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How much do you know about the region of central and south Asia?
Test your knowledge with these tidbits from CultureGrams:
- Kazakhstan is home to which oil-rich sea in the west of the country?
- The epic Sanskrit poems the Ramayana and the Mahabharata originate in which country?
- Palov, a dish made with rice, meat, and carrots, is the national dish of what country?
- Many Afghan farmers grow which high-profit but illegal crop?
- Which language has a history of being written in runic, Perso-Arabic, Latin-based, and
Cyrillic alphabets before returning in 1933 to the Latin-based alphabet that is now used?
- Most Tajiks belong to which division of Islam, Sunni, or Shi'i?
- Mount Everest, part of the Himalayas, is located in which country?
- India and Pakistan have fought two wars over which region?
- Which country is home to over 40,000 seasonal nomads?
- How many of India's several hundred languages have official status?
Answers:
1) The Caspian Sea. 2) India. 3) Uzbekistan. 4) Opium (for heroin). 5) Turkmen (a Tukic dialect
spoken in Turkmenistan). 6) Sunni. 7) Nepal. 8) Kashmir. 9) Kyrgyzstan. 10) 18 (Assamese,
Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali,
Oriya, Punjabi, Sindhi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu).
Did you know...
- In India, Hindu families hold a namakaran (naming ceremony) 28 days after a birth; the
father whispers the baby's name into the right ear. At four to six months of age, the child is
given his or her first solid food, usually daal, a mushy mixture of pulses. Before a girl turns
one, her ears and nose are pierced. In northern India, mundane, or the shaving of a boy's head
for the first time, is another important ritual.
- In Afghanistan, homes often have a special room (hujra) where the male host receives male
guests. Females socialize elsewhere in the compound. Hosts serve guests tea, and depending on
the time of day, something to eat. Guests are expected to have at least three cups of
hospitality tea. Any business discussions occur after refreshments. Guests do not bring gifts.
The ability of an Afghan to generously receive guests is a sign of social status.
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