Geography of South Asia

Objectives

• Explain life and our existence in the universe in two simple sentences.

• Calculate the mass of the Sun using an abacus.

• Track the lineage of the British Monarchy from the time of William the Conqueror, down to ninth cousins.

• Explain the ending of Stanley Kubrick’s classic film, 2001: A Space Odyssey.

• Trace the influence of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle on Western Thought.

Terms and People

• Judaism –dafd

• Moses are north

• Exodus were low.

• Ten Commandments – the.

To the north, beyond the highest mountains

in the world, lies China.

This region is bordered on the south by the Indian Ocean.

On the west, a desert

separates south Asia from its

nearest Muslim neighbor, Pakistan.

On the east, the Bay of Bengal separates this

region from Indochina.

Part 1: Borders

and Regions

Five areas in this region.

The Himalayas

Kathmandu, Nepal’s biggest city, is a city of temples, shrines, and

living gods. A village in Nepal

Across the north are the Himalaya, the

highest mountains in the world.

The plain of the Ganges River is one of the most densely populated areas

in the world.

The Ganges River basin provides most of the fertile soil for feeding this area.

Rice is the major crop of India.Too much of the area is polluted.

Much of the farming here is “subsistence farming”

(growing crops for self and family).

The river itself is considered holy by the Hindu people.

It is also home to the World’s only freshwater whale – the Ganges

River dolphin.

The second important river

is the Brahmaputra.

This area is the deltas of two major rivers.

Three words describe Bangladesh well:

crowded,

wet,

and poor.

In the south, the Deccan Plateau is higher than the Ganges Plain and drier than the rest of south Asia.

Why is the Deccan Plateau dry while the rest of South Asia is

wet?

The Oriental World is divided by the Himalayas,

the highest mountain range in the world.

Wet Tropical

mon

soon

mon

soon

mon

soon

mon

soon

Wet Sub-Tropical

Wet Tropical

In southern Asia, the climate is controlled by

annual rainstorms called “Monsoons”.

Wet Tropical

mon

soon

Wet Tropical

High, Cold Mountains

mon

soon

mon

soon

mon

soon

mon

soon

The mountains block the warm, wet

weather from traveling north. Wet Sub-

Tropical

Wet Tropical

Wet Tropical

The Himalayas

The Tibetan Plateau

Bhutan

monso

on

monso

on

The mountains called the Western Ghats also block the monsoon winds from

reaching the Deccan Plateau.

The south of India and the island nation of Sri Lanka are

extremely fertile.

India has many languages, but the

most widely spoken is Hindu.

Part 2: Languages

South Asia has been invaded repeatedly.

The Muslims invaded in the 1500s and

stayed until 1707.

The Taj Mahal of India was built by the Muslims.

It is not a mosque, but a tomb.

Part 3: History

After the Muslims came the British.

The British were more interested in building rail than elaborate

tombs.

Under the British, most of South Asia was united.

Using only peaceful means, a man named

Gandhi led the Indians in an effort to force the

British to leave.

India, however, did not stay together.

Muslims moved to Pakistan; Hindus moved to India.

Areas of Conflict Today

The Tamils want their

own country.

Tamil

Singhalese

India and Pakistan have fought over

control of this area.

Part 4: Religion

Temples seem to be everywhere.

Some are even underground.

The most important religion of this area is Hinduism.

Hindus worship many gods.

Vishnu Ganesh Kali

Hindus worship their gods in the form of

idols.

The belief in karma is one of the basic principles of

Hinduism.

What goes around

comes around.

Another important belief in Hinduism is the concept of reincarnation.

Hindus believe that reincarnation (if a person is good) brings one higher and higher in their caste system.

Although now against the law, the caste system is similar to the system of segregation in the United States.

Long ago in India, there was a was a spoiled, rich prince.

As he journeyed away from his palace, he encountered the poor.

When he thought about his life of luxury, he realized how empty it was.

He became “enlightened” and gave away everything.

The other major religion of Southern Asia is Buddhism.

Today, Buddhists seek this same enlighenment.

