Sub Continent & Indian Ocean Fact File

Facts on Countries in the Sub Continent and the Indian Ocean

Travel - BANGLADESH 

Location: South Asia - Official Name: People’s Republic of

Bangladesh - Formation: 1971 - Capital: Dhaka - Population:

140.4 Million - Total Area: 55,598 Sq Miles - Languages:

Bengali, Urdu, Chakma, Marma (Magh), Garo, Khasi, Santhali,

Tripuri, Mro - Religions: Muslim (mainly Sunni) 87%, Hindu

12%, Other 1% - Ethnic Mix: Bengali 98%, Other 2% -

Government: Parliamentary Democracy - Currency: Taka

(100 Paisa) - Literacy Rate: 41.4% -

Travel - BHUTAN

Location: Southeast Asia - Official Name: Kingdom of

Bhutan - Formation: 1656 - Capital: Thimpu - Population:

2.1 Million - Total Area: 18,147 Sq Miles - Languages:

Dzongkha, Nepali, Assamese - Religions: Mahayana

Buddhist 70%, Hindu 24%, Other 6% - Ethnic Mix: Bhote

50%, Nepalese 25%, Other 25% - Government:

Monarchy - Currency: Ngultrum (100 Chetrum) - Literacy

Rate: 47.3% -

Travel - COMOROS

Location: Indian Ocean - Official Name: Federal Islamic

Republic of the Comoros - Formation: 1975 - Capital:

Moroni - Population: 727,000 - Total Area: 838 Sq Miles -

Languages: Arabic, French, Comoran - Religions: Muslim

(mainly Sunni) 98%, Roman Catholic 1%, Other 1% - Ethnic

Mix: Comorian 97%, Other 3% - Government: Presidential

Democracy - Currency: Comoros Franc (100 Centimes) -

Literacy Rate: 59.6% -

Travel - INDIA

Location: South Asia - Official Name: Republic of India -

Formation: 1947 - Capital: New Delhi - Population: 1.03

Billion - Total Area: 1,269,339 Sq Miles - Languages: Hindi,

English, Urdu, Bengali, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada,

Other - Religions: Hindu 83%, Muslim 11%, Christian 2%,

Sikh 2%, Other 2% - Ethnic Mix: Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian

25%, Mongoloid & Other 3% - Government: Parliamentary

Democracy - Currency: Indian Rupee (100 Paisa) - Literacy

Rate: 57.2% -

Travel - MADAGASCAR

Location: Indian Ocean - Official Name: Republic of

Madagascar - Formation: 1960 - Capital: Antananarivo -

Population: 16.4 Million - Total Area: 226,656 Sq Miles -

Languages: French, Malagasy - Religions: Traditional Beliefs

52%, Christian 41%, Muslim 7% - Ethnic Mix: Merina 26%,

Betsilio 12%, Betsimisaraka 15%, Other 47% - Government:

Presidential Democracy - Currency: Malagasy Franc

(100 Centimes) - Literacy Rate: 66.5% -

Travel - MALDIVES

Location: Indian Ocean - Official Name: Republic of Maldives -

Formation: 1965 - Capital: Male - Population: 300,000 -

Total Area: 116 Sq Miles - Languages: Dhivehi (Maldivian),

Sinhala, Tamil - Religions: Sunni Muslim 100% - Ethnic Mix:

Mixed Arab, Sinhalese, Malay 100% - Government: Non Party

Democracy - Currency: Rufiyaa (Maldivian Rupee) (100 Laari) -

Literacy Rate: 96.4% -

Travel - MAURITIUS

Location: Indian Ocean - Official Name: Mauritius - Formation:

1968 - Capital: Port Louis - Population: 1.2 Million - Total Area:

718 Sq Miles - Languages: English, French, French Creole, Hindi,

Urdu, Tamil, Chinese - Religions: Hindu 52%, Roman Catholic

26%, Muslim 17%, Other 5% - Ethnic Mix: Indo-Mauritian 68%,

Creole 27%, Sino Mauritian 3%, Franco-Mauritian 2% -

Government: Parliamentary Democracy - Currency: Mauritian

Rupee (100 cents) - Literacy Rate: 84.6% -

Travel - NEPAL

Location: South Asia - Official Name: Kingdom of Nepal -

Formation: 1769 - Capital: Kathmandu - Population: 23.6

Million - Total Area: 54,363 Sq Miles - Languages: Nepali,

Maithili, Bhojpuri - Religions: Hindu 90%, Buddhist 5%, Muslim

3%, Other 2% - Ethnic Mix: Nepalese 52%, Maithili 11%,

Tibeto-Burmese 10%, Bhojpuri 8%, Other 19% - Government:

Constitutional Monarchy - Currency: Nepalese Rupee

(100 Paisa) - Literacy Rate: 41.5% -

Travel - PAKISTAN

Location: South Asia - Official Name: Islamic Republic of

Pakistan - Formation: 1947 - Capital: Islamabad - Population:

149 Million - Total Area: 310,401 Sq Miles - Languages: Urdu,

Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtu, Baluchi - Religions: Sunni Muslim 77%,

Shi’a Muslim 20%, Hindu 2%, Christian 1% - Ethnic Mix:

Punjabi 50%, Sindhi 15%, Pashto 15%, Mohajir 8%, Other 12% -

Government: Military Based Regime - Currency: Pakistani

Rupee (100 Paisa) - Literacy Rate: 46.1% -

Travel - SEYCHELLES

Location: Indian Ocean - Official Name: Republic of the

Seychelles - Formation: 1976 - Capital: Victoria -

Population: 79,300 - Total Area: 176 Sq Miles -

Languages: French Creole (Seselwa), English, French -

Religions: Roman Catholic 90%, Anglican 8%, Other 2% -

Ethnic Mix: Creole 89%, Indian 5%, Chinese 2%, Other 4% -

Government: Multi Party Republic - Currency: Seychelles

Rupee (100 Cents) - Literacy Rate: 84% -

Travel - SRI LANKA

Location: South Asia - Official Name: Democratic Socialist

Republic of Sri Lanka - Formation: 1948 - Capital: Colombo -

Population: 19.1 Million - Total Area: 25,332 Sq Miles -

Languages: Sinhalese, Tamil, English - Religions: Buddhist

69%, Hindu 15%, Christian 8%, Muslim 8% - Ethnic Mix:

Sinhalese 74%, Tamil 18%, Moor 7%, Other 1% - Government:

Presidential Democracy - Currency: Sri Lanka Rupee

(100 cents) - Literacy Rate: 91.7% -