1. Chapter 24 – Physical Geography of South Asia

2. Landforms and Resources
Mountains and Plateaus
i. Also referred to as the Indian subcontinent (1/5th the worlds population)
Northern Mountains
i. Two dozen peaks in the Himalayas over 24,000 ft
ii. Forms a 1,500 mil border between India and China
iii. Historically wars have been fought on the western side of Himalayas in the mountain passes into India
Southern Plateaus
Vindhya Range in northern India
Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats flank the Deccan Plateau

3. II. Rivers, Deltas and Plains
Great Rivers
Origins in the snow capped peaks of the Himalayas
Indus flows west then south through Pakistan into the Arabian Sea
Ganges drops from the central Himalayas and flows eastward across northern India
Brahmaputra winds its way east then west through Bangladesh

4. b. Fertile Plains
Indo-Gangetic Plain is one of the most fertile farmlands in the world
Forms an alluvial plain when the rivers flood
60% of India’s population lives here

5. III. Offshore Islands
Sri Lanka: The Subcontinent’s Tear Drop
Large tear shaped island country
Lush tropical land of great natural beauty
Rugged mountains in the middle of the island that rolling farmland and a coastal plain below
The Maldives Archipelago
More than 1,200 small islands (about 115 sq miles)
Stretch north to south for almost 500 miles
Low lying tops of submerged volcanoes
Surrounded by coral reefs and shallow lagoons

6. IV. Natural Resources
Water and Soil
Alluvial soil from the mountains supplies rich farmland
Many kinds of fish (mackerel, sardines, carp, catfish)
Navigable rivers

7. b. Forests
Hardwoods like sal and teak from the rainforests
Bamboo and sandalwood
Pine and fir trees in Bhutan and Nepal
Deforestation is a problem

8. c. Minerals
India is 4th in the world in coal production
Natural gas in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan
Uranium in India
Mica in Nepal, Indian and Sri Lanka
Large iron ore deposits in India

9. Climate and Vegetation
Climate – Wet and Dry, Hot and Cod
Climate Zones
Six main climate zones
Monsoons and Cyclones
Dry air from the mountains in the winter
Moist air from the ocean in the summer
Heavy rainfall
- Major flooding in the lowlands
Vegetation: Desert to Rain Forest
Vegetation Zones
Most forested areas are in the tropical wet
regions
ii. Lush forests of teak and bamboo
Pine forests in higher elevations
Less than 1/5th of original forests remain
Desert shrubs and grasses in the drier areas

10. Human-Environment Interaction
Living Along the Ganges
i. 350 million people live along the Ganges
A Sacred River
Known as the Gangamai “Mother Ganges”
The river is worshipped as a goddess
River joins with the Brahmaputra in Bangladesh and
becomes the Padma
iv. Sacred river that brings life to it’s people
v. Temples and sacred sites along the river
vi. Pilgrims come to drink or bathe in the river.
vii. Scatter the ashes of the deceased

11. A Polluted River
After centuries of intense human use it’s very polluted
Raw sewage and industrial waste flow into the river every day
Human and animal corpses are dumped into the river
People who bate or drink in the river often become sick
Practicality of cleaning the river vs. the beliefs the river will fix itself

12. Controlling the Feni River
A River of Overflows
Flows through a low-lying coastal plain before it reaches the sea
Monsoon rain often cause it to flood
Cyclones that sweep across the Bay of Bengal bring storm surges to the area
Using People Power
i. Hired engineers from the Netherlands and along with their own people to dam the river
Completing the Dam
i. Stood up to a cyclone just three months after the dam’s completion