1. Unit 8 South Asia

2. Physical Features This region is made up of 7 nations
South Asia is a subcontinent called the Indian Subcontinent
This subcontinent is split from the rest of Asia by the Himalayan Mts. to the North

4. Mountains
The mountains of this region include the Himalayas, which is the highest mountain chain in the world
The Himalayas include Mt. Everest which is the worlds highest mountain peak
Other mountain chains that border the Indian Subcontinent include the Hindu Kush, the Karakoram, the Vindhya, and the Ghats (E & W)

5. The Deccan Plateau is the one major plateau area in this region
Plateaus
The Deccan Plateau is the one major plateau area in this region
This area in India lies between the E. and W. Ghats; this makes the area very dry because the mt. chains prevent moisture from crossing over to the plateau

6. There is one major plains area in this region; The Indo-Gangetic Plain
Rivers and Plains
There is one major plains area in this region; The Indo-Gangetic Plain
It lies north of the Deccan Plateau
This plains area is formed by 3 rivers (Indus, Ganges, and the Brahmaputra)
This plains area is an alluvial plain which contains very rich soil for farming
This plains area contains 3/5 of the Indian population and is home to the largest cities in the region

7. There are 2 island nations located in this region
Islands
There are 2 island nations located in this region
These are Sri Lanka and the Maldives (an archipelago consisting of atoll islands)

8. Atoll – an island which deteriorates and forms a coral reef around the former island

9. The rich fertile soil of the Indo-Gangetic Plain
Resources
The rich fertile soil of the Indo-Gangetic Plain
Water for fishing and transportation
Timber (which is causing deforestation)
Coal, petroleum, natural gas, uranium, mica, and gem stones

10. Population Information
There are over 1 billion people in South Asia; 75% of these people live in India (1,129,866, 154)
The population density is around 756 people per square mile
The climate and vegetation within the region determines where people live
The bulk of the population is located around the Indo-Gangetic Plain
Most of the population has moved toward the cities for better jobs and wages (Calcutta, Bombay, Delhi, New Delhi, and Dhaka are the largest cities)

12. Religion Islam is the primary religion in Pakistan and Bangladesh
Two polytheistic religions were created in this region
1) Hinduism – based on the belief that everyone must live according to their moral duty (dharma) and are rewarded by the laws of karma
Hindus believe that you are reincarnated until you overcome your earthly weaknesses

13. 2) Buddhism – based on the belief that people suffer because of their attachment to material goods
Buddhism is based on the 4 basic truths
Buddhism shares reincarnation with Hinduism

14. Economic Characteristics
The economies of South Asia vary depending on the region
Most people are farmers
In India 2/3 of its people farm, and most of those people are subsistence farmers
These farmers have low crop yields which limits the food they have and the money they made
The farming in Pakistan revolves around cotton and rice
In Bangladesh rice and jute are primary crops
In Sri Lanka plantation farming is important to their economy (tea & rubber)

15. In the 1960’s India began the Green Revolution; this program was to develop better farming techniques, the use of better equipment, and the use of fertilizers to create high crop yields
Industry in this region is developing
The textile industry does well because of the growth of cotton in these nations
The governments of some of these nations are giving loans to promote the growth of business

16. The nations of Nepal and Bhutan have begun to harvest and sell timber
This has led to some deforestation
Sri Lanka has a good gemstone industry
Fishing and water based industries are vital to this region as well
In the Maldives fishing is the primary industry
Tourism is also on the rise in this region but this has led to some pollution in areas (Nepal and Mt. Everest)

17. Cultural Characteristics
In 1757 the British took over trade in India, by 1857 they made India a British colony
In the 1940’s Mohandas Gandhi began to lead a nonviolent resistance movement against the British to free India
Once India gained independence the Muslim population established the nation of Pakistan (east and west)
This division of India and Pakistan, known as the Partition, led to mass Muslim migrations from India to Pakistan
In 1971 the nations of E and W Pakistan split to form Pakistan and Bangladesh

18. In the western part of India and the eastern part of Pakistan is the disputed area of Kashmir
Most of the people in Kashmir are Muslim, but the leadership in Kashmir wanted union in India
Kashmir is a disputed area because both India and Pakistan claim the land is theirs
In India most marriages are arranged, and marriage and family are important to Indian life
There are 18 major languages in India with Hindi being the official language
80% of the people in India practice Hinduism

19. The caste system has been an important part of Indian culture for a long time
In the caste system you were believed to have been born into a particular class, or caste
You were not able to advance out of that caste until you died and were reincarnated, if your life was a prosperous one you would advance to another caste
This area of Asia has large areas of dense population
Overpopulation is a problem in S. Asia
The high population leads to poverty, the spread of disease, and poor sanitation
The high population also strains the communication and transportation services of these nations
The governments of these nations have tried to fix the problems of overpopulation by improving their infrastructures (roads, sanitation, schools), educate their people, and encourage smaller families

20. The nations of Nepal and Bhutan have been able to preserve their nations by limiting access to them
These 2 nations are also isolated from the rest of S. Asia which kept them from being colonized

21. Things and Places of Interest

22. Taj Mahal, India

23. Hindu Temple

24. Ganges River

25. Ganges Delta

26. Mt. Everest