1. Customs & Tradition
Although Pakistan has small populations of
Hindus, Christians, and Buddhists, the vast
majority of Pakistanis are Muslims. From its
inception in 1947, the country defined itself
as an Islamic republic. The religion of Islam,
however, is complex with its many divisions
and controversies.
Most rural homes in Pakistan are made of
mud or mud-brick, though concrete and
fired brick buildings have become more
prevalent. Traditional dress for both men
and women consists of the shalwar kamiz.
The family remains the most important and
fundamental social unit. Families in Paki-
stani society are patriarchal, which means
that the father or eldest male has absolute
authority over the family. Although young
people may adopt Western styles of clothing
and other habits, they continue to respect
and obey their fathers and elders. Marriages
are usually arranged in the belief that close
family alliances have a greater chance of suc-
cess than Western-style couplings.
Tourist Attractions
Currently Pakistan has six major cultural sites that are categorised as World Heritage Sites.
These include:
1. Archaeological Ruins at Mohenjo-Daro of the Indus Valley Civilization.
2.1st Century Buddhist Ruins at Takht-i-Bahi and Neighbouring City Remains at Sahr-i-
Bahlol.
3. The ruins of Taxila from the Gandhara Civilization
4.The Lahore Fort and Shalimar Gardens in Lahore.
5. Historic Monuments of the ancient city of Thatta.
6. The ancient fort of Rohtas.
Languages
Urdu, the national language, evolved during Mughal rule as the working language between
the Muslim rulers, who spoke Persian or Turkish, and the people, who spoke different lan-
guages in different areas. Access to the world community of scholarship, business, and de-
velopment is perceived to be through the English language, and it is used common language.
History
The land that is today Pakistan
was part of the Indus Valley civili-
zation thousands of years ago. The
history of Pakistan as a separate
country began when the Indian
subcontinent gained independ-
ence from Great Britain and was
partitioned into three parts: In-
dia, Pakistan, and East Pakistan;
which would later become Bang-
ladesh. India and Pakistan have
long fought over a disputed region
called Kashmir. This separation
was the culmination of events set
in motion by the formation of the
All-India Muslim League to seek political
rights for Muslims. Mohammed Ali Jinnah called Qaid-e-Azam.
In 1956 Pakistan adopted a constitution under which it became the Islamic Republic of
Pakistan.
Physical Features
Pakistan is a land of much beauty. The scenery changes northward from coastal beach-
es, lagoons and mangrove swamps in the south to sandy deserts, desolate plateaus, fertile
plains, and dissected upland in the middle and high mountains with beautiful valleys,
snow-covered peaks and eternal glaciers in the north. The variety of landscape divides
Pakistan into six major regions: the North High Mountainous Region, the Western Low
Mountainous Region, the Balochistan Plateau, the Potohar Upland, the Punjab and the
Sindh Plains.
The physical features of Pakistan are divided into five main land regions:
1. The Northern and Western Highlands
2. The Punjab Plain
3. The Sind Plain
4. The Baluchistan Plateau
5. The Thar Desert
Weather Conditions
Pakistan is in the warm temperate zone. It is generally arid, with hot summers, and cool to
cold winters. The winds in winter blow northeast to southwest and reverse in summer to
bring the monsoon. The cold-weather season from December through February is charac-
terized by somewhat low temperatures.

2. History
Thousands of years ago, India was
home to the Indus Valley civiliza-
tion, one of the world’s oldest civi-
lizations. In the 300s and 200s BC,
the Maurya Empire ruled the land.
It became one of the largest em-
pires in the world. Years later, the
Golden Age of India would take
place during the Gupta dynasty. Lasting from
320 to 520 AD, the Gupta dynasty produced
new developments in science, great art, and
advanced culture. With the rise of Islam in
the Arab nations, it began to spread into
India. During the 10th and 11th centuries
the Turks and the Afghans invaded India and ruled as the Delhi Sultanate. Years later the
Mughal Empire would rise to power and rule the land for over 300 years. In the 16th centu-
ry, European explorers began to enter India. Britain eventually took control of India. In the
early 1900s India began to fight for independence from Britain. Led by Mohandas Gandhi,
non-violent protests were made against the British. After many years of struggling, India
was granted independence from Britain in 1847. The country was later divided up into India
and Pakistan. Later East Pakistan became a third country, Bangladesh. India and Pakistan
have had strained relations over the years including both countries testing nuclear weapons.
India does have significant problems including poverty, corruption, and overpopulation.
However, the country has recently seen strong economic and technology development.
Physical Features
India is a land of much beauty. The scenery changes northward from coastal beaches, la-
goons and mangrove swamps in the south to sandy deserts, desolate plateaus, fertile plains,
and dissected upland in the middle and high mountains with beautiful valleys, snow-cov-
ered peaks and eternal glaciers in the north.
1.Himalaya Mountain Range 2.Indian Peninsula 3.Indo Gangetic Plains 4.Great Indian Thar
Desert 5.Western and Eastern Ghat Mountain Ranges 6.Karakoram Mountain Range
Weather Conditions
India’s climate is governed by the monsoon. Most of the country has three seasons: hot and
dry, hot and wet (monsoon), and cool and dry. During the hot and dry season, which usually
lasts from early March to mid-June, very high temperatures are accompanied by winds and
occasional dust storms.
Customs & Tradition
India, in the past, witnessed successive waves of migration from various foreign forces like
the Persians, Arabs, British and Turks. Though, with time, all of them retreated, they left
behind their indelible mark which is still reflected in the culture and traditions of India.
From one state to another, there is so much variation in the language, attire, beliefs and other
demographic aspects of the denizens that it is simply mind-boggling.
However, there are some very prominent features that bind all Indians to the brand ‘Hin-
dustani’. These traditions range from the aarti done to welcome the guests to touching the
feet of the elders. The cultural traditions of India have been passed on from generation to
generation and have become deeply rooted in the Indian way of living. In this section, we
have covered the important culture and traditions of India.
Tourist Attractions
Currently India has major cultural sites.
These include:
1.Taj Mahal
2.Varanasi
3.Ajanta Caves
4.Jaisalmer
5.Harmandir Sahib
6.Kanha National Park
7.Palolem
8.Virupaksha Temple
9.Lake Palace
10.Kerala backwaters
Languages
In India English enjoys associate status but
is the most important language for national,
political, and commercial communication.
Hindi is the national language and prima-
ry tongue of 30% of the people; there are
14 other official languages: Bengali, Telugu,
Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam,
Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kash-
miri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit; Hindustani is a
popular variant of Hindi/Urdu spoken wide-
ly throughout northern India but is not an
official language.

