The Geography of South Asia
MR. LOVEJOY & MRS. LOTT-JONES
Northern Mountains
 Separate South Asia from the Rest of Asia making it a




“subcontinent.”
Melting snow from the Himalayas provides water for the
rivers of the sub-continent
Kashmir valley is an area where goats produce fine wool
(Cashmere)
Mountain passes have allowed for movement in and out
of South Asia
Khyber Pass is located in the Hindu Kush Mountain
Range (Northwest South Asia); used for thousands of
years for trade and invasions
Northern Plains (Indo-Gangetic)
 Fertile soil in this area from the steady source of





water (3 main rivers)
Ganges, Brahmaputra and Indus
India get its name from the Indus River
Most holy river in South Asia is the Ganges
Densely populated because of the fertile soil
Thar Desert is located to the west of the plains
Deccan Plateau
 High flat land, covers nearly ½ of South Asia
 Bordered by Vindyha Mountains to the North
 The Ghats rim the Deccan Plateau to the East and
West; Eastern Ghats Near Bay of Bengal – Western
Ghats near Arabian Sea
 Triangular shaped
 Hard to gain access to water here, which is why
they dig wells
Monsoons
 Seasonal winds that dominate the climate of South





Asia
2 types: Wet and Dry Monsoons
Wet Monsoons (Summer): arrive in late May and Early
June bringing much needed rain
Dry Monsoons (Winter): arrive in October
Monsoons determine when farmers will plant crops
If the rainfall is too heavy it may cause flooding leading
to a loss of crops, increase in disease and deaths
Resources
 Utilize irrigation to provide water to those areas
that don’t have access; build wells and irrigation
trenches
 South Asia has mineral resources, specifically
iron ore and copper
 Lacks access to oil, which is why the government
supports nuclear power
 Coal is plentiful in the Northern Plains