Are you smarter than a 5 th grader?  What country occupies the earth’s only subcontinent? a) Australia b) India c) Indonesia d) Greenland

Answer is…  INDIA

India is identified as a sub-continent  Includes Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bhutan, and Nepal shows/other-shows/videos/discovery- atlas-india-geography/

Mountains- Himalayas  Northeastern India  World’s Highest Mountains  Contains 50 mountains over 5 miles high  Source of three major river systems  Indus  Ganges  Brahmaputra  Created when India slammed into the Asian continent -still growing today

Himalayas

Hindu Kush  Located in Northwest India  Kush= death  Range separates subcontinent from Asia

Eastern and Western Ghats  Low lying mountain ranges on the eastern and western fringes of India  Western Ghats border the Arabian Sea  Eastern Ghats border the Bay of Bengal

Vindhya Mountains  Separates northern and southern India  Separates the indo- gangetic plain from the Deccan Plateau  Prevented the Europeans from settling into the interior of India

Passes and Valleys  Khyber Pass  34 mile long pass between the northern mountains  major trade and invasion route

Kahisner valley  Very rich in mineral deposits and good soil for farming  Source of conflict between India and Pakistan

Indus River  Source of the earliest civilization and name of India  Empties into the Arabian Sea and is the major river for Pakistan

Brahmaputra River  Source located in the northern portion of the Himalayas  Empties into the Bay of Bengal and is the major river for Bangladesh

Ganges River  Flows eastward across India into Bangladesh  Converges with the Brahmaputra River as it empties into the Bay of Bengal  Considered the holy river for the Hindus- come from all parts of the continent to purify and purge their souls

Indo-gangetic Plain  Northern plain that stretches from Pakistan to Bangladesh  Benefits from 3 major rivers  Very densely populated and heavily farmed  Known as the “ heartland ” of India

Deccan Plateau  Center of the Indian subcontinent  Triangular shaped area with dense forests and grasslands  Area of harsh land

Thar Desert  Located in the northwest corner of the plains  Roughly the size of Colorado  Home of the nomadic herders of sheep and goats

Rainforests  Found in the coastal areas of the south  Provide valuable teakwood and sandalwood