, rice, leather and sporting goods, chemicals, and
carpets. The chief trading partners are the United States, the United
Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and China.

Afghanistan
S Geography: Afghanistan, officially called the Islamic
Republic of Afghanistan, is a large country located in
Central Asia. About two-thirds of the land is mountainous.
Afghanistan shares its borders with Pakistan, China, Iran,
Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan.

Afghanistan

Afghanistan
S Culture: Islam is practiced by most of the Afghanis. Pashtu and Dari are the
official languages of Afghanistan. Buzkashi is a significant part of the Afghan
culture. It is one of the ancient games played in Afghanistan. Buzkashi
literally means "goat killing" and champions on horseback derived the name
from hunting of mountain goats. Afghan cuisine is enriched with spices and
rich aroma. That of Persia, India and Mongolia mainly influences Afghanistan
cuisine. Main ingredients are spices from India; mint, meat cookery, subzi
from Persia and the noodles/ pasta from Mongolia. Afghani cuisine is
flavored with garam masala, saffron, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, chilis,
leeks, coriander, parsley, mint and black pepper. Eid al Fitr (end of
Ramadan) is the most important festival of Afghanistan. The whole month of
Ramadan is considered as the month of sacrifice and purity. Muharram
commemorates the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain. Eid al-Adha (Eid-e-
Qurban) is also one of the holy days of Afghans.

Afghanistan
S Administration: There are three main branches in the Afghanistani
government. Its made up of the Judicial branch, Legislative branch, and
executive branch. Afghanistans president is the head of state. The president
is directly elected to a five-year term. There is a two term limit on the
president. A candidate for president must receive greater than 50 percent of
the national popular vote. If no candidate receives more than 50 percent,
then a runoff election is held between the two candidates with the most
votes in the first round. In the legislative branch, The National Assembly is
divided into two chambers: the Wolesi Jirga or "House of the People" and
the Meshrano Jirga or "House of Elders." In the judicial branch, The
Supreme Court consists of nine members appointed by the president and
approved by the Wolesi Jirga for a single period of ten years. Supreme Court
justices must be legal experts or experts in Islamic jurisprudence.

Afghanistan
S Religion: Islam is the religion of 99.7% of Afghanistan.
An estimated 80-89% of the population practice Sunni
Islam and belong to the Hanafi Islamic law school while
10-19% are Shi'a , majority of the Shia follow the Twelver
branch with smaller numbers of Ismailis.

Afghanistan
S Architecture: Afghanistan contains striking architectural
remnants of all ages, including Greek and Buddhist stupas
(shrines or reliquaries) and monasteries, arches, monuments,
intricate Islamic minarets (the tall, slender towers on mosques),
temples and forts. Among the most famous sites are the great
mosques of Herat and Mazar-e Sharif; the minaret of a mosque at
Jam in the west central highlands; the 1000-year-old Great Arch
of Qal'eh-ye Bost; the Chel Zina (Forty Steps) and rock
inscriptions made by Mughal emperor Babur in Kandahar; the
Great Buddha of Bamian (55 m/180 ft tall); the "Towers of Victory"
in Ghazni; and Emperor Babur's tomb and the great Bala Hissar
fort in Kabul.

Afghanistan
S Trade and commerce: Afghanistan has been at the junction of
trade routes between central, south and west Asia for over 3000
years. Official trade during the 1990s was dominated by the re-
export of products, principally electronic goods and cosmetics, to
Pakistan and other neighboring countries. Major imports for
domestic use include agricultural inputs, rice, wheat, fuel and
cooking oil, while indigenous exports include fruit and nuts, primary
materials and timber. Australia has limited trade with Afghanistan.
The trade they do have is mainly in engines, machinery and
telecommunications. 2011, Australia was the 26th largest
destination of exports from Afghanistan, and the 32nd largest origin
of imports into Afghanistan.

Afghanistan
S Economy: Afghanistan's economy is recovering from decades of
conflict. The economy has improved significantly since the fall of
the Taliban regime in 2001. This has been largely because of the
infusion of international assistance, the recovery of the
agricultural sector, and service sector growth. Despite the
progress of the past few years, Afghanistan is extremely poor,
and highly dependent on foreign aid. Much of the population
continues to suffer from shortages of housing, clean water,
electricity, medical care, and jobs. Afghanistans future economic
growth will face a number of challenges through the transition
period and beyond 2014. However, ongoing international
assistance is aimed at supporting longer-term economic
development in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan
S Economy: In strengthening its economic growth and
private sector, Afghanistan will need to overcome a
number of challenges, including low revenue collection,
poor job creation, corruption, increasing government
capacity, and poor public infrastructure. A World Bank
analysis determined that Afghanistan would face a fiscal
gap of $4 billion per year. The World Bank analysis
formed the basis of the pledge made at the July 2012
donor conference in Tokyo on Afghanistan. At that
conference the international community pledged $16
billion over four years through 2015.
Bangladesh
S Geography: Bangladesh, on the northern coast of the Bay of
Bengal, is surrounded by India, with a small common border
with Myanmar in the southeast. The country is low-lying
riverine land traversed by the many branches and tributaries
of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers. Tropical monsoons
and frequent floods and cyclones cause heavy damage in the
delta region.

