NAME_______________________________________
Social Studies
Mr. DeLoughry
South Asia Study Guide
Your next assessment is on Thursday May 8, 2014. You
should use the following resources to study:
 South Asia PowerPoint
 Map of South Asia
 “30 Days: Outsourcing” questions
1. India sits on a piece of land that is not large enough to
be called a continent. What is the piece of land called?
Subcontinent
2. What is the name of the tall mountain range that
borders India on its north side?
Himalayas
3. Which two rivers were important areas for early
civilizations in South Asia?
Indus, Ganges
4. Compare India’s population to that of the United
States and compares its land size to that of the United
States.
India has 4 times the population
of the USA on 1/3 of the land
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5. India was a colony of which European country?
U.K.
6. When the colony of India was split up and given
independence, which three modern-day countries were
created?
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh
7. Were the countries divided based on language or
religion or some other factor? Describe the key
difference among the countries.
Religion was the factor in dividing the
countries. India is mostly Hindu. Pakistan
and Bangladesh are mostly Muslim.
8. What is the name of the man who used non-violent
protests to help India win its independence?
Gandhi
9. His non-violent strategy included one famous march
to break a British law. Explain the march and the law
that the protesters broke.
Gandhi led a long march to the ocean to
pick up salt on the beach. The British law
said that Indians could not take salt
because the British wanted to make money
by selling salt to the Indian people.
Gandhi’s march showed the British that
they could not control India if people did
not want to follow the laws.
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10.
What determines your caste in the Hindu caste
system?
The caste of your parents is your caste
11.
Why is a person’s caste important during the
person’s lifetime?
Caste determines a person’s job, social
status, and marriage partners
12.
Once a Hindu has lived a good life, how is his or
her soul rewarded?
A Hindu’s soul would be reincarnated into a
higher caste in his or her next life and can
finally reach nirvana
13.
Which group is below the caste system and what
types of jobs are they required to do?
Untouchables or Dalits – toilet cleaners,
street sweepers, garbage collectors,
handling dead bodies, working with leather
14. Why does the government of India want to end the
caste system?
The government of India says the caste
system hurts the country’s economic
growth because millions of people do not
get the opportunity to be educated and to
work in good jobs. The caste system also
gives education and special treatment to
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some people who may not be the best or
the brightest.
15. What is the government doing to try to give
Untouchables a chance at a better life?
India’s government is setting aside places
in college and government jobs for
members of the low castes so that their
families can live a better life and escape
poverty
16. How have some members of the higher castes reacted
to the government’s effort to help the Untouchables?
Some in the higher castes have gotten
angry over what they see as special
treatment for Untouchables and a threat to
the college education and jobs that usually
have gone to the higher castes in the past.
17. An Untouchable is likely to be treated more equally
in which parts of India – urban or rural?
URBAN, because cities are big and people
are more anonymous so others do not know
your family or your caste.
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18. If India’s government wants to create more middleclass jobs, why does it put limits on foreign
investment in the country?
India is concerned that a lot of investment
from USA or UK or other countries would
give them too much control over India,
which does not want to be treated like a
colony again.
19. India’s large population makes it difficult to solve
which three big problems?
a. Poverty
b. Pollution
c. Inadequate water
20. India’s economy has been described as “a
juggernaut,” but the fantastic growth of the middle
class has created problems related to college
admissions and highway traffic. Explain.
Rapid growth has created a large middle
class that is dealing with new problems in
India. For example, getting into college has
become extremely difficult because so
many students are getting a high school
education. Scores needed to be accepted
to college are higher now and students and
parents are stressed out. Also, growth has
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led to more cars and trucks on the roads.
More roads are being built, but there are
not enough police or traffic lights to keep
people safe so hundreds are killed every
day.
21. In the “30 Days” video, Chris ends up getting a job in
which popular industry in Bangalore?
Call Center
22. What does Chris learn about the impact of India’s
economic growth on the relationship between
husbands and wives?
Chris sees that Soni wants a job outside
the home, but this is not a good thing for
Ravi who expects his wife to get him tea
and take care of him and his whole family.
This situation shows that the growing
economy is putting stress on traditional
relationships in India.
23. What event causes Chris to become scared for his life
while he is in Bangalore?
A riot caused by the death of a popular
actor causes Chris to go to the house for
safety because people are breaking
windows and setting fires.
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24. How do Chris’ attitudes about India’s people change
after he spends 30 days in Bangalore?
Chris’ attitude changes because he is less
angry about having lost his programmer job
to outsourcing. He says he sees his job as
creating a better life for a lot of Indians. He
mentions that Americans still have much
better places to live than the Indians,
especially those who are living in small,
crowded, dirty homes and are not really
complaining about their lives.
25. What is the main religion of Pakistan?
Islam
26. Which important terrorist leader was killed in
Pakistan in 2011?
Osama Bin Laden
27. Which region between Pakistan and India is in
dispute and why is it considered important to both
countries?
Kashmir is considered important due to
religious differences and its place as the
source of the Indus River
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28. What is the balancing act that President Zardari has
to do if he wants to develop his country
economically?
Zardari is balancing between Pakistan’s
need for U.S. aid and increased business
ties with the U.S. and the feelings of many
Pakistani citizens who are against the U.S.
and favor radical Muslims like the Taliban
and al-Qaeda.
29. Identify the countries on the map of South Asia that
are marked with the following letters:
A. AFGHANISTAN
F. BANGLADESH
B. PAKISTAN
G. BURMA
C. INDIA
(MYANMAR)
D. NEPAL
H. SRI LANKA
E. BHUTAN
30. Identify the cities on the map of Asia that are marked
with the following numbers:
1. New Delhi
2. Islamabad
3. Kabul
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4. Dhaka
5. Yangon
ESSAY TOPICS – Be prepared to write essays on TWO
of these topics
Gandhi’s role as “father of India.”
Caste System vs. Economic Growth
India’s New Challenges
Zardari’s Balancing Act
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