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Physical Geography of South AsiaSouth Asia’s Physical Features(1)South Asia is a subcontinent, a geographically unique part of a larger continent. India is the largest country in the region of South Asia. The other six countries are Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Maldives, and Sri Lanka.Three mountain ranges form South Asia’s northern border. They are the Hindu Kush, the Karakoram, and the Himalaya. The Himalaya range includes Mount Everest. At 29,028 feet (8,848 m), it is the highest mountain in the world. The world’s second highest peak is K2 and is located in the Karakoram. The mountain ranges were created by plate tectonics. They form a physical barrier. Invaders and traders could enter through only a few openings, such as the Khyber Pass between Afghanistan and Pakistan. (2)Three major rivers begin in the mountain ranges. They are the Indus, the Ganges, and the Brahmaputra. The Indus flows southward through Pakistan to the Arabian Sea. The Ganges and Brahmaputra flow east and southeast to the Bay of Bengal. They cross a vast plains area. One-tenth of the world’s people live in the alluvial plain created by the Ganges River. This is an area of fertile soil deposited by floodwaters. It is the world’s longest alluvial plain. The Brahmaputra and the Ganges come together and form the largest delta on Earth. Deltas are places where rivers deposit soil at the mouth of a river. This delta is one of the most fertile farming regions in the world.Sri Lanka and Maldives are the two island countries of South Asia. Sri Lanka lies off the southeastern tip of India. Maldives lies southwest of India’s tip. It is made up of numerous islands. Many of them are small, ring-shaped coral islands called atolls. Indus, Brahmaputra & Ganges Ganges Delta South Asia’s Climates(3)Much of the region’s climate is a result of seasonal wind patterns calledmonsoons. Little or no rain falls for eight months of the year. In May and early June, temperatures soar, causing the wind direction to change. Winds from the Indian Ocean bring heavy rains and flooding. Without the monsoons, the region could not grow enough food for its people. However, the floods also damage property and cause loss of life.Large, swirling storms called cyclones often slam into the coast along the Bay of Bengal. The strong winds push water onto the shore, flooding low-lying areas far inland. A cyclone can kill tens of thousands of people. River deltas are especially vulnerable. Monsoon Cyclone South Asia’s Natural Resources(4)South Asians rely on rivers for irrigation, drinking and household water, and transportation. Fast-flowing rivers can also be used to generate electricity. Rivers are considered sacred in Hinduism, the main religion in India.India has most of South Asia’s mineral resources. Nepal and Sri Lanka also have mineral resources. Iron ore, manganese, and chromite are used to make steel. Mica is a rock used to manufacture electrical equipment. Graphite is the “lead” used in pencils. It is also used in batteries. Steel Electrical Equipment Graphite(5)There are important petroleum reserves in northern Pakistan and near the Ganges Delta, as well as in the Arabian Sea west of Mumbai. Overall, though, South Asia depends on imported oil. There are natural gas fields in southern Pakistan and in Bangladesh. India has uranium deposits. This uranium is used in the country’s nuclear power plants.Valuable timber resources include teak, sal, and sandalwood. However, forests are more than just resources for wood products. They take in carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, and release oxygen. Tree roots hold soil in place, reducing erosion. Indian forests are home to three of Earth’s most endangered species: the tiger, the Asian elephant, and the one-horned rhinoceros. South Asians are working to reverse some of the region’s wildlife losses. The creation of wildlife reserves and laws controlling hunting and logging have started to make a difference. History of South AsiaEarly South Asia(6)One of the oldest known civilizations was located near the Indus River. Called the Indus Valley civilization, it dates back to 3500 B.C. It formed about the same time as other river-valley civilizations around the world. Archaeologists have discovered two large cities and dozens of smaller settlements. The people of this culture left written records. Most were farmers, but crafts also flourished. Evidence shows that people traded over long distances. The Indus Valley culture lasted about 1,000 years. No one knows why it ended. Crafts Written Records (7)About 1500 B.C., the Aryans began moving into what is now India. They probably came from Russia or Central Asia. Once in India, they became farmers. The Aryan