Regions of Asia

• Asia is the largest continent in area and population.

• China and India alone make up over 1/3 the world’s population

• Southwest Asia – Middle East • Central Asia – Stan Lands• South Asia – Subcontinent• East Asia – What most

Americans think of when they think “Asia”

• Southeast Asia – maritime countries (Indochina and islands)

Most of South Asia forms a peninsula. It is surrounded by the Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea, and cut off from the rest of Asia by mountains. South Asia is a Subcontinent – a large landmass that is part of a continent, but still distinct from it.

World’s tallest mountains: The Himalaya – 24 of them soar to above 25,000 feet – including Mount Everest at 29,035 feet above sea level is the tallest in the world.

The mountains limited contact with the rest of Asia. However, mountain passes- such as the Khyber Pass – from Central Asia into South Asia allowed invaders and traders to enter the subcontinent.

In southern India, two chains of eroded mountains – Ghats & the Vindhya Range -form a triangle that border the Deccan Plateau. The southern part of the Deccan Plateau is the Karnataka Plateau where wild elephants roam. The mountains can block the monsoon winds and make the area very arid.

Mt. Everest

Himalayas

•The Ganges River runs east from the Himalaya and keeps it size even during the dry season. Monsoons can cause huge floods. Hindus consider the waters of the Ganges as sacred. On the Indo-Gangetic Plain (Ganges Plain), rice, sesame, sugar, jute, and beans are grown here. The world’s largest alluvial plain – floodplain on which rivers have deposited rich soil. Most densely populated area in the world where 1/10 of the world’s people live.

•The Brahmaputra River runs east through the Himalayas then west where it joins the Ganges and empties into the Bay of Bengal at the Ganges River Delta. The Brahmaputra is a major inland waterway.

•The Indus River runs through Pakistan. Waters from the river waters orchards of apples and peaches. The river empties into the Arabian Sea and is known as the “Cradle of Ancient India”

• The Vindhya Range divides India into Northern India and Southern India. Each region has distinct cultures with different cuisine, architecture, and religious practices.

•The island of Sri Lanka is a teardrop shaped island off the south eastern tip of India.

•The Maldives are an archipelago –(chain of islands) that cover 38,000 miles, but makes up only 115 total square miles of land. Most of the islands are atolls.

There are 3 seasons – hot, cool, and wet. The rains blow from the north and northeast to produce cool, dry season, and from the south and southwest to produce the rainy season.

Monsoons that blow over the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta hit the Himalayas which block the wind and rain from progressing north. As a result, the rains move west to the Ganges Plain.

Floods are a serious problem. When the rainy seasons are inconsistent, drought can set in. Without the monsoons, most of South Asia would be desert.

• 1.3 billion people – 1/5 of the world live in South Asia

• Population density is seven times the world average.

• The population of South Asia is expected to double by 2025

•Hundreds of languages – 19 major languages.

•Most in Northern India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan speak Indo-European languages.

•Hindi is spoken by half of India’s population.

•Urdu is the main language in Pakistan

•Bengali is the main language in Bangladesh

•The ancient Sanskrit –classical Aryan languages is still used for religion.

•India – Most Indians are Hindu.

•Pakistan – Most Pakistanis are Muslim

•Bangladesh – Most Bangladeshis are Muslim. This country was once called East Pakistan

•Sri Lanka – Buddhist Sinhalese are the majority, but Hindu Tamils have been fighting for independence since the early 1980’s.

•Bhutan and Nepal – most of the people are Buddhist.

•India – World’s largest democracy. Socialist (central planning until recently)

•Pakistan – democracy, but since 1971 military rule.

•Bangladesh – democracy.

•Sri Lanka – democracy, but Tamils claim discrimination and want independence.

•Bhutan and Nepal – monarchies.

•Country was created from the British Raj – Hindu word for empire, for the Hindu majority and granted independence in 1947.

•Upon independence, tried to reduce outside influence and dependence. Recently has realized must compete globally and is moving to market economy.

