geography booklet tt2020 · 2020-07-05 · general class information...

Teacher TrainingFor Classical Teachers

SAVING WESTERN CIVILIZATION ONE STUDENT AT A TIME

GEOGRAPHY

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HIGHLANDS LATIN SCHOOLGEOGRAPHY

2019-2020Teacher: Miss Kelly NallEmail: [email protected]

COURSE GOALSThe study of geography is multi-faceted, including cartography, physical geography, and

human geography. By the end of the year, students will be able to locate over 125 majorcountries, 60 national capital cities, all 50 American states and their capitals, major oceans, seas,lakes, rivers, mountain ranges, and deserts. Students will also be able to identify 60 national flagsand all 50 state flags.

The course will begin with an overview of geography. The class will then discuss majorworld regions in the following order: 1) North America; 2) Latin America; 3) Sub-SaharanAfrica; 4) North Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia; 5) Mainland Asia; 6) Asian Islands andOceania; 7) Western Europe; 8) Eastern Europe.

GENERAL CLASS INFORMATIONClassroom Expectations: Honor your classmates, teacher, and administrators. Always berespectful; nothing will frustrate our classroom environment more than insolence. All actionsand attitudes need to add value to the class. With rare exceptions, no eating or drinking will bepermitted.

Required Daily Materials: Geography III 2nd Edition, Rand McNally Classroom Atlas, eraser,paper, pencils, and a red grading pen.

BINDERStudents are responsible to keep a binder for keeping maps and handouts to study at

home. You need three sections for: 1) notes and handouts, 2) returned homework, quizzes, andtests. Binders should be complete, neat, and organized. Doodling is forbidden, thoughreproducing charts or diagrams I put on the whiteboard is acceptable.

You will find that flashcards for countries, capitals, flags, and important terms areessential study tools. I also recommend that you get a world map or globe with politicalboundaries on it so that you can easily glance at it every day. It is imperative that you keep theseresources. The class will operate under the expectation that you have all class materials availableat all times. To that end, you will be periodically graded on the neatness, clarity, and helpfulnessof your binder. These checks will be worth 10 points each.

HOMEWORKMost nights, students will receive homework. This will often involve maps of countries

and capitals, making flashcards of flags, or more. Graded homework will be worth between10-20 points.

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QUIZZES

Quizzes will be given weekly or once every two weeks, sometimes announced and sometimes unannounced (pop quizzes). Talking during a quiz may result in a grade of 0, with or without a verbal warning. I have done this before and will not hesitate to do so again. Quizzes are worth between 30-60 points. TESTS

There will be a test at the end of each unit which will consist of selections of short answer, multiple choice, and map labeling. Tests will be given every three or four weeks. Only national maps, capitals, and flags accumulate throughout the year. The Final Exam (Test 9) will have nations, capitals, and flags from the entire course on it. Talking during a quiz or test may result in a grade of 0, with or without a verbal warning. I have done this before and will not hesitate to do so again. Tests are worth 100 points, the final is worth 200 points. GRADING

Binder Check 10 pts Homework 10-20 pts Quizzes 30-60 pts Tests 100 pts Final 200 pts

Tentative Geography Schedule FIRST TRIMESTER Week 1: Introduction to Geography Week 2: Topography, Climate, and Cartography Week 3: Demographics, Culture, Politics, and Economics Week 4: Continents and Regions, TEST 1 Week 5: North American physical geography and Canada Week 6: The United States Week 7: The United States cont’d. and Mexico, TEST 2 Week 8: Central and South American physical geography and the Caribbean Islands Week 9: The Caribbean Islands cont’d. and Central American nations Week 10: South America Week 11: Brazil and the Guianas TEST 3 Week 12: Sub-Saharan Africa physical geography SECOND TRIMESTER Week 13: Sub-Saharan Africa physical geography cont’d. and animism Week 14: Western and Central Africa Week 15: Eastern and Southern Africa TEST 4 Week 16: North African and Middle Eastern physical geography Week 17: Islam and North African nations Week 18: The nations of the Middle East

