Geography of South Asia
-List and describe the main physical features in South
Asia.
-Define subcontinent and explain how India became
one.
-Describe how people have farmed on the IndoGanges Plain.
-Explain how the geography of South Asia is diverse.
-Describe how the human geography of South Asia is
diverse.
A Diamond Breaks Away
• South Asia looks like a solitary diamond-shaped
land.
• It is home to one of the tallest mountains, the
Himalayas.
• It is a subcontinent because it is a large region
and is separated by water from other land areas.
– The subcontinent may have once been part of a huge
landmass that included South America, Africa,
Australia, and Antarctica.
– After a collision with another plate, the Himalayas
formed.
The Himalayas
The Himalayas
• Mount Everest is the highest peak.
• It reaches 29,035feet.
• Tibetans called Mount Everest, “Goddess
Mother of the World.”
Snow to Monsoon
• Eight countries are part of South Asia.
– India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan,
Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives
Island.
• The Hindu Kush mountain range in the
northwest and the snowcapped Himalayas
in the northeast separate South Asia from
the rest of the continent.
• Much of South Asia has a similar climate.
The Climate
• There are three seasons.
• Temperatures are mild to cool from October
through March.
• They shift to very hot from March through May.
• The monsoon season, or the rainy season,
lasts from June through September.
– Nearly all the rain falls during the monsoon season.
– After this season, the land is refreshed and full of life
again.
The Importance of the Monsoon
• The monsoon is very important to farmers.
• They depend on the monsoon for the
growing of crops.
• The region’s economy is closely tied to the
monsoon.
• If the monsoon comes early, the crops
may not be planted in time.
• If the monsoon comes too late, the crops
may dry out and will not be able to grow.
Great Rivers, Great Plain
• Three great rivers flow through the subcontinent.
– The Indus
– The Ganges
– The Brahmaputra
• These rivers start in the Himalayas and spread
out through a flat plain called the Indo-Ganges
Plain.
• The rivers carry water and silt into farmlands to
irrigate and enrich the fields.
• The monsoon and the rivers help to grow such
crops as barley, wheat, rice, peas, beans, and
other vegetables.
Life on the Indo-Ganges Plain
• Many families grow just what they need to
survive.
– This is called subsistence farming.
• They do not sell much of their crops, the grow what they
need and eat what they grow.
• India and Pakistan are very heavily populated
countries.
• Almost one billion people live in India.
• The Indus River Valley is the site of one of the
world’s oldest civilizations.
Plateau, Coast, and Islands
• The land of South Asia narrows to the point of a
“diamond.”
– This region is called the Deccan Plateau.
– The climate in this region is dry and irrigation is used
for farming.
Economy of South Asia
• Most people work as farmers in India.
• The island countries of Sri Lanka and the
Maldives Islands export tea, coconuts,
fish, and rubber.
• Manufacturing is another important
industry in the coastal areas.
• Many people work in the clothing and
textile industries here too.
Time to Review
• Complete a detail to the following statement.
– South Asia has various physical features and
landforms.
• Mount Everest rises in South Asia.
• The Indo – Ganges Plain provides good farmland in South
Asia.
• Why is South Asia called a subcontinent?
• Why is the monsoon so important to the
economy of South Asia?