The modernity of South Asia

Question 1: AT LEAST 60% of the labor force in India and Bangladesh are employed in what occupation? Answer 1: Question 2: Name the three major cash crops of Sri Lanka? Answer 2: Question 3: What products do Indian peoples create if they are employed for the cottage industry? Answer 3:

Subsistence farming: (?) Labor-intensive farming methods. Rely on the use of animal power. Agricultural Conditions: Vary based on geography, history, and culture. Himalayan highlands of Nepal and Bhutan: Terracing on steep slopes. Delta region: Farmers work in water above the knees.

Sri Lanka’s Plantations: HUGE tea, rubber, and coconut plantations. The British and Dutch established vast plantation networks. Plantations continue to employee 3/4 th of Sri Lanka.

Cash Crops: Farm products grown for sale or export. Cotton: key cash crop in South Asia. Jute: A fiber used to make string, rope, and cloth. South Asian Grains: Rice is the major food crop in South Asia. The Green Revolution: Sought to increase the diversity of crop yields in developing nations. Carefully managed irrigation, fertilizers. Biomass: Fuel composing of plant material and animal dung.

Mineral Wealth: Eastern India: Iron ore, coal, bauxite, and copper. Petroleum and Natural Gas: Pakistan oil fields supply a majority of the nations energy. Bangladesh is very rich in natural gas reserves. Fishing: Bordered by oceans and watered by rivers. Pakistan & Sri Lanka: Export shrimp and lobster. Recently, the Indian government has encouraged deep-sea fishing.

Textiles are a major part of South Asian manufacturing. Prized wools: Cashmere & Pashmina: Come from a rare breed of goat found in the Jammu and Kashmir region. Cottage Industries: Businesses that employ workers in their homes. Mohandas Gandhi: Chose the spinning wheel as a symbol of the strength India could draw from its cottage industries.

Heavy Industry: Geared toward mass production. Iron, steel, and cement. Chittagong, Bangladesh: 1,000’s of workers dismantle aging/damaged ships from around the world. Service Industries: Transport, real estate, banking and insurance, and public administration. The High-Technology Sector: Manufacture of equipment for computers, communications, and aerospace industries. Hyderabad – “India’s Silicon Valley”

Tourism income is important in several South Asian nations: Nepal: Hike and climb the Himalayan slopes. India: Temples and festivals attract more than 2 million people year round. Sri Lanka: Lush rain forests and tropical beaches. Ecotourism: Form of tourism that encourages responsible interaction with the environment and endangered species.

South Asia: High population densities meet fragile ecosystems. Sustainable development: Using resources at a rate that does not deplete them for future generations. Wildlife: South Asia is home to a wide variety of animals. Elephants, water buffalo, monkeys, crocodiles, and Bengali tigers. Poaching: The illegal killing or protected animals. Water: Lack of clean water is a problem in South Asia. The population uses water that is polluted by human waste & chemical runoff.

Forests: Today the region is in a state of environmental crisis. Major contributor: DEFORESTATION. British Rule: Commercial timber operations destroyed many old-growth South Asian forests. Slash-and-Burn Agriculture: An ancient technique used still today in some regions. Chipko Movement: “Tree-hugger” movement was founded by Sunderlal Bahaguna. Put a government ban on timber production in Himalayan forests.

Conflict in Kashmir: 1947: An ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan over the Kashmir region. Today: Pakistan controls 1/3 rd of the area; India controls the remainder. 1998: Danger escalated as both India and Pakistan tested nuclear warheads. Nuclear proliferation: The spreading development of nuclear arms.

Some South Asian conflicts occur within countries. Sri Lanka: Buddhist Sinhalese: Control the government. Tamils: These people are Hindu. Represent only 20% of the population. Accuses government of discrimination. India: Suffers from its ancient social class system. Dalits: Those traditionally assigned to the lowest social status. Continue to experience discrimination. Denied: Housing, education, and jobs.

The beautiful beaches of Sri Lanka.

First, pick 1 person to work with. With your partner, choose 1 South Asian country: India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives. Next, collect information on your country. Use pages to look for this information. Questions to consider answering: What landforms are present in your country? What is the climate like in your country? Describe the human characteristics: history, religion, ext.