South AsiaSouth Asia

SubcontinentSubcontinent – a large landmass – a large landmass that is smaller than a continent.that is smaller than a continent.

The Indian The Indian SubcontinentSubcontinentincludes :includes :AfghanistanAfghanistanPakistanPakistanIndiaIndiaNepalNepalBhutanBhutanBangladeshBangladesh

Mountains and PlateausMountains and Plateaus

• Himalaya Mountains – a system of parallel mountain ranges.

• Subcontinent – a large landmass that is smaller than a continent– India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka,

and Maldives

• World’s highest mountains formed by the collision of tectonic plates.

• South Asia has half the landmass of the United States but nearly four times the population.

South AsiaSouth Asia United United StatesStates• Land AreaLand Area– 1,656,401 sq. miles 3,165,630 sq. miles

PopulationPopulation– 1,400,000,000 290,000,000

• RiversRivers– Ganges 1,560 miles– Brahmautra 1,800 miles Mississippi 2,357 miles

• MountainsMountains– Mt. Everest 29,035 feet Mt. McKinley 20,320 feet– K2 28,250 feet

Formation of the Formation of the HimalayasHimalayas

The Himalayas are among The Himalayas are among the youngest mountain the youngest mountain ranges on the planet. ranges on the planet. According to the modern According to the modern theory of plate tectonics, theory of plate tectonics, their formation is a result of a their formation is a result of a continental collision along continental collision along the convergent boundary the convergent boundary between the Indo-Australian between the Indo-Australian Plate and the Eurasian Plate.Plate and the Eurasian Plate.

The Indo-The Indo-Australian plate Australian plate is still moving is still moving at 67mm/year, at 67mm/year, and over the and over the next 10 million next 10 million years it will years it will travel about travel about 1500 1500 km into Asia.

Eurasian Eurasian collisioncollision

Hindu KushHindu Kush

Separate Pakistan from Afghanistan

Southern PlateausSouthern Plateaus

• Deccan Plateau – covers much of south-central India

• Western Ghats & Eastern Ghats – are located along the southern border of India– These Mountains

block moisture from reaching the Indian interior, making it an arid region.

•Hardwoods, softwoods, and bamboo

•Deforestation causes soil erosion, flooding, landslides, and a loss of wildlife

• formed by three great river systems: formed by three great river systems: the Indus, Ganges, and the the Indus, Ganges, and the BrahmaputraBrahmaputra

• great farmlandgreat farmland• subject to disastrous floodingsubject to disastrous flooding

Northern Indian PlainNorthern Indian Plain

Ganges, Brahmaputra, Ganges, Brahmaputra, IndusIndus

These rivers support These rivers support millions of peoplemillions of people

- Provide water for - Provide water for irrigationirrigation

- Carry alluvial Soil - Carry alluvial Soil

-creates the -creates the alluvial plainalluvial plain – Rich – Rich soil, great for cropssoil, great for crops

Offshore IslandsOffshore Islands

• Sri Lanka – large tear drop shaped island

• Maldives Archipelago – (archipelago means an island group)

Mineral resourcesMineral resources

– Coal, petroleum (oil), natural gas– (not enough to be self-supporting)– Iron-ore deposits, mica (a component in

electrical equipment)

Mt.EverestMt.Everest (as seen from Nepal)(as seen from Nepal)

Four peaks of the Himalayan mountain range with Four peaks of the Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everest as seen from the International Space Mount Everest as seen from the International Space Station looking south-south-east over the Tibetan Station looking south-south-east over the Tibetan Plateau.Plateau.

The Himalaya, due to its The Himalaya, due to its large size and expanse, large size and expanse, has been a natural barrier has been a natural barrier to the movement of people to the movement of people for a long time. In particular, for a long time. In particular, this has prevented this has prevented intermingling of people from intermingling of people from the Indian subcontinent with the Indian subcontinent with people from China and people from China and Mongolia, causing significantly Mongolia, causing significantly

different languages different languages and customs between and customs between these regions. these regions.

Nepali culture is very Nepali culture is very similar to the cultures similar to the cultures of Tibet, and India, of Tibet, and India, which borders to the which borders to the south. There are south. There are similarities in similarities in clothing, language clothing, language and food. and food.

NepalNepalLocated between Located between the giants China the giants China to the north and to the north and India to the south India to the south this country is this country is home to more home to more than 20 million than 20 million people of around people of around 50 ethnic groups.50 ethnic groups.

A constitutional monarchy is a form of monarchical government established under a constitutional system which acknowledges an elected or hereditary monarch as head of state.

