Human Geography Chapter 25 South Asia Human Geography Chapter 25

India India is the largest country in South Asia and has the most developed economy. Indian culture is deeply influenced by religion

History Indian civilization begins in Indus Valley in 2500 B.C. Muslim ___Mughal Empire_rules much of India by early 1500s

British establish direct rule in 1857 ___Raj___—90 year period of direct British control, opposed by most Indians Mohandas Gandhi’s ___nonviolent resistance____achieves goals peacefully India gains its independence from Britain in 1947 Muslim Pakistan splits from Hindu India; violence, migrations result

India After Independence Constitution is created under first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru a democratic republic since 1950 System has federation of states, strong central government, like U.S. _Parliamentary Democracy__ system, like U.K. India is mostly Hindu, but with large Muslim, Sikh, Tamil minorities Sikhs kill Nehru’s daughter, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, 1984 Tamils assassinate her son, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, 1991

Pakistan & Bangladesh 1947 ___partition____ creates Hindu India, Muslim Pakistan Hindu-Muslim violence killed one million people 10 million crossed borders: Hindus to India, Muslims to Pakistan Ethnic differences led to civil war between West and East Pakistan East Pakistan won independence in 1971, became Bangladesh

Kashmir Kashmir’s problem: population is Muslim, but its leader was Hindu Indus River is critical source of drinking, irrigation water in Pakistan Pakistan doesn’t want India to control that resource

Religion Hinduism 80% of Indians are Hindu; polytheistic reincarnation—rebirth of the soul after death Original Aryan _______caste system___ of social classes: Brahmans—priests, scholars; Kshatriyas—rulers, warriors Vaisyas—farmers, merchants; Sudras—artisans, laborers Dalits (untouchables) are outside caste system—lowest status ___dharma____ is a caste’s moral duty; only reincarnation changes caste Other Religions India’s other faiths include Jainism, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism Buddhism originated in northern India, but Islam is still strong in certain parts of India Millions of Muslims left after 1947 independence

Islamic Culture Customs include daily prayer Pakistan’s stricter Islamic law includes purdah— women’s seclusion Women have no contact with men they are not related to Must wear veils in public Bangladesh’s religious practices are less strict

Mountain Kingdoms: Nepal and Bhutan Both countries are located in Himalayas Mountain landscape isolates Nepal, Bhutan; hard to reach, conquer Today both are constitutional monarchies Kingdom where ruler’s power is limited by constitution Bhutan’s king is supreme ruler, Nepal’s shares power with parliament (Parliamentary Republic)

Religious Customs Siddharta Gautama, the Buddha, born in 500s B.C. Rejects caste system of Hindu religion Nepalese were Buddhist; today most are Hindu Tibetan-style Buddhism is official religion of Bhutan Dalai Lama - the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism and, until the establishment of Chinese communist rule, the spiritual and temporal ruler of Tibet

Today’s Issues: South Asia South Asia faces the challenges of rapid population growth, destructive weather, and territorial disputes caused by religious and ethnic differences Today’s Issues: South Asia

Population Explosion Population growth in South Asia has contributed to social and economic ills in the region Education is key to controlling population growth and improving the quality of life in South Asia In 2012, India’s population reached 1.2 million

Population Grows India, Pakistan, Bangladesh among top 10 most populous countries Region has 22% of world’s population, lives on 3% of world’s land

Region has widespread poverty, illiteracy—inability to read or write, despite free public education through age 14 Poor sanitation, health education which leads to disease outbreaks Every year, to keep pace, India would have to: Build 127,000 new schools and 2.5 millioin new homes Create 4 million new jobs and produce 6 million tons of food Inadequate Resources

Managing Population Growth India spends nearly $1 billion a year encouraging smaller families Programs have only limited success Indian women marry before age 18, start having babies early To poor, children are source of money (working fields) and can later take care of elderly parents Managing Population Growth

Living with Extreme Weather South Asia experiences a yearly cycle of floods, often followed by drought The extreme weather of South Asia leads to serious physical, economic and political consequences.

Monsoon flooding nourish rainforests, irrigate crops Cyclones are common with summer monsoons _severe_________ droughts turn lush lands into arid wastelands Impact of the Monsoons

Economic Impact Floods, droughts make agriculture difficult Weather catastrophes also destroy homes, families People build: house on stilts, concrete cyclone shelters, dams Economic Impact