Transcript Subcontinent - Bridgeport ISD

GEOGRAPHY 23 – 1
THE LAND OF SOUTH ASIA
A Separate Land
• Subcontinent
– Large, distinct
landmass
– joined to a
continent
– Natural barriers
• 1/2 the size of
the United
States
Mountains: The Himalaya
• Plate tectonics
• Subcontinent
collided with Asia 60 million years ago
• 1000 miles across
northern edge
• Mt. Everest world’s highest
peak
Hindu Kush
• Completes
chain in the
west
• Kept India
isolated and
protected
• Khyber Pass only way in for
many years
Vindhya Range
• Central India
• Divides India
into Northern
and Southern
regions
• Two distinct
Indian cultures
have emerged
Questions to Answer
• Why is South Asia a “sub continent”
• What is the major mountain range of
South Asia
• What is the Northern Mountain Range
• What Pass was found that allowed people
to come through?
• What is the central mountain range. Why
is it important?
The Ganges Plain
• Indo-Gangetic
Plain
• Holds 1/10th of
human
population
• Fertile plain
• World’s largest
alluvial plain
• Watered by
Ganges, Indus
and Brahmaputra
Rivers - 3 Major Systems
• Indus River
– Mostly in Pakistan
• Empties into
Arabian Sea
• Important
transportation
route
• “Cradle of Ancient
India”
The Brahmaputra River
• From Himalaya into
India and
Bangladesh
• Joins Ganges at the
delta
• Empties into Bay of
Bengal
• Ships can navigate
as far as 800 miles
• Hydroelectricity 50% of
Bangladesh’s
power
The Ganges River
• Most important
• Summer
monsoons
cause massive
flooding
• Hindus
consider its
waters sacred
• Most densely
populated plain
Questions
• What is the main river of India?
What plain is so important to the people of
India?
What river system is considered the ancient
cradle of India?
What river is around the ancient cradle of
region?