•Largest part of the population are descendants of Aryans and Dravidians.

•Most Indians define themselves by religion and jati– a social group that defines a family’s occupation and social standing.

•Indians focus on light industry – especially known for textiles (fabric) – cotton, silk, and wool.

•COTTAGE INDUSTRY – business that employs workers in homes, and small factories (less than 100 people) are common.

•BOLLYWOOD – nickname for the world’s largest film industry that produces about 800 full-length films a year. It is centered in Mumbai.

• The countries were created out of the British Raj for the Muslim majority.

•East and West Pakistan were divided by India.

•In 1971, East Pakistan revolted against West Pakistan and established the country of Bangladesh.

• Granted independence from Britain in 1948.

•The Sinhalese Buddhists control the government and make up 80% of the population.

•Since 1980’s the Hindu Tamil minority (20%) have been fighting for independence.

•Between 1984-2009 over 100,000 Sri Lankans were killed or disappeared.

•Officially war ended in 2009 when Sinhalese government declared victory after wiping out most of the Tamil leadership.

•Remained independent of European control.

•Mountains have protected these countries from outside influence.

•Most people are descendants of a group from Mongolia.

•There are two ethnic groups in Bhutan – Bhote and Tibetans.

•There are many ethnic groups in Nepal, but most famous is the Sherpas – Tenzing Norgay was first to top of Mount Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary in 1953.

•Most people of South Asia are rural. They live in villages and farm, life has changed little for hundreds of years. Farms are divided among children, so every generation the farms are smaller. Most farms are less than an acre.

•60% are subsistence farmers.

•Farming is low-tech and labor intensive – many people, human power.

•Nepal & Bhutan – terrace farming uses up all available arable land.

•Pakistan – fruit orchards in highland valleys.

•North India & Bangladesh – water above knees – grow rice. Second (China #1)

•Sri Lanka –huge tea, rubber, and coconut plantations set up by the British & Dutch use high-tech methods. When colonists left, kept plantation system 75% of Sri Lanka is cash crops – crops for sale or trade rather than food to feed people.

•Challenge is how to balance cash crops with needs of the people.

•Key cash crops are tea, cotton, spices and jute – fiber for making string and cloth.

•Food crops – major food crop of South Asia is rice. Wheat, millet, corn, and peanuts are also grown.

• Education and government efforts have increased productivity.

•Since 1960’s, crops have diversified and yield has increased, but irrigation and fertilizers are expensive.

•Carefully manages irrigation, fertilizers, and high yielding variety of crops.

•Animals: Religions of the area promote respect for all living things. Some animals: elephants, water buffalo, monkeys, crocodiles, Bengal tigers, blue sheep, and snow leopards have all been or are on the endangered species list. Many are in danger from deforestation and loss of habitat. Animal reserves have been set up, along with laws controlling hunting and logging, but poaching – illegal hunting is still an issue.

•Lack of clean water is another serious issue. India (the most developed nation in the region) still has 80% of its people without access to sanitation.

•Deforestation – has caused serious soil erosion problems, so reforestation efforts are widespread across South Asia.

Indus River Valley – arose around 2500 BC.

Writing, built cities (maybe the first) with plumbing and sanitation, strong central government, and had overseas trade

The Aryans – about 1600 BC

Vedas – sacred writings about religion and social structure. 4 groups of people: priests & warriors – (nobles), artisans, farmers, and enslaved people – developed into a class system (caste system). Caste system outlawed in 1947.

Mauryan Empire – 320-180 BC

Invaded through Khyber Pass controlled all but very southern tip of India. Buddhist and non-violent.

Gupta Empire around 320 AD

Very advanced. Science, technology and art flourished under this Hindu civilization. This group probably developed the numbers we use today.

Muslim forces conquered northern India – Mogul Empire. Many South Asians converted to Islam.

1500’s Europeans arrived by sea. Trade was established. Portugal first.

