South Asia Geography Part Two
Plains
Valleys / Plains
Physical Geography
Two great rivers - the Ganges and Indus – rise
in the mountains and drain Indo-Gangetic Plain
Northern or Indo-Gangetic Plain
• Sedimentary covers: The riverine plains of the Indus, the Ganges (known as
Ganga to Indians), and the Brahmaputra and the coastal plains of the Indian
Peninsula form this region.
– The North Indian Plain forms a belt of alluvial lowlands stretching from
Pakistan’s Indus River on the west to the Brahmaputra on the east.
– The Ganges River with its various tributaries is the major river of northern
India.
– This region of plains is from 320 to 500 km (200 to 300 mi) wide and it
extends through Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh.
– The climate varies from arid in Punjab to tropical around the Bay of
Bengal.
– Soils (inceptisols) are derived from alluvium and they are relatively fertile
and generally level.
– In the arid areas, irrigation has created environmental problems through
accumulation of salts (salinization).
Northern Plain
• Fertile region due to Indus, Ganges, and
Brahmaputra Rivers
• Carry melting snow from mountains to the
plains making agriculture possible
• Rivers are sacred to Indian people
The Northern or Ganges Plain
• One of the most productive regions in Asia
– Deep, rich soils
• Main Crops: Grains, sugarcane, cotton and
oilseeds
• River provides irrigation water during dry
season
• One of the world’s most densely populated
regions
• Main cities of India are located on or near
Ganges
Coastal Plains
• Small rivers and seasonal rains provide area
with water for farming
• Eastern and Western Ghats
Physical Geography
Narrow coastal plains lie along the Arabian Sea
and the Bay of Bengal
Physical Geography
The peoples of these coastal plains became sea
traders
Indo- Gangetic plain
•
•
Area that surrounds the Ganges and
Brahmaputra rivers
Best farmland in India
–
No coincidence that this is one of the two most
densely populated areas in India
•
They farm rice, wheat, cotton, sugarcane, and tea
Indo-Gangetic Plain
• Made up a large fertile flood plain the
Northern India and present day Pakistan
• Seasonal monsoon rains brought predictable
floods to the river systems
• Annual floods brought rich
deposits of soil over a wide
area
Indo-Gangetic Plain
• Indo-Gangetic Plain stretches from
Indus valley of Pakistan to lower
Gangetic delta of Bangladesh
• Two regions within the plain
• West- Indus Valley- Punjab and
Hariyana
• East beyond the Delhi Ridge
stretching up to Bangladesh
• This alluvial plain constitutes the
heartland of the Indian civilization
Prof. Subho
Hstory of
Indo-Gangetic Plain
• Densely populated region
• Centers of Maurya(300BC),
Gupta (4 th Century Ad)
Mughal ( 1526-1707) and the
British Empire (1757-1947)
• Major Urban Centers in
South Asia
• Lahore, Delhi, Banaras,
Calcutta and Dacca
• Agricultural Heartland of
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh.
Farming Begins Along These Rivers
• Early cultures used the water resources of
the two rivers to irrigate their fields and
produce crop surpluses
• 2500 BC first cities emerge in this region
Elevation Levels
Mountains
Mountains & Peaks
Mt. Everest
▲
Physical Geography
High mountain ranges cut India off from
immigrants and invaders
Mountains of India
• Mountainous Rim
• Hems in the country
• Has not prevented invasions however
– Himalayas
– Western Ghats
– Eastern Ghats
– Rainforests in the shadow of the Ghats
INDIA: Mountains
• Alpine system: The Himalayas form a major barrier to the movements
of air masses north and south and exceed 6,096 m (20,000 ft) in several
locations.
– Mount Everest (Nepal: Sagarmatha; Tibetan: Chomolungma) is the world’s
highest mountain at 8,848 m (29,035 ft).
– The climate ranges from tropical lowlands to Arctic conditions in the high
altitudes of Mount Everest and other peaks.
– The Karakoram Pass provides access from north-central India through the
Himalayan and Hindu Kush mountains.
– The Khyber Pass in the west was used by invading groups.
– Population in the Himalayas is limited except in the Vale of Kashmir and in
Nepal (25,200,000 people).
– Bhutan has 900,000 and Sikkim less than one million. Sikkim has been
incorporated into India and is one of its provinces.
– Rice and wheat are the dominant grain crops.
