India

Sub Continental Region

Introduction

• South Asia comprises of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan

• India is roughly triangular in shape• Covers 2.9% of worlds land mass – 7th largest country• Population is over 1 billion – 2nd most populous• GNP is $450 compared to Irelands $25,520• Average daily income is $1

Ireland India

Area (000km) 70 3287

Population 3.7m 1116m

Density 55 342

% Urban Pop 60 28

Physical India• 3 Major Regions

• Northern Mountains• Indus-Ganges Plain• Southern Plateau

• Northern Mountains:– Dominated by Himalayas formed by collision of Indo-Australian plate

and Eurasian Plate– Area prone to Earthquakes– Mt Everest (8,850m) is in Himalayas

• Indus-Ganges Plain– Half of pop live in this lowland plain– Drained by 3 rivers Ganges, Indus and Brahmaputra– Fertile Alluvial floodplains led to high population density– Rivers often flood especially in summer due to Monsoon and melting

mountain snow

• Southern Plateau;• Peninsular India – plateau’s, coastal plains and Mountains• Deccan Plateau – 300m to 800m high, slopes from W to E• Coastal lowlands are narrow rising in west to form Western Ghats and in east to

form Eastern Ghats

ClimateMonsoon Climate with 3 distinct stages

• October – February• Cool Dry season• Dry NE winds blow out from high pressure area in

the continental interior, North of Himalayas• Some rainfall in south east as winds pick up

moisture over Bay of Bengal• Brings freezing temperatures and snow in Mts of

North India• Called Retreating Monsoon

Wet Monsoon• June – Sept, hot and wet, warm ocean air is drawn into low

pressure in continental interior from south west Indian ocean• Heavy Rainfall and Flooding• Tropical Cyclones with speeds of 160km/ph• Can cause tidal waves• Brings ¾ of India’s annual rainfall• 2 Branches:• A) flows SW across Arabian Sea, heavy rain as winds forced

over Western Ghats, at Cherrapunji rainfall may exceed 10,800mm

• B) Blows across Bay of Bengal veering North along the Ganges, Rainfall heavy in the deltas of Ganges and Brahmaputra

• March – June, Hot Dry season• Land temperatures reach 45 degrees• Humidity levels also increase

Importance of Monsoon’s

• India depends on the monsoon rains for crop growth

• Delays in monsoon affect the planting of crops and the use of Irrigation systems

• Poor rain leads to poor growing season i.e. Poor harvest (rice thrives in water logged condition) can lead to starvation

• Rains too heavy it leads to flooding, soil erosion and landslides

Soils

• Alluvial – Ganges and Indus Valleys, most fertile• Laterites (Tropical red soils) • Heavily Leached due to monsoon rains,

leaching most common in western and eastern Ghats

• Black soil, high clay content so hold moisture, colour comes from the weathered underlying Basalt – Deccan Plateau

Primary activities• Agriculture:

• 65% of labour force• Most of land has agri potential except Thar desert• Cultivated land area equals total land under cultivation in EU• India’s farm output second highest in the world• Most produce sold locally• Most fertile land in Ganges, Indus and Brahmaputra valley’s• Farming intensive subsistent, paddy fields surrounded by bunds

(banks stabilised by coconut + banana trees)• Rice most common crop in Ganges valley– 90% of local diet• Planting & Weeding done by hand• Avg farm size is 2 hectares• Double cropping with wheat & Millet in dry season• Irrigation necessary• Cash crops also grown in some places i.e. cotton, coconuts and tea

• Largest livestock population in world per capita – cattle sacred so beef comes from animals that die of old age

• Monoculture can lead to infertile soils• Deforestation (teak & rosewood + pop growth) results in huge

soil erosion• Fishing and aquaculture along the coast (Sharks & Anchovies)• Tea in North east (Assam)• Tobacco in North West

• Green Revolution:• Began 1970’s• Pop was increasing by 1.5% per year• It introduced irrigation schemes, genetically modified, fertilisers

and pesticides• Efforts to improve farming in response to food shortages in less

developed economies by introducing new types of high yielding rice and wheat.