Bangladesh
Bangladesh
S Culture: The official language of Bangladesh is Bangla, also known as
Bengali. Its the first language of more than 98 percent of people in
Bangladesh. It is derived from Sanskrit. In Bangladesh are people are
respected for their age and position. The majority of Bangladeshis are
Muslim. Islam defined many of the festivals in Bangladesh. For example,
they celebrate both Eids. Some people also celebrate some Hindu festivals:
Durga Puja and Kali Puja. Bangladeshis eat Bhat (boiled rice) as their staple
food and major intake; about 70 percent of what they eat is based on rice,
which is their main source of carbohydrate, though health conscious people
take rooti or chapati (wheat-based carbohydrate). The dress of the
inhabitants of this country differs from the rural to the urban areas. Usually
the rural people wear lungi, gamcha or shirt, fatua, panjabi and pajama. The
urban people wear shirts and trousers, pyjama-panjabi and formal dress
includes western suits for men. Folk Music is the most popular music in
Bangladesh.
Bangladesh
S Administration: Bangladesh is a parliamentary
democracy. The head of the government is Prime
Minister and the head of the state is President. (The
National Assembly) consists of 330 members. 300
members are elected for a five-year term in single-seat
constituencies and the parliamentarians elect 30 women.
The national assembly is called the Jatiya Sangsad.
Bangladesh
S Religion: Islam is the largest Religion of Bangladesh;
Muslims constitute 90.4% of the population, followed by
Hindus, who constitute 8.2%, and Buddhists, Christians,
those who practice other religions and those who do not
are the remainders.
Bangladesh
S Architecture: There many various buildings and
monuments built in Bangladesh. For example, the Jatiyo
Sangsad bhaban, Ahsan Manzil, BAital Mukkaram, Bara
Katra, Sixty Dome mosque, Bagha mosque, Mosque city
of Begharat, and the VArendra research museum.
Bangladesh
S Trade and commerce: Two-way merchandise trade totaled
$865 million for 2012, with exports to Bangladesh valued at
$490 million. Principal exports to Bangladesh were
vegetables, fertilizers (excluding crude), cotton and wheat.
The main imports were clothing, textiles and floor coverings.
Since 1 July 2003, products from Bangladesh enter Australia
duty-free and quota-free. Bangladesh offers commercial
opportunities to Australian companies operating in the energy,
telecommunications, transport, and mining sectors. Australian
businesses are well placed to provide services and equipment
for infrastructure development in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh
S Economy: Bangladeshs economy has grown 6% per year
since 1996 despite political instability, poor infrastructure, and
corruption. The economy of Bangladesh is that of a developing
country. The land is devoted mainly to rice and jute cultivation
of rice, fruits and produce, although wheat production has
increased in recent years; the country is largely self-sufficient in
rice production. Improving at a very fast rate, infrastructure to
support transportation, communications, and power supply and
water distribution is rapidly developing. Bangladesh ranked as
the 48th largest country in the world in 2009, with a gross
domestic product of US$256 billion. Exports of garments and
textiles are the other main sources of foreign exchange
earning.
Bibliography
S https://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Economy_o
f_Bangladesh.html
S http://www.bangla2000.com/bangladesh/government.shtm
S http://www.independent-bangladesh.com/culture/
S http://www.infoplease.com/country/bangladesh.html
S http://www.thirdworldplanet.com/indian-economy.php
S http://adaniel.tripod.com/religions.htm
S http://adaniel.tripod.com/administration.htm
S http://www.livescience.com/28634-indian-culture.html
Bibliography
S http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/world/pakistan-economy.html
S http://islamic-arts.org/tag/pakistan/
S http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/pakistan.html
S http://www.infoplease.com/country/pakistan.html
S http://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/afghanistan/afghanistan_country_brief.html
S http://www.afghanistans.com/information/people/ArtArchitecture.htm
S https://www.understandingwar.org/afghan-government
S http://www.factmonster.com/country/afghanistan.html
S http://www.mapsofworld.com/afghanistan/afghanistan-border.html
S http://afghanistan.saarctourism.org/culture.html
S http://geography.about.com/od/afghanistanmaps/a/afghanistangeography.htm