Coastal India
• The Western and Eastern Ghats: These Ghats (hills) rise
abruptly on either side of the Deccan Peninsular.
• The Ghats are a barrier to transportation and rainfall.
• The narrow coastal plains bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay
of Bengal lie beyond the Ghats.
• The Western Coastal Plain is much narrower than the Eastern
Coastal plain and much wetter.
• Part of ancient maritime empires and well connected with the rest
of Asia through trade and commerce.
• Thickly populated with flourishing agriculture
Kanchenjunga
(India’s highest)
The Northern Mountains
•
Hindu Kush
–
Named for their danger
•
–
–
Kush= Death
Extremely rugged
Like the Himalayas are a source of water for much
needed rivers
Hindu Kush
The Khyber Pass
The Indian Subcontinent
•
India is apart of a larger piece of land called
the Indian “Subcontinent”
–
–
•
A landmass that is part of a continent but is
geographically an independent entity
India is separated from Asia by the Himalaya and
Hindu Kush Mountains
The Indian subcontinent is divided into three
major physical regions
–
–
–
The Northern Mountains
The Indo- Gangetic Plain
The Deccan Plateau
The Northern Mountains
•
Himalayan Mountains
–
Tallest mountain range in the world
•
–
20 mountains that are over 24,000 ft. high
Mount Everest
•
Tallest peak at 29,035 ft
–
–
–
–
First climbed by Edmond Hilary & Tenzing Norgay in 1953
Many have tried to climb it since and hundreds have died
Creates the majority of the northern border of India
Source of important rivers to India
•
Ganges, Feni, Indus, and Brahmaputra rivers
The Himalayas
• The colossal Himalayan Mountains form a
border between the Indian subcontinent and
the rest of Asia.
• The Himalayas are the world's tallest
mountains, towering more than five miles
above sea level.
• Himalaya means "home of snow" because the
tallest peaks of the Himalayas are always
covered with snow.
Himalaya
• Himalaya means abode of snow
• The largest and highest mountain
system in Asia, forming a broad
continuous arc for nearly 2600 km
(1600 mi) along the northern
fringes of the Indian subcontinent,
• The Himalayas range, averaging
320 to 400 km (200 to 250 mi) in
width, rises sharply from the
Gangetic Plain.
• North of this mountain belt lies
the Tibetan Plateau (Qing Zang
Gaoyuan).
• Origins of snow fed river systems
and movements of monsoon
• Dividing line between India and
the rest of north Asia
The Himalayas
• The Himalayas include Mount Everest, the
tallest mountain in the world.
• Everest rises 29,028 feet above sea level on
the border between Nepal and China.
• No plant life grows near the mountain's
peak due to powerful winds, extremely cold
temperatures, and a lack of oxygen.
The Himalayas
• Many adventurous people attempt to climb Everest every
year
• Often their venture ends in sickness or death. Most people
are unable to breathe 20,000 feet above sea level because
there is not enough oxygen in the atmosphere.
• A person will suffer brain damage when they are unable to
breathe .
• Strong winds and frigid temperatures make the climate even
more rigorous.
• Clearly the peak of Mount Everest is a place for only the
heartiest of people.
The Himalayas
 “him” [snow]
 “aalaya” [home]
 Mt. Everest is
29,035 feet. It
is the highest
mt. peak in the
world.
Himalaya as Civilization
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Himalaya in Hindu legend
Abode of Shiva and Durga
The Great Himalayas, (the highest zone,
consists of a huge line of snowy peaks with an
average height exceeding 6100 m (20,000 ft).
The width of this zone is about 24 km .
The Middle Himalayas (also known as the
Inner or Lesser Himalayas), (average height
between 6000 and 10,000 ft, width of about 80
km ).
the Sub-Himalayas, which includes the
Siwalik Range and foothills and the Tarai and
Duars piedmont (an area of land formed or
lying at the foot of a mountain or mountain
range) (width of 48 km).
Residence of 40 million people
Densely populated valleys
English hill stations
Sparsely populated forests and natural
resources
Diversity of population Muslim, Hindus,
Buddhists, Christians
The Himalayas
More MOUNTAINS
•Eastern and Western Ghats (India)
•Twin Escarpments in South India –
“V” shaped.
http://www.tamilnadutourism.org/geo.htm
Influence of Mountains:
•Population & Settlements
-lower elevations have
higher populations
•Movement
-Khyber Pass – “gateway
for invasions”
•Climate
-block cold air from the
North
Earthquake Zones in India
2004 Earthquake In
Indonesia:
Tsunami Devastates Indian
Ocean Coastlines!
the Tsunami’s Devastation
100,000s dead!
