Chapter 24 Physical Geography of South Asia

The land Where Continents Collided

Section 1 Landforms and

Resources

Mt. Everest (29,035 ft.) is part of the Himalayan

Mountains that form the border of the Indian

subcontinent that includes India, Pakistan,

Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the

Maldives

rivers:

Indus in Pakistan

Brahmaputra in India and Bangladesh

Ganges (sacred to Hindus) in India

fertile plains:

Indo-Gangetic

plain is one of

the most fertile

farming regions

in the world

islands: Sri Lanka is the tear-shaped island and the

Maldives are an archipelago including several atolls

Natural Resources:

many types of fish

forests for bamboo,

sandalwood, teak and

more

minerals such as coal,

natural gas, uranium, etc.

Section 2: Climate and Vegetation

six main climate zones

(see chart on page 557)

very diverse vegetation from

deserts to rain forests

monsoons and cyclones

have a huge impact on the

environment

Section 3: Human-

Environment

Interaction

Hinduism is

main religion in

India and

Ganges river is

sacred (why polluted if sacred?)

controlling rivers during storm surges and

high runoff is crucial to the survival of

low lying areas like Bangladesh

Chapter 25 Human Geography

of South Asia:

A Region of Contrasts

Section 1: India

Aryans (2500 B.C.)

Mughal Empire (1500s)

British (1857) - raj

1947 – India gains independence

through nonviolent resistance and

Gandhi’s leadership

Shortly

thereafter

Pakistan and

Bangladesh

separate from

India

India is world’s largest

democracy – over a

billion people

½ of India’s people live in

poverty – many of them

rural farmers – land reform

and the Green Revolution

have helped, but still a huge

problem

Industry is another area of

the economy that is

strengthening but requires

people to move to already

very crowded cities

Indian culture is a blend of many

language, ethnic, and religious groups

18 major languages w/ over 1,000

dialects – Hindi official language

and English also widely spoken

other common religions

include: Jainism,

Christianity, Sikhism,

and Buddhism

main religion is Hinduism (80%) polytheistic, reincarnation, karma,

dharma, caste system, etc.

caste system – 4 basic castes Brahmans – priests

and scholars

Kshatriyas – rulers and warriors

Vaisyas –

farmers

and

merchants

Sudras –

artisans

and

laborers

Dalits – (outcastes) banned under new constitution

Section 2: Pakistan and Bangladesh

history of Indus Valley civilization

began around 2500 B.C. and included

cities like Mohenjo-Daro

many of the same invaders as

India including the British

one religion,

many peoples

Islam is main religion and

unifying force in both

countries

Pakistan –

mainly Urdu

speaking

- more

ethnically

diverse (more tribes)

life very family oriented

arranged marriages still

occur (advantages/disadvantages)

many people still live in

small villages even though

some big cities

lots and lots of poverty

Section 3: Nepal and Bhutan mountain kingdoms located in the

Himalayas with a similar history of

isolation and development – including both

being constitutional monarchies today

Nepal and Bhutan have

limited resources –

agriculture is limited in

poor, rocky soil

tourism is increasing

(more in Nepal than

Bhutan) as

foreigners look to

climb Everest and

Sherpas can earn a

living as a guide

Nepal has more Hindus even though it’s

near the home of Siddhartha Gautama

Buddhism is the official religion of Bhutan where

they practice Tibetan Buddhism including the use

of mandalas

Section 4: Sri Lanka

and the Maldives Sri Lanka split between

Sinhalese – (Buddhists) and

Tamils – (Hindus)

Maldives (1200 islands)

converted to Islam and had a

series of sultans for

centuries – is now one of the

smallest (number > 400,000)

independent countries

Sri Lanka economy based on farming – mostly rice farming – but also

produce rubber, tea and coconuts for export. Sri Lanka is also famous for its

gems – especially sapphires, rubies and topaz. Today, Sri Lanka has the

highest per capita income in South Asia and Maldives are not far behind.

Today unstable politics and conflict is hurting Sri Lanka

Maldives rely on fishing – tuna, marlin, and sharks – traditionally, but now

rely more on tourism. Problem is they are low lying islands and global

warming could cause ocean levels to rise and wipe out much of the islands

Chapter 26 Todays Issues: South Asia

Section 1: Population Explosion

South Asia struggles with such a large

population that many of its citizens lack basic

necessities like food, shelter, and clothing

widespread poverty and illiteracy leave

millions struggling for hope – education and

family planning can help reverse the trend. Is

there an overpopulation problem?

Section 2: Living with Extreme weather

monsoons in summer (June-September) and

winter (October-February) have a huge

impact on South Asia

physical – floods and muds in

summer if too much rain and

droughts in winter if not enough

economic – famine from crop failures, loss

of life and property in floods, need of help

from foreign countries (is it our concern?)

read the case study on page 600 –

should we care about Kashmir?

all photos: Sean Simons