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Most of South Asia forms a peninsula. It is surrounded by the Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea, and cut off from the rest of Asia by mountains. South Asia is a SUBCONTINENT – a large landmass that is part of a continent, but still distinct from it.
World’s tallest mountains: THE HIMALAYA – 24 of them soar to above 25,000 feet – including MOUNT EVEREST at 29,035 feet above sea level is the tallest in the world.
The mountains limited contact with the rest of Asia. However, mountain passes- such as the KHYBER PASS – from Central Asia into South Asia allowed invaders and traders to enter the subcontinent.
In southern India, two chains of eroded mountains – GHATS form a triangle that holds the Deccan Plateau. The southern part of the Deccan Plateau is the Karnataka Plateau where wild elephants roam. The mountains block the rain winds and make the area very arid.
•The GANGES RIVER runs east from the Himalaya and keeps it size even during the dry season. Monsoons can cause huge floods. Hindus consider the waters of the Ganges as sacred. On the INDO-GANGETIC PLAIN (Ganges Plain), rice, sesame, sugar, jute, and beans are grown here. The world’s largest ALLUVIAL PLAIN – floodplain on which rivers have deposited rich soil. Most densely populated area in the world where 1/10 of the world’s people live.
•The BRAHMAPUTRA River runs east through the Himalayas then west where it joins the Ganges and empties into the Bay of Bengal at the Ganges River Delta. The Brahmaputra is a major inland waterway.
•The INDUS RIVER runs through Pakistan. Waters from the river waters orchards of apples and peaches. The river empties into the Arabian Sea and is known as the “Cradle of Ancient India”
• The Vindhya Range divides India into Northern India and Southern India. Each region has distinct cultures with different cuisine, architecture, and religious practices.
•The island of Sri Lanka is a teardrop shaped island off the south eastern tip of India.
•The Maldives are an ARCHIPELAGO –chain of islands, that covers 38,000 miles, but makes up only 115 total square miles of land. Most of the islands are ATOLLS – ring shaped islands formed by coral building up around the rim of an underground volcano.
There are 3 seasons – hot, cool, and wet. The rains blow from the north and northeast to produce cool, dry season, and from the south and southwest to produce the rainy season.
Monsoons that blow over the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta hit the Himalayas which block the wind and rain from progressing north. As a result, the rains move west to the Ganges Plain.
Floods are a serious problem. When the rainy seasons are inconsistent, drought can set in. Without the monsoons, most of South Asia would be desert.
• 1.3 billion people – 1/5 of the world live in South Asia
• Population density is seven times the world average.
• The population of South Asia is expected to double by 2025
•Hundreds of languages – 19 major languages.
•Most in Northern India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan speak INDO-EUROPEAN languages.
•Hindi is spoken by half of India’s population.
•Urdu is the main language in Pakistan
•Bengali is the main language in Bangladesh
•The ancient SANSKRIT –classical Aryan languages is still used for religion.
•India – Most Indians are Hindu.
•Pakistan – Most Pakistanis are Muslim
•Bangladesh – Most Bangladeshis are Muslim. This country was once called East Pakistan
•Sri Lanka – Buddhist Sinhalese are the majority, but Hindu Tamils have been fighting for independence since the early 1980’s.
•Bhutan and Nepal – most of the people are Buddhist.
•India – World’s largest democracy. Socialist (central planning until recently)
•Pakistan – democracy, but since 1971 military rule.
•Bangladesh – democracy.
•Sri Lanka – democracy, but Tamils claim discrimination and want independence.
•Bhutan and Nepal – monarchies.
•Country was created from the British RAJ – Hindu word for empire, for the Hindu majority and granted independence in 1947.
•Upon independence, tried to reduce outside influence and dependence. Recently has realized must compete globally and is moving to market economy.
•Largest part of the population are descendants of Aryans and Dravidians.
•Most Indians define themselves by religion and JATI – a social group that defines a family’s occupation and social standing.
•Indians focus on light industry – especially known for textiles (fabric) – cotton, silk, and wool.
•COTTAGE INDUSTRY – business that employs workers in homes, and small factories (less than 100 people) are common.