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Week 19: The Middle East and Central Asia TEST 5 Week 20: Israel Week 21: South and East Asian physical geography and Hinduism Week 22: South Asia and East Asia Week 23 Southeast Asia TEST 6 Week 24: Oceania and Australian physical geography and Southeast Asian Islands THIRD TRIMESTER Week 25: Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia Week 26: Australia, New Zealand, and Antarctica TEST 7 Week 27: Western European physical geography and the European Union Week 28: The British Isles Week 29: Scandinavia and West-Central Europe Week 30: Mediterranean nations TEST 8 Week 31: Eastern European physical geography Week 32: Russia Week 33: Former Soviet bloc and the Balkans Week 34: Map drills and course review Week 35: Finals Student and parents, please sign below after having read and agreed to the syllabus, or ask any questions that you might have about it. Once signed, keep the syllabus for future reference. Parent Signature:______________________ Date: __________ Student Signature:_____________________ Date: __________

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Geography Country Presentations

This is your chance to find out everything you’ve ever wanted to know about a country! Everyone will choose one country to research and present to the class.

Here’s how things will go:

1. Spend the rest of the trimester researching your country and writing up a report and pre-sentation. You may also find interesting artifacts to bring in, provided you ask me ahead of time. Pictures to hold up or pass around will also make your presentation more interesting. You may use the projector if you like, but you are only allowed to use PowerPoint (.ppt or .pptx). No movies are allowed without my permission. If you use the projector, you must email me or bring a thumb drive with the documents you need to use at least two days before you are scheduled to present.2. Throughout the third trimester, 2-3 students per week will offer an oral presentation to the class. You will be required to turn in a written report in addition to your oral presentation. You may have two copies of your written report; one to turn in to me and one that you will use to present that may have any extra presentation notes or marks to help you remember what to say. You may also use note cards or an outline with which to present. Feel free to be extemporaneous.

The Format:

1. The oral presentation is more flexible. Nevertheless, it must have: a. Country, capital, official (or de facto) language(s), government type, and head of state b. A visual aid and/or artifact c. 10 minutes of remarks with 5 minutes for questions. Speaking for under 9:30 or over 10:30 will result in point deductions. d. The oral presentation is a bit more flexible than the written portion. If you want to focus on things that especially interest you or have personal anecdotes about the country, feel free to include that.

2. The written report should discuss the historical background, predominant religions, gov-ernment, economy, terrain, climate, natural hazards, environmental issues, and any other special geographic notes. Make sure you explain how these topics are related. For example, how does the climate affect where people live or what they do for a living? How has the government affected the standard of living? What holidays do people celebrate? You can choose to arrange the report by the seven subfields of geography (political, eco-nomic, historical, and cultural; cartography, meteorology, topography). You may also organize the report by the rubric given for the oral presentation. You could organize the material chronologi-cally. The written report must follow a set format. The student’s name, the submission date, the subject (Geography), and the teacher’s name must be on the left-hand side of the first page. All pa-pers must use Times New Roman font, be double-spaced, and have one-inch margins. Each report must be between two-and-a-half to five pages.

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SOUTH & EAST ASIAPHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

From the frozen reaches of northern Siberia, through the mountainous central regions, to the tropical heat and seasonal rains nearer the Equator, the countries of South and East Asia experience a broad range of climates and distinct topography.

Just north of Kazakhstan, the Ural Mountains, which run north-south through central Russia, are the traditional dividing line between the continents of Europe and Asia. The mountains have relatively low elevation, and are easily crossed. They are rich with mineral deposits of platinum, quartz, copper, amethyst, diamonds, emeralds, and more. The part of Russia east of the Urals is known as Siberia, consisting mainly of a vast taiga, which oft en experiences subarctic temperatures, and transitions into arctic tundra in the far north.

The Tian Shan Mountains, or "Celestial Mountains," in western China run along the border with and into Kyrgyzstan, abutt ing the Hindu Kush Mountains in Afghanistan, which separate East Asia from South Asia. The world's largest and most infamous mountain range runs along the northern border of India, eff ectively separating the Indian subcontinent from the rest of Asia. The Himalayas form a natural border of snow-capped peaks, including the world's highest, Mt. Everest, whose summit sits 29,029 feet above sea level in eastern Nepal. These mountain ranges are some of

the only habitats of the elusive snow leopard, an endangered cat found in rocky and snowy terrain.