Plateaus and Deserts
Deserts / Plateaus
Tibetan
Plateau
Deccan
Plateau
Deccan Plateau
• Gondwana Shield: This landform region extends southward from
the southern borders of the Ganges drainage area and includes
the lava covered Deccan Plateau.
– This plateau is framed on the north by the Vindhyas and the
Tapti and Godavari Rivers; on the west, the Western Ghats
(Hills) lining the Malabar Coast; on the east, the Eastern Ghats
paralleling the Coromandel Coast; at the southern margin are
the Blue Mountains which exceed 2,600 m (8,800 ft).
– The central portion of the Deccan Plateau has fertile soils
(vertisols), derived from volcanic materials, primarily
cultivated with cotton.
– Elevations of the Deccan Plateau are approximately 305 to
450 m (1,000 to 1,500 ft).
– The coastal areas have a humid tropical climate with
abundant rain from the orographic effect of the Ghats.
Deccan Plateau
• The Deccan lies south of
these two river valleys.
• It is a hilly and dry plateau
extending from the
southern Ganges valley to
the southern end of India
Deccan
• Triangular plateau- raised
level of land
• Most of area is arid,
unproductive, and
sparsely populated
Peninsular India
Deccan Plateau
• This plateau occupies the greatest part
of India - a tilted tableland of low
rolling hills, great river valleys and
uplands.
• In the central area, the rich black soil
retains water but in the regions where
this soil does not occur water is a
constant problem.
• Much of India's mineral wealth is
found on the plateau.
• The southern part of the plateau is
called the Deccan Peninsular.
• The Dec ' can tilts to the east,
declining in elevation and containing
river systems which form fertile
deltas when they reach the Bay of
Bengal.
The Deccan Plateau
 31,800 square miles in size.
 Elevation range: 2,000 – 8,000 feet high.
 From the Sanskrit word, “dakshina” [“the south”].
The tibetan Plateau
 The “Roof of the World.”
 average elevation is 16,400 feet.
The Thar Desert
 The Great Indian Desert
 200 - 1500 feet in elevation.
 up to 127ºF in July.
Other
Kashmir
Punjab
Completed Map
Kashmir
Punjab
Arabian Sea
Deccan
Plateau
Tibetan
Plateau
Bay of
Bengal
Indian Ocean
Drass -450C in
December night
Tawang 190C in
June
550C temperature
in June
Thar desert
Diurnal range of
temperature 300C
Jaisalmer receives
9cm rainfall
Tiruvanantapuram &
Chennai 200C in
December night
Cherrapunji &
Mawsynram have
1080cm rain
Kerala Diurnal
range of
temperature 80C
MONSOON REGIME IS THE UNITY
OF INDIA
The Indian Subcontinent has a great variety of climate regions
and resources.
The Indian Subcontinent has four climate regions: the
highland climate, the subtropical climate, the tropical
climate, and the desert or steppe climate.
Monsoons have a huge influence on the weather and
climates in the subcontinent.
Agricultural and mineral resources are plentiful.
Climate Regions
1.
Highland climate
–
Himalayas
–
Brings cool temperatures to much of Nepal and Bhutan
2.
Humid subtropical climate
–
Plains south of the Himalayas
–
Hot, humid summers with plenty of rainfall
3.
Tropical climate
–
Covers much of the subcontinent
–
Tropical savanna in central India and Sri Lanka
–
Humid tropical climate in southwest India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and
Bangladesh
4.
Desert and steppe climate
–
Throughout southern and western India and most of Pakistan
–
Dry
India’s Climate
• India's climate is dominated by monsoons.
Monsoons are strong, often violent winds
that change direction with the season.
• Monsoon winds blow from cold to warm
regions because cold air takes up more
space than warm air.
• Monsoons blow from the land toward the
sea in winter, and from the sea toward land
in the summer.
India’s Climate
• India's winters are hot and dry
• The monsoon winds blow from the northeast and carry
little moisture.
• The temperature is high because the Himalayas form a
barrier that prevents cold air from passing onto the
subcontinent.
