The Land Where Continents Collided

Chapter 24

Landforms and Resources

Chapter 24Section 1

Main Ideas

South Asia is a subcontinent of peninsulas bordered by mountains and oceans.

A wide variety of natural resources helps sustain life in the region.

Overview

South Asia

1. India2. Pakistan3. Bangladesh4. Bhutan5. Nepal6. Sri Lanka7. Maldives

Mountains and Plateaus

Subcontinent–A large landmass that is smaller than

a continent–South Asia is often referred to as the

Indian subcontinent–One half the size of the continental

US–More than one billion people

Mountains and Plateaus

Natural barriers separate South Asia from the rest of AsiaMountain Ranges

Indian OceanArabian SeaBay of Bengal

Northern MountainsThe gradual collision of two tectonic plates forced the land upward into enormous mountain ranges. These mountains, which are still rising, now form the northern edge of the South Asian subcontinent.

Northern MountainsThe Himalayas form a giant barrier between the Indian subcontinent and China. Mt. Everest, the world’s tallest peak, sits at the heart of the Himalayas. Within these mountains are the remote, landlocked kingdomsof Nepal and Bhutan.

Himalayas

Northern Mountains

Panoramicview fromthe top of

Mount Everest

Northern Mountains

Hindu Kush

Khyber Pass

Northern Mountains

K2

Karakoram Mountains

Southern Mountains

Vindhya RangeDeccan Plateau

Western Ghats Eastern Ghats

Rivers, Deltas, and Plains

Indus River

Ganges River Brahmaputra River

The ThreeGreatRivers

Fertile Plains Alluvial plain

– Land that is rich farmland

– Composed of clay, silt, sand, or gravel deposited by running water

The Indo-Gangetic Plain is one of the most fertile farming regions in the world.

Fertile PlainsThe Indo-Gangetic Plain is the most heavily populated part of South Asia.

Fertile Plains

One of the world’s most arid regions—the Thar, or Great Indian Desert.

Sri Lanka: The subcontinent’s “Tear Drop”

The Maldives Archipelago

Archipelago– A set of closely grouped islands– island group– The Maldives consist of 1,200 small islands

The Maldives Archipelago

Atoll– A ring-like coral

or string of small islands surrounding a lagoon

– Most of the Maldives are this type

Natural ResourcesWater and Soil

Hydroelectricplant in northern India

Irrigating afarm alongthe Ganges

Fishing in BangladeshTraditional boat on the

Indus in Pakistan

Irrigation, Fishing, Transportation & Power

Forests Timber and other forest products are important to

the region’s economy as many of the woods found here are highly sought after.

Less than one-fifth of India’s original forests remain.

Deforestation has caused major problems to the ecosystem in Bangladesh.

Deforestation causes soil erosion, flooding, landslides, and loss of wildlife habitats.

Minerals

Climate and Vegetation

Chapter 24Section 2

Main Ideas

Climate conditions in South Asia range from frigid cold in the high mountains to intense heat in the deserts.

Seasonal winds affect both the climate and vegetation of South Asia.

Climate-Wet and Dry, Hot and Cold

Half the climate zones that exists on earth can be found in South Asia.

Six different climate zones.

The Highland Zone has the coldest climate. – Area of the Himalayas

and other northern mountains, where snow exists year-round.

Climate-Wet and Dry, Hot and Cold

Humid Subtropical Zone– Includes the foothills

and valleys of Nepal, Bhutan, and northern India

– much warmer than highland zone

– The Indo-Gangetic Plain also occupies much of this region.

Climate-Wet and Dry, Hot and Cold

Semiarid Zone– A region of high

temperatures and light rainfall

– Found at the western end of the Plain and in parts of the Deccan Plateau.

Climate-Wet and Dry, Hot and Cold

Desert Zone – Covers much of the

lower Indus Valley, in the borderlands of western India and southern Pakistan.

– The driest part of this area, the Thar Desert, gets very little rain—averaging 10 inches a year.

Climate-Wet and Dry, Hot and Cold

Tropical Zones– Found along the western

and eastern coasts of India and in Bangladesh.

– Temperatures are high, and rainfall is heavy---

– Tropical Wet has much more precipitation than the Tropical Wet and Dry.

Monsoons

Monsoons

Monsoon– Seasonal wind– Last from June

to September– Brings crucial

rainfall to South Asia

– Also brings severe hardship Annual monsoons replenish soil

nutrients and form fertile farmland but often inundate Bangladesh.

Cyclones

Cyclone– A violent storm with fierce winds and heavy

rain– The most extreme weather pattern of South

Asia– Most destructive in Bangladesh– Called hurricanes in the Western hemisphere

Vegetation: Desert to Rain Forest

The most forested parts of South Asia lie within the Tropical Wet Zone, particularly the western coast of India and southern Bangladesh. Lush rain forests of teak, ebony, and bamboo are found there, along with mangroves in the delta areas.

Vegetation: Desert to Rain Forest

In the Highland Zone, which includes northern India, Nepal, and Bhutan, there are forests of pine, fir, and other evergreens.

Vegetation: Desert to Rain Forest

The river valleys and foothills of the most of India make up the Humid Subtropical Zone which have forests of sal, oak, chestnut, and various palms.

Vegetation: Desert to Rain Forest

In the semiarid areas of South Asia, such as the Deccan Plateau and the Pakistan-India border, there is less vegetation. The main plant life is desert shrubs and grasses.

Vegetation: Desert to Rain Forest

The driest areas, like the Thar Desert, have little plant life, and as a result, few people live there.

Vegetation: Desert to Rain Forest

The Tropical Wet and Dry areas of northern Sri Lanka produces both grasses and trees

Human-Environment Interaction

Chapter 24Section 3

Main Ideas

Rivers play a central role in the lives of South Asians.

Water pollution and flooding pose great challenges to South Asian countries.

Living Along the Ganges Hinduism is religion

of most Indians. The Ganges River is

an important water source and a sacred river.

People feel it is too sacred to be harmed by pollution

Hindus believe the water has healing powers

The Polluted Ganges

The major polluting industries on the Ganges are the leather industries, which use large amounts of chromium and other chemicals.

Nearly 1 billion liters of waste per day, of mostly untreated raw sewage is dumped into the river.

Inadequate cremation procedures contributes to a large number of partially burnt or unburnt corpses floating down the Ganges, in addition to livestock corpses.

Controlling the Feni River

Rivers in Bangladesh are crucial to the country’s survival.

The Feni River overflows its coastal plain during the wet season and cyclones often cause storm surges.

Storm surges– High water level brought by a cyclone that

swamps low-lying areas

Controlling the Feni River To control the Feni a dam was built in 1985. Bangladesh had one key asset for such a

project—abundant human resources. The base of the dam was made of mats of

bamboo weighed down with boulders, and covered by clay-filled bags.

The dam was built to form an estuary.

Controlling the Feni River

Feni Dam

Controlling the Feni River Estuary

– An arm of the sea at the lower end of a river

– A broadened seaward end of a river, where the river’s currents meet the ocean’s tides Feni estuary at low tide