•BOLLYWOOD – nickname for the world’s largest film industry that produces about 800 full-length films a year. It is centered in Mumbai.
• The countries were created out of the British Raj for the Muslim majority.
•East and West Pakistan were divided by India.
•In 1971, East Pakistan revolted against West Pakistan and established the country of Bangladesh.
• Granted independence from Britain in 1948.
•The SINHALESE Buddhists control the government and make up 80% of the population.
•Since 1980’s the Hindu TAMIL minority (20%) have been fighting for independence.
•Since 1984, 100,000 Sri Lankans have been killed or disappeared.
•Remained independent of European control.
•Mountains have protected these countries from outside influence.
•Most people are descendants of a group from Mongolia.
•There are two ethnic groups in Bhutan – Bhote and Tibetans.
•There are many ethnic groups in Nepal, but most famous is the Sherpas – Tenzing Norgay was first to top of Mount Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary in 1953.
•Most people of South Asia are rural. They live in villages and farm, life has changed little for hundreds of years. Farms are divided among children, so every generation the farms are smaller. Most farms are less than an acre.
•60% are subsistence farmers.
•Farming is low-tech and LABOR INTENSIVE – many people, human power.
•Nepal & Bhutan – terrace farming uses up all available arable land.
•Pakistan – fruit orchards in highland valleys.
•North India & Bangladesh – water above knees – grow rice. Second (China #1)
•Sri Lanka –huge tea, rubber, and coconut plantations set up by the British & Dutch use high-tech methods. When colonists left, kept plantation system. 75% of Sri Lanka is CASH CROPS – crops for sale or trade rather than food to feed people.
•Challenge is how to balance cash crops with needs of the people.
•Key cash crops are tea, cotton, spices and JUTE – fiber for making string and cloth.
•Food crops – major food crop of South Asia is rice. Wheat, millet, corn, and peanuts are also grown.
• Education and government efforts have increased productivity.
•Since 1960’s, crops have diversified and yield has increased, but irrigation and fertilizers are expensive.
•Carefully manages irrigation, fertilizers, and high yielding variety of crops.
•Animals: Religions of the area promote respect for all living things. Some animals: elephants, water buffalo, monkeys, crocodiles, Bengal tigers, blue sheep, and snow leopards have all been or are on the endangered species list. Many are in danger from deforestation and loss of habitat. Animal reserves have been set up, along with laws controlling hunting and logging, but POACHING – illegal hunting is still an issue.
•Lack of clean water is another serious issue. India (the most developed nation in the region) still has 80% of its people without access to sanitation.
•Deforestation – has caused serious soil erosion problems, so reforestation efforts are widespread across South Asia.
Indus River Valley – arose around 2500 BC.
Writing, built cities (maybe the first) with plumbing and sanitation, strong central government, and had overseas trade
The Aryans – about 1600 BC
VEDAS – sacred writings about religion and social structure. 4 groups of people: priests & warriors – (nobles), artisans, farmers, and enslaved people – developed into a class system (caste system). Caste system outlawed in 1947.
Mauryan Empire – 320-180 BC
Invaded through Khyber Pass controlled all but very southern tip of India. Buddhist and non-violent.
Gupta Empire around 320 AD
Very advanced. Science, technology and art flourished under this Hindu civilization. This group probably developed the numbers we use today.
Muslim forces conquered northern India – Mogul Empire. Many South Asians converted to Islam.
1500’s Europeans arrived by sea. Trade was established. Portugal first.
1700’s – Britain becomes the major European power in South Asia. Introduced English language, built railroads, developed a civil service, and revised the school system, abolished the Caste System.
Mohandas K. Gandhi inspired Indians to protest British rule non-violently through boycott of British goods and peaceful demonstrations. He promoted local industry. He worked to end the social system. He was known as Mahatma or “Great Soul”
British India gained independence in 1947, but divided along religious lines. Areas with majority Hindu – India. Areas with majority Muslim – Pakistan. Split many families. Hundreds of thousands of Hindus in Pakistan moved to India and Muslims in India to Pakistan. Violence erupted along the border.
