South Asia Notes. Countries South Asia is often called a subcontinent - a very large landmass that...

South Asia Notes

Countries South Asia is often

called a subcontinent- a very large landmass that is smaller than a continent

Bangladesh Bhutan India Maldives Nepal Pakistan Sri Lanka

India – Taj Mahal

Pakistan

Nepal

Mumbai, India

Bangladesh

The Maldives

The Maldives

Bhutan

Sri Lanka

Mountains & Plateaus….Himalayas

Pangaea – theory that the earth was once a giant landmass When the continents broke

apart, Africa rammed into Asia causing the land to crumple up forming the Himalayas

Over 1000 miles long Contains Mount Everest

World’s highest mountain 29,028 feet high Lies on border between Nepal

& China

Himalayas “Roof top of

the world.”Formed by

the collision of tectonic plates

Everest is the highest peak

Everest

Mountains & Plateaus Cont…Karakoram MountainsHindu Kush MountainsVindhya Mountains

Separate north and south India Different cultures in these two regions

due to the separation

Mountains & Plateaus cont… Eastern &

Western Ghats Deccan Plateau

Form a triangle at Southern India

Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats are mountains along each coast

The Deccan Plateau is in between the mountains

Rivers….

The major rivers start in the Himalaya Mountains

Rivers carry fertile soil washed down from the mountains

When rivers overflow, deposit alluvial soil (fertile soil from the silt) onto the flood plain

Indus Brahmaputra Ganges

Indo-Gangetic Plain…

Indo-Gangetic Plain- alluvial plain that has been created by the flooding of the Indus and Ganges Rivers Largest alluvial plain

in the world Alluvial plain - flat

landform created by the deposition of sediment over a long period of time by one or more rivers.

Deserts….

Thar Desert (Great Indian Desert) lies in India &

Pakistan Dry monsoon

winds keeps desert arid and hot

Monsoons…. Monsoons are seasonal winds that

greatly affect the climate Between October-May- winter winds

blow from the north and northeast and are dry

Between June-September- summer winds blow from the south and southwest over the Indian Ocean and bring warm, moist air Heavy rains during this time People depend on the heavy rains for farming Sometimes the heavy rains can cause

disastrous floods

Cyclones….Cyclone- storm

marked by high winds and heavy rain

Affects Bangladesh storm surges – waters

wash ashore like a very high tide

cause major disasters by flooding farmland and also causing rivers to flood

In 1991, a cyclone killed 131,000 people

Population….India is the 2nd

most populated country in the world (1.1 billion people)

Highest population growth rate in South Asia Improved health care

and sanitation Lower death rate

Population will double in 40 years if it continues to grow

Population…. High Population Density

Densely populated areas: Along the fertile Indo-Gangetic Plain Along monsoon watered coasts Near where rice is grown Bangladesh

Country with the highest population density in the world Problem - difficult to produce enough food

Less densely populated areas Deccan Plateau Thar Desert Mountains

Urbanization…. 70% of people live in rural

villages in India It is increasing because

South Asians are migrating to cities in search of better jobs and higher wages

Largest cities in India Calcutta (3rd largest in

world) Bombay (9th largest in

world) Delhi (14th largest in

world) Cities are:

Overcrowded Polluted Putting a strain on public

facilities like schools and hospitals

History…. Early Civilizations

Civilization began around the Indus river around 2500 B.C.

Aryans moved into northern India from central Asia Spoke an early form of Sanskrit Aryans come into this region and left their ideas in Vedas:

1. four books about Aryan religious beliefs divided Aryan society into 3 classes

Nobles Priests ordinary people

eventually developed into the caste system During Aryan time, Siddhartha Gautama taught

concepts of Buddhism

History… Islamic Empires

A.D. 1000 Islamic empires began attacking India

1398 Timur attacked Babur then took over

most of northern India and founded the Mughal Empire

During this time Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal

European Colonization….British began

trading with India in the 1490’s

Formed the East India Company Became the most

powerful trading corporation

Built trading posts and forts in strategic locations

Sepoy Rebellion By 1857 British East India

Company controlled most of India

Sepoys- Indian soldiers under command of British

In 1857 sepoys rebelled against their British commanders

Sepoy resented the British trying to (force) impose Christianity & European customs on them

The Sepoys were not successful but it did force the British to tighten its control of India

Sent a viceroy to take over India’s territory

India became a British colony

European Colonization…. “jewel in the crown”

for the British empire A viceroy is a

governor ruling as a royal representative to take over a territory

The viceroy gained control and alliances with other Indian states

Indian Nationalism Nationalism is the

desire for self rule

European colonization….To try to stop more

unrest in India, the British spend lots of money on India’s economy development Built paved roads Built railway system Installed telegraph

lines Dug irrigation

canals Established

schools and universities

Problems Under British Control…

British officials discriminated against Indians Forced Indians to change their ancient ways Forced farmers to grow cotton instead of wheat

British textile industries needed cotton Lack of wheat led to food shortages that killed

millions of Indians Indians began to demand more rights Formed Indian National Congress