Just north of the Himalayas, the Tibetan Plateau—oft en called the "Roof of the World"—is the world's highest and largest plateau. It is 970,000 sq. miles of inhospitable steppe covered by large swaths of

permafrost. Groups of nomads live and raise herds of livestock on the plateau, but it is the least populated region of Asia. It ends in a steep escarpment on its northern edge.

Northeast of the Tibetan Plateau, the Gobi Desert straddles the border between southern Mongolia and northern China, located in the rain shadow of the Himalayas. The Gobi, or "waterless place," is a cold desert; it experiences extreme cold as well as extreme heat. Instead of sand, the Gobi is mostly rock and gravel, and is oft en covered

by frost and snow. The edges of the Gobi are extremely prone to desertifi cation.

There are two main rivers that sustain life and foster transportation in China. The Yellow River (or Huang He, as it is known in China) fl ows through the Northern China Plain. The Yellow River has been called "the cradle of Chinese civilization"; it provides a livelihood for millions of people. As the river fl ows down from the Tibetan Plateau, it brings deposits of silt, which have caused many devastating fl oods throughout history, causing millions of deaths. In

Summit of Mount Everest in the Himalayas

which run north-south through central Russia, are the traditional dividing line between the continents of Europe and Asia. The mountains

permafrost. Groups of nomads live and raise herds of livestock on the plateau, but it is the least populated region of Asia. It ends in a steep escarpment on its northern edge.

Gobi Desertsouthern Mongolia and northern China, located in the rain shadow of the Himalayas. The Gobi, or "waterless place," is a cold desert; it experiences extreme cold as well as extreme heat. Instead of sand, the Gobi is mostly rock and gravel, and is oft en covered Snow Leopard

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INDIA

AFGHANISTAN

PAKISTAN

BANGLADESH

SRILANKA

MALDIVES

Equator

LAOS

VIETNAM

TAIWAN

THAILAND

CAMBODIA

CHINA

BHUTANNEPAL

Tien ShanMtns.

HinduKush Mtns.

Mt.Everest

BURMA

MONGOLIA

NORTHKOREA

SOUTHKOREA

JAPAN

Mt. Fuji

PacificOcean

Bering Sea

Bering Strait

Arabian Sea

South China Sea

East China Sea

YellowSea

RUSSIAUralMountains

Bay of Bengal

Indu

s Rive

r

Ganges River

Yellow

Rive

r

Yangtze River

Gobi Desert

Himalayas

MekongR.

Sea

ofJa

pan

SI B

E R I A

Ti b e t a n P l a t e a u

89South & East Asia

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recent years, the advent of modern dams and disaster relief practices have lessened the impact of these fl oods, though they do occasionally still happen. The Yellow River fl ows east into the Yellow Sea.

South of the Yellow, the Yangtze River (or Chang Jiang) fl ows through and sustains the South China Plain. It is the longest river in Asia, and contains the Three Gorges Dam, the largest hydroelectric dam in the world. The Yangtze is navigable by boat at least a thousand miles upstream from where it empties into the East China Sea, and is one of the world's busiest waterways. Like the Yellow, the Yangtze has seen its share of devastating fl oods throughout history. The main river of Southeast Asia is the Mekong. It, too, fl ows from the Tibetan Plateau, though it fl ows southeast to the South China Sea. The Mekong is home to more species of fi sh than any other river in the world.

The Punjab province of northern Pakistan, known as the "land of fi ve rivers," is the agricultural center

of the country. The Indus River fl ows down from the Tibetan Plateau, joined by fi ve smaller rivers that give the Punjab its name, before emptying in the Arabian Sea south of Pakistan. Around 3300 B.C. the Indus River Valley Civilization, one of the oldest in the world, arose in the fertile areas surrounding the Indus. India derives its name from the Indus, which once fl owed through territory that was a part of the country.

