Geography of South Asia

1. 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.

3. 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.

4. The Himalayas

6. The Himalayas • Mount Everest is the highest peak. • It reaches 29,035feet. • Tibetans called Mount Everest, “Goddess Mother of the World.”

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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.

16. 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?