South Central Asia Mr. Birch Global Studies

Natural Resources Water and Soil Soil and Water to provide food through farming and fishing River systems bring alluvial soil from the mountains Many types of fish are found in rivers throughout South Asia South Asia waters also provide means of transportation

Natural Resources Forests Rain forests in India produce hardwoods like sal and teak along with bamboo and sandalwood Highland forests in Nepal and Bhutan have thick stands of pine, fir and other trees Deforestation is a growing problem Soil erosion, flooding, landslides, and loss of wildlife habitats

Natural Resources Minerals India ranks fourth in the world in coal production India has enough petroleum to supply about half of its oil needs India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh have important natural gas resources Uranium deposits in India provide fuel for nuclear energy

Climate

Monsoons and Cyclones June through September SummerOctober through February Winter

Life along the Ganges Most well known of all the rivers in South Asia The impact of the Ganges on human life in the region is enormous It provides water for drinking, farming, and transportation The spiritual significance is just as important

A sacred river Many temples and sacred sites line the banks of the Ganges People come from all over the world to bathe and drink from the waters They also scatter ashes of deceased family members in the river At Varanasi thousands of people gather daily at sun rise to enter the water for purification and prayer

A polluted river The Ganges is in trouble After centuries of intense human use it has become one of the most polluted rivers in the world Millions of gallons of raw sewage and industrial waste flow into it daily The bodies of dead animals float on the water, and even dead corpses are thrown into the river

Invasions, Empires, and Independence India’s culture and history date back more than 4,000 years For centuries foreign invaders came to conquer India, but were absorbed into Indian life As a result of this India is a blend of many different customs and traditions

Invasions, Empires, and Independence Indian civilization began in the Indus Valley around 2500 B.C. A thousand years later invaders crossed the mountains of the Hindu Kush and spread across northern India These were the Aryans, a light skinned people from the plains north of Iran The Aryans established small kingdoms on the Ganges plain

Invasions, Empires, and Independence The Aryans pushed the darker skinned native Indians toward the south Later, Persian and Greek invaders occupied the Indus Valley Two great Indian empires eventually emerged on the lower Ganges 321 B.C. Mauryan empire, 1500’s Mughal Empire

Europeans Arrive In the 1500’s European traders came looking for Spice, Cloth and other goods in India, these were not available in Europe French, Dutch, and Portuguese traders set up trading colonies in India Britain would gain control of India’s trade with Europe in 1757 through the British East India Company 100 years later in 1857 the British Government put down a revolt and established direct rule over India

Europeans Arrive The period of British control, known as the raj lasted for nearly 90 years Most Indians did not like colonialism Mohandas Gandhi began an opposition movement based on nonviolent resistance August 14, 1947 India gained its independence

Worlds Largest Democracy In 1950 India adopted a constitution and became a democratic republic With a population of over 1 billion, India is currently the worlds largest democracy

Economic Challenges A challenge for India is to promote economic growth and raise standards of living India is one of the largest economies, but per capita income remains low About half of India’s people live in poverty

Farming Two-thirds of India’s people rely on farming for their livelihood Land reform, a more balance distribution of land\ Green Revolution

Growing Industry Industry is a very important element to India’s economy Cotton textiles have long been a major product of India India is now a major producer of steel and iron, chemicals, machinery, and food products

Life in Modern India Marriage and family remain at the center of Indian life Most Indian's follow the custom of arranged marriages Often many relatives from several generations live under one roof Most Indians eat a largely vegetarian diet Soccer, Field hockey, and cricket are the popular sports

Indian culture India recognizes 18 major languages, Hindi is the official language Hindus make up 80% of the population The caste system is an Aryan system of social classes Cornerstone of the Hindu Religion Priests and Scholars, Rulers and Warriors, Farmers and Merchants, Artisans and Laborers

Pakistan and Bangladesh Young Countries with an ancient history Events after 1947 Political corruption has plagued both countries Subsistence farming Small Industry Major religion is Islam as opposed to India and Hinduism

Nepal and Bhutan Both are located in the Himalayans Geographically isolated Limited Resources Increasing tourism

Sri Lanka and the Maldives Strong ties to the Indian subcontinent Europeans began to colonize Sri Lanka in the 16 th century Once again we see the British Religion and ethnicity play big roles Buddhists

Poverty

Indian Slums

Nuclear nightmare British rule ends, divided the subcontinent into two independent countries. Hindu, India and Muslim, Pakistan. Britain gave each Indian state the choice of joining either country or remaining independent Kashmir Kashmir was mainly Muslim, but its leader was Hindu

Nuclear nightmare He tried to keep Kashmir Independent but it failed Kashmir joins India Pakistan soldiers invade Kashmir After years of fighting India still controlled much of the region Cease-fire signed in 1972

Nuclear nightmare 1998 India and Pakistan both test nuclear weapons

Nuclear nightmare After the tests both nations vowed to seek a political solution Despite frequent cease-fires the border clashes continually happen The money they have spent on fighting could have gone to BENEFIT something or someone else