• These miracle seeds are resistant to diseases and pests. Rice and wheat output increased. By late 1990’s India became a net exporter of food.

• Only benefitted regions that can afford new technologies and fertilisers

• Problems for Green Revolution:• Requires large amounts of fertilisers• Migration from land as more mechanisation• Number of farms reduced as size increases• Benefits larger farmers with more to invest• Environmental pollution

• Land Reform is needed• 1n 1990 25% of most fertile land is owned by 5% of

farming families• Land needs to redistributed

• Forestry: 20% of landmass– Teak and Rosewood– Grow in areas of high rainfall and hot wet climate encourages

rapid growth– 10% of trees used in paper in pulp– 97% of forests are publically owned– Govt committed to re-afforestation– Deforestation leads to mudslides

• Fishing:– Worlds largest exporter of seafood– Aquaculture is also quite developed– Exports shrimp, sardines, shark and anchovies

• Mining/Energy:– 3rd largest producer of coal– Also produce diamonds, copper, iron, and oil

• Agriculture • • Describe and explain any two factors that

influence the development of agriculture in a • non-European Continental / Sub-Continental

Region that you have studied.

Secondary Economic Activities• India Ranks 14th in world for industrial output• 17% of workforce employed in secondary• Pre independence in 1947 only 2% employed in manufacturing• Traditional industry was food processing, tea production and

cotton. 13% of exports are tea and 30% are textiles• Main centres in Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai• 1947 development began with 3 aims:

– Increase employment opportunities, in labour intensive local craft e.g. weaving, food processing, agri-industries

– Promote increase wealth– Reduce dependence on imported goods

• Hoping to prevent outward migration as 70% of population is rural

• Well educated, low cost workforce• Education in heavily invested in• India produces more 3rd level graduates than Canada and

USA combined• 40% have degrees in science and engineering• Salaries 1/10 of American Graduates

• 4 zones of development• Kolkata – NE India– Traditional Industries of Cotton and clothing– Near the largest deposits of coal and iron in India for

steel, iron and chemical industries– Tata Iron and Steel Company– Energy supplies attract companies, Coal and HEP

• Chennai, Bangalore and Madurai – SE– Policy of Industrialisation

• Software parks, improved infrastructure, tax breaks

– Textiles and light engineering– Software companies (MNC’s – IBM and Texas)– Bangalore is India’s Silicon Valley – low wages and highly educated (IBM,

Texas, Microsoft)– UK Aviva and Llyod’s TSB – telesales service

• Mumbai – W– Main Port– Food processing and cotton– Electronics and Pharmaceuticals (MNC’s)

• Ahmadabad – NW– Cotton, chemicals, engineering and food processing

Newly Industrialised Country – could be a major competitor to EU and US in near future

Advantages of India for Industrialisation

• Large Population (1 billion) Guaranteed market

• Natural resources (Coal+Iron) – Kolkata• HEP – (Himalayas+W Ghats)• Some nuclear power• There is interdependence between industry +

agriculture – fertiliser, machinery+ food processing

• Emphasis is on labour intensive industries to absorb India’s large population. Labour is cheap giving India an advantage

• 75% of pop is rural based so most investment in rural industry which stems out migration

• Why India attracts MNC’s?• Skilled workers due to massive investment at 3rd

level – India more 3rd level graduates in science and engineering than Canada and USA combined

• Low costs• Improved Communication

Tertiary Economic activities• Tertiary Service is underdeveloped• Most locals can barely meet their basic needs – health care and

education are beyond most people• Urban areas are wealthier• Black economy thrives – unlicensed street vendors and prostitution

• Services:– Underdeveloped– In Calcutta, New Delhi, 2 types of services exist– 1-big pop and wealthy people require banking, education and finance– 2 – black economy-drugs, prostitution, street sellers– 60%-70% live in rural areas– Subsistence agriculture so little money available for investment in education

and hospitals etc.