• Additionally, most of India lies between the Tropic of
Cancer and the equator, so the suns rays shine directly
on the land.
• The temperature can reach as high as 110 degrees
Fahrenheit during the Indian winter.
Climate Regions of South
Asia
Monsoons
Climate
Monsoons - seasonal winds that blow from the NE
Nov. to Mar. and from the SW June to Oct.
Seasonal winds known as monsoons bring rain every summer.
India is dependent upon monsoons to grow their crops. Not
enough rain brings drought. When there is too much rain,
rivers rise and cause deadly floods and destruction of crops.
What is a Monsoon?
• A season of high temperatures, high
winds, and high moisture, resulting in
potentially deadly weather.
• Winds that change direction with the
change of season.
• Winds blow in response to differences in
temperature between air over the land and
air over the sea.
• Widespread torrential rains, and even
severe thunderstorms, often accompany
the onset of a monsoon.

A monsoon is a strong wind that blows one
direction in winter and the opposite direction in
summer. Monsoons bring rain in summer.
Cold season: Dry winds blow from land to
ocean
Warm season: Wet winds blow from ocean to
land
transport moisture
large rainfall
Water Critical Factor
The people of India’s first civilizations depended upon the monsoons
to bring the water that their crops needed.
Monsoon Rains
Devastating Effects
• Monsoon rains flooded rivers;
rivers deposited fertile silt in
which farmers could grow
crops
• Monsoon rains too heavy—
crops, homes, lives could be
lost
• With abundance of rainfall
came threat of devastation
• Monsoon rains too late, did
not last long enough—people
could not grow crops; famine
became danger
Why are monsoon rainfalls important?
water management, disaster mitigation, agricultural
efficiency
e.g.) Asian monsoons
About 60% of the world’s population depends on
monsoon
e.g.) Asian monsoons (India)
•8.2 % economic growth in the year
ending 2004 March with the help of the
good monsoon
•5.5-6.5% in this year’s growth because
Quic kTime™ and a
TIFF
(Unc
ompres
sed) dec ompres sor
of the late onset of monsoon last
are needed to see this pic ture.
summer. (Asian Development Bank)
•Onset, extent and overall amount of
monsoon rainfall play a key role
How Do Monsoons Affect Us?
• Brings heavy rain in
summer
• Rain can last for days
• Very few breaks may
produce floods
• Homes, crops, and
businesses may be
ruined due to flood
How Do Monsoons Affect Us?
• If the monsoon season is late it may bring
about drought.
• Drought effects agricultural output.
• A decrease in agriculture is likely to lead to
an increase in prices and higher inflation.
• Inflation effects our ability to purchase
things.
Climate
The NE (dry) monsoon drops moisture on the
Himalayas before reaching India
Climate
The SW (wet) monsoon carries warm, moist air
from the Indian Ocean and brings heavy rains
Climate
The wet monsoon brings most of the year’s
rainfall and is important for agriculture
20cm = 7.9in
100cm = 39.4in
400cm = 13.2ft
800cm = 26.3ft
1000cm = 32.8ft
Climate
If the wet monsoon arrives late or brings little
rain, crops fail; too much rain, flooding destroys
the countryside
Climate
Temperatures can reach 120ºF in the IndoGangetic Plain
Aurangabad, India
15 C = 59 F
30 C = 86 F
45 C = 113 F
December to March ~~~~ Cold
April to May ~~~~ Very hot (Often over 100 degrees)
June to September ~~~~ Monsoon season
October to November ~~~ less rain
MONSOONS
Monsoons are huge rain storms that come
in from the Indian Ocean. They bring
enough rain to supply water for the whole
year. These storms have strong winds.
They can flood and destroy farms and
houses. Some have even killed people.
Are there storms like these in the United
States?
Winter Monsoons: Nov.April
Summer Monsoons: MayOct.
Temperature
Agriculture
Major Farming Systems
of South Asia
Agriculture
Primary Sector:
• Indian agriculture is inefficient and labor intensive.
• Animals are frequently used for power.
• The village is the focus of life for 74 percent of the Indian
population with an estimated 580,000 villages.
• Approximately 2/3 of India's huge working population (63
percent) depends directly on the land for its livelihood.
• Substantial progress toward modernization has been made in the
Punjab's wheat zone.
• In the early 1980s more than 1/4 of India's cultivated area was
still owned by only 4 percent of the country's farming families.
