Transcript Geography and the Early settlement of India

Geography and the
Early settlement of India
History Alive
Chapter 13
subcontinent
 India is a subcontinent of
Asia.
 India is attached to the
continent of Asia, but
surrounded on three sides
of water.
physical features of India
 An aspect of the land, such
as mountains, plateaus, and
rivers
Brahmaputra River
 The river starts high up in
the Himalayas.
 Winds through
snowcapped mountains and
narrow canyons.
 The water is cold and clear
and rushes over sharp
rocks.
Summer
 Heavy monsoon rains add
water to the Brahmaputra
River.
 A monsoon is a large wind
that often brings lots of
rain.
Brahmaputra River
 The heavy rains cause the
river to overflow leaving
rich minerals.
 The minerals are used to
grow crops.
Deccan Plateau
 Triangle shaped area
between two mountain
ranges in southern India.
 A plateau is an elevated or
raised, area of land that is
flatter than a mountain.
Deccan Plateau
Deccan Plateau
Deccan Plateau
 Different kinds of land
 Large granite rocks formed
by volcanoes.
 Hillier parts have thin
forests and low, scrubby
bushes.
 The plateau is fairly dry,
but the monsoon rains
provide most of the water.
Eastern and Western Ghats
 Long mountain chains near
the coasts of India.
 When seen from above
they form a large V.
Western Ghats
 Higher than the Easter
Ghats.
 Sleep slopes, narrow
valleys, thick hardwood
forests, and extremely
heavy rains.
 Wet climate encourages
tropical plants.
Eastern Ghats
 Not as wet as the Western
Ghats.
 Several rivers flow through
these green mountains
which are sprinkled with
hardwood trees.
 Rivers rarely flood, but are
not safe for travel.
 The rivers move very fast
and plunge suddenly over
cliffs.
Ganges River
 Flows across most of
northern India.
 Rivers carry sediment from
the Himalayas to the
northern plains.
 Sediment is used as a
fertilizer.
 During the rainy season,
the river can flood and
destroy crops.
Ganges River
Ganges River
Himalaya Mountains
 Located on India’s
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northern border.
Highest mountain range in
the world.
“home of snows”
The water from the range’s
glaciers (ice fields) feed
northern India’s major
rivers.
Earthquakes and landslides
are common in the area
Himalaya Mountains
Himalaya Mountains
Hindu Kush Mountains
 Barrier between India and
present-day Afghanistan.
 The mountain range is one
of the highest in the world.
 Snow and ice permanently
cover the slope.
Khyber Pass
 Twenty eight mile long gap
between the mountains.
 It connects central Asia to
the Indian subcontinent.
 Traders used the pass to
enter the Indus River
valley.
Khyber Pass
Indus River
 Began in the Himalaya
Mountains.
 Gets water from the
melting snow of the Hindu
Kush Mountains.
 Best farmland in the world.
 Compared to Egypt’s Nile
River.
Indus River
Indus River
Thar Desert
 Mostly sand and stone.
 Rolling sand dunes for
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hundreds of miles.
Littered with rocks.
Most of the time the heat is
unbearable.
There were rivers, but not
now.
Rain is rare.
Thar Desert
Early Settlements in India
 First people settled by the
rivers.
The End