1. The Physical Geography of South Asia
Chapter 23
The Physical Geography of
South Asia

2. The Land
South Asia is a subcontinent-a large, distinct landmass that is joined to a continent
separated by mountains from the rest of Asia

3. Surrounded by three bodies of water: Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal

4. The Himalaya
According to the theory of continental drift, Himalayan Mts were created when subcontinent broke away from Africa and collided with the southern edge of Asia.
60 million years ago
Forced mountains upward
Over 1000 miles long and hundreds of miles wide

5. Mount Everest
World’s highest peak
Rises 29,035 feet above sea level

6. Northern Landforms
Three mountain ranges form a chain that separates subcontinent: Karakoram Mountains, Hindu Kush, Himalaya
Khyber Pass- narrow crossing point between Pakistan and Afghanistan
Mountains protect Nepal and Bhutan from outsiders until 1900s

7. Ganges River

8. Vindhya Range
The Vindhya Range is at an elevation from 1,500 to 3,500 feet. Because of their horizontal sandstone structure, the mountains tend to be flat-topped and plateau-like. The range is regarded as marking the border between northern and peninsular India.

9. Southern Landforms
In the south the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats form a triangle
The Deccan Plateau is in the middle of the older, rugged hills
Deccan Plateau – rich, black soil from area once covered in lava
Western Ghats prevent rainy winds and create semi-arid to dry conditions on the Deccan Plateau
Karnataka Plateau receives much of the rain and has rain forest conditions
Karnataka

10. Sri Lanka and the Maldives
Sri Lanka broke away from the subcontinent
Maldives-chain of tiny coral atolls and volcanic islands; covers 35,000 miles of ocean, but only 300 square miles in area

11. Major River Systems Indus
The Indus River flows through Pakistan and into the Arabian Sea; known as one of the cradles of ancient civilization together with Egypt and Mesopotamia

12. Brahmaputra River
flows east through the Himalaya and into western India and Bangladesh, then joins with the Ganges, and empties into the Bay of Bengal
provides Bangladesh with 50% of in power through hydroelectricity
Is navigable for 800 miles and is major source of transportaion

13. Ganges River Flows east from the Himalaya
Most important river of South Asia
Named after Hindu goddess, Ganga
Maintains levels during entire year
Flooding serious problem during summer monsoon season – April to June

14. Ganges Plain World’s longest alluvial plain
Area of fertile soil deposited by flooding river
Most densely populated area

15. Natural Resources: water, energy resources, minerals, timber
Water: drinking water, transportation, alluvial soil, hydroelectricity
Rivers cross national borders

16. Energy resources
Petroleum reserves along India’s NW coast, near Ganges Delta and in N Pakistan
Arabian Sea oil explorations; but South Asia still depends on oil imports
Natural gas fields in southern Pakistan, Ganges Delta, Bangladesh
Uranium in Eastern Ghats
Most energy comes from hydroelectricity, fuel wood, coal

17. Minerals
India-leading exporter of iron ore, 90% of world’s mica (used in making electrical equipment)
Manganese, chromite, and gypsum await development
Nepal- mica and copper
Sri Lanka- graphite, sapphires, rubies, and other precious stones