• Half of all rural families either owned as little as a half hectare
(1.25 acres) or less, or no land at all.
• Land consolidation efforts have had only limited success, except
in the states of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.
Agriculture
•
Major crop zones:
1.
Wheat. Dry northwest notably in the Punjab and neighboring areas of the
Upper Ganges. Many gains from the Green Revolution through the
introduction of high-yielding varieties developed in Mexico.
Rice. Moist east and a summer monsoon drenched south. More than 1/4 of
all of India's farmland lies under rice cultivation, most of it in the states of
Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, and eastern Uttar Pradesh. This area
has more than 100 cm (40 inches) of rainfall. India has the largest acreage of
rice among the world's countries. Yields per hectare are still low at below
1,000 kg (900 lbs./acre), however.
Coconut. Malabar Coast. (Kerala)
Millet. Southwestern India. A cereal grass, Setaria italica, extensively
cultivated in the East and in southern Europe for its small seed or grain, used
as food for man and fowls, but in the U.S. grown chiefly for fodder.
Groundnut. Kathiawar Peninsula.
Cotton. West-Central India (Deccan Plateau).
Chick Peas. Northwest.
Plantation. Northeast.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Agriculture
• Livestock:
• India has more livestock than any other country in the
world.
–
–
–
–
Cows - 200,000,000
water buffalo - 60,000,000
Goats and sheep - 60,000,000
Horses, donkeys, and elephants - 5,000,000
• Sheep are of major importance in the drier west where
the Islamic population is clustered.
• Water buffalo is dominant in the Ganges Delta and
coastal regions.
• Cattle (particularly the Brahman or Zebu breeds) are
found throughout India.
Agriculture
• Cattle are an integral element of the Indian agricultural economy.
– They are the primary source of draft power (plowing, pulling carts, grinding
grain, and a host of other tasks).
– Cattle graze on forage which would otherwise be wasted during a dry season.
– Cattle consume secondary agriculture byproducts (straw, rice husks, and corn
stalks).
– Cattle produce an estimated 771,000,000 metric tons (850,000,000 tons) of cow
dung, the principle source of domestic fuel a year.
– Dung is also mixed with mud and used for plaster; also a major source of
fertilizer.
– Cattle also produce most of India's milk (the bulk of which comes from the
water buffalo).
– When a cow dies, it is consumed by the untouchables (who have no prohibitions
about consuming beef when it is available) of the large Hindu population.
– Cow hides are a major source of leather.
– The maintenance of the large numbers of cows and buffalo is a completely
rational activity in the Indian agricultural economy.
Green Revolution and Impact on
Agriculture in India
Agriculture
The Green Revolution
•Increased yields of food production
•India is able to feed itself
•Advanced agricultural technology
•Applies to DEVELOPING countries
Agriculture
• Green Revolution describes the development of extremely highyielding grain crops that allow major increases in food
production, particularly in subtropical areas.
• In 1953, scientists developed rust-resistant dwarf wheats which
doubled Mexico's per acre production in the next decade.
• After a major drought in India in 1965, Mexican dwarf wheat
was widely planted in the Punjab region, producing dramatic
increases in wheat yields.
• The improved rice (IR)- IR-8 was spotted in 1965 at the Los
BaZos research institute in the Philippines, which was set up
using aid from the Ford and Rockefeller Foundations.
• Its first harvest, from 60 trial tons of seeds, produced a six-fold
increase of rice under field conditions.
• About 10% of India's paddy land is now planted with IR-8
varieties.
Agriculture
• Green Revolution benefits:
– Two to four times the yield of indigenous grains.
– A shortened growing season allows two crops per year.
– “Miracle grains" have a wider tolerance for climatic
variations.
• Green Revolution problems
– Need for high application of fertilizer and insecticide, and in
the case of rice, there is a need for copious irrigation.
– "Miracle grains" have been adopted in the most prosperous
areas and among the most prosperous farmers. As a result,
interregional and social gaps have widened.
– Traditional marketing patterns have been upset. Thailand and
Myanmar (Burma) have found their traditional markets
disappearing, and Japan now looks for exports.
Silk Cultivation
Economic Activities
& Resources
Industries
Industries
• Secondary sector:
• At the time of independence (1947), Indian industries emphasized
textiles and food processing.
• Gandhi championed development of the cottage industries that
existed prior to the intervention of Britain.
– A cottage industry involves small scale production using high
labor inputs.
