Chapter 24 – Physical Geography of South Asia

Landforms and Resources Mountains and Plateaus i. Also referred to as the Indian subcontinent (1/5th the worlds population) Northern Mountains i. Two dozen peaks in the Himalayas over 24,000 ft ii. Forms a 1,500 mil border between India and China iii. Historically wars have been fought on the western side of Himalayas in the mountain passes into India Southern Plateaus Vindhya Range in northern India Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats flank the Deccan Plateau

II. Rivers, Deltas and Plains Great Rivers Origins in the snow capped peaks of the Himalayas Indus flows west then south through Pakistan into the Arabian Sea Ganges drops from the central Himalayas and flows eastward across northern India Brahmaputra winds its way east then west through Bangladesh

b. Fertile Plains Indo-Gangetic Plain is one of the most fertile farmlands in the world Forms an alluvial plain when the rivers flood 60% of India’s population lives here

III. Offshore Islands Sri Lanka: The Subcontinent’s Tear Drop Large tear shaped island country Lush tropical land of great natural beauty Rugged mountains in the middle of the island that rolling farmland and a coastal plain below The Maldives Archipelago More than 1,200 small islands (about 115 sq miles) Stretch north to south for almost 500 miles Low lying tops of submerged volcanoes Surrounded by coral reefs and shallow lagoons

IV. Natural Resources Water and Soil Alluvial soil from the mountains supplies rich farmland Many kinds of fish (mackerel, sardines, carp, catfish) Navigable rivers

b. Forests Hardwoods like sal and teak from the rainforests Bamboo and sandalwood Pine and fir trees in Bhutan and Nepal Deforestation is a problem

c. Minerals India is 4th in the world in coal production Natural gas in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan Uranium in India Mica in Nepal, Indian and Sri Lanka Large iron ore deposits in India

Climate and Vegetation Climate – Wet and Dry, Hot and Cod Climate Zones Six main climate zones Monsoons and Cyclones Dry air from the mountains in the winter Moist air from the ocean in the summer Heavy rainfall - Major flooding in the lowlands Vegetation: Desert to Rain Forest Vegetation Zones Most forested areas are in the tropical wet regions ii. Lush forests of teak and bamboo Pine forests in higher elevations Less than 1/5th of original forests remain Desert shrubs and grasses in the drier areas

Human-Environment Interaction Living Along the Ganges i. 350 million people live along the Ganges A Sacred River Known as the Gangamai “Mother Ganges” The river is worshipped as a goddess River joins with the Brahmaputra in Bangladesh and becomes the Padma iv. Sacred river that brings life to it’s people v. Temples and sacred sites along the river vi. Pilgrims come to drink or bathe in the river. vii. Scatter the ashes of the deceased

A Polluted River After centuries of intense human use it’s very polluted Raw sewage and industrial waste flow into the river every day Human and animal corpses are dumped into the river People who bate or drink in the river often become sick Practicality of cleaning the river vs. the beliefs the river will fix itself

Controlling the Feni River A River of Overflows Flows through a low-lying coastal plain before it reaches the sea Monsoon rain often cause it to flood Cyclones that sweep across the Bay of Bengal bring storm surges to the area Using People Power i. Hired engineers from the Netherlands and along with their own people to dam the river Completing the Dam i. Stood up to a cyclone just three months after the dam’s completion