Geography of South Asia

-List and describe the main physical features in South Asia.

-Define

subcontinent

and explain how India became one.

-Describe how people have farmed on the Indo Ganges Plain.

-Explain how the geography of South Asia is diverse.

-Describe how the human geography of South Asia is diverse.

A Diamond Breaks Away

• South Asia looks like a solitary diamond-shaped land.

• It is home to one of the tallest mountains, the Himalayas.

• It is a

subcontinent

because it is a large region and is separated by water from other land areas.

– The subcontinent may have once been part of a huge landmass that included South America, Africa, Australia, and Antarctica.

– After a collision with another plate, the Himalayas formed.

The Himalayas

The Himalayas

• Mount Everest is the highest

peak

.

• It reaches 29,035feet.

• Tibetans called Mount Everest, “Goddess Mother of the World.”

Snow to Monsoon

• Eight countries are part of South Asia.

– India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives Island.

• The Hindu Kush mountain range in the northwest and the snowcapped Himalayas in the northeast separate South Asia from the rest of the continent.

• Much of South Asia has a similar climate.

The Climate

• There are three seasons.

• Temperatures are mild to cool from October through March.

• They shift to very hot from March through May.

• The

monsoon season

, or the rainy season, lasts from June through September. – Nearly all the rain falls during the monsoon season.

– After this season, the land is refreshed and full of life again.

The Importance of the Monsoon

• The monsoon is very important to farmers.

• They depend on the monsoon for the growing of crops.

• The region’s economy is closely tied to the monsoon.

• If the monsoon comes early, the crops may not be planted in time.

• If the monsoon comes too late, the crops may dry out and will not be able to grow.

Great Rivers, Great Plain

• Three great rivers flow through the subcontinent.

– The Indus – The Ganges – The Brahmaputra • These rivers start in the Himalayas and spread out through a flat plain called the Indo-Ganges Plain.

• The rivers carry water and silt into farmlands to irrigate and enrich the fields.

• The monsoon and the rivers help to grow such crops as barley, wheat, rice, peas, beans, and other vegetables.

Life on the Indo-Ganges Plain

• Many families grow just what they need to survive.

– This is called

subsistence farming

.

• They do not sell much of their crops, the grow what they need and eat what they grow.

• India and Pakistan are very heavily populated countries. • Almost one billion people live in India.

• The

Indus River Valley

is the site of one of the world’s oldest civilizations.

Plateau, Coast, and Islands

• The land of South Asia narrows to the point of a “diamond.” – This region is called the

Deccan Plateau.

– The climate in this region is dry and irrigation is used for farming.

Economy of South Asia

• Most people work as farmers in India.

• The island countries of Sri Lanka and the Maldives Islands export tea, coconuts, fish, and rubber.

• Manufacturing is another important industry in the coastal areas.

• Many people work in the clothing and textile industries here too.

Time to Review

• Complete a detail to the following statement.

–

South Asia has various physical features and landforms.

• Mount Everest rises in South Asia.

• The Indo – Ganges Plain provides good farmland in South Asia.

• Why is South Asia called a

subcontinent?

• Why is the monsoon so important to the economy of South Asia?