• Three Major River Systems of South Asia– Ganges River ( in present day India)– Brahmaputra River (in present day
Bangladesh) – Indus River (in present day Pakistan)
The Ganges River System
1,560 miles long
“Mata Ganga” (Mother Ganges)
The Brahmaputra River System
1,800 miles long
Floods on the Brahmaputra: 2003
Flooding on the Brahmaputra
The Indus River System
1,975 miles long
Valleys / Plains
Indo-GangeticPlain
Elevation Levels
Mountains & Peaks
HimalayasMt. Everest
▲
Hindu Kush
Western
Gh
ats
Khybe
rPas
sI I
The Ghats
• The Western Ghats are a UNESCO World Heritage Site as of 2006– one of the world's ten "Hottest
biodiversity hotspots" (Nature magazine)• over 5000 species of flowering plants • over 139 mammal species • over 508 bird species • over 179 amphibian species• & at least 325 globally threatened species
live in the Western Ghats
The Western Ghats
Hindu Kush
The Khyber Pass
The Khyber Pass
• An important route that connects Pakistan and Afghanistan through the mountainous region– Concerns today re: use of the Khyber
Pass by terrorist groups
The Himalayas
“him” [snow]
“aalaya” [home]
Mt. Everest is 29,035 feet. It is the highest
mt. peak in the world.
“Fire Rim of the Pacific”
Earthquake Zones in India
2004 Earthquake In Indonesia:
Tsunami Devastates Indian Ocean Coastlines!
the Tsunami’s Devestation
100,000s dead!
Deserts / Plateaus
Thar
Desert
DeccanPlateau
TibetanPlateau
The Deccan Plateau
31,800 square miles in size.
Elevation range: 2,000 – 8,000 feet high.
From the Sanskrit word, “dakshina” [“the south”].
The tibetan Plateau
The “Roof of the World.”
average elevation is 16,400 feet.
The Thar Desert
The Great Indian Desert
200 - 1500 feet in elevation.
up to 127ºF in July.
Other
Kashmir
Completed Map
Indus R
.
Ganges R.
Brahmaputra R.
Arabian Sea
Indian Ocean
Bay ofBengal
Himalayas
Mt. Everest
▲
Hindu Kush
Western
Gh
ats
Khybe
rPas
sI I
Thar
Desert
DeccanPlateau
TibetanPlateau
Indo-GangeticPlain
Kashmir
Climate Regions of South Asia
Climate
• Climate is varied and affected by mountain ranges in the region– India
• Tropical wet and dry• Humid Sub-tropical
– Pakistan & Afghanistan• Arid & Semi-arid
– Bangladesh• Tropical wet
Winter Monsoons: Nov.-April
Summer Monsoons: May-Oct.
Monsoons
• Summer Monsoons bring rain• Winter Monsoons bring dry air
Temperature
Global Areas of Malaria
Major Farming Systems
of South Asia
Economic Activities& Resources
Silk Cultivation
Tiger regions
Indian States & Union Territories
Population Density
Language Families in South Asia
Per Capita Income in India
Language in India alone
Literacy Rate in India
Other Issues
• Religious conflict between Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims
• Green Revolution technology has not reached all farmers
• Growing populationovercrowding in cities, infrastructure problems
• Large gap between rich and poor– Most poor are subsistence farmers