Chapter 25Human Geography of South AsiaA Region of ContrastsObjective: Compare features of Human Geography in the Seven countries of South Asia

Chapter 25 Section 1IndiaVocabulary: Mughal Empire, Raj, Nonviolent Resistance, Land Reform, Green Revolution, & Caste System

Objective: Define the nature of India’s government & identify some of its challenges

Invasions, Empires, & Independence• Indian culture is a blend

of many different customs & traditions

• Civilization began in the Indus Valley around 2500 B.C.

• Aryans migrated into the area & played a key role in the development of Indian civilization

• Persians & Greeks also occupied the Indus Valley

• The Mauryan Empire united most of India

• Muslims conquered the region establishing the Mughal Empire

Invasions, Empires, & Independence• The British East India

Company came to India to obtain spices

• Britain established direct rule over India (called the raj)

• The British control lasted for 90 years

• Mohandas Gandhi began a nonviolent resistance to gain independence

• Pakistan & Bangladesh decided to break away from India due to religious differences

Governing the World’s Largest Democracy• India adopted a

constitution & became a democratic republic in 1950

• However, like Britain they have a parliamentary government with the Prime Minister becoming the head of the government

• Many different ethnic, cultural, & religious factors influence Indian politics

• India is mostly Hindu but they have a Muslim minority

• However, they do solve political conflicts peacefully

Economic Challenges• 2/3’s of India’s people rely

on farming for their livelihood

• Most farm families struggle to survive

• Land Reform (distribution of land) is a proposed solution to the problem

• India is now a major producer of iron & steel, chemicals, machinery, & food products

• Other cities like Bangalore are becoming high-tech cities

Life in Modern India & Indian Culture• Most Indians follow the custom of

arranged marriages (divorce is rare)

• Indian families are large & very connected

• Most Indians ear vegetarian diets & limit meat consumption because of religious practices

• The government has placed a high priority on improving public education

• Hindi is the official language but English is still widely used

• 80% of the population practice Hinduism

• They believe in reincarnation, karma, & are polytheistic

• The caste system is used to place people in social classes

Chapter 25 Section 2Pakistan & BangladeshVocabulary: Indus Valley Civilization, Partition, Kashmir, Microcredit, Entrepreneur, & Ramadan

Objective: Analyze the economies of the two countries

New Countries, Ancient Lands• The Indus Valley Civilization

(modern-day Pakistan) began around 2500 B.C.

• It had well-planned cities containing brick buildings & sophisticated sanitation

• The region later was controlled by several different ethnic groups until the arrival of the British

• Partition (division) of India came after the end of British rule in 1947 with Muslims creating West & East Pakistan

• Ethnic differences caused East Pakistan to fight for independence creating Bangladesh

Struggling Economies• Most farmers in Pakistan &

Bangladesh work small plots of land & struggle to survive

• Pakistan is mostly arid which affect agriculture

• Bangladesh is affected by seasonal monsoons & cyclones

• Neither country is highly industrialized but are trying to improve their industries

• They have developed microcredit to provide small loans to entrepreneurs to start their own businesses in hopes to improve their economy

One Religion, Many People• Islam has long played an

important role in Pakistan & Bangladesh

• They observe Islamic customs including daily prayer & Ramadan (month-long period of fasting from sunrise to sunset)

• Pakistan is stricter in imposing Islamic law while Bangladesh is less strict

• Pakistanis practice purdah (women can’t have contact with men who are not relatives)

• Pakistan is also more ethnically diverse than Bangladesh

Modern Life & Culture• Like in India, Pakistan &

Bangladesh have arrange marriages & large families

• Most people live in simple homes but they do have major cities that are crowded

• Poetry is a special interest in both Pakistan & Bangladesh

• Poets are popular figures & mushairas (poetry readings) draw thousands of people

• Music & dance are also important forms of expression in Bangladesh & Pakistan

Chapter 25 Section 3Nepal & BhutanVocabulary: Constitutional Monarchy, Sherpa, Siddhartha Gautama, & Mandala

Objective: Compare the aspects of the economies of Nepal & Bhutan

Mountain Kingdoms• The main geographic feature

of Nepal & Bhutan is their mountainous landscape

• The rugged mountainous landscape of Nepal & Bhutan has isolated the two countries throughout their histories

• Nepal & Bhutan remained independent & isolated

• Both Nepal & Bhutan are constitutional monarchies (rulers power limited by a constitution)

Developing Economies• Nepal & Bhutan are poor

countries with economies based mainly on agriculture

• Most of the land is not suitable for cultivation

• Farmers practice terraced farming to increase the amount of farmland & limit soil loss

• The timber industry is very important to both countries

• Most trade for both countries is with India

• One of the fastest growing industries in Nepal is tourism

• However, in Bhutan regulates the tourist industries

Rich Cultural Traditions• Various ethnic groups inhabit the

Himalayan region• The Sherpas in Nepal are the high

Himalayas are the traditional mountain guides of the Everest region

• The main ethnic group in Bhutan is the Bhote, who trace their origins to Tibet

• Buddhism has deep roots in Nepal since its founder Siddhartha Gautama was born there

• Buddhism is the official religion in Bhutan

• Folk art & festivals are an important feature of Himalayan culture

Chapter 25 Section 4Sri Lanka & the MaldivesVocabulary: Sinhalese, Tamils, & Sultan

Objective: Summarize religious, ethnic, & cultural life there

History of the Islands• The Sinhalese migrated from India

to Sri Lanka, adopting Buddhism & building a irrigation system

• The Tamils then migrated to Sri Lanka, bringing a different culture

• Britain took control of the Island until they gained independence

• Tensions continue between the Sinhalese & Tamils in Sri Lanka

• The Maldives were settled by Buddhist & Hindus until being converted to Islam by Arab traders

• In 1968, the Maldives declared itself a republic

Life in the Islands• Sri Lanka is a diverse mix of

ethnic & religious groups with Sinhalese Buddhists making up 75% of the population

• 18% are Tamil Hindus & 7% are Muslims

• Most people in Sri Lanka continue to live in smaller towns & villages

• The population of the Maldives are Sinhalese who mixed with Arabs

• Art & literature are strongly influenced by their religious traditions

Economic Activity in the Islands• Sri Lanka has an

economy based on agriculture by producing rice, rubber, & coconuts

• They are also a leading tea producing country

• Maldives economy is based on fishing & tourism

• Warfare in Sri Lanka made their tourist industry collapse