The Ganges River is the heart of India. It is sacred to Hindus, who believe it is an incarnation of the goddess Ganga, who poured herself down from heaven. Hindus believe the "Mother River" has purifying waters, and so it is used for bathing, religious ceremonies, and scatt ering the ashes of the deceased; it is the main source of water for people living along its banks. The river is an integral part of life and religion, used daily by millions of people, and is extremely polluted as a result. The river begins

The Ural Mountains in Russia have relatively low peaks and are easily crossed. Coniferous trees dominate the landscape.

Camels

The Gobi Desert is a cold desert on the border of Mongolia and China. Like in hot deserts, camels are regularly used in the Gobi as transport across this barren and sometimes snow-covered landscape.

Ganges River

People regularly bathe and wash clothes in the Ganges River, as seen here at Varanasi, India, the holiest of the Seven Sacred Cities of Hinduism.

The Mekong runs through most countries of Southeast Asia, including the landlocked and forested country of Laos (above left ), and the southern tip of Vietnam in the Mekong Delta (above right).


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in the Himalayas and fl ows southeast to empty into the Bay of Bengal, the largest bay in the world.

The Bering Sea, off Siberia's far eastern coast, has an arctic climate for most of the year. It is home to large populations of whales, walruses, and seabirds. The Bering is also a rich commercial fi shing ground, and an important source of king crab, salmon, herring, and other fi sh. The Bering Strait, north of the Sea, is the strip of water that separates the easternmost part of Russia from western Alaska. It is only 53 miles across at its narrowest point. East of the Korean Peninsula, the Sea of Japan is completely protected from the Pacifi c Ocean by the Japanese archipelago to the east.

Running along the eastern coasts of Asia is the western part of the Pacifi c Ring of Fire, which is a horseshoe-shaped chain of mountains and volcanos that runs the entire length of the outer rim of the Pacifi c Ocean. The violent collisions of the Pacifi c and surrounding tectonic plates formed the mountains and volcanos of the Ring of Fire, and cause many of the world's most devastating earthquakes and tsunamis, including the tsunami that hit the

eastern coast of Japan in 2011, causing hundreds of thousands of casualties, and billions of dollars worth of damage. Mt. Fuji, Japan's most famous volcano, lies within the Ring of Fire.

HUMAN GEOGRAPHY

The regions of South and East Asia are densely populated; six of the world's top ten most populous cities are located here. India and China are the world's two most populous countries, with over a billion inhabitants each. Compare this to the United States (the third most populous country) which only has about 300,000,000 inhabitants. Overpopulation in these countries causes social and economic problems. Living space is scarce in densely populated cities, pollution output is high, resources and land are quickly depleted, and the general standard of living can dramatically decrease when too many people are vying to occupy the same living spaces and jobs. Some countries have taken measures to try to control population increase. In the late 20th century the government of China instituted a law that families are only allowed to have one child, with occasional exceptions for a second child. As in other places, rising population in India has forced many people to move to urban areas looking for work and living space, swelling the slums of already overcrowded cities. Millions of people in India live in sprawling slums on the outskirts of cities. Land and living space in China and India are scarce.

Several world religions originated in South and East Asia. Hinduism has been the dominant religion in India for thousands of years. It is more a family of religions than a well-defi ned religion with a rigid belief system. There is no universally held set of beliefs. Many Hindus believe in karma and reincarnation, which is the belief that actions in this life aff ect how you are reborn in the next. The search

WORLD CITY POPULATIONSCity Country Pop. (mil.)Tokyo Japan 37.2New Delhi India 22.7Mexico City Mexico 20.5New York U.S. 20.4Shanghai China 20.2Sao Paulo Brazil 19.9Mumbai India 19.7Beĳ ing China 15.6Dhaka Bangladesh 15.4Kolkata India 14.4

Tokyo, Japan

The city of Tokyo is the most populous city in the world. 37 million people live in this sprawling metropolis, a hub of fashion, technology, food, and Japanese culture.

91South & East Asia

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for enlightenment, the belief that all living things are sacred, and the belief that there is no single way to salvation are also commonly held Hindu beliefs. There are hundreds of Hindu gods and goddesses, sometimes worshipped as distinct deities, and sometimes worshipped as extensions of one supreme being. Though Hinduism is primarily only practiced in India, it is the world's third largest religion.

