Physical Geography South Asia. 1 What countries are considered part of South Asia? India India Pakistan Pakistan Nepal Nepal Bhutan Bhutan Bangladesh.

Physical GeographyPhysical Geography

South AsiaSouth Asia

11

What countries are considered What countries are considered part of South Asia?part of South Asia?

IndiaIndia PakistanPakistan NepalNepal BhutanBhutan BangladeshBangladesh Sri LankaSri Lanka MaldivesMaldives

22

SubcontinentSubcontinent South Asia is a South Asia is a subcontinentsubcontinent or or a large landmass a large landmass smaller than a smaller than a continent.continent.

Called the Indian Called the Indian Subcontinent Subcontinent because India because India dominates the dominates the region.region.

What What country country

dominates dominates South South Asia?Asia?

33

How does the size of South Asia How does the size of South Asia compare to that of the United compare to that of the United

States?States?

About ½ the size

44

Is the population of South Asia Is the population of South Asia greater or less than the U.S.?greater or less than the U.S.?

5x the size

55

What can you say about the What can you say about the population density of South population density of South

Asia?Asia?

½ the size of US but 5x the population =10x the population

density

66

Where is the highest Where is the highest population density? Why?population density? Why?

South Asia has more than South Asia has more than 11

billionbillion people people– – 1/6 (16.6%) of the world’s 1/6 (16.6%) of the world’s

population.population.

South Asia is one of the South Asia is one of the most most densely populateddensely populated regions in regions in

the world.the world.

What are What are South South Asia’s Asia’s

highest highest mountaimountai

nsns

77

The Himalayas – “Abode of The Himalayas – “Abode of Snow”Snow”

88Think of Think of

landforms landforms that would that would make travel make travel difficult in difficult in the the mountainsmountains..

99

What is the What is the world’s tallest world’s tallest mountain mountain from sea level?from sea level?

Mt. Everest

Mount EverestMount Everest

The land now called the Indian Subcontinent The land now called the Indian Subcontinent was once part of East Africa. It split off from was once part of East Africa. It split off from Africa and drifted towards Asia. When the Africa and drifted towards Asia. When the two land masses collided, the land in the two land masses collided, the land in the

collision zone was forced upward to form the collision zone was forced upward to form the Himalayas.Himalayas.

These mountains are still rising and These mountains are still rising and scientists predict that as the two tectonic scientists predict that as the two tectonic

plates continue to push against each other, plates continue to push against each other, India will eventually become one huge India will eventually become one huge

mountain range.mountain range.

1010

The Indian The Indian plate smashed plate smashed into the into the Eurasian plate Eurasian plate to force than to force than land upward to land upward to form the form the Himalayas.Himalayas.

What What island island lies off lies off

the the coast of coast of India?India?

1111

South of IndiaSouth of India Tropical Tropical

climate and climate and plantsplants

Center of the Center of the island is island is mountainousmountainous

Sri Sri LankaLanka

1212

More than More than 1200 islands1200 islands

Only about Only about 200 are 200 are

inhabitedinhabited

None of them None of them rise more rise more

than 6 feet than 6 feet above sea above sea

levellevel

The Maldives Archipelago (Archipelago or

island group)

1313

What are the longest rivers in What are the longest rivers in India?India?

Remember question # 6, these rivers are where people are most crowded in South Asia?

1414

Ganges RiverGanges River

Flows from a Flows from a glacierglacier in the Himalayas to in the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengalthe Bay of Bengal

The Ganges is an The Ganges is an important water important water source and also a source and also a sacred riversacred river..

Hindus believe it is a Hindus believe it is a life giving river that life giving river that has healing powershas healing powers

Sacred means holy, blessed or revered.

Pollution: Pollution: The The

Ganges is one of the most Ganges is one of the most polluted rivers in the worldpolluted rivers in the world

Raw sewage and Raw sewage and industrial wasteindustrial waste

Dead animals and even Dead animals and even human corpses float in human corpses float in the water the water

As a result the water is As a result the water is poisoned with toxic poisoned with toxic chemicals and deadly chemicals and deadly bacteriabacteria

Many people who drink Many people who drink or bathe in the water or bathe in the water become ill with stomach become ill with stomach or intestinal diseasesor intestinal diseases

According to many Hindu believers, the river is too holy to be harmed by pollution.

1515

What is What is the the

general general elevatioelevatio

n n pattern pattern in South in South

Asia?Asia?

Elevation is lowest on the coasts and is higher inland

How does How does the the

elevation elevation pattern of pattern of Sri Lanka Sri Lanka compare compare

to the to the rest of rest of South South Asia?Asia?

Very similar, except there are no high mountains

The first great civilization of The first great civilization of South Asia developed along South Asia developed along the Indus River more than the Indus River more than

4,000 years ago4,000 years ago

1616

What appear to be the natural What appear to be the natural boundaries of the Indus River Valley boundaries of the Indus River Valley

civilization?civilization?

Mountain ranges, Thar

Desert, Arabian Sea

To what physical feature does the To what physical feature does the civilization appear to conform?civilization appear to conform?

Indus River

Interesting FactInteresting Fact

Until about 1960, Bhutan was a kingdom forbidden to outsiders. At that time only about 100 western visitors had been to Bhutan. This isolationism was helped by its borders being made up of jungles or mountains.

In which country are the most In which country are the most religions practiced?religions practiced?

1717

Which religion is predominant in Which religion is predominant in India?India?

Which religion is predominant in Which religion is predominant in Pakistan?Pakistan?

What is the predominant religion in What is the predominant religion in Sri Lanka?Sri Lanka?

1818

What areas have the least What areas have the least amount of economic activity? amount of economic activity?

Why?Why?

What is the major economic What is the major economic activity in this region?activity in this region?

A variety of A variety of climate zones climate zones are found in are found in South Asia. South Asia.

Which zone Which zone would be the would be the

coldest?coldest?

This is the area of the Himalayas where snow exists year

round.

The lower The lower elevations of elevations of the mountain the mountain

range are much range are much warmer and are warmer and are

humid humid subtropical.subtropical.

The Semi arid regions have

high temperatures

and light rainfall.

What would be What would be the driest area?the driest area?

What areas would receive the most rain?

What is the main vegetation What is the main vegetation region?region?

1919

Rain shadowRain shadow

The land on the leeward side of hills or mountains that gets little rain from the descending dry air

2020

Monsoons –”Season of Monsoons –”Season of winds”winds”

Monsoons are Monsoons are seasonal windsseasonal winds

Winter monsoon: Winter monsoon: October – February October – February dry northeast winds dry northeast winds blow from mountainsblow from mountains

Summer monsoon: Summer monsoon: June – September June – September moist southwest moist southwest winds blow from winds blow from oceanocean