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
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?)