 1.6 billion people  One of the most densely populated regions on Earth  India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Nepal  India makes up a majority of the land in South Asia  Subcontinent: Large landmass that is smaller than a continent

 Himalaya Mountains : 1,500-mile-long range of mountains; Highest on earth › Create a massive wall that separates the Indian subcontinent from the interior of Asia  Hindu Kush Mountains: In Afghanistan and Pakistan  Eastern and Western Ghats: Low-lying mountain ranges around the Deccan Plateau in India A view of the Himalayas from Kathmandu, India. Himalaya is a Sanskrit word that literally means "abode of snow."

 Indo-Gangetic Plain: Massive plains that extend across the north and west from Pakistan to eastern India and Bangladesh › Rivers flow through these › Thar Desert is located in it (Northwest India)

 Deccan Plateau: Located south of the great plains › ½ of South Asia › Millions of farms › High, flat land are rivers

Rivers  On the Indo-Gangetic Plain › Indus River: Principal river of Pakistan › Brahmaputra River: Begins in the Himalayas in Tibet and joins the Ganges River at the massive Ganges- Brahmaputra Delta in Bangladesh › Ganges River: Begins in Himalayas; joins the Brahmaputra in Bangladesh; empties into Bay of Bengal  Most holy river for Hindus

 Tropical in the south and temperate in the north  Rainfall varies by region (some areas have tropical rainforests)  Often inconsistent and violent  4 seasons › Cool, dry (Dec.-Feb.) › Hot, dry (March-May) › Wet (June-Sept.—monsoon) › Drier monsoon (Oct.-Nov.)

 Monsoon: Seasonal wind that dominates the climate of South Asia › Key to life for farmers: need the rain that the monsoon winds bring › Issues: Sometimes there is too much rain and sometimes there is too little › Wet monsoon: Late May or early June › Dry monsoon: October Flooding in Bangladesh from the monsoons

 Blackwell, Amy Hackney. "Khyber Pass." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, Web. 15 Jan  Burris, Tamar. "Himalayas." World Geography: Understanding a Changing World. ABC-CLIO, Web. 15 Jan  "Flooding in Bangladesh." Image. PhotoDisc, Inc. World Geography: Understanding a Changing World. ABC-CLIO, Web. 15 Jan  "Himalayas from Kathmandu." Image. Corel. World Geography: Understanding a Changing World. ABC-CLIO, Web. 15 Jan  India: topography. Map/Still. Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 15 Jan  Indian monsoon: average dates of summer monsoon across Asia. Map/Still. Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 15 Jan  "Region at a Glance: South Asia (illustration)." Image. World Geography: Understanding a Changing World. ABC-CLIO, Web. 15 Jan  Stockdale, Nancy. "South Asia." World Geography: Understanding a Changing World. ABC-CLIO, Web. 15 Jan  "Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India." Image. Corel. World Geography: Understanding a Changing World. ABC-CLIO, Web. 15 Jan  "Topographic Map." Map. World Geography: Understanding a Changing World. ABC-CLIO, Web. 15 Jan