Transcript South Asia supplies 90% of the world`s mica

*South Asia is
about ½ the
size of the
continental
United States
at 1.7 million
square miles
*it is separated from the rest of Asia by
its ???????
*South Asia is called a subcontinent
(large distinct landmass that is joined
to a continent)
*it is bordered by . . .
-W = ????
-S = ????
-E = ????
-N = ????
*in the north, you find the world’s highest sharp,
icy peaks that rise above the desert plateaus
and rich valleys
*in the south, you find lower, eroded mountains
and flat plateaus
-South Asia was part of Africa 60 million years
ago
*broke off and collided with the southern edge of
Asia
*collision created . . . Himalaya and Hindu Kush
*Mt. Everest in Himalaya = 29,035 feet (highest
peak in the world)
Natural Wonders:
Mt. Everest
1. Khyber Pass
*historically, invaders
from north could enter
this region through a
few narrow crossing
passes, such as
Khyber Pass (in Hindu
Kush between
Pakistan and
Afghanistan)
*How do you think this
pass impacted early
life in this region?
2. Ganges Plain
*lies at foot of
Himalaya
*watered by Indus,
Ganges, and
Brahmaputra Rivers
*1/10 of population
lives in this area –
India’s most densely
populated area
*world’s longest
alluvial plain
3. Chota Nogpur Plateau
*high tableland of forests in northeast India
-formed by collision
between Indian
subcontinent and
Asia
*divides India into
northern and
southern physical
and cultural regions
(we will look more at
this with culture)
1. Eastern and Western Ghats
*form a triangle of rugged hills (eroded
mountains)
2. Deccan Plateau
*between Eastern and Western Ghats
*very rich, black soil, because once covered by
volcanic ash
*Western Ghats prevent yearly rainy winds from
reaching the plateau (leaves it arid)
3. Karnataka
Plateau
*receives the
plentiful rainfall
from above (#2)
*hills are lush and
green (rainforest
located here)
*good for growing
crops
*rivers are the key to
life here – provide
drinking water,
transportation,
alluvial soil, fishing,
and hydroelectric
power to the people
of this region
-flows mainly through
Pakistan
-important transportation
route and irrigation
source to orchards in
the region
-Indus River Valley = the
cradle of ancient
Indian civilization (one
of the earliest in the
world)
-joins the Ganges River in Bangladesh
-major waterway for ships to sail inland from the
Bay of Bengal (navigable)
-also provides Bangladesh with 50% of its
power (hydroelectric power)
Varanasi
-most important river of South Asia
*named after Hindu goddess, Ganga – Hindus
consider the river sacred
-during the summer monsoon, heavy rains cause
devastating floods along the Ganges
*South Asia depends on a variety of natural
resources for its livelihood
-some petroleum reserves, but mainly
dependent on imported oil
-South Asia supplies 90% of
the world’s mica (layered
rock used in making
electrical equipment)
-Sri Lanka produces
sapphires, rubies, and other
precious and semi-precious
stones
-exporters of silver fir, oak,
magnolia, beech, birch,
teak, and sandalwood
Directions: Work with a partner to
complete the table below.
What climate type do these climographs
depict?
*much of South Asia experiences 3 distinct
seasons:
-cool (from October to late February)
-hot (from late February to June)
-wet (from June or July until September)
*these periods depend on seasonal winds called
monsoons
-cool season – dry monsoon winds blow
from north and northeast (from Himalaya)
-hot season – warm temperatures heat the air,
which rises and triggers a change in wind
direction
-wet season – moist ocean air from the Arabian
Sea blows in from the south and southwest,
bringing monsoon rains
-high temperatures allow farmers to produce
crops, but they can also result in evaporation
and dried-out, nutrient-poor soils
-rainfall waters crops, but areas outside the
monsoon path (Deccan Plateau and western
Pakistan) receive little or no rainfall
-monsoons may also cause flooding (especially
in Bangladesh) which kill livestock and people
and destroy homes and crops
-cyclones often form in this region due to low
atmospheric pressure
-they bring heavy winds and rain
-in 1999, a cyclone struck Orissa, India and killed
nearly 10,000 people and caused more than $20
million in damages