1. Geography of South Asia

3. South Asia Home to more than 1.6 billion people
One of the most densely populated regions on Earth
Includes the nations of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Nepal
India makes up a majority of the land in South Asia
Subcontinent: Large landmass that is smaller than a continent

4. Mountain Ranges
Himalaya Mountains: 1,500-mile-long range of mountains in Asia; Highest on earth
Create a massive wall that separates the Indian subcontinent from the interior of Asia
Hindu Kush Mountains: Located in Afghanistan and Pakistan
Khyber Pass runs through the Hindu Kush (33 miles long; used by traders and invaders)
Eastern and Western Ghats: Low-lying mountain ranges around the Deccan Plateau in India
A view of the Himalayas from Kathmandu, India. Himalaya is a Sanskrit word that literally means "abode of snow."

5. Now, find the Hindu Kush and the Himalayas!

6. Other Landforms
Indo-Gangetic Plain: Massive plains that extend across the north and west from Pakistan to eastern India and Bangladesh
Great rivers flow through these and create flat river basins
Thar Desert is located in it (Northwest India)

7. Topography of India

8. Deccan Plateau Deccan Plateau: Located south of the great plains
Region of high, flat land crossed by many rivers and broken by low, rolling hills
Occupies nearly half of South Asia
Millions of farms are located here
Bordered by the Vindhya Mountains and the Eastern and Western Ghats

9. Rivers Major rivers are located on the Indo-Gangetic Plain
Indus River: Principal river of Pakistan; empties into the Arabian Sea
Brahmaputra River: Begins in the Himalayas in Tibet and travels across some 1,800 miles before joining the Ganges River at the massive Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta
Ganges River: Begins in Himalayas; joins the Brahmaputra in Bangladesh; empties into Bay of Bengal
Most holy river for Hindus

10. Climate of India Tropical in the south and temperate in the north
Rainfall varies by region (some areas have tropical rainforests)
Often inconsistent and violent
4 seasons
Cool, dry (Dec.-Feb.)
Hot, dry (March-May)
Wet (June-Sept.—monsoon)
Drier monsoon (Oct.-Nov.)

11. Monsoons
Monsoon: Seasonal wind that dominates the climate of South Asia
Key to life for farmers: need the rain that the monsoon winds bring
Issues: Sometimes there is too much rain and sometimes there is too little
Wet monsoon: Late May or early June
Dry monsoon: October
Flooding in Bangladesh from the monsoons

12. Monsoon Winds