3. History
Archaeological evidence shows
that Neolithic humans moved into
the Himalayas at least 9,000 years
ago. The first written records date
back to the Kirati people, who
lived in eastern Nepal, and the
Newars of the Kathmandu Val-
ley. Stories of their exploits begin
around 800 B.C. In the 4th or 5th
century A.D., the Licchavi dynasty moved
into Nepal from the Indian plain. Under the
Licchavis, Nepal’s trade ties with Tibet and
China expanded, leading to a cultural and
intellectual renaissance. The Gurkhas, led by
the Shah dynasty, soon challenged the Mal-
las. In 1769, Prithvi Narayan Shah defeated
the Mallas and conquered Kathmandu. The
Shah dynasty proved weak. Several of the kings were children when they took power, so
noble families vied to be the power behind the throne. A Maoist insurgence began in 1996,
ending with a communist victory in 2007. Meanwhile, in 2001, the Crown Prince massa-
cred King Birendra and the royal family, bringing the unpopular Gyanendra to the throne.
Gyanendra was forced to abdicate in 2007, and the Maoists won democratic elections in
2008.
Physical Features
Nepal is a very mountainous country. In fact, the world’s tallest mountain, Mount Everest,
is found in Nepal, and is approximately 29,000 feet tall. It also has valleys and forested
areas as part of the physical features.
1.Himalaya Mountain Range
2.The Tera
3.Hills (Mount Everest)
Weather Conditions
The southern Tarai Plain is tropical/subtropical, with hot summers and warm winters.
Temperatures reach 40°C in April and May. Monsoon rains drench the region from June
to September, with 75-150 cm of rain. The central hill-lands, including the Kathmandu and
Pokhara valleys, have a temperate climate, and are also influenced by the monsoons. In the
north, the high Himalayas are extremely cold and increasingly dry as the altitude rises.
Customs & Tradition
The basic customs and traditions of Nepal are more or less same as that of Hindus in India.
The most auspicious ceremonies are the ‘Birth’ and ‘Marriage’. The birth of the child is
considered very auspicious. Nepal, being a conservative Hindu society, rejoices the birth
of a boy more than that of a girl. The main ceremony is organized on the sixth day of birth
when the child is named. This is a festive moment where song and dances are normally
accompanied by a huge feast. The second most important ceremony is the sacred thread
ceremony. But this ceremony is confined to Brahmins and Kashtriyas only. Then a sacred
yellow thread is tied around their bodies in a diagonal fashion. As usual, feast and merry
making follow this ceremony.
As far as beliefs are concerned, the Nepalese are superstitious and god-fearing people. They
believe in Hindu theology of reincarnation and thus naturally believe in things like Ghosts,
Djinns and other Demigods. Apart from that, the monarch is considered to be the incar-
nation of Lord Vishnu. Nevertheless, the Maoist movement has been largely successful in
eroding that base and altering the thoughts of the common mass.
Tourist Attractions
Currently India has major cultural sites. These include:
1.Kathmandu 2.Nagarkot 3. Pokhara 4.Lumbini 5.Annapurna
Languages
There are over 100 recognized languages in Nepal. The most commonly used are Nepali
spoken by nearly 60 percent of the population. Nepali is one of the Indo-Aryan languages,
related to European languages. Nepal Bhasa is a part of the Sino-Tibetan language family.
Roughly 1 million people in Nepal speak this language.
Other common languages in Nepal include Maithili, Bhojpuri, Tharu, Gurung, Tamang,
Awadhi, Kiranti, Magar, and Sherpa.

4. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
(SAARC) is an organisation of South Asian nations, which
was established on 8 December 1985 when the govern-
ment of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Paki-
stan, and Sri Lanka formally adopted its charter providing
for the promotion of economic and social progress, cultur-
al development within the South Asia region and also for
friendship and cooperation with other developing coun-
tries. It is dedicated to economic, technological, social, and
cultural development empha-
sising collective self-reliance.
Its seven founding mem-
bers are Sri Lanka, Bhu-
tan, India, Maldives,
Nepal, Pakistan, and
Bangladesh. Afghani-
stan joined the organ-
isation in 2007. Meet-
ings of heads of state
are usually scheduled
annually; meetings of
foreign secretaries, twice
annually. It is headquartered
in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Tourism in
SAARC
Countries
by
Matin Mahmood
Class 9-B
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