Essential Question: How does the climate of an area affect how people live?

What are Monsoons?

Monsoons A monsoon is a wind system that influences large climatic regions and reverses direction seasonally. These seasonal winds blow in from the Indian Ocean Strong and violent Clouds full of heavy moisture Most rain in South Asia comes from these summer rains Mumbai, India: Skyline of Monsoon

How does the climate of India, including Monsoons, affect the people?

Effects of Climate During most of the year people wait for rain Averages temperatures are between all year People have to adapt to hot temperatures during the year Heavy rain falls only for the summer months (June, July, August, September) Short growing season when monsoons provide water for agriculture Global rise in temperature could have huge effects on this delicate climate and create deadly storms

When monsoons are strong(2013)

When monsoons are weak (2012)

What is the Orographic Effect?

Orographic effect The prevailing wind blows clouds up against mountains, moist air rises up the slopes and cools, this creates rain or snow on the windward slope. When the clouds cross over the mountain they have little moisture left and there is a dry area on the leeward slope or a rain shadow.

Western Ghat Mountain Range, creates heavy rain on the west coast Himalayan Mountain Range North has snow while the South is protected from monsoon and is humid not wet/tropical Effects of Climate

Climate India is a peninsula that projects into the Indian Ocean Climate: In general, it has a hot and tropical climate The Tropic of Cancer passes through India and its southern tip stretches towards the Equator However-climatic conditions will vary In June: The monsoon season hits….Indians depend on Monsoons!

What are the Climate Zones of India?

Tropical Wet and Dry Humid/ Subtropical Semi-Arid Tropical Wet Arid

How do these climate zones affect the people of India?

Calcutta, India When the monsoons come the river floods Buses and taxis can’t drive on flooded roads But farmers need the rain for crops and it is a nice relief from the heat Garbage can clog up water drainage system Standing water allows mosquitoes to breed so diseases such as malaria spread quickly Ganges River

Calcutta, India

Pune, India Mumbai, India West side of Western Ghats Mts., much rainfall during monsoons People prepare for monsoons here East side of Western Ghats Mts., dry all year Grow crops that need little to no rain

Mumbai, India

Pune, India Dry farmland Dry Mountain Side

Mountain Ranges The Himalayas-the largest mountain range in the world-separate India from China The Himalaya Mountains are called “The Roof Top of the World” The tallest mountain in this range (and in the world) is Mount Everest

Mount Everest

Some Everest Quick Facts… Tallest mountain in the world. Number of people to successfully climb Mt. Everest: about 3,215 (by 2010) Number of people who have died trying to climb Mt. Everest: 223 Height: 5 ½ miles above sea level- this is equivalent to the size of almost 20 Empire State Buildings. Location: part of the Himalaya mountain range; straddles border of Nepal and Tibet.

Khyber Pass India was also isolated on the west by the Hindu Kush Mountains The easiest way through the Hindu Kush is through the Khyber Pass (located between Afghanistan and Pakistan) The word Khyber means “divide”

Khyber Pass Indus River Himalayan Mountains Ganges River Deccan Plateau

Rivers The Ganges, Brahmaputra and the Indus are the three major rivers in India. The Indus River is where the ancient civilization in India was established. The Brahmaputra River is the most densely populated area in India today The Ganges River is the most sacred of the rivers.

Ganges River

The Sacred Ganges According to Hindu mythology, the Ganges was once a river of heaven that flowed across the sky. Problems Almost 1 billion liters of untreated raw sewage are dumped into the river daily. Inadequate cremation procedures People use this river for everything!

The Sacred Ganges The river also serves as a drinking source, bathing hole and baptism site. The river is one of the only sources of water for the some people of India who can’t afford running clean water.

Population Boom! The huge and rapidly growing population of India is overstraining the natural resources found on the sub- continent. The population is about 1.2 billion people (2007 estimate) 1-China: about 1.3 billion 2-India: about 1.2 billion 3-US: about 300 million (…big difference huh?)

Global connections All over the world climates can effect: What type of housing people build What clothes they wear What months they Go to school Grow crops What they do for fun! This is important to think about as we study the world