Unit 8 South Asia

Physical Features This region is made up of 7 nations South Asia is a subcontinent called the Indian Subcontinent This subcontinent is split from the rest of Asia by the Himalayan Mts. to the North

Mountains The mountains of this region include the Himalayas, which is the highest mountain chain in the world The Himalayas include Mt. Everest which is the worlds highest mountain peak Other mountain chains that border the Indian Subcontinent include the Hindu Kush, the Karakoram, the Vindhya, and the Ghats (E & W)

The Deccan Plateau is the one major plateau area in this region Plateaus The Deccan Plateau is the one major plateau area in this region This area in India lies between the E. and W. Ghats; this makes the area very dry because the mt. chains prevent moisture from crossing over to the plateau

There is one major plains area in this region; The Indo-Gangetic Plain Rivers and Plains There is one major plains area in this region; The Indo-Gangetic Plain It lies north of the Deccan Plateau This plains area is formed by 3 rivers (Indus, Ganges, and the Brahmaputra) This plains area is an alluvial plain which contains very rich soil for farming This plains area contains 3/5 of the Indian population and is home to the largest cities in the region

There are 2 island nations located in this region Islands There are 2 island nations located in this region These are Sri Lanka and the Maldives (an archipelago consisting of atoll islands)

Atoll – an island which deteriorates and forms a coral reef around the former island

The rich fertile soil of the Indo-Gangetic Plain Resources The rich fertile soil of the Indo-Gangetic Plain Water for fishing and transportation Timber (which is causing deforestation) Coal, petroleum, natural gas, uranium, mica, and gem stones

Population Information There are over 1 billion people in South Asia; 75% of these people live in India (1,129,866, 154) The population density is around 756 people per square mile The climate and vegetation within the region determines where people live The bulk of the population is located around the Indo-Gangetic Plain Most of the population has moved toward the cities for better jobs and wages (Calcutta, Bombay, Delhi, New Delhi, and Dhaka are the largest cities)

Religion Islam is the primary religion in Pakistan and Bangladesh Two polytheistic religions were created in this region 1) Hinduism – based on the belief that everyone must live according to their moral duty (dharma) and are rewarded by the laws of karma Hindus believe that you are reincarnated until you overcome your earthly weaknesses

2) Buddhism – based on the belief that people suffer because of their attachment to material goods Buddhism is based on the 4 basic truths Buddhism shares reincarnation with Hinduism

Economic Characteristics The economies of South Asia vary depending on the region Most people are farmers In India 2/3 of its people farm, and most of those people are subsistence farmers These farmers have low crop yields which limits the food they have and the money they made The farming in Pakistan revolves around cotton and rice In Bangladesh rice and jute are primary crops In Sri Lanka plantation farming is important to their economy (tea & rubber)

In the 1960’s India began the Green Revolution; this program was to develop better farming techniques, the use of better equipment, and the use of fertilizers to create high crop yields Industry in this region is developing The textile industry does well because of the growth of cotton in these nations The governments of some of these nations are giving loans to promote the growth of business

The nations of Nepal and Bhutan have begun to harvest and sell timber This has led to some deforestation Sri Lanka has a good gemstone industry Fishing and water based industries are vital to this region as well In the Maldives fishing is the primary industry Tourism is also on the rise in this region but this has led to some pollution in areas (Nepal and Mt. Everest)

Cultural Characteristics In 1757 the British took over trade in India, by 1857 they made India a British colony In the 1940’s Mohandas Gandhi began to lead a nonviolent resistance movement against the British to free India Once India gained independence the Muslim population established the nation of Pakistan (east and west) This division of India and Pakistan, known as the Partition, led to mass Muslim migrations from India to Pakistan In 1971 the nations of E and W Pakistan split to form Pakistan and Bangladesh

In the western part of India and the eastern part of Pakistan is the disputed area of Kashmir Most of the people in Kashmir are Muslim, but the leadership in Kashmir wanted union in India Kashmir is a disputed area because both India and Pakistan claim the land is theirs In India most marriages are arranged, and marriage and family are important to Indian life There are 18 major languages in India with Hindi being the official language 80% of the people in India practice Hinduism

The caste system has been an important part of Indian culture for a long time In the caste system you were believed to have been born into a particular class, or caste You were not able to advance out of that caste until you died and were reincarnated, if your life was a prosperous one you would advance to another caste This area of Asia has large areas of dense population Overpopulation is a problem in S. Asia The high population leads to poverty, the spread of disease, and poor sanitation The high population also strains the communication and transportation services of these nations The governments of these nations have tried to fix the problems of overpopulation by improving their infrastructures (roads, sanitation, schools), educate their people, and encourage smaller families

The nations of Nepal and Bhutan have been able to preserve their nations by limiting access to them These 2 nations are also isolated from the rest of S. Asia which kept them from being colonized

Things and Places of Interest

Taj Mahal, India

Hindu Temple

Ganges River

Ganges Delta

Mt. Everest