1. South Asia
Physical Geography

2. Mountains Mountains are important in Asia because they influence:
Population patterns
Movement of people and goods
Climate

3. Mountains
The most important mountain range in Asia is the Himalaya Mountains.
The Himalayas separate India from China. .

6. Mountains Some other mountains in Asia are: The Hindu-Kush
The Eastern and Western Ghats in India

7. Rivers and Bodies of Water
Many rivers in Asia start in the Himalaya Mountains.
Rivers erode away the mountains and carry sediment (little bits of dirt) down to the flat plains at the base of the mountains.
The sediment makes the soil by the rivers fertile and a good place to farm.

8. Rivers and Bodies of Water
The most important rivers in South Asia are:
The Indus
The Ganges
The Brahmaputra

9. Rivers and Bodies of Water
The Ganges and Brahmaputra start in the Himalayas and flow into the Bay of Bengal. Both rivers flow through Bangladesh and as a result, this country often floods during the monsoon season.

11. The Ganges
The Ganges deposits sediment on a flat area called the Indo-Gangetic Plain. This river is important to India because it:
Provides water for agriculture
Provides water for factories and industries
Provides water for human use
Is considered sacred by Hindus

12. The Ganges
Hindus build temples on the banks of the Ganges River. One city, Varanasi, is considered sacred by Hindus and the focal point of pilgrimages. Hindus often pray in the water and when they die many are cremated and the ashes cast into the river.

13. Varanasi on the Ganges River

14. The Ganges
The Ganges River has become one of the most polluted rivers in the world due to:
A. Pesticides and fertilizers that spill into the river.
B. Chemicals and metals from factories.
Raw sewage
D. Human use

15. Maldives
The Maldives are located off of the southwest coast of India in the Indian Ocean. There are over 1200 small islands in the archipelago. The islands are atolls, the tops of submerged volcanoes surrounded by coral reefs.

18. Natural Hazards The natural hazards that are found in Asia are:
Monsoons
Typhoons (Cyclones)
Volcanoes and Earthquakes

19. Monsoon
A monsoon is a seasonal wind that occurs in South and Southeast Asia. During the summer monsoon wind blows from south to north. The wind pushes clouds over South and Southeast Asia causing rain.

21. Climate and Vegetation
Asia has varied climate regions because:
Zones of latitude - Part of Asia is in the low latitudes and
part of it is in the middle latitudes.
Elevation - Mountainous regions in Asia have colder
climates.
Topography - Mountains block rainfall causing deserts
on one side.