Two diff erent religions originated in China. Confucianism is an ethical system (not technically a

religion) that originated in China in the 4th and 5th centuries B.C. from the teachings of a Chinese philosopher named Confucius. Confucian teachings about fi lial piety, social hierarchy, and personal behavior have signifi cantly infl uenced Chinese culture over the past several thousand years. Confucianism focuses on self-improvement and moral perfection through the cultivation of virtue. Confucianism has followers throughout China and surrounding Asian countries.

Taoism, also known as "The Way," was founded by a man named Laozi, who lived during the 4th century B.C. Taoists believe in the Tao, the universal spiritual force that connects all things. Taoists practice the "Three Jewels" (compassion, moderation, and humility) and use meditation to pursue balance. In counterpoint to the rigid societal structure and focus on social harmony of Confucianism, Taoism espouses spontaneity and creativity, focusing on individualism and a person fi nding harmony with Tao. Taoism is practiced throughout China, South Asia, and the Pacifi c Islands.

Practiced widely in Asia, Buddhismwas founded by a Nepali prince named Siddhartha Guatama sometime between the 4th and 6th centuries B.C. Siddhartha believed that humans were stuck in a cycle of life and rebirth, in which the manner of rebirth is determined by karma, and that the goal of existence is to strive for nirvana (enlightenment), which frees a soul from the cycle. Buddhists believe that Siddhartha Guatama sat in meditation under a Bodhi tree for many days until he achieved enlightenment,

Spring Temple Buddha

The Spring Temple Buddha in Henan, China, is the largest statue in the world at 420 ft . tall.

Virupashka Temple, Hampi, India

This temple in southern India was originally built in the 7th century. It has been in continuous use since then, though it was partially destroyed and rebuilt in the 16th century. It is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva.

Confucius

This drawing of Confucius is from The Life and Works of Confucius, a translated and annotated edition of the Four Books, published in 1687.

Yin and Yang

Yin and Yang represent complimentary opposites, the concepts of balance, of darkness and light, and of two parts making one whole in Taoist philosophy.

the rigid societal structure and focus on social harmony of Confucianism, Taoism espouses spontaneity and creativity, focusing on individualism and a person fi nding

. Taoism is practiced throughout China, South Asia, and the

Buddhismwas founded by a Nepali prince named Siddhartha Guatama sometime between the 4th and 6th centuries B.C. Siddhartha believed that humans were stuck in a cycle of life and rebirth, in which the manner of rebirth is determined by karma, and


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becoming the original Buddha. Buddhists believe in the Four Noble Truths, which seek to explain why humans suff er, and they follow the Noble Eightfold Path, which describes the manner of living that allows a person to overcome suff ering and achieve nirvana.

Throughout early history, most of Asia was culturally and physically isolated from the West. In the last couple centuries B.C., Western explorers began to push farther east, and China began to explore the inner parts of Asia and even farther west, beyond the Gobi Desert and the Tibetan Plateau. Unoffi cial trade routes began to form between the East and West, which were formally established and maintained during the 1st and 2nd centuries A.D. under the Han Dynasty of China. This series of trade routes is known as the Silk Road. The network of roads stretched from East Asia all the way to the Roman Empire. Luxury goods from Asia were traded for goods from nations in the West (Chinese silk was especially in demand). The Silk Road facilitated not only the trade of goods, but of ideas, culture, religion, and sometimes disease.

In the 13th century, the Mongol tribes who lived north of China were united or conquered by a man named Temüjin, bett er known as Genghis Khan, who then set about conquering the rest of Asia and parts of the Middle East and Europe. He weakened

the Jin Dynasty of China, taking the capital city and other

territories, and spread the empire west. At its height near the end of the 13th century, under the reign of Genghis' son, Ogedei Khan, the Mongol Empire covered

almost all of modern-day China, Mongolia, and parts of Indochina, and stretched west to the Caspian Sea,

ruling parts of the Middle East and Eastern Europe. During the period of European Imperialism (the

16th-18th centuries), contact with European countries increased, though this was not always welcomed. The Chinese government in particular wished to limit trade with European countries, seeking to continue isolationist policies and remain self-suffi cient, but several European countries wanted to gain what economic advantages they could by carving out "spheres of infl uence" in the nations of Asia, seeking advantageous trade policies and political power.