1700’s – Britain becomes the major European power in South Asia. Introduced English language, built railroads, developed a civil service, and revised the school system, abolished the Caste System.

Mohandas K. Gandhi inspired Indians to protest British rule non-violently through boycott of British goods and peaceful demonstrations. He promoted local industry. He worked to end the social system. He was known as Mahatma or “Great Soul”

British India gained independence in 1947, but divided along religious lines. Areas with majority Hindu – India. Areas with majority Muslim – Pakistan. Split many families. Hundreds of thousands of Hindus in Pakistan moved to India and Muslims in India to Pakistan. Violence erupted along the border.

Kashmir & Jammu:The area of Kashmir is 65% administered by India and 35% by Pakistan. The state is predominately Muslim & Sikh. Both India and Pakistan have nuclear weapons and tensions are high between the two nations. The area is also close to Afghanistan’s badlands where al-Qaeda operatives train. US thought Osama bin Laden was hiding there. Islamic fundamentalists active in Afghanistan would like to spread their influence into this area. India has cracked down on the insurgency that may be backed by Pakistan

Both Pakistan and India have had nuclear weapons since 1998.

For 40 years after independence, India was led by the Nehru family. Mohandas, Indira and Rajiv Gandhi were all assassinated due to ethnic unrest in India.

Outsourcing – moving parts of a company’s operation to another location. When US says outsourcing we usually refer to moving operations overseas. India and Pakistan have benefited from English as a second language. Many IT support jobs and telephone call centers are located in South Asia. Textiles and machine parts have also relocated. India is a NIC – Newly Industrialized Country – main economic activity is manufacturing. Main factor – cheaper labor. It is cheaper to ship raw cotton from the USA to south and southeast Asia to make jeans and ship them back than it is to make them here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2HPSzz2IfA

Pakistan:Pakistan formed in 1947 when British India split into Hindu India and Muslim Pakistan. Pakistan has been under military rule for most of its history. December 2007, the opposition leader, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated. The 2008 elections brought an end to military rule, but the military is struggling to regain power. The new government has tried to fight against Islamist militants who want Sharia (Islamic law). The current president is Bhutto’s husband, Asif Ali Zardari. The move toward democracy has been difficult, but Pakistan has allowed US drone planes to fly into Afghanistan and is helping fight against al-Qaeda. On May 2, 2011 Osama Bin Laden was killed by US Special Forces in Abbotabad, Pakistan. The US has given of $20 billion in aid in return for Pakistan’s role in the War on Terror (since 2001). Relations are strained between the countries. US feels Pakistan probably knew of Bin Laden’s hideout. NATO bombed two Pakistan border posts killing 24 Pakistani soldiers. NATO claims they were targeting Taliban forces.

India – Naxalite (Maoist Uprising)Large sections of central and eastern India have been controlled by Maoist communists. The government has called them the “single biggest internal security challenge faced by our country.” Many of the poor support the Maoists for promises of land rights and more job opportunities. The Maoists are well trained and leaders are ex-military. Over 6,000 people have died in the last 10 years. The government has started a program to flush out the Maoists, but the Maoists have retaliated and violence is escalating.

Balochistan

The Balochistan conflict is an ongoing conflict between Baloch nationalists and the Governments of Pakistan & Iran over issues ranging from human rights abuses, more autonomy, more royalties and secession.

Shortly after Pakistan's creation in 1947, the Pakistan Army invaded Balochistan which did not want to become part of Pakistan. Under British rule they had been autonomous. Both Pakistan and Iran have crushed any attempts by separatists.

Balochistan is one of Pakistan’s poorest regions although it has vast natural resources. Many support the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Architecture• Taj Mahal – Agra, India.

Built by a Muslim Emperor as a tomb for his beloved wife. Islamic style with Hindu influences

• Golden Temple – Amritsar is the holy Sikh temple

• New Delhi – western style government buildings and roads. Adjacent to historic Delhi where there are mosques, forts, and bazaars.