Pre-AP Geography The Asian Realm - South Asia Physical llhammon

The Land South Asia consists of a large peninsula with Sri Lanka a large island near its southern tip. The peninsula that India is located on is also known as a subcontinent – a large landmass smaller than a continent which is bordered on three sides by oceans.

South Asia is bordered by the Himalayas to the north, the Arabian sea to the west, the Indian Ocean to the south, and the Bay of Bengal to the east.

Six countries make up South Asia. India Pakistan Nepal Bhutan Bangladesh Sri Lanka

Physical Geography India is a huge peninsula separated from the Asian mainland by the Himalayan Mountains.

India is the largest country in South Asia by landmass and population India is the largest country in South Asia by landmass and population. India has the second largest population in the world with just over a billion people, but by 2025 will be the largest. India is the largest democracy in the world. The Deccan Plateau in the south of India covers 2/3 of the country. Most of the population lives in the northern plains, which are rich agriculturally.

Maldives consists of 1,200 coral islands, none of which covers more than 5 square miles

Bangladesh Bangladesh has the largest river delta in the world, where the Ganges River and the Brahmaputra River empty into the Indian Ocean.

Sri Lanka large island off the southeastern coast of India Largest exporter of tea in the world

Nepal and Bhutan small countries are tucked away high in the Himalayas.

The sources of the major rivers are found in the Himalayan Mountains. Three Great River Systems and the world’s largest alluvial plain are located in South Asia. The sources of the major rivers are found in the Himalayan Mountains. The Indus River The Ganges River The Brahmaputra River South Asia has little oil reserves, natural gas, uranium, or coal. They do have mineral deposits, including iron ore and mica. Mineral wealth is greater than oil reserves or natural gas.

The Indus River the site of some of the earliest civilizations in South Asia. It flows mainly through Pakistan and empties into the Arabian Sea.

The Ganges River considered a sacred river to the people in South Asia. carries fertile soil from the mountains into the floodplains of the great river. The Indo-Gangetic Plain is the huge alluvial plain created by the flooding of the Indus and Ganges rivers. It is the largest continuous alluvial plain in the world.

The Brahmaputra River flows out of the mountains near Nepal and joins the Ganges to create the broad delta along the Bay of Bengal

Brahmaputra Ganges at Varanasi

Mountains and Plateaus of South Asia

The Himalayas -system of parallel mountain ranges extending across southern Asia.

The Himalayas -created by the collision of tectonic plates. -Mount Everest is the tallest peak in the world at 29,029 feet above sea level.

The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everest as seen from the International Space Station looking south-south-east over the Tibetan Plateau. Four of the world's fourteen eight-thousanders, mountains higher than 8000 meters, can be seen. The South Col Route is Mount Everest's most often used climbing route.

The Hindu Kush Mountains The Hindu Kush Mountains form the northern border between Pakistan and the Eurasian countries.

Karakorum Mountains This range meets the Himalayan range in the northernmost part of South Asia. The combination of these ranges create a formidable barrier between the Indian subcontinent and the rest of Asia.

Vindhya Mountains This range lies across the center of the Indian subcontinent. These mountains have created a barrier between the people in the northern part of India and those in the south.

The Ghats and the Deccan Plateau The Deccan Plateau, Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats form a triangle at the southern tip of the subcontinent.

Natural Resources Fertile soil hydroelectricity Fish and other seafood Oil and Natural gas Minerals: iron ore, manganese, chromite, coal, gypsum, copper, gold, and mica. Graphite (Sri Lanka) Precious and semi-precious stones (sri Lanka) Timber