South Asia India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Afghanistan, Maldives and Bhutan

I. South Asia is a subcontinent.

a. Millions of years ago S. Asia was a separate landmass.

b. The collision w/ Asia created the Himalayas.

c. The edges of the landmass are lined w/ low mountains, called the Eastern and Western Ghats.

d. The center is called the Deccan Plateau. It has deposits of iron ore.

II. South Asia depends on its rivers.

a. Except for the rivers and monsoon rains, the region is dry.

Crucial lifelines for hundreds of millions of people : - Two river systems, the Ganges-Brahmaputra and the Indus - Monsoons

b. The largest rivers are the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra.

III. South Asia is one of the world’s major population centers About 1.3 billion people live in S. Asia; 1/5 th of the world’s population.

a. Population Problems Many states of South Asia suffer from underdevelopment. India is breaking this trend The great majority of South Asia’s peoples live in villages and subsist directly from the land.

b % of S. Asia is Urban.

c. South Asia has 3 of the 10 most populous nations in the world

IV. South Asia is a complete and distinct civilization.

Civilization began in the Indus Valley between 4 – 5 thousand years ago.

The major religions of Hinduism and Buddhism originated in S. Asia

Many languages are spoken in S. Asia. 18 are officially recognized in India alone.