Transcript South Asia
Mr. Marston South Asia Dominion Christian High School Marietta, GA South Asia is a subcontinent • Large, Distinct landmass that is joined to another continent. In this case, Asia. • Forms a peninsula • • • • Arabian Sea (West) Indian Ocean (South) Bay of Bengal (East) Includes Sri Lanka Indian subcontinent Landforms • Mountains: Himalaya: formed by collision of tectonic plates. • Mt. Everest: 29,035 feet • Karakoram Mountains: • Hindu Kush Mountains • Khyber Pass: narrow pass between Afghanistan and Pakistan Indian Topography • Indian Topography Himalayas • Himalayan Video • Himalayas • Internet Activity Khyber Pass • Khyber Pass Khyber Pass • Khyber Pass Ganges Plain • Wide, fertile plain at the base of Himalayan Mountains • Indus River • Ganges River • Brahmaputra • 1/10 of the world lives here. Ganges Plain Chota Nagbur Plateau Chota Nagbur Plateau Central Landforms • Vindhya Range: mountain range in Central India. Divides the northern and southern regions. • Cuisine, architecture, and religious practices differ in north and south Southern Landforms • Eastern Ghats: rugged hills. • Western Ghats • Deccan Plateau: contains rich soil, but relatively dry because rainy winds are blocked by Western Ghats. • Karnataka Plateau: south of the Deccan Plateau receives more moisture. Hills are lush. Deccan Plateau Karnataka Plateau Other • Sri Lanka: island southeast of India • Maldives: Island chain south of India Major River Systems • • • • • Rivers are the key to live in South Asia Indus Brahmaputra Ganges All carry fertile soil from mountain slopes onto floodplains as the rivers swell from seasonal rains Rivers continued • Indus: cradle of ancient India • Brahmaputra: major inland waterway. • Ganges: Most important river in South Asia. Revered by Hindus who consider the river sacred. • Most productive agricultural area and world’s longest alluvial plain: an area of fertile soil deposited by river flood waters. The Ganges Plain is India’s most densely populated area. Natural Resources • Rivers of South Asia provide Alluvial soil Drinking Water Transportation Hydroelectric Power Fish Energy Resources • Petroleum Reserves • Natural Gas: Southern Pakistan • Uranium Minerals • Leading exporter of iron ore • Mica: makes electrical equipment • Graphite: lead in pencils Timber • Conifers, silver fir, and hardwoods (oak, magnolia, beech, and birch) • Severe overcutting threatens Nepal’s timber • Massive soil erosion Climate and Vegetation • Tropical climates in the south • Highlands • Deserts Climate Regions of South Asia Tropical and Subtropical Climates • Tropical rain forests: western coast of India, near the Ganges Delta in Bangladesh, southern Sri Lanka. • Absorb great quantities of moisture Ebony trees, lush vines, and orchids Bamboo, mango and palm trees Sundarbans (beautiful jungle) • Swampy area in SW Bangladesh • World’s largest mangrove forest Sundarbans • Sundarbans Tropical Savanna • Central Indian steppe • Eastern Sri Lanka Humid Subtropical Climate • Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and the NE part of India Highland Climate • Himalayan Highlands • Karakoram Mountain ranges • Snow all the time • Little vegetation survives Coniferous and hardwood trees Grasslands and bamboo divide the lower Himalayan foothills from higher elevations Dry Climates • Great Indian Desert: (Thar Desert) • Desert scrub, low, thorny trees, and grasses • A Steppe surrounds the desert. Thar Desert Location of Thar Desert Three distinct seasons • Hot (Late February to June) • Wet: (June to September) • Cool: (October to late February) • Period distinction depend on seasonal winds (monsoons) • Cool season: dry winds • Hot: wet winds from Indian Ocean bring monsoon rains Monsoon Rains • Monsoon rains are heaviest in South Asia • Some areas receive adequate rainfall for agriculture while others (Deccan Plateau and western Pakistan) do not • Other issues: • Flooding • Cyclones: storm with high winds and rain Winter Monsoons: Nov.April Summer Monsoons: May-Oct. • Indian Monsoons • Youtube Monsoon