India and Pakistan fighting over the provinces of Kashmir & Jammu. 1/3 of Kashmir which is mostly Muslim is controlled by Pakistan, the other 2/3 is controlled by Hindu India. Kashmir is where cashmere and pashmina wool come from. Both Pakistan and India have had nuclear weapons since 1998.
For 40 years after independence, India was led by the Nehru family. Both Indira and Rajiv Gandhi were assassinated due to ethnic unrest by the Sikhs in India.
India and China each have over 1 BILLION people.
• Brunei
•Cambodia
•East Timor
•Indonesia
•Laos
•Malaysia
•Myanmar
•Philippines
•Singapore
•Thailand
•Vietnam
• Indonesia – nation made up of 14,000 islands. Some of the larger ones are Sumatra, Java, Bali, Borneo, Celebes, and New Guinea.
•East Timor became independent in 2002 it is the newest country in the world. The East Timorese people wanted independence because they were a Roman Catholic minority in Indonesia which is Muslim and the East Timorese were discriminated against. The struggle for independence took 25 years and 100,000 people died.
Bishop Carlos Belo.
Xanana Gusmao- 1st president.
• Indochina Peninsula – a peninsula that contains Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. This area was once controlled by France.
• From 1975 – 1979 – 38% of the population died as a result of starvation, torture, and execution by the Khmer Rouge.
• Borneo – An island in Southeast Asia that has part or all of the countries of Brunei, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
Sultan of Brunei is one of the richest men in the world.
• ASEAN – Association of Southeast Asian Nations – member nations share in cultural and economic matters.
• Buffer State – a neutral territory between two rival powers.
• Formally known as Burma. It was a British colony.
• dzong – a fortified monastery of Bhutan, South Asia
• wat – a temple in Southeast Asia.980-1220 Angkor Wat
Laos is rural. Subsistence farming is main occupation. Rainforest is a major resource.
• Malay Peninsula – in Southeast Asia contains a small part of Singapore, Malaysia, and up to Thailand. Includes the Isthmus of Kra.
• longhouse – large, elevated building where members of several related families live together (especially in Malaysia and Indonesia).
Petronas Towers – tallest in world
• free port – a port city where goods can be unloaded, stored, and reshipped without payment of import taxes
• Singapore – Country that is 100% Urban. It is located at the tip of the Malay Peninsula. It is a free port. A center for world trade and is a strong economic force.
• Countries that are archipelagoes – Indonesia, Philippines, Japan.
• archipelago – a chain of islands.
Spanish explorers settled in this region. influence in language and religion. One of the US allies.
• Mekong Delta is a rich, fertile delta in Vietnam that is a major agricultural area.
Kingdom – only country in the region to remain independent
• Early cultures developed in Southeast Asia because of the extensive maritime trade. The early kingdoms were seafaring.
• Stories and literature has been passed down over the centuries through oral telling of folktales and legends.
•Europeans including Dutch, French, British, Spanish, and Portuguese colonized the region.
• Thailand remained an independent kingdom known as Siam.
• Burma was ruled by Britain and later became Myanmar.
•US won the Philippines in the Spanish – American War. Colonies were granted independence in 1960-70’s.
58,000 deaths
350,000 casualties
• The Vietnam War began when the former French controlled country of Indochina was separated into communist and non-communist areas. US wanted to stop the spread of communism and supported South Vietnam. The war was unpopular at home, and the US pulled out of Vietnam in 1973.
• Countries in the region need to industrialize. There is a need for sustainable development. It is hard for the countries to balance industrialization and protecting the environment. It is hard to enforce the laws against poaching and logging. Soil erosion and deforestation are also serious environmental issues.
December 26, 2004 – Earthquake measuring 9.1 on the Richter scale - tsunami occurs killing over 200,000. Many countries including Maldives, Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Somalia were affected. The area was devastated. US and other nations raised 6 billion in international relief money.
http://www.cbsnews.com/elements/2004/12/27/world/videoarchive663162.shtml
Click on “first wave” to the left and play the 3 videos.
