Human Geography of South Asia: A Region of Contrasts TULOSO-MIDWAY HIGH SCHOOL.

Human Geography of South Asia: A Region of

Contrasts

TULOSO-MIDWAY HIGH SCHOOL

India

India- ancient culture, over 4,000 years old

Blending of many different cultures & traditionsMany invaders & empires came to power in the region

India

By the 1500’s Europeans were trading with India for spices & cloth.Great Britain began to dominate this trade, through its company the British East India Company.

East India Company Flag

IndiaBy 1857 Great Britain controlled all of India.

This period is known as the Raj (lasted for 90 years)

IndiaEventually Indians began to resist the British occupation.They were led by Mohandas Gandhi

Advocate of mass nonviolent resistance-• Protest movement that does not use

violence to achieve its goals

IndiaGandhi cont.-

Advocated an end to the Caste systemBritish educated lawyerImprisoned many timesCommonly used hunger fasts as a resistance toolForced the British from India in August, 1947• Inspiration for Dr. Martin Luther King

Jr.’s tactics in the Civil Rights movement

IndiaIndia is the world’s largest democracy

?͌ 1.2 billion people (2ND largest in world)Strongly Hindu country butOver 160 million Muslims • Source of conflict?

One of the new 7 wonders of the world

IndiaLand Reform- more balanced distribution of land among farmers

Proposal to redistribute land. Done because 25% of farmland is in the hands of a powerful 5% of farm families.

IndiaGreen Revolution- increasing of crop yields by introducing higher-yielding grain varieties & teaching better farming techniques to farmers.

Introduced in late 1960’s & early 1970’sDramatically improved the amount of food available for the poor.

IndiaModern Life-

Most marriages are arrangedDivorce is rareVery common for extended family to all live under one roof. Most are vegetariansHas largest film industry in the world

• Bollywood

Public affection is discouraged

IndiaLanguages of India

18 major languagesMore than 1,000 are spokenEnglish is common in business areas. Hindi is the official language

IndiaHinduism

80% of populationReincarnationKarma- moral consequences of a person’s actions (help to determine how a person is reincarnated)

IndiaCaste system- system of social classes

Born into a specific casteOnly marry within your casteOnly move to a different caste through reincarnation

RELIGION

Pakistan & BangladeshIndus Valley Civilization- largest of the world’s first civilizations

Began around 2500 B.C.

West PakistanEast Pakistan

India

PAKISTAN (AT PARTITION)

Independence & Division-Britain divided up India into a Hindu nation (India) and a Muslim nation (East & West Pakistan)

Pakistan & BangladeshPartition- division of British India

Led to much violence between Hindu’s & Muslims1 million died10 million moved to new areasBy 1971 a civil war broke out and the new nation of Bangladesh was formed.

Pakistan & BangladeshKashmir- small territory in northern India that both Pakistan & India claim as their own

Muslim population but had Hindu Maharaja at time of partition

Joined India

3 Wars over the territory

Both sides (India and Pakistan) have nuclear weapons

Pakistan & Bangladesh

Microcredit- very small loans that are made available to entrepreneurs

Entrepreneur- people who start & build a businessEffective way of getting poor workers out of poverty

Pakistan & BangladeshPakistan & Bangladesh- most are Muslim

Ramadan- month-long period of fasting from sunrise to sunset.

Nepal & BhutanNepal & Bhutan-

Geographically isolated, because of their mountainous terrainDifficult to conquer &/or visit in its history

Nepal & BhutanNepal & Bhutan

Both are Constitutional Monarchies-• Kingdom in which the ruler’s

powers are limited by a constitution

• Both are very poor & have limited resources

Nepal & Bhutan

Sherpas- people of Nepal of Tibetan ancestry

Renowned mtn. climbers & pack carriers

Nepal & BhutanSiddhartha Gautama (Buddha)- born on the borders of Nepal & India in the 6th century

Founder of Buddhism

Nepal & Bhutan

Buddhists in Bhutan use Mandalas-

Geometric designs that are symbols of the universe & aid in meditation.

Sri Lanka & the MaldivesSinhalese- Buddhist people from India that settled in Sri Lanka (majority)Tamils- Hindu people from southern India that settled in Sri Lanka (minority)

Civil War has been taking place on & off since the 1980’s between these groups

Sri Lanka & the Maldives

The Maldives- Population of about 400,000 on over 1200 islandsRuled by Sultans- Muslim Rulers