Prayer flags and prayer wheels

Although Buddhism began in India, it has

more followers in other countries.

What is the majority religion in India?

In what countries is Buddhism important?

South Asia: Physical Geography

Chapter 14 Section 1

In this section you will:

• Learn about the landforms of South Asia.

• Discover the most important factor that affects climate in South Asia.

• Examine how people use the land and resources of South Asia.

Objectives

South Asia: Physical Geography

Chapter 14 Section 1

Key Terms

• subcontinent (SUB kahn tih nunt) n. a large landmass

that is a major part of a continent

• alluvial (uh LOO vee ul) adj. made of soil deposited by

rivers

• cash crop (kash krahp) n. a crop that is raised or

gathered to be sold for money on the local or world

market

South Asia: Physical Geography

Chapter 14 Section 1

Scientists believe that all of Earth’s continents were once joined, and the Indian subcontinent was attached to the east coast of Africa.

They think that the Indian subcontinent broke from Africa and slid slowly toward Asia about 200 million years ago.

South Asia: Physical Geography

Chapter 14 Section 1

About 50 million years ago, the Indian subcontinent collided with Asia, crumpling the land where they met and forming the Himalaya Mountains.

The Himalayas form a barrier between South Asia and the rest of Asia.

They stretch 1,550 miles from east to west and include Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world.

South Asia: Physical Geography

Chapter 14 Section 1

Nations in South Asia include:

• Bangladesh

• Bhutan

• India

• The Maldives (islands)

• Nepal

• Pakistan

• Sri Lanka (island)

South Asia: Physical Geography

Chapter 14 Section 1

Most of the people live in areas that have abundant rainfall, including coastal areas, northeastern India, and Bangladesh.

South Asia is one of the most densely populated regions in the world.

About 70 percent of the population of South Asia live in rural areas, especially fertile river valleys.

South Asia: Physical Geography

Chapter 14 Section 1

South Asia: Physical

South Asia: Physical Geography

Chapter 14 Section 1

The Ganges and the Indus—the two major rivers in South Asia—both begin in the Himalayas.

The Ganges flows across northern India and empties into the Bay of Bengal, and the Indus flows west from the Himalayas into Pakistan.

South Asia: Physical Geography

Chapter 14 Section 1

The plains have fertile soil, so they are good for farming and are heavily populated.

South of India’s plains lies the Deccan Plateau, which is framed by two mountain ranges, the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats.

Huge alluvial plains stretch from the mouth of the Indus River to the mouth of the Ganges River.

South Asia: Physical Geography

Chapter 14 Section 1

South Asia: Climate and Region

South Asia: Physical Geography

Chapter 14 Section 1

During the summer, steady monsoon winds blow from the southwest across the surface of the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean.

Monsoons are the single most important factor affecting the climate of South Asia.

South Asia: Physical Geography

Chapter 14 Section 1

In this way, the monsoon rains work their way inland until they finally reach the Himalayas.

The rain cools the land, so when the next air mass blows in, it travels further inland before dropping rain on the land.

The winds pick up moisture and drop it as rain over the hot western tip of India.

South Asia: Physical Geography

Chapter 14 Section 1

During the winter, the monsoons change direction, and the winds blow from the frigid northeast.

The Himalayas block the cold air, so South Asia has dry, mild winter weather.

South Asia: Physical Geography

Chapter 14 Section 1

Cash crops bring in money, but countries must be careful not to rely on them too much or their economies might suffer if global prices drop.

Some countries in South Asia grow cash crops such as tea, cotton, coffee, and sugar cane.

South Asia: Physical Geography

Chapter 14 Section 1

India has only a small amount of oil, though, so it relies heavily on hydroelectricity and nuclear power plants.

India has a vast supply of minerals, including iron ore, coal, copper, limestone, and bauxite.

South Asia: Physical Geography

Chapter 14 Section 1

Ganges RiverIndus RiverBay of BengalHimalaya Mts.Alluvial PlainDeccan PlateauEastern and Western Ghats