Chapter 24 Physical Geography of South Asia The land Where Continents Collided Section 1 Landforms and Resources Mt. Everest (29,035 ft.) is part of the Himalayan Mountains that form the border of the Indian subcontinent that includes India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives
rivers: Indus in Pakistan Brahmaputra in India and Bangladesh Ganges (sacred to Hindus) in India fertile plains: Indo-Gangetic plain is one of the most fertile farming regions in the world islands: Sri Lanka is the tear-shaped island and the Maldives are an archipelago including several atolls
Natural Resources: many types of fish forests for bamboo, sandalwood, teak and more minerals such as coal, natural gas, uranium, etc.
Section 2: Climate and Vegetation six main climate zones (see chart on page 557) very diverse vegetation from deserts to rain forests monsoons and cyclones have a huge impact on the environment
Section 3: Human- Environment Interaction Hinduism is main religion in India and Ganges river is sacred (why polluted if sacred?)
controlling rivers during storm surges and high runoff is crucial to the survival of low lying areas like Bangladesh
Chapter 25 Human Geography of South Asia: A Region of Contrasts Section 1: India Aryans (2500 B.C.) Mughal Empire (1500s) British (1857) - raj
1947 India gains independence through nonviolent resistance and Gandhi s leadership Shortly thereafter Pakistan and Bangladesh separate from India
India is world s largest democracy over a billion people ½ of India s people live in poverty many of them rural farmers land reform and the Green Revolution have helped, but still a huge problem Industry is another area of the economy that is strengthening but requires people to move to already very crowded cities
Indian culture is a blend of many language, ethnic, and religious groups 18 major languages w/ over 1,000 dialects Hindi official language and English also widely spoken other common religions include: Jainism, Christianity, Sikhism, and Buddhism main religion is Hinduism (80%) polytheistic, reincarnation, karma, dharma, caste system, etc.
caste system 4 basic castes Brahmans priests and scholars Kshatriyas rulers and warriors Vaisyas farmers and merchants Sudras artisans and laborers Dalits (outcastes) banned under new constitution
history of Indus Valley civilization began around 2500 B.C. and included cities like Mohenjo-Daro Section 2: Pakistan and Bangladesh many of the same invaders as India including the British
one religion, many peoples Islam is main religion and unifying force in both countries Pakistan mainly Urdu speaking - more ethnically diverse (more tribes)
life very family oriented arranged marriages still occur (advantages/disadvantages) many people still live in small villages even though some big cities lots and lots of poverty
Section 3: Nepal and Bhutan mountain kingdoms located in the Himalayas with a similar history of isolation and development including both being constitutional monarchies today
Nepal and Bhutan have limited resources agriculture is limited in poor, rocky soil tourism is increasing (more in Nepal than Bhutan) as foreigners look to climb Everest and Sherpas can earn a living as a guide
Nepal has more Hindus even though it s near the home of Siddhartha Gautama Buddhism is the official religion of Bhutan where they practice Tibetan Buddhism including the use of mandalas
Section 4: Sri Lanka and the Maldives Sri Lanka split between Sinhalese (Buddhists) and Tamils (Hindus) Maldives (1200 islands) converted to Islam and had a series of sultans for centuries is now one of the smallest (number > 400,000) independent countries
Sri Lanka economy based on farming mostly rice farming but also produce rubber, tea and coconuts for export. Sri Lanka is also famous for its gems especially sapphires, rubies and topaz. Today, Sri Lanka has the highest per capita income in South Asia and Maldives are not far behind. Today unstable politics and conflict is hurting Sri Lanka Maldives rely on fishing tuna, marlin, and sharks traditionally, but now rely more on tourism. Problem is they are low lying islands and global warming could cause ocean levels to rise and wipe out much of the islands
Chapter 26 Todays Issues: South Asia Section 1: Population Explosion
widespread poverty and illiteracy leave millions struggling for hope education and family planning can help reverse the trend. Is there an overpopulation problem? South Asia struggles with such a large population that many of its citizens lack basic necessities like food, shelter, and clothing
Section 2: Living with Extreme weather monsoons in summer (June-September) and winter (October-February) have a huge impact on South Asia physical floods and muds in summer if too much rain and droughts in winter if not enough economic famine from crop failures, loss of life and property in floods, need of help from foreign countries (is it our concern?)
read the case study on page 600 should we care about Kashmir?
all photos: Sean Simons