East Timor, Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, Sri Lanka: Frontier Mission Fields in Asia

As world mission continues to expand, various new territories will be reached with the Word of God. East Timor, part of the South East Asia region, Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, and Sri Lanka, part of South Asia, will be considered as the next frontier mission fields in Asia. 
 
East Timor:

 
East Timor is a multi-lingual state in the eastern half of the island of Timor. Since they were colonized by Portugal in the 16th century, their official language is Portuguese and their native, Tetum. However, they also speak Malay and Indonesian languages also and can be strategically reached by missionaries from those countries. East Timor has a lower middle income and about 34% percent of the country lives below the national poverty line. It is a small country that has suffered much frim its fight for independance. Such a place is in great need for the Gospel. Its official religion is Roman Catholicism at 96% percent of the population claiming this religion and only 2% Prostestant or Evangelicals. However, the number of churches continue to grow as the hunger for truth increases. Along with the Philippines, East Timor is one of two predominantly Catholic states in Asia. 
 
Bhutan:
 
Bhutan is located at the eastern end of the Himalayas in South Asia. It is bordered by China and Nepal. Bhutan is a beautiful state with subtropical plains, mountains, and sub-alpines. They have lot of agriculture plains, animals, and organic farms. The land is ruled by a constitutional monarch that includes a king and a queen. They keep strong economic, strategic, and military relations with its neighboring country of India, as well. Bhutan has a strong cultural history since they have remained isolated from the world until the 1960s. They are largely Buddhist and Hindu, but also allow for religious freedom.

Nepal:
 
Nepal is a mountainous and landlocked state in South Asia. Its official language is Nepali. It is a populous state but also a developing country with a low economy. They continue to struggle with great poverty and hunger. While the country was once a monarhcy, they are currently a federal republic with multiple parties and a prime minister. The majority of Nepelese people are Hindus (80%) and 1% are Christians. 
 
Maldives:
 
Maldives is a beautiful island located in the Indian sea. It was previously colonized by Portugal, Britian, and the Netherlands. While the island involves a blend of cultures, the main language is Maldivian. However, English is being used increasingly in government schools and commericial areas. The official religion of Maldives is Islam. After a long Buddhist period, the island was introduced to Sunni Islam by Muslim traders. Adherance to Sunni Islam is required to become a citizen of Maldives. 
 
Sri Lanka:
 
Sri Lanka is an island nation, south east of India. Sri Lanka is a multi-cultural nation with various languages, religions, and ethnic groups. The nation also has one of the oldest democratic governments in Asia. It is also the 57th most populous country in the world with over 20 million people. 70% of the people consider Buddhism as their religion, Hindu is the second most dominant, and Islam is the third most dominant. Christianity is a more recent religion as it was introduced through Western colonist in the 16th century. 7.4% of Sri Lankan people are Christians, and among them, 82% are Roman Catholics.