Transcript South Asia

South Asia
Countries of the Region
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India – by far the largest
Pakistan
– separated from India after
British granted independence in
1947
– isolated by mountains and
deserts
– sees itself surrounded by
enemies
– Radical Islamists, like al Qaeda
and Bin Laden cross the
mountainous border from
Afghanistan
– In the north, is the disputed
region of Kashimir.
Bangladesh
– ethnically and linguistically
identical to Bengal region of
India across the border
– soil is very fertile
– close to sea level, flooding
(especially during typhoon
season) a serious problem
Countries continue
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Afghanistan - remote and isolated
Sri Lanka – independent island
state
Nepal and Bhutan - isolated by
the Himalayas, but connected to
India economically and militarily
Maldives
– function as a Caribbean
getaway for Europeans and
wealthy Indian
– very worried about global
warming: if the polar icecaps
melt only a little, Maldives
may cease to exist as they
are only 6 feet above sea level
Physical Map of the Indian
Subcontinent
Why a subcontinent
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Has greatly influenced the
history and lives of the people
of India
Due to geography it is
independent or separated
from the rest of the
continent
5 natural barriers
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Himalayas Mts.
Hindu Kush Mts.
Bay of Bengal
Arabian Sea
Indian Ocean
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Wall of mountains makes if
difficult to cross
Himalyas Mts. – Home of Snow”
Mountains Guard a flat fertile plain
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Fed from snow-capped mountains
3 Giants, delta regions very populated
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Ganges “Mother”
Earliest civilizations in India developed here
Needed floods for the crops
Floods were unpredictable
River could change course
No one knows for sure how human
settlement began
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Indus: flows through Thar Desert, irrigated
farming
Ganges: broad fertile valley with intensive
agriculture
Brahmaputra: interesting course,rises in
Tibet on other side of Himalayas, flows east,
cuts through mountains, flows west, merges
with Ganges
Maybe people from Africa in the south
Maybe people made their way through the
Khyber Pass
Center of India is a high plateau
Narrow border of lush tropical land lies
along the coasts of southern India
Northern Mountains
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Act as a barrior
Can be crossed
Through the Khyber Pass
through the Hindu Kush
Mountains located in the NW
Route for traders and
invaders
Northern Plains
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Indo-Gangetic Plain
From Pakistan – across India –
into Bangladesh
Densely populated
Farmers raise rice, wheat and
jute
Deccan Plateau
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Takes up half of south Asia
Boarders by mts on three
sides
– Vindhya Mts.
• North
• Rugged but low compared to
others
– East Ghats
• Face the Bay of Bengal
– Western Ghats
• Borders on the Arabian Sea
Thar Desert
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Almost no rain due to wind
patterns
Like Nile, Indus River runs
through Desert
Like Egyptians, Pakistani
people live along river
Flag of India
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India's flag was adopted on July 22,
1947, after India became independent
from Great Britian
The Indian flag has three equal
horizontal bars (saffron, white and
green)
A blue Dharma Chakra (the wheel of
law) in the center
The wheel has 24 spokes, representing
the 24 hours in a day (at the end of
each spoke is a dark blue half-moon).
The orange (deep saffron) symbolizes
courage and sacrifice (saffron is the
sacred color of Hinduism)
The white stands for peace, unity and
truth
The green stands for faith (Islam) and
fertility
The blue symbolizes the sky and the
ocean