South Asia Physical Geography

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South Asia Geography

• Unit 8
• (Chapters 24, 25 and 26)

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The subcontinent

• Subcontinent a large landmass, slightly smaller
  than a continent.
• Two tectonic plates, the Indian and Eurasian were
  forced together creating mountains by collision

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Landforms

• Mountains
• Himalayas
• Highest point in the world
• Mt. Everest
• Hindu Kush and Karakoram mountains are part of
  the Himalayan chain

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• Deccan Plateau
• Large arid region between Western and Eastern
  Ghats (small mountain ranges)

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• Rivers
• Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra
• All have their sources in the Himalayas

Both pictures show different views of the Ganges
River, considered the greatest river of the
Indian subcontinent
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• Rivers support alluvial plains
• Like the Nile, Indian rivers bring minerals and
  moisture to lands
• Makes rich farmland
• Indo-Gangetic Plain is one of the most fertile
  farming regions in the world

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Offshore islands

• The Indian Subcontinent also contains two large
  island groups
• Sri Lanka
• The teardrop of the subcontinent

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• The Maldives
• Another chain of islands, smaller than Sri Lanka
• They are an archipelago
• Island group

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Indian-subcontinent natural resources

• The subcontinent relies heavily on its land and
  water as resources
• Also
• Forest for timber, plants and animals
• Minerals, coal, oil and natural gas, iron ore

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South Asia Climate

• Monsoons (Seasonal)
• Summer monsoon brings tons of rain
• Very necessary to help support agriculture in
  South Asia
• Winter Monsoon is a wind shift that brings dry
  air.
• Himalayas
• Man has tried to best Mt. Everest and other
  Himalayan slopes since the beginning of recorded
  history

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CyclonesHugely destructive storms of circling
wind and water that can submerge miles of
coastline.
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South Asia Human Geography

• History
• Originally South Asia was many small empires
• Mauryan, Gupta (both Buddhist) and Mughal
  (Muslim) Empires held power at different times.
• Colonialism
• In 1500s European traders came to South Asia.

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• Later the British (and a few others) colonized
  much of South Asia and controlled it for years.
• Natives did not like colonial rule and protested.
• Mohandas Gandhi began opposition movement
• Based on non-violent resistance
• Eventually Great Britain gave in
• Granted Independence to India
• August 14, 1947
• India is now the Worlds largest democracy!

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Religious Conflict

• Religions
• Many different religions,
• Much of the violence due to religious differences
• India/Pakistan conflict
• India is mostly Hindu, Pakistan mostly Muslim.
  They fight over territory.
• Kashmir disputed land
• They divided the land between Hindus and
  Muslims, naming the Muslim sections Pakistan.
  This was called partition.

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What do Hindus believe?

• Complex religion
• Polytheistic
• Believe in reincarnation
• Idea that your soul returns to Earth many times
• Karma moral consequences of a persons actions
  in one life determine that persons next life

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Buddhism

• Buddhism was born in South Asia
• Now much more popular in Central Asia (China)
• Buddhists believe in focusing on leading a good
  life, not material possessions.
• Through meditation and good deeds they try to
  achieve nirvana (perfection of spirit)
• This religion created by Siddartha (Buddha)

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South Asia Economics

• Most economic activities center on agriculture
• Subsistence farming
• Growing what your family needs to eat and
  survive, with little left over to sell
• Many south Asian families are subsistence farmers
• New Ideas
• Land reform
• Redistribute the land so that more people have
  access to good amounts, instead of just the
  wealthy five percent.
• Green revolution
• Introduced new farming techniques and crops to
  improve yield (how much product you get)
• It has been working

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Issues India Faces

• Population explosion
• India is a stage 2 country
• Their population growth rate is fastest in the
  world
• Will be most populous country by about 2015.
• Problems come when you have that many citizens.
• Poverty
• Many of South Asias people live in poverty.
• Caste System
• System of social classes that is a cornerstone of
  Hinduism
• You are restricted to your own social class your
  entire life.
• With good Karma, you will move up in social
  classes in your other lifetimes.
• Government is concerned with how this does not
  allow for personal betterment
• The untouchable, or bottom caste, was done away
  with by the govt. but it is still part of life.