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This week, we journey to Bangladesh. As you can see, this country is located near the two most populous nations on Earth, China and India. This part of the world has been called Bengal for more than 4,000 years. But when India gained independence in 1947, Bengal was split in two, with the eastern half becoming part of the new nation of Pakistan. This happened because the people of Pakistan and East Bengal were mostly Muslims, and most Indians followed Hinduism or other religions. But this two-part Pakistan did not work very well, partly because its two sections were separated by 1,000 miles. After years of struggle, and a very bloody war, Bangladesh became an independent nation in 1971. Bangladesh is one of a few countries in the world that is home to the Bengal tiger, like the one you see here. A few years ago, scientists realized that one area in Bangladesh, called the Sunderbans, had one of the largest populations of wild tigers left in the world. Since then, the Bangladeshi government has been working hard to preserve this area and its tigers. Bangladesh is also one of the few countries in the world that is led by a woman. The country’s prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, is pictured here. Does it surprise you that Bangladesh has a woman leader? |
