Pakistan & Bangladesh - Cultural Geography

2. Pakistan & Bangladesh - Cultural Geography • One Religion, Many Peoples • Islam’s Impact on Culture • Both Bangladesh & Pakistan are made up of mostly Muslims. • Islam was brought to the region by the Mughal Empire.

3. Pakistan & Bangladesh - Cultural Geography • Islamic customs of Pakistan & Bangladesh • Daily prayer • Ramadan • Month-long fasting from sunrise until sunset. • Mosques make up big part of the architectural landscape.

4. Pakistan & Bangladesh - Cultural Geography • Islamic Differences • Pakistanis generally observe more conservative, fundamentalist, stricter Islamic laws. • Pakistani women must wear veils.

5. Pakistan & Bangladesh - Cultural Geography • Islamic Differences • Many Pakistanis observe the tradition of “purdah.” • Purdah is the seclusion of women. • Females are to have no contact with males outside of their relatives.

6. Pakistan & Bangladesh - Cultural Geography • Islamic Differences • The people of Bangladesh have a more liberal interpretation of Islam; it is less strict & more modern. • Fewer people practice the “purdah” tradition.

7. Pakistan & Bangladesh - Cultural Geography • Examples of Pakistan’s diversity • There are 5 major ethnic groups that have their own languages. • Punjabis - greater than 50 percent of Pakistan’s population. • Sindhis • Pathans • Mohajirs - migrated from India in 1947; speak Urda, the national language • Balocks

8. Pakistan & Bangladesh - Cultural Geography • Lack of Diversity in Bangladesh • Most of the people are Bengalis. • Bengalis speak a sandskrit language, an ancient Indo-European language. • There is a small Urdu speaking population who migrated from India in 1947. • There are some non-Muslim tribal groups in Bangladesh. • 10% of the population of Bangladesh are Hindus.

9. Pakistan & Bangladesh - Cultural Geography • Modern Life & Culture • Marriage & Family Structures • Arranged marriages are common. • Large families are typical. • Most live in small villages & simple homes. • Many homes are made from sun-baked mud, bamboo, or wood.

10. Pakistan & Bangladesh - Cultural Geography • Modern Life & Culture • Large cities are crowded with traffic & pedestrians. • Soccer & cricket are popular. • Films are popular too.

11. Pakistan & Bangladesh - Cultural Geography • Importance of Poetry • Pakistan & Poetry • Has a strong oral tradition. • Memorizing long poems is long-standing tradition. • Mushairis are long poetry readings.

12. Pakistan & Bangladesh - Cultural Geography • Importance of Poetry • Bangladesh & Poetry • Also has a strong oral literary tradition. • Rabindranath Tagore won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1913; he wrote about his Ganges & Bengal homeland; he was born in Kolkata (Calcutta). • “My Golden Bengal” is the national anthem.

13. Pakistan & Bangladesh - Cultural Geography • Importance of Music & Dance • Pakistani Music & Dance • Folk songs are a big part of the culture which includes devotion singing, “Qawwali.” • Muslims perform devotion songs called “Sufis.”

14. Pakistan & Bangladesh - Cultural Geography • Importance of Music & Dance • Bangladeshi Music & Dance • Folk dancing is a strong custom. • Folk dancing sometimes includes: • Elaborate Costumes • The acting out of Bengali myths, legends, & stories

15. Pakistan & Bangladesh - Cultural Geography • Population Concerns • Pakistan has 150 million people. • It is the world’s 7th largest country. • Population increases have hurt the economy & have led to malnutrition & disease.

16. Pakistan & Bangladesh - Cultural Geography • Population Concerns • Bangladesh has a population of 130 million people. • It is the world’s 8th largest country. • The population is slightly less than half population of the U.S. & inhabits an area smaller than the state of Wisconsin.