By the early years of the 20th century, China had faced a series of wars and power struggles with the West, and internal rebellions and fi ghting that had resulted in near chaos. The political, social, and economic ideology of Communism began to gain traction in Asia (spurred by the Communist Revolution in Russia), a force which has shaped the modern history of the region. By 1979, Communist governments had taken control in China, Korea, and Vietnam.

SOUTH ASIA

South Asia is made up of the seven countries of the Indian subcontinent (Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka), plus the Maldives, a cluster of islands off India's southwestern coast. These countries have a lot of shared history, relatively isolated as they are from the rest of Asia by the Himalaya and Hindu Kush Mountain ranges.

The ancient Indus River Valley Civilization that fl ourished around the Indus River in what is today Pakistan was one of the oldest in the world. This culture (contemporary with the civilizations of Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt) had intricately planned cities, well-developed trade with other civilizations, a writing system, and distinctive art.

As the Indus River Valley Civilization began to decline, other people groups moved into the Indian subcontinent. The Aryans and Dravidians eventually sett led the area that is modern-day India. Elements from these people groups, such as language, religious beliefs, and social structure (the beginnings of the Indian caste system) infl uenced the development of culture in the region for thousands of years. Most of the concepts that later became Hinduism developed during this time.

Though it is almost impossible to invade the Indian subcontinent through the Himalayas in the north or the Hindu Kush in the northwest, or to invade from the south across the Deccan Plateau that covers most of central India, there are some mountain passes (like the Khyber Pass in Afghanistan) through which invaders can enter. In the 16th century, a descendant of Genghis Khan named Babur established a base in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan. He then conquered south and east, eventually spreading the Mughal Empire to the entire Indian subcontinent. One of India's most iconic monuments, the Taj Mahal, was

Genghis Khan

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Samarkand

Toshkent

BactraMerv

Constantinople

Athens

Rome

Palmyra

Alexandria

Antioch

Calcutta

Kashi

Anxi

Dunhuang

Hotan

Seleucia

KābulChang’an

Main Silk RoadEurasian Steppe RouteMain Connecting Routes

Mongolian Empire 1227 A.D.



World Population Density Map


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World Population Density Map

built by a Mughal emperor named Shah Jahan at the height of the empire in the 17th century. He built it as a mausoleum for his beloved third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, upon her death.

When this Muslim empire weakened and began to dissolve in the mid-18th century, the peoples of South Asia were left without a central ruler. Into this power vacuum stepped France and England to fi ght for control of the territories.

The British East India Company had maintained a presence in the East Indies for a couple centuries by the time the Mughal Empire ended. The Company had established trading posts in the early 17th century, and was given a monopoly on British trade in the Indies by the British government. They leveraged the considerable economic, political, and military power they had acquired over the years to

defeat France and annex the subcontinent. Aft er 1757, India was essentially ruled by the British East India Company. In 1857 a rebellion of Indian soldiers (called the Sepoy Rebellion) was put down by Britain, the British East India Company was nationalized, and the rule of India was brought under direct control of the British government.

Britain instituted many changes in India, some that were benefi cial to the people (e.g., a cross-country railroad network and improved healthcare), and others that were oppressive (e.g., outlawing some cultural practices and relegating Indian people to a social class below the British ruling class), and Indians began to oppose British rule and support independence. The leader of the Indian independence movement was a man named Mohandas Gandhi. He advocated non-violent resistance techniques, such as boycott ing British goods and boycott ing British government and education institutions.

