South Asia

Unit Introduction
Defining South Asia
South Asia
 The
Size of
South
Asia
Subcontinent
• Subcontinent- large landmass
that juts out from a continent
• 3 of world’s 10 most populous
countries- India, Pakistan, and
Bangladesh
History and Religions
 Introduction: Good Chance A Midterm Question On
This!
• Although virtually surrounded by
mountains, South Asia is home
to ancient cultures influenced by
other parts of Asia
• Harappan
• Aryans
• Moguls (Mongols)
South Asian Religions
• South Asia is the origin of three
different religions
• Hinduism
• Buddhism
• Sikhism
• The region is also home to 3 of
the 4 largest Muslim populations
Hinduism
• An uniquely South Asian religion,
Hinduism is one of the oldest
religions in the world.
• Hinduism contains many
different Gods, all representing
facets of the unity of the
universe, or one God, Brahman
Buddhism
• Buddhism formed in
northeastern India in the 6th
century B.C. based on the
teachings of its founder
Siddhartha Gautama – The
Buddha
• Over the following centuries, it
diffused throughout much of
Asia.
Sikhism
• The Sikh religion originated in
the Indian region of Punjab
during the late 1400s.
• About 23 million people now
practice Sikhism worldwide.
Geography and Key
Geographic Features
The Hindu
Kush
Key Physical Features
Mountains
and the Mountains Rivers and Plains Other
Himalayan • Hindu Kush
mountains divide
• The rivers flood
each year, leaving
Features
Mountains the subcontinent fertile plains. • The Deccan is a
have acted from Central Asia. • India’s most large, hilly plateau
• The Eastern and important river is located to the
as a barrier Western Ghats the Ganges. south of the
to isolated separate India’s Ganges Plain.
• A delta is a
east and west • The Thar, or Great
the region! landform at the
coasts from the mouth of a river. Indian Desert, is
Good chance country’s interior. • The Ganges Plain is
made up of rolling
• The Himalayas run sand dunes.
this is a test India’s farming
• The Tarai in
along the northern heartland.
question on border and are southern Nepal has
• The Indus River
the Midterm! home to the fertile farmland and
creates a fertile tropical jungles.
world’s highest
plain known as the
mountains.
Indus River Valley.
Go to Page 597

• In the three inset boxes, write the additional

information on the lines next to the
previous slide.
Mountains – Himalaya
• As the Indian subcontinent
moves slowly and steadily into
Asia, it pushes up the highest
mountains in the world
• The 1,500-mile (2,414-km) long
Himalaya, which have individual
peaks that reach more than 5
miles (8 km) high.
• Contains the tallest mountain in
the world, Mt. Everest
Mountains – Karakoram Range
• The Karakoram Mountain Range
extends over some 80,000
square miles (207,000 sq. km)
• It contains Earth's second-
highest peak, K2.
Major Rivers
• Major rivers drain the region
from their source high in the
Himalaya in the north to the
floodplains in the south.
• These rivers carry fertile soil
used to grow food for the
region’s large population.
Go to page 598
• Write down the names of all the different mountain
ranges and ghats (ghats are ranges of hills) found in
South Asia on the lines next to the previous slides.
• Write down the name of the main plateau found in
South Asia on the lines next to the previous slides.
Ganges River
• The Ganges River is one of
Hinduism's most sacred sites.
• Hindus believe that scattering
the ashes of the deceased on
the Ganges aids the soul in the
next life.
Ganges River
• South Asia's powerful
Brahmaputra River carries rich
soil throughout the region.
• However, the river can also
cause destructive flooding.
• In 2012, some 1.7 million people
were forced from their homes
because of flooding along the
Brahmaputra.
Go to pages 598-599

• Write down the names and location of each

of the major rivers in South Asia on the lines
next to the previous slides.
Indo- Gangetic plain
• Area that surrounds the Ganges and Brahmaputra
rivers
• Best farmland in India
• No coincidence that this is one of the two most densely
populated areas in India
• They farm rice, wheat, cotton, sugarcane, and tea
Indo-Gangetic Plain
• Densely populated region
• Centers of Maurya(300BC),
Gupta (4 th Century Ad)
Mughal ( 1526-1707) and the
British Empire (1757-1947)
• Major Urban Centers in South
Asia
• Lahore, Delhi, Banaras,
Calcutta and Dacca
• Agricultural Heartland of
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh.
Go to the Economic Activity Map on page
601 and the Population Density Map on page
602
• Write down on the lines next to the
previous slides:
• Where are the main areas of commercial
and subsistence farming?
• How does this relate to the rivers, plains,
and population density?
 Climate Regions

1. Highland climate
• Himalayas
• Brings cool temperatures to much of Nepal and Bhutan
2. Humid subtropical climate
• Plains south of the Himalayas
• Hot, humid summers with plenty of rainfall
3. Tropical climate
• Covers much of the subcontinent
• Tropical savanna in central India and Sri Lanka
• Humid tropical climate in southwest India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and
Bangladesh
4. Desert and steppe climate
• Throughout southern and western India and most of Pakistan
• Dry
Go to the Climate and Vegetation Map on page
600 and the Economic Activity Map on page 601
• Write down on the lines next to the previous
slide the types of vegetation found in each
climate zone.
• Write down on the lines next to the previous
slide the main economic activities found in each
climate zone.
Go to the Population Density Map on page 602
and the Climate and Vegetation Map on page 600.
• Identify which cities have over 5 million
people.
• What areas have high population density
and how does this relates to the major
geographic features and climate and
vegetation zones?
Monsoon – Seasonal Winds
• Strong winds traveling across warm
seas bring the wet season to South
Asia, providing rain vitally needed
by the region’s farms but also
causing flooding in low-lying areas.
• These same winds blow out to sea
during the winter months, leading
to a prolonged dry season.
• Good chance this is a test question
on the Midterm!
Seasonal winds known as monsoons bring rain every summer.
India is dependent upon monsoons to grow their crops. Not
enough rain brings drought. When there is too much rain,
rivers rise and cause deadly floods and destruction of crops.
Climate
Monsoons - seasonal winds that blow from the NE Nov. to Mar. and
from the SW June to Oct.
Climate
If the wet monsoon arrives late or brings little rain, crops fail; too
much rain, flooding destroys the countryside
 Go to the Colored Monsoon Map you were
given
• Label the areas that DO NOT RECEIVE ANY RAIN
FROM THE SUMMER MONSOONS.
• Then go back to the Population Density Map on page
602, and make notes on the Monsoon Map of the
major cities like Mumbai, Hyderbad (India’s and
Pakistan’s), etc…
• At the bottom of the Monsoon Map, explain the
relationship between the monsoons and the
population density in BULLET FORMAT.