civilization lasted about 1,000 years.Varnas were social classes. They included Brahmans, or priests. There were also Kshatriyas, who were warriors. The Vaisyas were merchants, and the Sudras were laborers. The Hindu sacred writings, the Vedas, explained that a person’s varna was based on what best suited him or her. Over time, however, the jati system began to shape how Indian society was organized. This system was based on the work a person did. It imposed restrictions on what people could do and how they related to each other. It led to the social system known as the caste system. People generally could not move from one social class to another. (8)The Aryans composed long, poetic texts called Vedas in the ancient Sanskrit language. Sanskrit is the parent of modern Hindi, one of the major languages of modern India.The Vedas were religious hymns handed down orally for centuries before being written down. The Rig Veda probably took shape around 1200 B.C. It is a series of hymns honoring Aryan deities. The hymns are full of imagery and philosophical ideas. Hinduism is a way of life with no founder and no single holy book. Hindus, however, believe in some of the same concepts. Hindus pay respect to the Vedas and take part in religious rituals. Hindus believe in reincarnation, or the rebirth of the soul in another body. (9)Around 500 B.C., two new religions arose in South Asia. One was Jainism, based on the principle of non-injury. Jains turned from farming to trade so they would not have to kill or injure any living creature.The other new religion, Buddhism, was founded by a prince named Siddhārtha Gautama. He gave up his wealthy lifestyle and traveled in poverty, seeking spiritual truth. When he reached his goal, he became known as “the Buddha,” or “the enlightened one." Like the Jains, Buddhists gave little attention to the varna system. Today, Hinduism remains the major religion of India. Buddhism has spread to other Asian countries, while Jainism remains a minor religion in India. Buddhism (10)From the 1500s to the early 1800s, the Mughal Empire flowered in India. The Mughals were Muslim. During this era, many South Asians converted to Islam. Most of the Mughals were tolerant. Akbar the Great encouraged freedom of religion. Culture, science, and the arts flourished under the Mughals. A Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, built the Taj Mahal, an architectural monument in memory of his beloved wife. Shah Jahan Taj Mahal Modern South Asia(11)Beginning in the 1600s, British traders established settlements in India. As the Mughal Empire declined, the traders became more powerful in the region. The British were especially interested in textiles, timber, and tea. After a bloody rebellion in 1857, the British government took direct control of most of South Asia. India became a British colony. Although the British built railways, schools, and ports, the Indians resented a foreign presence in their land. In the late 1800s, an independence movement began.In 1885 Indian supporters of independence formed the Indian National Congress. But the British did not want to give up the Raj, as their imperialist rule of India was called. The National Congress responded by encouraging a boycott, refusing to buy or use imported British goods. (12)In the early 1900s, two members of the Congress became leaders. Mohandas K. Gandhi was opposed to violence. His most powerful weapon was civil disobedience, or nonviolent resistance, to British rule. He was joined by a younger leader, Jawaharlal Nehru. In 1943 during the period of resistance, the world’s worst food disaster known as the Bengal Famine happened. About 4 million Indians died of starvation in that one year. Together, they finally persuaded the British to leave South Asia in 1947. Mohandas Gandhi Jawaharlal Nehru (13)South Asia has been troubled by religious and cultural divisions between Hindus and Muslims. As part of the independence settlement, the subcontinent was split into two countries. India was mainly Hindu. Pakistan was mainly Muslim. Tensions between the two countries developed. They have fought several wars and are involved in a dispute over the Kashmir region. In the late 1990s, both countries developed nuclear weapons. This nuclear proliferation, or spread of knowledge about how to produce nuclear weapons, could make conflict between the two nations dangerous. Life in South AsiaPeople and Places(14)South Asia is about half the size of the lower 48 states of the United States, but more than 1.5 billion people live there. That is about five times the U.S. population. The largest countries, in area and population, are India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. India is the world’s second-most-populous country, after China. However, the birthrate in