• Transport:– Not equal across the country, rural areas very underdeveloped,

over 50% of rural villages don’t have tarred road– Cars not common, 5 per 1000 compared to 500 per 1000 in west– City traffic very congested, accidents regular and ox-drawn carts

often on main roads– Second largest rail network in the world, 62,000km, out of date

and mainly using steam engines– Rail network is improving – diesel and electric trains– Underground opened in Calcutta in 1989– Road network is expanding but car ownership is small 5 per 1000

compared with 500 per 1000 in west• Air + water:

– In 2011 Air India combined the international and internal airlines– Calcutta, Bombay and Chennai are major ports

• Tourism:– Many attractions– Fastest growing economic sector, 2007 visited by 5m people, 18000 from

Ireland– Worth 5billion euro and employs 23% of workforce– Tourism provides much needed revenue and helps prevent outmigration

• Himalayas• Architectural wonders and Temples e.g. Taj Mahal• Southern Beaches e.g Goa• Tea Planatations – Darjiling• Rivers – Ganges, Indus and Brahmaputra

• International Tourism limited, people discouraged by poverty – govt trying to introduce standards of cleanliness

• Internal tourism growing as SoL improves they have more disposable income

• Adventure holidays – rafting, rock climbing etc• Bollywood movies – produces about 1000 films a year earning 2 billion

dollars

Human Factors• Population:– Over 1billion expected to reach 2b by 2040– Natural increase of 1.6% per year– 60% -Ganges, Indus and Brahmaputra (fertile soil)– Deltas of East Coast– alluvial and marine soils along western Coast– 800 per km2 along Ganges and Indus

Birth Rate Death Rate

Annual Increase

Pop will double in

India 25 9 1.6 39yrs

Ireland 14 8 0.6 139yrs

Problems of population growth • Pressure on agriculture to feed increasing

numbers• Rural-Urban migration• Unemployment• Family planning is not working due to:– Lack of education– People are required to work the land– A sign of virility– The birth rate should decline as urbanisation

increases

Language• No common Language• 3 major languages:– Indo European languages are spoken in N and

central India• Migrants arrived in NW of India from Europe• Hindi is the largest language (250m)

– English – 2% of Indians• Important for business and education

– Dravidian languages – S India (200m)

Religion• Hinduism is the dominant religion• Divides individuals into social classes determined by

birth- Caste system– Priests at top– Warriors– Merchants– Serfs– Untouchables

• Caste system breaking down in urban areas• Hindus regard the cow as sacred so cannot be killed

so allowed to roam freely and is a hindrance to development

Other Religions• Islam – introduced through trade- NW (200m

muslims)• Conflict between Hindus and Muslims – many

converted to Islam as everybody equal in Islam religion

• Rioting in 2002 left 2000 dead• Buddhism – developed in India in 6thC S. India• Sikhism – developed 15thC – mixture of Hindu and

Islam – everybody the same• Christianity – developed when India was colony of

England – scattered throughout

Urban-Rural Development• Urbanisation increasing - now 270m• Why?– Influence of colonialism – developed ports and

centres of administration – Bombay and Calcutta– Urban centres promote industrial development– Rural to urban migration= Pull + Push factors• Push = no need for farm workers due to machinery• Pull = increased job opportunities

4 Major Cities• West Coast – Bombay 18.1m• SE Coats – Chennai 6.6m + Bangalore 5.5m• NE – Calcutta 12.7m• North – New Delhi 11.7m• All urban centres have problems:– Poverty, Crime, Unemployment, Poor health and

eudcation• 760m live in rural areas:– Subsistence farming, little money, caste system,

dependent of monsoons, over-population.

Indian Culture