the Geography of the Indian subcontinent
South Asia
Second Highest Population with 1.2 billion people The Size of South Asia Second Highest Population with 1.2 billion people
Satellite View of South Asia
Mountains & Peaks Karakorum Mts. Hindu Kush I I Khyber Pass K2 Himalayas Mt. Everest ▲
barriers between India subcontinent and Asia Mountains Northern Mountains barriers between India subcontinent and Asia Himalayas Hindu Kush (Khyber Pass) Karakorum
The Himalayas Giant barrier between Indian subcontinent and China “him” [snow] “aalaya” [home] Mt. Everest is 29,035 feet. It is the highest mt. peak in the world.
The Himalayas Created by movement/collision of tectonic plates
Mountain Range between Pakistan and Afghanistan Hindu Kush Mountain Range between Pakistan and Afghanistan
The Khyber Pass Passage through Hindu Kush Mts. Used to invade, or pass through to enter India, trade route, spreading of culture
Central Mountains Vindhya Mountains Separate the Deccan Plateau & the Indo Gangetic Plain forms a cultural barrier between Northern and Southern India lies across the central portion of the Indian subcontinent.
Eastern & Western Ghats HILLS Eastern & Western Ghats Runs along the southern coastal regions of India Causes the rain shadow effect on the Deccan Plateau
Rain Shadow
Plateaus Deccan Plateau
The Deccan Plateau Located between the Eastern & Western Ghats Semi Arid climate-dry due to rain shadow effect. 31,800 square miles in size. Elevation range: 2,000 – 8,000 feet high. From the Sanskrit word, “dakshina” [“the south”].
THAR DESERT Thar Desert
DESERT Thar Desert The Great Indian Desert (in NW India) 200 - 1500 feet in elevation. up to 127ºF in July.
Rivers Indus R. Brahmaputra R. Ganges R.
River Systems All begin in Himalayas Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra Create alluvial plains when they over flow – rich soil
Indus River Cultural hearth (Indus River Valley) Fighting today over who controls the head waters of the river (where it starts) Indus River
Flooding on the Brahmaputra Floods in Bangladesh
Ganges River Sacred River to Hindus Very polluted river Nicknamed Gangamai, which means Mother Ganges Population density (1000 people / sq mile)
Mother Ganges
Indo-Gangetic Plains Indo-Gangetic Plain
PLAINS INDO-GANGETIC PLAINS Between Ganges & Indus rivers, south of the Himalayas Alluvial Plains fertile soil, farming region High population= 3/5 of population of India lives here
Islands Sri Lanka Maldives
Islands Sri Lanka Tropical Mountains in center Small rivers Coastal plains
Islands Maldives Archipelago 1,200+ islands (only 200 are inhabited) atolls Low-lying tops of submerged volcanoes Surrounded by coral reefs and lagoons
Monsoons-seasonal winds Affect the climates of South Asia Summer Monsoons bring heavy rainfall, esp in Ganges delta region Monsoons highly unpredictable Crucial to life in the subcontinent
Winter Monsoons Nov.- April DRY Winds blow from the Northeast to the Southwest
SUMMER MONSOONS MAY-OCT WET, heavy with moisture (rain) Winds blow from the SOUTHWEST to the NORTHEAST
Monsoons
CLIMATE REGIONS Climates Range from Tropical Wet (warmest) to Highlands (coldest) Where is the Highland climate? *Himalayas