Chp 24: Physical Geography of South Asia

Landforms and Resources  South Asia = subcontinent Peninsulas surrounded by mountains and oceans Peninsulas surrounded by mountains and oceans  ½ the size of the U.S.  More than 1 billion inhabitants

Take Five…  Look at the graphic on pg 551.  How do scientists believe the Himalayas were formed?

Mountains and Plateaus  Himalayas are located in 5 countries: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal  Serve as a natural barrier between South Asia and the rest of Asia

Mt. Everest 29,035 feet

Wally Points…  How many people have successfully climbed Mt. Everest?  How old was the oldest person to successfully climb the mountain?  How young was the youngest person to successfully climb the mountain?  How many corpses remain on the mountain?

Answers…  How many people have successfully climbed Mt. Everest? At the end of the 2004 climbing season, 1,400 different climbers from twenty different countries had completed a total of over 2,000 climbs.  How old was the oldest person to successfully climb the mountain? Yuichiro Miura age 70  How young was the youngest person to successfully climb the mountain? Temba Tsheri 15  How many corpses remain on the mountain? To date, 189 people have died trying to reach the summit, which sets the fatality rate at around nine percent. Most of these fatalities happened before In the last ten years, advances in climbing equipment and more experienced guides have resulted in a steep drop in fatality statistics: from 37% in 1990 to 4.4% in 2004.

Mountain ranges as natural barriers  Hindu Kush—west of the Himalayas cut off Pakistan from Afghanistan Khyber Pass Khyber Pass

Rivers, Deltas & Plains  Indus, Ganges & Brahmaputra Rivers  Meet and form one large delta before Bay of Bengal  Provide irrigation for agriculture  Carry alluvial soil to alluvial plains (deposits of fertile soil) Indo-Gangetic Plain one of most fertile region in the world Indo-Gangetic Plain one of most fertile region in the world 3/5’s population of South Asia located here 3/5’s population of South Asia located here

Indus River

Ganges River

Brahmaputra River

Offshore Islands  Sri Lanka Teardrop island in the Indian Ocean Teardrop island in the Indian Ocean  The Maldives Archipelago—island group of 1,200 islands Archipelago—island group of 1,200 islands Atoll—tops of submerged volcanoesAtoll—tops of submerged volcanoes Only 200 of the islands are inhabitableOnly 200 of the islands are inhabitable 115 square miles115 square miles

“Teardrop” Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka

The Maldives

Take Five…  Complete the Skill Builder questions on pg 554

Natural Resources  Water resources Alluvial plains (for fertile agriculture) Alluvial plains (for fertile agriculture) Irrigation for agriculture Irrigation for agriculture Hydroelectricity Hydroelectricity Transportation and trade Transportation and trade Fishing Fishing  Timber Rainforests—teak, sal, bamboo & sandalwood Rainforests—teak, sal, bamboo & sandalwood Highlands & Nepal—pine, fir etc Highlands & Nepal—pine, fir etc Deforestation & soil erosion are problems Deforestation & soil erosion are problems  Minerals Coal production (India=4 th largest in the world) Coal production (India=4 th largest in the world) Natural gas production—India, Pakistan & Bangladesh Natural gas production—India, Pakistan & Bangladesh Uranium, mica, diamonds & iron-ore—India Uranium, mica, diamonds & iron-ore—India Diamonds & other precious gemstones—Sri Lanka Diamonds & other precious gemstones—Sri Lanka

Natural Mineral Resources

Take Five…  Complete the Skill Builder questions on pg 557

Sec 2: Climate and Vegetation  6 main climate zones (see skill builder map) Tropical wet Tropical wet Tropical wet/dry Tropical wet/dry Desert—only 10 inches per year ave. Desert—only 10 inches per year ave. Semiarid—high temps & light rainfall Semiarid—high temps & light rainfall Humid subtropical Humid subtropical Highland—coldest climate Highland—coldest climate

Monsoons  Seasonal winds Oct-Feb dry winds from northeast Oct-Feb dry winds from northeast June-Sept moist winds from southeast June-Sept moist winds from southeast Provides rainfall for regionProvides rainfall for region UnpredictableUnpredictable Flooding or drought… Flooding or drought…

South Asia Monsoons

Devastation from monsoon flooding

Cyclones  Hurricanes/tornadoes—devastating storms with heavy rains and winds  Bangladesh most prone to cyclones

Cyclones

Vegetation of South Asia  Lush Rainforest of Bangladesh  Deserts like Thar Desert with little vegetation

Sec 3: Human-Environment Interaction  The significance of the Ganges River Hinduism religious rituals Hinduism religious rituals Drinking water Drinking water Effects of pollution Effects of pollution Raw sewageRaw sewage Industrial wasteIndustrial waste Corpses of animals & humansCorpses of animals & humans Plethora of bacteriaPlethora of bacteria Illness, disease and deathIllness, disease and death

Take Five…  Complete the Skill Builder question on pg 561

Ganges River…the Holy River

Ganges River—One of most polluted rivers in the world

Flooding of the Feni River

The process of building a dam  Employing a Dutch engineering firm  Unskilled labor force of Bangladesh  Bamboo mats to prevent erosion  Boulders to weight down the mats  Clay filled bags on top of the boulders  Feb. 28, 1985—filling in the closure (completing the dam)—low tide  600,000 bags followed by clay to 30 ft then concrete, brick with a road built over the top

Building a dam to control flood waters of the Feni River