India declared independence from Britain in 1947, but there were some internal problems to address. The Indian subcontinent is a mixture of countless religions, cultural heritages, and ethnic groups. There were oft en clashes between the two largest religious groups, Muslims and Hindus. As independence approached, neither group wanted to be subject to a government ruled by the other. The proposed solution, called partition, was to create a national border between the majority populations of these two groups. India, where the majority of Hindu people lived, now bordered a new country called Pakistan, where the majority of the Muslim

ASIACountry: Capital:

South Asia Afghanistan KabulBangladesh DhakaBhutan ThimphuIndia New DelhiMaldives MaléNepal KathmanduPakistan IslamabadSri Lanka Colombo

East Asia China Beĳ ingJapan TokyoMongolia UlaanbaatarNorth Korea PyongyangSouth Korea SeoulTaiwan Taipei

Southeast Asia Burma (Myanmar) NaypyidawCambodia Phnom Penh Laos VientianeThailand BangkokVietnam Hanoi

Taj Mahal

This mausoleum was built by 17th-century Mughal Emporer Shah Jahan for his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, upon her death. The reign of Shah Jahan is known as the golden age of Mughal art and architecture.

95South & East Asia

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Diwali, Hindu "festival of lights"

population lived. Aft er partition, thousands of people migrated from Pakistan to India, or from India to Pakistan, if they happened to live where they would become a part of the minority religion. Violent clashes broke out between Hindus and Muslims during this migration, and relations between these countries remain strained today. Pakistan was originally split into West Pakistan and East Pakistan, but East Pakistan sought independence, and in 1971 became the country of Bangladesh.

India and Pakistan are still largely agrarian, with most of the population living in villages, observing traditional practices and ways of life. But the draw of opportunities for jobs and education in urban centers has caused many people to migrate to already over-populated cities, where many end up living in cramped slums. Because of the Hindu belief that all life is sacred, many Indians are vegetarian, and cows, which are considered especially sacred, freely roam the streets of rural towns and modern cities. The Hindu calendar recognizes many festivals and holy days throughout the year, but Diwali, the "festival of lights," is one of the most widely celebrated, and one of the most beautiful. Millions of candles, fi reworks, and electric lights illuminate India during this festival every autumn.

Historically, Indian social life has been determined by the rigid hierarchy of a caste system, which separates people into hereditary castes. The four main castes, or varnas, are Brahmin (priests and teachers), Kshatriya (rulers, soldiers, and public servants), Vaishya (merchants and businessmen), and Shudra (laborers), with hundreds of sub-classifi cations within each varna. People who did not have a place within the caste system were called "Untouchables," as they were seen as impure and treated with disdain. Throughout the history of India, the divisions between classes were infl exible, and a person could not move from one class to another. In the 20th century, there was a shift towards more fl uidity between castes. Gandhi, among others, was an outspoken proponent of moving beyond the caste system. In modern India it is illegal to discriminate against someone because of their caste, though intermarriage between castes is still rare, and prejudice against lower castes still exists.

At the foot of the Hindu Kush Mountains in the northwest of the subcontinent lies the mostly Muslim country of Afghanistan. The territories that became modern-day Afghanistan did not fall under control of the Mughal Empire with the rest of the subcontinent, but were ruled by a series of small, warring kingdoms, empires, and dynasties from the 4th to 19th centuries. In 1978 a revolution installed a socialist government in Afghanistan, which set off a decade of civil war, aided at diff erent points, on diff erent sides of the fi ght,

Mohandas Gandhi

Gandhi, later called Mahatma Gandhi ("the Great Soul"), was the leader of the Indian independence movement in the early 20th century. He advocated peaceful resistance, and urged people to boycott British goods and to learn to be self-suffi cient. He spent time every day spinning his own yarn.

The traditional garment called a sari has been worn by women in India for thousands of years, and is still commonly worn by Indian women today. At left is a painting depicting various styles of saris, and at right, a line of women in saris wait to enter the Taj Mahal.


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Diwali, Hindu "festival of lights"

population lived. Aft er partition, thousands of people migrated from Pakistan to India, or from India to Pakistan, if they happened to live where they would become a part of the minority religion. Violent clashes broke out between Hindus and Muslims during this migration, and relations between these countries remain strained today. Pakistan was originally split into West Pakistan and East Pakistan, but East Pakistan sought independence, and in 1971 became the country of Bangladesh.