India is higher than in China. This means that by 2030, India will be the world’s most populous country.The country’s business center, Mumbai, has about 20 million people. It is India’s largest city and the fourth-largest city in the world. Population density is the number of people living in a given unit of area. In Mumbai, the population density is 80,100 per square mile (30,900 per sq. km), seven times the world’s average. People and Cultures(15)The cultures of South Asia are highly diverse. We think of the United States as a “melting pot.” The same might be said of South Asia.India is the world largest democracy that is led by a prime minister. India has twenty-two official languages. The most common languages in Pakistan are Urdu and English. Urdu, like Hindi, developed from ancient Sanskrit. In Bangladesh, people speak Bangla, a version of Indian Bengali. Most people in Sri Lanka speak Sinhalese, which has its own alphabet. (16)Two great epic poems of ancient India, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, embody Hindu social and religious values. South Asian children of all religions know the plots and characters of these epics. The region is also a center for classical dance. Music is a thriving art. Ravi Shankar was probably India’s best-known musician. He played the sitar, a stringed instrument. Motion pictures arrived in India in 1896. The country now has the world’s largest film industry.Six main religions are practiced in South Asia. Sikhism developed in the 1500s, nearly 2,000 years after Buddhism and Jainism. Sikhs have some beliefs and practices like those of Hindus and Muslims but have a distinct religion. Like Muslims and Christians, Sikhs are monotheists: they believe in only one God. Sitar Sikhism (17)Holidays in South Asia are linked to religion. The Hindu holiday of Diwali, also called the Festival of Lights, marks the last harvest. The holiday honors the Hindu goddess of wealth. Families gather together, and lamps and fireworks are lit. Another holiday, called Vaisakhi, is especially important to Sikhs. Vaisakhi celebrates the Sikh New Year. Rangoli is folk art that is used for special celebrations in South Asia. Designs are drawn onto the ground, usually in chalk or colored powder and embellished with sand, rice, candles, or flower petals. The designs are allowed to blow away with the wind. Rangoli Issues in South Asia(18)Many South Asians are farmers, but good cropland is scarce. How do South Asian farmers grow enough food for the huge population? The green revolution has helped increase crop yields. It involves the use of irrigation, fertilizers, and high-yielding crops. With these improvements, India has not had to import food since the 1970s. This situation may change, though. These methods are no longer increasing productivity enough to meet the growing need for food.Some South Asians make a living from mining or fishing. Others own or work for cottage industries. These are small businesses that employ people in their homes. They include textile weaving, making jewelry and furniture, and wood carving. Advanced technology is a fast-growing part of the economy. Indian computer specialists, engineers, and software designers are in demand throughout the world. Another part of the economy is ecotourism, which combines recreational travel and environmental awareness. Green Revolution Cottage Industry (19)Because English is so widely spoken in India, the country is well suited for outsourcing. This occurs when a company hires another company or an individual outside its home territory to do work. Companies in the United States often outsource to other countries where workers are more flexible or willing to work for lower wages.South Asia faces many challenges. One issue in India is the oppression of dalits, the so-called “untouchables.” For centuries, these people have been discriminated against and treated as outcasts. Dalit status is associated with occupations such as leatherwork, butchering, removal of rubbish, removal of animal carcasses, and removal of human waste. Outsourcing Dalits(20)Another challenge is the long-standing conflict between India and Pakistan over Kashmir. Kashmir is a mostly Muslim territory on the border between Pakistan and India. Both countries want to control the region for its water resources. Dispute over Kashmir has sparked three wars between Pakistan and India. Important South Asian Women(21)Indira Gandhi was India’s female prime minister from 1966 to 1984. She helped the poor and extended voting rights.In Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto was elected the first female prime minister of an Islamic nation in 1988. She was assassinated in 2007. Indira Gandhi Benazir Bhutto ................
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