Physical Geography of South Asia Global History 9

Political Map Countries of South Asia

What do you notice about the physical geography of South Asia? Hindu Kush Khyber Pass I I Tibetan Plateau What do you notice about the physical geography of South Asia? Indus R. Himalayas Brahmaputra R. Thar Desert Ganges R. Arabian Sea Deccan Plateau Eastern Ghats Bay of Bengal Western Ghats Indian Ocean

Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean Allows for trade with other regions Separates South Asia from other regions Bay of Bengal Indian Ocean

Himalaya Mountains The Himalayas were created when the Indian subcontinent collided with the Asian continent, pushing up the earth's crust. Separates South Asia from rest of Asia.

‘The Roof of the World’ 29,035 ft ‘him’ [snow] ‘aalaya’ [home] Still rising ½ inch every year Contains every peak over 5 miles high on Earth Everest, K2

From Space… but…

Mount Everest - Worlds highest (not tallest) mountain, part of the Himalayas

25 crazy facts about Mt Everest Because it's growing about half an inch a year, a person climbing Mount Everest today would have to go 27 inches further to reach the peak than Sir Edmund Hillary did in 1953.

Hindu Kush Mountains Kush means “death” Smaller than Himalayas, but just as rugged (formed at the same time) Also separates South Asia from the rest of Asia

Khyber Pass Most well known pass through Hindu Kush Mountains to get to rest of Asia Traders and Invaders have been using this pass for thousands of years to reach India

Indo-Gangetic Plain Steady source of water from rivers and monsoons gives the plain fertile soil Long growing season Hundreds of millions of people live there to farm

Major Farming Systems of South Asia

Indus River Principal river of Pakistan This is where the earliest civilizations of South Asia were formed Many people live along it because it is very fertile

The Indus River System 1,975 miles long

Ganges River Joins with the Brahmaputra (“son of Brahma”) River to form a delta on the Bay of Bengal This leads to very fertile soil but bad flooding It is a sacred river with many shrines along the banks The Hindus believe that the water will purify them

The Ganges River System 1,560 miles long

“Mata Ganga” (Mother Ganges)

Thar Desert [The Great Indian Desert] Covers 100,000 square miles of India and Pakistan Some grasses do grow in the Thar which allows nomadic herders to graze flocks of sheep and goats Up to 127 f in july

Deccan Plateau The Deccan Plateau is the area of India that sticks out into the Indian Ocean It occupies almost half of South Asia It is high, flat land crossed by many rivers It has great land for farming

Vindhya Mountains These mountains separate the plateau from the Indo- Gangetic Plain They are a boundary between northern and southern India They made travel difficult and led to the development of different cultures

Eastern and Western Ghats [ghats = mountains] The Western Ghats helped to prevent the Europeans from being able to move to the interior of South Asia during the 1500’s The Eastern Ghats had more valleys which allowed the Europeans to enter India during the 1700’s “[...] the fleet sent by the King of Portugal two years ago to make discoveries about the region of Guinea: such a voyage as that I do not call discovery, but merely a going to discovered lands, since, as you will see by the map, they navigate continually in sight of land, and sail along the entire southern part of Africa [...] It is true that the navigation has been most profitable [...] I hear that they passed beyond the Red Sea, and reached the Persian Gulf, and a city called Calicut, which is situated between the Persian Gulf and the river Indus.” Amerigo Vespucci to Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de’ Medici, July 18, 1500

Monsoons What is a monsoon? It is a seasonal wind. There is a wet monsoon in the summer and a dry monsoon in the winter Why is the monsoon so important in South Asia? In many parts of South Asia, the monsoon season brings the only rainfall of the year. If there is too much rainfall, flooding may occur. If there isn’t enough rainfall, there may be drought.

Monsoon Seasons

Winter Monsoons: Sep – March dry

summer Monsoons: June – September Wet

Flooding on the Brahmaputra Effects of the Monsoon Season on India

Population One of the most dense populations on earth Population of India alone is 1 billion Growth rate of about 1.4 percent

Urbanization Most villages have electricity and 75% have televisions Urban areas are growing rapidly because of migrations from rural villages Cities have become very crowded: NYC has 25,000 people per square mile City of Mumbai (Bombay) has a population density of 64,000 inhabitants per square mile!!

Indians identify with family first before village or country. Extended families-grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc Patriarchal Arranged marriages (usually done at an early age) Brides family must give a dowry (money or gift) to the groom When a man marries, he usually brings his new wife to live in his parent’s house. Often the household includes uncles and other relatives. This is known as the joint family system. Everyone in the family has a role to play.

Subsistence Farming Produce most of what they need to survive People without land would farm other peoples land and were given a very small part of the crop. They often did not have enough to eat Two thirds of workers depend directly on the land for their livelihood. Growing enough food for the growing population is a problem.

Bollywood- India produces more movies than any other country in the world. Combines Bombay and Hollywood Clothing - Sari-brightly colored clothing some Indian women wear over their bodies like a long dress Purdah/burqa – Islamic veil/ covering