– Cottage industries are very important because they are labor
intensive.
– They employ 40 individuals for every one employed in a large
automated factory producing the same products.
– A total of 750 products is produced by small industries which
use <=$100,000 in capital. (Receivers, tools, plumbing
fittings, etc.).
• Manufacturing employs only 13% of the labor force.
Industries
Manufacturing Regions:
1. Kolkata (Calcutta) and Jamshedpur form an
emerging industrial region in northeastern India.
–
–
–
Calcutta forms the center of the Bihar-Bengal area where
jute manufacturing dominates, but engineering, chemical
and cotton industries also exist. Jute: a strong, coarse fiber
used for making burlap, gunny, and cordage; it is obtained
from two East Indian plants-Corchorus capsularis and
Corchorus olitorius of the linden family.
The Jamshedpur region 240 km (150 mi) west of Calcutta
has the Tata Steel Works, India’s single largest steel making
complex (Indian Ruhr).
In the nearby Chota-Nagpur district, coal mining and iron
and steel manufactures have developed, and Bhilai is a
growing nucleus of heavy industry.
Industries
Manufacturing Regions:
2. Western Zone-Mumbai (Bombay)Ahmadabad: This Maharashtra, Gujarat area
specializes in cotton and chemicals with some
engineering and food processing, automobiles,
and petrochemicals.
3. Southeastern Zone- Chennai (Madras):
specializing in textiles.
4. Bangalore supports diversified electrical
manufacturing, machine tools, the construction
industry, and food processing.
Natural Resources
Natural Resources
Agricultural Resources
• Fertile soil
• Timber
• Livestock
Mineral Resources
• Iron ore – India
• Coal – India
• Natural gas reserves – Pakistan
• Gemstones – Sri Lanka
INDIA: Natural Resources
• India has a rather poor resource base.
• The country does not lead the world in any of the important
minerals or other sources of energy useful for industrialization and
development.
• India is the second largest producer of grains.
• The possibility for expanding production of grains remains very low,
despite gains.
• Low productivity per person in the agricultural sector accentuate
the problems of population, making it difficult to increase
production.
• India has the largest deposit of high-grade iron ore in the world. In
Bihar state alone, a single range is estimated to hold nearly three
billion tons of iron ore.
• Iron ore deposits are also important in the state of Karnataka.
• India produces 5.6 percent of the world's iron ore and has 6.6
percent of the world's reserves in iron ore.
Natural Resources
• India produces 3.8 percent of the world's coal.
• Coal and steel are produced in the Damodar Valley fields of
northeastern India which account for more than 50 percent of
coal production.
• Limited coking-coal deposits are found in Chota Nagpur.
• India has discovered oil deposits in the Bay of Bengal which hold
promise for further expansion.
• India has a great hydroelectric potential, provided dams are
constructed to exploit the rivers of the country.
• India has important deposits of uranium; phosphates in the Thar
Desert, and manganese (5.2 percent) in the central Deccan
plateau and eastern Coromandel Coast.
• India produces 2.5 percent of the world's bauxite, and it produces
5.2 percent of the world's chromite.
Languages and Religions
INDIA: CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY
• In 1947, the Indian subcontinent had 550 princely states, 900 separate dialects
and 15 major languages.
• The two major linguistic families are the Indo-European and the Dravidian.
• Languages that are members of the Indo-European family are spoken in the
central and northern parts of the country, and languages that belong to the
Dravidian family are spoken in southern India.
• Dravidian languages are spoken by about 25 percent of the Indian population.
They include Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam.
• Today India has fourteen official languages including Hindi and English
(associate official). Hindi is the official and predominant language of India.
• Hindi was one of the 14 languages given national status by the Indian
constitution, 10 in the north and 4 in the Dravidian south.
• Before World War II, the British recognized 179 official languages and 544
dialects (total=723).
• English would remain a lingua franca when Hindi could not serve as a medium
of communication at government and administrative levels.
Language Families in South
Asia
Language in India alone
INDIA: CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY
• Religions:
• Hinduism 81.3%
• Muslim 12.0%
– Sunni 9.0%
– Shiite 3.0%
• Christian 2.3%
– Protestant 1.1%
– Roman Catholic 1.0%
•Sikh 1.9%
•Buddhist 0.8%
•Jain 0.4%
•Zoroastrian 0.01%
•Other 1.3%