Political group that led to the long struggle for independence

Independence for India…. Indians wanted

independence and equality

Mohandas Gandhi led the independence movement Encouraged Indians to

boycott British goods Led peaceful marches

India & Pakistan…. Following WWII,

Britain granted India independence

Hostility between Hindus and Muslims grew

1947 India was partitioned into 2 countries India Pakistan

1971 East Pakistan broke away from West Pakistan forming Bangladesh

Government….India is the world’s

largest democracy India’s government is

based on British model Parliament Prime minister

Pakistan has a president who is elected indirectly by members of the legislature

Bhutan and Nepal are monarchies

Language….Many different

languagesIndo-Aryan

Language familyMost languages

spoken in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh fall in this language family - group of related languages that have all developed from one earlier language

Language….Major languages

spoken: India- Hindi &

English Pakistan- Urdu Bangladesh-

Bengali Nepal- Nepali Sri Lanka-

Sinhalese

Religion…. India’s government is secularThe major religions are:

Hinduism Buddhism Islam

India and Nepal - Hinduism 80% of India is Hindu

Pakistan, Bangladesh, & Maldives – Islam

Sri Lanka & Bhutan - BuddhismTwo of the world’s major religions began

in India - Hinduism and Buddhism

Hinduism…. Believe that:

Every individual must live according to his or her own dharma – one’s moral duty in life

Karma – positive or negative forces caused by a person’s actions

Reincarnation – repeated rebirth of one’s soul in different forms

Those who fulfill their dharma earn good karma and may be reborn as persons of higher status

Many gods and goddessesReincarnation and karma maintain the caste

system

Caste System….

caste system – group of people who are born into a certain position in society

4 major castes: Brahmins – priests and

intellectuals Kshatriyas – warriors Vaisyas – traders and

merchants Sudras – farmers and

laborers Dalits – “the oppressed”

Born into caste & cannot move into another

Indian constitution abolished caste system but still remains large part of daily life

Hinduism Distribution

Buddhism….

Siddhartha Gautama was a prince

He went on a pilgrimage - religious journey

After years of spiritual searching and meditation, he became known as Buddha (or the Awakened One)

Buddha…. Buddha taught:

People suffer because they are overly attached to material things

To escape this suffering which leads to endless rebirth, one must live by certain rules

The rules include: Thinking clearly Acting wisely Behaving kindly

towards others Buddha taught guidelines

so people enter nirvana - state of great insight, calm, and happiness

Sikhism…. Founded in the 1500s by Guru Nanak Combined Hinduism and Islam into

one religion Monotheistic - believe in one God Hindu ideas of karma and

reincarnation Most Sikhs live in northwest India

The khanda – the sikh symbol

Jainism…. Began in the 500s

BC by a young Hindu teacher Mahavira

Believe in non-violence

Every living thing has a soul

3 million followers in India

Combines aspects of Hinduism & Buddhism

Influence of Religion…. Religion has a

powerful influence on daily life in South Asia Prayer flags flap in

the wind sending out mantras - sacred messages

Sadhus - Hindu teachers In Hindu countries, cows

are considered sacred and are seen roaming the streets

Pakistan - women must dress modestly as Islamic law requires

Agriculture….56% of India is arable (fertile)2/3 of people in South Asia are farmersFarming contributes 25% of India’s GDPMost are subsistence farmers- manage to

produce just what they need to surviveSome farmers are getting better technology

(tractors)Often have small plots of land because of

traditional inheritance practicesMost farms are less than 2.5 acres

Land is divided equally among sons As generations pass, plots become smaller

Agriculture….Variety of crops

Major food crop is rice India is the world’s

2nd largest producer of rice

Other crops Wheat, Sugarcane ,

citrus fruits, rubber and cotton

Jute - fiber used to make string and cloth

Peanuts – leading producer

Tea – grown on plantations in Sri Lanka

Agriculture…. Improved Agricultural Practices

Since population is growing rapidly, food production must increase too Training farmersto use technology Programs to teach about irrigation, insect control, and

fertilization Plant two or more crops on the same piece of land

each year Agricultural research

Green Revolution Began in the 1960s Plant breeders were worried about world hunger Wanted to find ways to grow better crops

(produced more, grew faster) Used genetic engineering on crops

Industry…. Some areas are more industrialized than others

Light industry - production of consumer goods (like bikes, TVs, textiles)

Heavy industry - production of machinery and equipment needed for factories

Tourism…. Important to the

economies of the mountains countries

Nepal - climb or trek in the Himalayas

Sri Lanka - beautiful beaches

Maldives - beaches (Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes went on their honeymoon there)

Environment….

Deforestation The loss or destruction of

forests due mainly to trees being cleared for logging or farming Half of India’s forests have been

cut down since independence Soil erosion & overgrazing

India Many trees cut down by

logging companies to clear land for other businesses & farming

Nepal Trekkers (mountain hikers)

use lots of firewood Hikers also leave behind large

amounts of trash 2010 – group of Sherpas led

mission to clean up trash, oxygen tanks, and dead bodies left behind by trekkers

Effects of Deforestation….

Mangroves - trees along the coast of the Bay of Bengal Mangroves provide

protection from cyclones and tidal waves

Mangroves are being cut down leaving Bangladesh vulnerable to floods

Himalayas Forests act like sponges

and absorb the heavy rains of the monsoons

When forests are cut down, it causes flooding and landslides

Another effect of deforestation…

Things to Know for the Quiz: Mountains & Plateaus Major Rivers Indo-Gangetic Plain All About Monsoons Cyclones Sepoys Languages