Physical Features and Natural Resources of South Asia ●South Asia is an area of vast diversity, from mountains to deserts to tropical islands. -occupies 1.73 million sq m of the Asian continent. SOUTH ASIA IS COMPRISED OF THE COUNTRIES: -India -Pakistan -Bangladesh -Bhutan -Nepal -Sri Lanka -Maldives 2 ASPECTS OF SOUTH ASIA’S PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY ARE CONSIDERED TO BE THE UNIFYING FACTORS TO ITS EVOLUTION AS A WORLD REGION: -
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(1st aspect) mountain ranges to the north- these mountains protected the people of South Asia. They create a natural setting in which distinctive human geographies have evolved. (2nd aspect) extent of the surrounding seas. Historically, the Arabian Sea provided a crucial route to South Asia from West Asia and the Meditteranean.
●The seas, with the broader Indian Ocean, produce the moisture for the summer monsoons and the seasonal torrents of rain. The precipitation from these monsoons is important for the livelihood of the people. Pakistan- the western border of India Bangladesh- on the eastern border THE NORTHERN BOUNDARIES OF THE COUNTRY: -
Bhutan Nepal Tibet Sinkiang region of China
INDIA ●It is the 7th largest country by area, the 2nd most populous country (with over 1.2 billion people), and the most populous democracy in the world. ●The mountain ranges of the Hindu Kush and the Himalayas separate India from the northern regions of Asia. ●The Indian subcontinent was identified with its commercial and cultural wealth for much of its long history. 4 RELIGIONS THAT ORIGINATED IN INDIA ARE: -
Hinduism Buddhism Jainism Sikhism
ARRIVED IN THE 1ST MILLENIUM CE AND ALSO SHAPED THE REGION’S DIVERSE CULTURE: -
Zoroastrianism Judaism Christianity Islam
3 RIVER SYSTEMS: -
Indus Ganges Brahmaputra
●Its fertile plain is a farming region, which makes it the heartland of India. ●on the south of the subcontinent is the Indian peninsula. The Deccan Plateau is its central feature. ●India is one of the major producers of iron in the world. ●A major portion of the energy in India is generated from coal. It is estimated that India has around 120 billion tons of coal in reserve (enough to last for 120 years). ELECTRICAL ENERGY IS GENERATED BY: -
Hydroelectric power Coal Nuclear energy
●Half of the hydroelectric power is generated by snowfield reservoirs in the Himalayas. PAKISTAN ●It is the 6th most populous country with a population exceeding 199 million people. ●It is also the 36th largest country in the world in terms of area, covering 881, 913 km2 -
Has a diverse topography. It measures 796, 095 sq mi
IT IS DIVIDED INTO 4 REGIONS: -
Arid stony plateau of Baluchistan The mountainous north Lowlands along the Indus in the south and east
RIVERS OF PAKISTAN THAT ORIGINATED FROM INDIA: -
Sindhu Ravi Chenab Jhelam Satlaj
●The mountain areas are cold because of the over 300 glaciers that never melt. BANGLADESH -
Bordered by India and Myanmar and is separated from Nepal and Bhutan by the narrow Siliguri Corridor. Bangladesh is the world’s 8th most populous country, 5th most populous in Asia, and the 3rd most populous among Muslim-majority countries. Has a tropical monsoon type climate. It has a hot and rainy summer and dry winter. Its climate is one of the wettest on the world. Most places receive more than 1,525 mm of rain a year and areas near the hills receive 5,080 mm. Rain is mostly brought by the monsoon. The country is often devastated by cyclones that originate from the Bay of Bengal. The Chittagong Hill tracts and the Sundarbans comprised of a great tidal mangrove forest are the principal vegetation in the country.
NEPAL -
A federal republic and landlocked country of over 26.4 million people in South Asia.
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Bordered by China to the north and India to the south, east and west. Nepal is located in the Himalayas and is home to 8 of the world’s tallest mountains, including Mount Everest. Below the mountain ranges are plains irrigated by the Ganges River. Though only 10 percent of its land area is under cultivation, farming is still the country’s major source of income.
SRI LANKA -
Sri Lanka is home to many religions, ethnic groups, and languages. It is a republic and a unitary state governed by a semi-presidential system. Sri Lanka’s terrain is largely flat and rolling with distinguishing cluster of mountains. It is made up of about 100 rivers, and most of these are just wet season rivulets. The country experiences high temperature because it is located at the tropical zone. Rainfall is very important to the country’s farmers. And, it is also located in the wet zone where the southwest and the northeast monsoons are experienced. Because of this location, many crops can be grown.
MALDIVES -
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Maldives is an island country in the Indian Ocean. The chain of 26 atolls stretches from Ihavandhippolhu Atoll in the north to the Addu atool in the south. The centrally located capital Malé is traditionally called the “King’s Island.” Maldives is an archipelago of 1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 coral atolls. 200 islands are inhabited and 80 islands have tourist resorts. The country experiences hot and humid climate. Maldives is not blessed with many natural resources; however, it has its own beauty and has the riches of the sea. Fishing and tourism are the major industries of the country.
BHUTAN -
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Bhutan is a sovereign state in South Asia. The state religion is Vajrayana Buddhism. The national language is Dzongkha. It is a small kingdom in the eastern Himalayas. Said to be a country less affected by the changes and progress of the 20 th century. This is because of the Bhutanese decision to still follow their centuries-old way of life. This way of life centered on the Buddhist traditions and doctrines. Because of the thunderstorms and lightning in the area, Bhutan is known to be the “Land of the Thunder Dragon.” Most of the mountains and hills of Bhutan are fortified mountain monasteries known as dzongs. These are the homes of Buddhist priests called lamas.
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The lives of the Bhutanese are centered in agriculture. They tend their crops along the mountain slopes on the south plains known as daurs.
5 DISTINCTIVE SEASONS OF BHUTAN: -
Summer Autumn Winter Monsoon Spring
