1. South Asia

2. Pakistan
South Asia by majority religion
India
Nepal
Bhutan
Bangladesh
Hindu
Islam
Buddhism
Sri Lanka
Maldives

3. Introduction Geopolitical tension  religious division
Hindu (India)  Muslim (Pakistan)
Demographic concerns  high natural growth
High population density
Limited resource bases
Less connected to the global economy
Slow economic growth
Inward orientation

4. Environmental Geography
Diverse Landscapes, from Tropical Islands to Mountain Rim

5. The Four Subregions of South Asia
Mountains of the North
Indus-Ganges-Brahmaputra Lowlands
Peninsular India
The Southern Islands

6. Mountains of the North Mt. Everest
Includes the world’s highest mountain
Produced by the collision between tectonic plates
 seismically active

7. Indus-Ganges-Brahmaputra Lowlands
Brahmaputra R.
Indus R.
Ganges R.
Created by three major river systems
Population core areas

8. Peninsular India Deccan Plateau Eastern Ghats Western Ghats
Continuous Western Ghats  narrow western coastal plains
Discontinuous Eastern Ghats  broad eastern coastal plains  high population densities

9. The Southern Islands Sri Lanka: Maldives:
Mountains in the southern interior
ringed by extensive coastal plains
Maldives:
Flat and low coral atolls

10. Monsoon rain – June in Mumbai
During the summer monsoon, Mumbai receives more than 70 inches of rain in just three months

11. (Distinct seasonal change of wind direction)
South Asia’s Climates
Most of South Asia has three distinct seasons
June – Oct.: warm and rainy season
Nov. – Feb: cool and dry season
Match – May: hot period
What is the major factor of this distinct season?
Monsoon
(Distinct seasonal change of wind direction)

12. Monsoons in South Asia Summer  wet Winter  dry Southwest monsoon
Northeast monsoon

13. Orographic rainfall  wet
451 inches
Rain-shadow effect  dry
10 inches
Orographic rainfall results from the uplifting and cooling of moist monsoon winds over high mountains
Rainfall varies greatly from place to place Ganges Delta  rice; Punjab  wheat

14. Flooding in Bangladesh
Natural condition
High precipitation
Low-lying land
Cyclone
Ganges Delta
Man-made condition
High population density
Deforestation in the river headwater

15. Population and Settlement
The Demographic Dilemma

16. Soon will become the world’s most populous region
 High natural growth
Fertility patterns vary by countries  family planning
India, Bangladesh vs. Pakistan
One of the least urbanized regions in the world

17. Population distribution
 Fertile soils
 Dependable water supplies

18. Pull factor: rural-to-urban migration
Mumbai, Delhi, Calcutta
Push factor: refugees
Afghanistan, Kashmir, Burma, Sri Lanka

19. Crop zones in South Asia
Punjab
Rice  wet, fertile
Wheat  semiarid, fertile
Millet, Sorghum  less fertile

20. Cattle in India India has the world’s largest cattle population
They don’t produce meat due to Hinduism
Rather, produce milk as major sources of protein
Also used for plowing and pulling carts

21. Major cities in South Asia
Islamabad
Lahore
Delhi
Karachi
Dhaka
Calcutta
Mumbai

22. Major cities in South Asia
India
Mumbai: financial center and media capital of India
Delhi: political capital (former Muslim capital, colonial capital)
Calcutta: trading center, declined after partition (1947)
Pakistan
Karachi: commercial core
Islamabad: forward capital – religious, and geopolitical
Bangladesh
Dhaka: global center for clothing, and shoe manufacturing

23. Overurbanization in South Asia
Mumbai hutments

24. Cultural Coherence and Diversity
A Common Heritage Rent by Religious Rivalries

25. Long united by Hinduism Arrival of Islam British imperialism
Caste System
Arrival of Islam
Religious rivalries between Hindu and Muslim
British imperialism
Use of English due to multilingualism

26. Historic overview of South Asia
3000 B.C.
2000 B.C.
800 B.C.
1000
1600 A.D.
Indus Valley Civilization
Invasion of Indo-Aryan
Ganges Valley Civilization
Muslim rules
Hinduism
Caste System
Sikhism
Buddhism
Islam
Jainism

27. Religious diversity in South Asia
Hinduism (1500 B.C.~)
Indus valley civilization + Indo-Aryan religion
Persist to present day (eg. Caste System); main religion in India
Buddhism, Jainism (500 B.C.~)
Challenge to Hinduism orthodoxy
Islam (1000 A.D.~)
Muslim rule in the north or trade network in the south
Active conversion from Hindus to Islam particularly in northwest (Pakistan) and northeast (Bangladesh)
Sikhism (1400 A.D. ~)
Hinduism + Islam in Punjab(modern bnd b/w. India and Pakistan)

28. Geographies of Religion
Hinduism
India, S Nepal
Islam
Pakistan, Bangladesh, Maldives
15% of India
Sikhism: Punjab
Buddhism
Sri Lanka, Bhutan, NE Kashmir, N Nepal
Jainism: Gujarat
Christian: Goa, NE India
Muslim rule
Sikhism
Jainism
Northeast tribal area
Goa
Trade networks of the Arabian Sea

