1.6 billion people One of the most densely populated regions on Earth India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri

Lanka, the Maldives, and Nepal India makes up a majority of the land in South Asia Subcontinent: Large landmass that is smaller than

a continent

Himalaya Mountains: 1,500-mile-long range of mountains; Highest on earth› Create a massive wall that

separates the Indian subcontinent from the interior of Asia

Hindu Kush Mountains: In Afghanistan and Pakistan

Eastern and Western Ghats: Low-lying mountain ranges around the Deccan Plateau in India

A view of the Himalayas from Kathmandu, India. Himalaya is a Sanskrit word that literally means "abode of snow."

Indo-Gangetic Plain: Massive plains that extend across the north and west from Pakistan to eastern India and Bangladesh› Rivers flow

through these › Thar Desert is

located in it (Northwest India)

Deccan Plateau: Located south of the great plains› ½ of South Asia› Millions of farms› High, flat land are

rivers

RiversOn the Indo-Gangetic Plain

› Indus River: Principal river of Pakistan› Brahmaputra River: Begins in the Himalayas in Tibet

and joins the Ganges River at the massive Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta in Bangladesh

› Ganges River: Begins in Himalayas; joins the Brahmaputra in Bangladesh; empties into Bay of Bengal Most holy river for Hindus

Tropical in the south and temperate in the north

Rainfall varies by region (some areas have tropical rainforests)

Often inconsistent and violent 4 seasons

› Cool, dry (Dec.-Feb.)› Hot, dry (March-May)› Wet (June-Sept.—monsoon)› Drier monsoon (Oct.-Nov.)

Monsoon: Seasonal wind that dominates the climate of South Asia› Key to life for farmers:

need the rain that the monsoon winds bring

› Issues: Sometimes there is too much rain and sometimes there is too little

› Wet monsoon: Late May or early June

› Dry monsoon: October

Flooding in Bangladesh from the monsoons

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"Flooding in Bangladesh." Image. PhotoDisc, Inc. World Geography: Understanding a Changing World. ABC-CLIO, 2013. Web. 15 Jan. 2013.

"Himalayas from Kathmandu." Image. Corel. World Geography: Understanding a Changing World. ABC-CLIO, 2013. Web. 15 Jan. 2013.

India: topography. Map/Still. Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 15  Jan.  2013.  <http://www.school.eb.com/comptons/art-137842>.

Indian monsoon: average dates of summer monsoon across Asia. Map/Still. Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 15  Jan.  2013.  <http://www.school.eb.com/comptons/art-117507>.

"Region at a Glance: South Asia (illustration)." Image. World Geography: Understanding a Changing World. ABC-CLIO, 2013. Web. 15 Jan. 2013.

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"Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India." Image. Corel. World Geography: Understanding a Changing World. ABC-CLIO, 2013. Web. 15 Jan. 2013.

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