NepalNepalGhandrung Village and Annapurna SouthGhandrung Village and Annapurna South

Nepalese guides or porters hired for mountaineering Nepalese guides or porters hired for mountaineering expeditions in the Himalayas.expeditions in the Himalayas.

sherpassherpas

Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay ((not pictured here)not pictured here) were the were the first to ascend Everest, the world's tallest mountain, in 1953.first to ascend Everest, the world's tallest mountain, in 1953.

Glacial Glacial lakes lakes in Bhutanin Bhutan

Taktsang Taktsang MonasteryMonastery

The Buddhist The Buddhist Taktsang Taktsang Monastery, Monastery, "Tiger's Nest," "Tiger's Nest," perches on a perches on a cliff above Paro cliff above Paro Valley in Valley in Bhutan, a tiny Bhutan, a tiny kingdom kingdom between China and India on the Great Himalaya between China and India on the Great Himalaya Range. Range.

The Ganges The Ganges river has a river has a long history long history of reverence of reverence in India and in India and is often called is often called the 'holy Ganga'. It traces its origin to a glacier in the the 'holy Ganga'. It traces its origin to a glacier in the Himalayas and joins the Alaknanda River to form the Himalayas and joins the Alaknanda River to form the Ganga. Ganga.

Alluvial Alluvial plainplain

The Ganges flows across the large plains of North India and empties The Ganges flows across the large plains of North India and empties into the Bay of Bengal after dividing up into many distributaries.into the Bay of Bengal after dividing up into many distributaries.

VaranasiVaranasi is closely associated with the is closely associated with the GangesGanges andand

has many temples along its bankshas many temples along its banks

Sacred watersSacred waters

Hindus have long believed that Hindus have long believed that the water of Ganga has a special the water of Ganga has a special purity.  Studies conducted in 1983 purity.  Studies conducted in 1983 on water samples taken from the on water samples taken from the right bank of the Ganga at Patna right bank of the Ganga at Patna confirm that escheria coliform confirm that escheria coliform (E.Coli.), fecal streptococci and (E.Coli.), fecal streptococci and vibrio cholerae organisms die two vibrio cholerae organisms die two to three times faster in Ganga to three times faster in Ganga than in water taken from the rivers Son and Gandak than in water taken from the rivers Son and Gandak and from dug wells and tube wells in the same area.and from dug wells and tube wells in the same area.

PollutionPollutionThe Ganges collects large The Ganges collects large amounts of human amounts of human pollutants as it flows through highly populous areas. These populous areas, and other people down stream, are then exposed to these potentially hazardous accumulations.

DeltaDeltaFormed as Formed as the Ganges the Ganges River River empties into empties into the Bay of the Bay of Bengal after Bengal after dividing up dividing up into many into many distributariesdistributaries

Surrounded by India, this Surrounded by India, this country on the northern country on the northern coast of the Bay of Bengal coast of the Bay of Bengal shares a small common shares a small common border with Myanmar. border with Myanmar.

BangladeshBangladesh

The borders of Bangladesh were set by the partition of India in 1947, when it became the eastern wing of Pakistan, separated from the western wing by 1,000 miles.

The country is low-lying The country is low-lying riverine land traversed by riverine land traversed by the many branches and the many branches and tributaries of the Ganges tributaries of the Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers.and Brahmaputra Rivers.

BangladeshBangladesh

The Bengali poet, dramatist, and writer from Santiniketan, became in 1913 the first Asian Nobel laureate. He won his Nobel Prize in Literature for notable impact his prose works and poetic thought had on English, French, and other national literatures of Europe and the Americas.

Rabindranath Tagore

BangladeshBangladesh

• Bangladesh• Bhutan• India• Maldives• Nepal• Pakistan• Sri Lanka

• United States

• 128,133,000• 877,000• 1,065,000,000• 286,000• 23,930,000• 150,648,000• 19,169,000

• 290,000,000

Populations of South AsiaPopulations of South Asia

FloodingFlooding

Tropical monsoons and frequent floods Tropical monsoons and frequent floods and cyclones inflict heavy damage in and cyclones inflict heavy damage in the delta regionthe delta region

In 1998, a devastating monsoon season in Bangladesh In 1998, a devastating monsoon season in Bangladesh left nearly 70% of the country underwater for 2 months.left nearly 70% of the country underwater for 2 months.

Feni dam projectFeni dam project

An important project in Bangladesh was the closure of the Feni dam. This dam is mainly closed using manpower.

PakistanPakistan

The PartitionThe Partition

Indus Water TreatyIndus Water TreatyThis water-sharing treaty between India and Pakistan was signed in 1960 by the then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and the then President of Pakistan Field Marshal Mohammad Ayub Khan.

KashmirKashmir

Pakistan, India, and China claim Kashmir as their own.