29. Linguistic diversity in South Asia
Indo-European (north)
Iranian
Baluchi, Pashtun  western Pakistan, Afghanistan
Indo-Aryan
Closely associated with Indian states
Bengali, Punjabi  Indian states with Bangladesh, eastern Pakistan
Singhalese, Divehi  Sri Lanka, Maldives
Dravidian (south)
Confined to southern India

30. Geographies of Language
Indo-European north
Dravidian south

31. Linguistic Dilemmas So many different languages in one country
India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
India has 15 official languages with no unified national language
Role of media
Hindi is spreading through popular media
Role of English
Main integrating language of India

32. South Asian global diaspora
British India: settlements in British colonies
Contemporary India: migrated into U.S. and North America

33. Geopolitical Framework
A Deeply Divided Region

34. British rule (mid 18c ~ mid 20c) Independence and partition
Separation of Pakistan from India (1947)
Separation of Bangladesh from East Pakistan (1971)
Continuing tension between Pakistan and India
Intensified by the nuclear capabilities of both

35. Mughal Empire (mid 16c ~ mid 19c)
Muslim
Portuguese
Hindu
Dutch

36. British Conquest (mid 18c ~ mid 20c)
During chaotic waning years of the Mughal Empire (18c), the British East India Company began to monopolize trade
After Sepoy Rebellion (1856), South Asia was ruled directly by the British government

37. Independence and Partition
The British withdrew from South Asia in 1947
The region was divided into two countries: a Hindu-majority India and a Muslim-majority Pakistan (1947)
Bangladesh was separated from East Pakistan (1971)

38. Conflicts in Kashmir  Hostility between Pakistan and India
Before the partition, this regions of predominantly Muslim population was ruled by a Hindu maharaja
Some Kashmirs wish to to join Pakistan while others argue for an independent state

39. Separatism in Punjab region
 Hostility between the Sikh majority and the Indian government
Sikh-majority Punjab
Hindu-majority Haryana
Sikh leaders strived for autonomy
Sikh temple at Amritsar

40. Civil war in Sri Lanka  Religious and linguistic differences
Hindu Tamils
: support political autonomy
Buddhist Singhalese
: favor unitary government

41. Global implication of the tension between India and Pakistan
During Cold War
Pakistan – U.S.  India –? Soviet Union
After 1991
Pakistan – China  India
China’s animosity toward India
Pakistan – Taliban Afghanistan
After 9/11
Pakistan – U.S.  Taliban Afghanistan
But anti-Americanism in Pakistan needs to be addressed

42. Economic and Social Development
Burdened by Poverty

43. South Asian Poverty Disparity between social classes
World-class scientific and technological accomplishments
Largest undernourished and malnourished people
Developmental contradictions in economic history
Land of great riches until the early modern period
Exploitation by external forces
Central Asian, the British

44. The poorest world region along with Sub-Saharan Africa
Pessimism: undercut by large and growing population
Optimism: globally interconnected IT industry

45. The Himalayan countries
Disadvantaged by their rugged terrain and remote locations
Bhutan
Isolationist policy
Nepal
Closely integrated with the Indian economy
Relies heavily on international tourism

46. Bangladesh Bad news Good news
Burdened by massive population, environmental degradation, and colonial legacy
Devastating effect of partition (1947)
Increasingly uncompetitive Jute market
Good news
Competitive in textile manufacture  low wage rate
Falling birthrate  economic growth begins to catch up with its population growth

47. Pakistan Current potential Future potential
Productive agricultural sector (eg. Punjab)
Large textile industry  huge cotton crop
Export of surgical implements  legacy of sword-making center
Future potential
Burdened by high level of defense spending
Powerful landlord class with no benefit for economy
Failure to develop IT industry (cf. India)

48. Sri Lanka and the Maldives
Specialization in textiles and tea
Perennial civil war overshadows potentials such as strategic location, and high levels of education
Maldives
Revenues from fishing and international tourism

49. Economic division in India
Lesser developed areas
Centers of economic growth
Green Revolution
Subsistence economy
Social conservatism
Political corruption
Merchants Remittance
Socialist economic policy
India’s economic pacesetter
High-tech sector

50. Major industrial areas

51. Economic policy after independence
Mixed socialist-capitalist system by the 1980s
Economic nationalism
Self-sufficiency policy
Liberalization of economy since the early 1990s
Privatization of state-owned industries
Deregulation
Internationalization

52. Global linkages

53. High levels of social welfare in the south
Sri Lanka, Maldives, southwestern India
Low levels of social welfare in the north
Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, northern India

54. The status of women
Women has a very low social position in both the Hindu and Muslim traditions
Women in the Hindu tradition
Excluded from inheriting land, early marriage, dowry, not allowed to remarry
Women has a high social position in southern India and Sri Lanka
Inheritance through the female line in Kerala