What are the countries of South Asia? Hint: there are 8, not

including the Maldives.

Included

Ch. 8

#1: Physical Patterns of South Asia• Subcontinent – giant landmass. Indian-Australian plate

shoved up into Eurasian plate

• Created Himalayas

– Rooftop of the world – home to 30 of world’s highest mountains (Mt. Everest at over 29,000 ft and growing!)

– Some of world’s largest glaciers outside of polar regions

#1: Physical Patterns of South Asia (continued)

• Indo-Gangetic Plain – most densely populated area in region; very fertile

#1: Physical Patterns of South Asia (continued)

• 3 Great rivers in region (Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra) all within 100 miles of each other in the Himalayas (Tibet, Nepal, India border)

•Earthquake prone region, underwater earthquakes in Indian Ocean could cause tsunamis (2004 – Sumatra, Indonesia killed 230,000-280,000)

#1: Physical Patterns of South Asia (continued)

Monsoons – seasonal shifts in the winds bringing moisture from the Indian Ocean – these affect the southern portion of India, and all of Bangladesh during the summer.

#2: Environmental Issues• Sea level rise – affecting 162 million in Bangladesh, India, and

Maldives• Water shortages – as glaciers shrink, less water flows down to

surrounding areas• Deforestation – caused by commercial logging and expanding

village populations, leads to landslides which destroy villages and roads

• Industrial Air Pollution – emissions from coal burning and vehicles in Delhi = smoking 20 cigarettes per day, acid rain destroying farmland and monuments

#3: Water Issues

• South Asia has 20% of the world’s population and only 4% of the world’s fresh water

• Conflicts – India diverted some of the Ganges River flow to Kolkata (Calcutta) to flush out accumulating silt BUT this deprives Bangladesh of flow which causes salt water from the Bay of Bengal to come inland ruining fields, treaty favors India

#3: Water Issues (continued)

• Water Purity of the Ganges – millions pilgrimage to Varanasi (holy city to Hindus)– Industrial waste and raw sewage dumped into river

– Also people want to be cremated and have their ashes scattered over the river, HOWEVER there are incomplete cremations so MAJOR pollution of dead bodies

– Water is used for drinking, cooking, and ceremonial bathing

#4: Urbanization

• 70% live in villages (not isolated rural farmers) and 30% live in urban areas

• Cities have split identities

– Sleek, modern skyscrapers, logos of powerful, high tech companies

• Mumbai – 21 million in metro area, stock exchange, central bank, collect 1/3 of taxes and 40% of trade

– Chaotic, crowded, violent urban environment

• Dharavi – 1 million on 1 square mile, world’s largest slum, 15,000 one room factories

• Some of world’s largest cities - appeal of cities for education, training, and business opportunities

#5: Pop Culture

• Bollywood – popular Hindi movies portray love, betrayal, family conflicts with lavish sets, popular music and dance

#6: Religion in South Asia• Hinduism – 800 million in India• Islam – 120 million in South

Asia (12% of India’s population), mostly in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Maldives

• Buddhism – 1% of South Asia (Bhutan and Sri Lanka)

• Christianity/Judaism – small % on western coast

• Jainism - .6% of South Asia in cities and Western India (vegetarians, nonviolent, educational achievements)

• Sikhism – 18 million mostly in Punjab region (Hindu = reincarnation, Islam = one God)

• Animism – central and northeast India, aboriginal and indigenous people

#7: Population• Historically high population growth rate, but India (1.24

billion) is spending $1 billion per year on population control, still 35% of population is under age 15

• Rural areas – large families because children contribute labor in farming, poor access to health care so high infant mortality rate so have many children in hopes some live to adulthood, retirement plan to take care of elderly parents

• Factors that help lower population growth rate include female literacy rate, % of women that go to high school, and % of women that work outside of the home

#7: Population (continued)• Gender Imbalances – cultural customs value sons as

boys are more likely to contribute to family wealth, therefore men significantly outnumber women (neglect the health of girls, high female infanticide)

• High tech labs were identifying sex of unborn fetuses and girls were being aborted at such high rates that the procedure is illegal now (but people still do this)

#7: Population (continued)• Rural to urban migration causes decline in

fertility rates

• Gender inequality is comparable to Middle East (literacy rate is 54% for women)

• Risks to children – work in informal sector in cities, unsafe

#8: Economic & Agricultural Issues• 50% of population are farmers – most land still cultivated by hand

• GDP – 50% in services, 30% in industries, and 20% in agriculture

• $5,000 GDP per capita for the region and gap between rich and poor is very narrow

• Green Revolution – increase in food production through new seeds, fertilizer, pesticides, and herbicides

– Benefits are uneven – some irrigated areas did great and others couldn’t afford new technology

– Negative effect on women – new grain vs. old grain

• Agroecology – traditional nonchemical methods of crop fertilizer and use of natural predators to control pests

• Agricultural modernization pushes unskilled workers off land and into unemployment causing malnutrition – 352 million (1/2 of world total for undernourished)

#8: Economic & Agricultural Issues (continued)

• Microcredit – program based on peer support that makes very small loans available to very low income entrepreneurs

• Banks don’t loan money to poor people, especially poor women• Late 1970s – Muhammad Yunus (economics professor from Bangladesh) created

Grameen (“Village”) Bank – won Nobel Peace Prize in 2006• Loans pay start up costs for small enterprises (chickens, eggs, etc) and borrowers

(90% women) are organized into small groups that are collectively responsible for repaying any loans to group members – if one fails to repay then everyone in group is denied loans until loan is repaid

• System is enforced with weekly meetings and creates incentives to repay• 98% repayment rate (much higher than regular bank loans)• $8 billion in loans to 8 million Bangladeshi people alone

#9: Globalization & Competition• India is challenging China as major exporter of manufactured goods• India has a large, educated, cheap workforce• Offshore Outsourcing – companies contract to have some of its

business functions performed in a country other than the one where its products/services are actually developed, manufactured, and sold because labor and other costs are lower

• IT, engineering, telephone support, pharmaceutical research• Ivy League Grad ($150,000) vs. Top Indian College Grad ($35,000)

– return home as that salary buys higher standard of living in India than in U.S.

#10: Political Issues• Punjab – Sikhs persecuted by Indian government

• India/Pakistan – Kashmir, nuclear threat

• Afghanistan – Taliban

• Sri Lanka – Civil war – Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE = terrorists) vs. Sri Lankan government

• Nepal – Rebels

• Conflicts worsened by unwilling governments and warring parties to recognize results of elections

• Breakdown of democratic processes and authoritarian behavior of governments