PakistanPakistan Pakistan extends along either side of the historic Indus River, following its course from the mountain valleys of the Himalayas down to the Arabian Sea.

K2 – K2 – World’s second highest World’s second highest peakpeak

DemographicsDemographicsPakistan's population of 128 million is one of the fastest-growing in Asia. The two largest ethnic groups are the Punjabis, an Indo-Aryan people who dominate political and business life, and the Pashtuns, who work mainly as herders and farmers.

PakistanPakistan The sixth most populous country in the world and the second most populous country with a Muslim majority.

The city of Islamabad, with its mix of traditional Islamic architecture styles and modern features, became the capital city when it was officially moved here from Karachi in 1959.

King Faisal MosqueKing Faisal Mosque in Islamabad, one of the in Islamabad, one of the largest in the world. Pakistani society is largely largest in the world. Pakistani society is largely multilingual and predominantly Muslim, with high multilingual and predominantly Muslim, with high regard for traditional family valuesregard for traditional family values

Indus RiverIndus River

Pakistan extends along either side of the historic Indus River, following its course from the mountain valleys of the Himalayas down to the Arabian Sea.

KarachiKarachi

The financial capital and the largest city of Pakistan

Southern PlateausSouthern Plateaus

• Deccan Plateau – covers much of southern India

• Western Ghats & Eastern Ghats – are along the southern border of India– These mountains block moisture from reaching

the Indian interior, making it an arid region.

Sri LankaSri LankaA teardrop-shaped tropical A teardrop-shaped tropical island nation off the island nation off the southeast coast of the southeast coast of the Indian subcontinent, it was a t was a British Empire crown colony British Empire crown colony for more than a century, for more than a century, gaining independence in gaining independence in 1948. 1948. Sri Lankan ArmySri Lankan Army

Tamil TigersTamil TigersThe Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), also known as the Tamil Tigers, is a militant organization that has been waging a secessionist campaign against the Sri Lankan government since the 1970s in order to secure a separate state for the Tamil majority regions in the north of Sri Lanka.

The LTTE is proscribed as a terrorist The LTTE is proscribed as a terrorist organization by 32 countries.organization by 32 countries.

Sri LankaSri LankaLong known as Long known as CeylonCeylon, and as a , and as a popular port-of-popular port-of-call, it declared call, it declared independence independence in 1948, in 1948, subsequently subsequently changing its name changing its name to Sri Lanka in to Sri Lanka in 1972.1972.

Sri LankanSri Lankan authorities report authorities report 30,196 confirmed deaths after 30,196 confirmed deaths after the island was hit by the the island was hit by the tsunami resulting from the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake on December 26, 2004.

The The Republic Republic of Maldivesof Maldives

This archipelagoThis archipelagoisland nation island nation consists of a consists of a group of group of atolls in the Indian in the Indian Ocean about 700 Ocean about 700 kilometers south-kilometers south-west of Sri Lanka. west of Sri Lanka.

atollatoll Coral reefs, Coral reefs, originally fringing originally fringing the edges of the the edges of the island, become a island, become a barrier reef barrier reef outlining the outlining the contour of the contour of the original coastline. original coastline. After the original After the original island slips entirely island slips entirely beneath the waves, beneath the waves, all that is left is a all that is left is a coral atoll .coral atoll .

A volcanic island A volcanic island forms in deep forms in deep tropical waters, tropical waters, giving coral polyps giving coral polyps a foundation to a foundation to grow on. In time, grow on. In time, the volcano the volcano becomes dormant becomes dormant and the island and the island begins to subside.begins to subside.

TourismTourismThe development of The development of tourism has fostered the overall growth of the country's economy. Today, tourism is the country's biggest foreign exchange earner, contributing to 20 percent of the GDP.

TsunamiTsunamiThe The tsunamitsunami that struck Malé in the Maldives on that struck Malé in the Maldives on December 26, 2004. December 26, 2004.

South Asia LinksSouth Asia Links• http://www.theodora.com/maps/new8/maldives.gif• http://www.ece.ubc.ca/~rodgerl/images/nepal/nepal.1.jpg• http://dpjolkowski.tripod.com/Asia/Nepal/images/map-nepal.jpg• http://zhenghe.tripod.com/flags/big/nepal.jpg• http://web.inter.nl.net/users/projection3/english/nepal/home/• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maldives• http://jasonya.com/travel/india_2003.html• http://www.reload.cn/images/national_geographic/Amritsar,%20India.jpg• http://www.geographia.com/pakistan/• http://www.discoverbangalore.com/firstpage.html• http://www.storyofpakistan.com/articletext.asp?artid=A138• http://archives.cnn.com/2000/ASIANOW/south/04/19/srilanka.civilwar/