Geography of South Asia

A Diamond Breaks AwayBecause this region is so large and separated

by water from other land areas, it is called a subcontinent.

According to a theory called plate tectonics, Earth’s surface is made of several slowly moving plates.

The subcontinent may have once been part of a huge landmass that included the continents of South America, Africa, Australia, and Antarctica.

Its plate may have broken off and moved very slowly northward until it collided with a larger plate.

The movement of these plates also formed the Himalayas Mountains. Mount Everest is its highest peak.

This region is also prone to earthquakes because of constantly moving plates.

THINKWhat action formed the

Himalayas?Why is South Asian land likely to

have earthquakes?

Snow to MonsoonThis region has many different landforms:

◦Hindu Kush mountain range in the northwest ◦Himalayas in the northeast◦A huge desert stretches across Pakistan and

northwest India◦A large river delta in the east◦Mountains in Nepal and Bhutan◦A lush, green plain south of the Himalayas◦A plateau in the middle and tip of India◦The Indian Ocean surrounds the subcontinent

THINKWhat forms the border between

South Asia and the rest of the Asian subcontinent?

If you were moving to South Asia, where would you want to live? Why?

ClimateDespite the differences in

landforms, much of South Asia has a similar climate.

Temperatures are mild to cool from October through February.

They shift to very hot from March through May.

Then comes monsoon season, which lasts from June through September.

Monsoon SeasonNearly all of the yearly

precipitation falls during monsoon season. After the monsoon season, the land is refreshed and full of life again.

Why do you think the monsoon is important to people in South Asia?

THINKSuppose you could visit South

Asia. Based on what you have learned about the different seasons, when would you decide to go? Why?

Great Rivers, Great PlainThree rivers flow through the

subcontinent:◦Indus◦Ganges◦Brahmaputra

◦Label the Indus and Ganges on your purple map.

These rivers fan out through the Indo-Ganges Plain. The rivers carry water and silt into farmlands to irrigate and enrich the fields.

Monsoon season rains cause flooding, which spreads more silt. This keeps the soil rich for the next year.

FarmingMany families grow food just for

themselves. This process is called subsistence farming because people live on the food they grow. They do not sell much of their crops.

THINKWhy do you think that much of

the population of India lives in villages on the Indo-Ganges plain?

Plateau, Coast, and IslandsThe Deccan Plateau is located where

the land makes a point like a diamond.It lies between the Arabian Sea and

the Bay of Bengal.Climate: dryMore irrigation for farming is needed;

however, the plateau has rich, volcanic soil.◦Label the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, and

Indian Ocean on your map

The Deccan Plateau is framed on the west and east by rugged mountains, the Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats

Most people work as farmers in India. People fish and farm along southern India’s heavily populated coasts too. Many people also work in the clothing and textile industries.

THINKWhat does the geography of

South Asia reveal about the many differences within the subcontinent?