What do you see in this photo? Where might this be? What challenges may

someone living here face?

South Asia

Physical Geography

• India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives make up the subcontinent of South Asia.

• South Asia is very mountainous.• Two huge walls of mountains, the Karakoram

Range and the Himalayas, form the northern border of India and separate South Asia from the rest of Asia.

Physical Geography

• Much of South Asia’s water drains into the Ganges River.

• The two major rivers in Bangladesh are the Brahmaputra River and the Ganges River.

• The main river system running through Pakistan is the Indus River

Physical Geography

• The Maldives are made up of about 1,200 small coral islands.

• Sri Lanka lies about 20 miles off the coast of southeastern India. Its tropical climate has a wet and dry season.

Monsoons

• Monsoons are seasonal winds that bring intense rainfall during part of the year.

• From May to October, winds blow northward and bring heavy rain. Some areas receive as much as 100 inches of rainfall.

• Summer monsoon rains irrigate crops and fill reservoirs.

• Rains can also cause deadly floods and landslides.

Monsoons

• From November to April, the winter monsoons reverse the winds and blow dry air southward.

• Very dry winter monsoons seasons can destroy crops.

• People in South Asia must carefully manage water stored during wet monsoons to use as drinking water and to irrigate crops during dry monsoons.

Resources & Land Use

• South Asia’s natural resources range from India’s huge coal deposits to Sri Lanka’s precious and semi-precious stones.

• The most important resource in South Asia is it’s arable land.

• Farms in South Asia feed nearly 1.5 billion people.

Green Revolution

• Despite vast farmland, India often suffered terrible famines.

• In 1966, farmers began using sustainable farming techniques and new seeds to increase crop growth.

• This rapid and significant rise in food production became known as the Green Revolution.

Pollution

• Because of South Asia’s large population, pollution is a problem.

• Local non-governmental organizations and new laws in South Asia are aimed at decreasing pollution, conservation, and cleaning up pollution.

Pollution in Ganges River

Early Indian History

• Nomadic herders called the Aryans migrated from Central Asia into the Indus River Valley.

• Aryan society was organized into different social groups based on ancestry, family ties, and a person’s occupation.

• Their social structure became known as the Caste System

Caste System

• Traditional Indian social structure was divided into 4 groups.

• The priest and scholars were at the top• Then the rulers and warriors• Next were the merchants and professionals• At the bottom were the artisans, laborers, and

servants.

Caste System

• An unofficial 5th group was created to include those who performed the lowest jobs in Indian society such as tanning animal skins and collecting garbage. They were known as the “Untouchables”.

• Rules of the Caste system were very strict.• People could not marry out of their caste, it was

nearly impossible to move into a different caste, and a lot of discrimination occurred.

Caste System Today

• Today, India’s constitution forbids unfair treatment against member of any caste.

• Many groups have formed to struggle against such discrimination.

Religion in South Asia

• Many different religions are practiced in South Asia.

• Sikhism combines practices of Hinduism and Islam and is practiced by 1% of the population.

• Jainism advocates nonviolence towards all living things and is practiced by 1 % of the population.

Religion in South Asia

• Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha Gautama, Buddha. It is based on the Four Noble Truths and by following the Eightfold path, one can achieve nirvana. Practiced by 2% of population.

• Islam is practiced by 30% of the population, mainly in Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Hinduism

• Believe in Reincarnation, after death the soul is reborn in another life. Where the soul is reborn depends upon a person’s karma.

• Polytheistic• Practiced 63% of the population

The largest democracy

• The democratic government in India faces many challenges in governing more than one billion citizens.

• India’s constitution established a federal republic.• Working towards a “casteless” society in India.• Population growth is the main challenge. The

government is working on expanding its infrastructure to accommodate the growing population.

Economic Growth

• Outsourcing, the shifting of jobs to workers outside a company, often in a foreign country, has been a big part in India’s economic growth.

• If you call technical support, your call is likely answered in India.

• While the official language in India is Hindi, business and government is conducted in English.

Economic Growth

• While business is expanding in India, 75% of people still make only $2.00 a day.

• The government must find ways to increase access to consumer goods, and increase economic opportunities for all.

• Mircolending is one way that the country’s growing prosperity reaches even the poorest citizens.

The Golden Quadrilateral

• India is modernizing its roadways to support its economic growth.

• In 1998, the prime minister announced India would build a 3,663 mile superhighway called the Golden Quadrilateral to connect four major cities: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata.

• The GQ is an example of India’s efforts to modernize and improve its infrastructure.

Push/Pull Factors

• South Asia’s cities are facing the challenges of rapid growth.

• There are many slums in South Asia.• A slum is an area of a city that has crowded,

unclean housing, poor sanitation, and bad living conditions.

Slum in Mumbai

Slum in Mumbai

Push/Pull Factors

• Push/Pull factors are reasons why people migrate.

• Push factors in South Asia include: poverty, lack of jobs, poor sanitation, hunger.

• Pull factors in South Asia include: job opportunities, better education, clean water, electricity.