India and Pakistan are still largely agrarian, with most of the population living in villages, observing traditional practices and ways of life. But the draw of opportunities for jobs and education in urban centers has caused many people to migrate to already over-populated cities, where many end up living in cramped slums. Because of the Hindu belief that all life is sacred, many Indians are vegetarian, and cows, which are considered especially sacred, freely roam the streets of rural towns and modern cities. The Hindu calendar recognizes many festivals and holy days throughout the year, but Diwali, the "festival of lights," is one of the most widely celebrated, and one of the most beautiful. Millions of candles, fi reworks, and electric lights illuminate India during this festival every autumn.

Historically, Indian social life has been determined by the rigid hierarchy of a caste system, which separates people into hereditary castes. The four main castes, or varnas, are Brahmin (priests and teachers), Kshatriya (rulers, soldiers, and public servants), Vaishya (merchants and businessmen), and Shudra (laborers), with hundreds of sub-classifi cations within each varna. People who did not have a place within the caste system were called "Untouchables," as they were seen as impure and treated with disdain. Throughout the history of India, the divisions between classes were infl exible, and a person could not move from one class to another. In the 20th century, there was a shift towards more fl uidity between castes. Gandhi, among others, was an outspoken proponent of moving beyond the caste system. In modern India it is illegal to discriminate against someone because of their caste, though intermarriage between castes is still rare, and prejudice against lower castes still exists.

At the foot of the Hindu Kush Mountains in the northwest of the subcontinent lies the mostly Muslim country of Afghanistan. The territories that became modern-day Afghanistan did not fall under control of the Mughal Empire with the rest of the subcontinent, but were ruled by a series of small, warring kingdoms, empires, and dynasties from the 4th to 19th centuries. In 1978 a revolution installed a socialist government in Afghanistan, which set off a decade of civil war, aided at diff erent points, on diff erent sides of the fi ght,

Mohandas Gandhi

Gandhi, later called Mahatma Gandhi ("the Great Soul"), was the leader of the Indian independence movement in the early 20th century. He advocated peaceful resistance, and urged people to boycott British goods and to learn to be self-suffi cient. He spent time every day spinning his own yarn.

The traditional garment called a sari has been worn by women in India for thousands of years, and is still commonly worn by Indian women today. At left is a painting depicting various styles of saris, and at right, a line of women in saris wait to enter the Taj Mahal.


15

by the Soviet Union, the United States, and various neighboring Islamic nations.

In 1996, an Islamic political group called the Taliban captured the capital city of Kabul and took control of the government. The Taliban has close ties with a stateless Islamic terrorist group called al-Qaeda, which was led by a man named Osama bin Laden. The September 11, 2001 terrorist att acks against the United States were att ributed to Osama and al-Qaeda. Aft er the September 11th att acks, several countries, including the United States and Great Britain, sent military troops to Afghanistan to aid opposition forces in ending the reign of the Taliban and to help establish a democratic government in Afghanistan.

Nepal and Bhutan are two mountain countries located between India and China. The Himalayas run through both countries, and Mt. Everest is

located on Nepal's northern border. One of the main climbing routes to reach the summit of Mt. Everest begins in Nepal, which brings an infl ux of climbers and tourism revenue during the climbing season. A decade of civil war eventually led to the end of the monarchy, and resulted in the establishment of a republic led by a prime minister. In the 1990s the Bhutanese government, in an att empt to preserve Bhutanese culture, expelled the ethnic minorities from the country. Many became refugees in Nepal, the U.S., Canada, and other countries.

The island-country of Sri Lanka fell under control of several European countries during the colonial period, eventually coming under British control. A 26-year civil war aft er declaring independence from Britain fi nally ended in 2009; today Sri Lanka is a democratic republic, with a fast-growing economy.

EAST ASIA

Chinese civilization began along the Yellow River around 4000 B.C., aft er the earliest Mesopotamian civilizations began, but predating the Nile River and Indus Valley civilizations. Litt le is known about this early people group, as there was no writing system until around the 29th century B.C. Dynastic rule began around the 18th century B.C., then devolved again into several separate warring states, which were conquered and unifi ed in 221 B.C. under the Qin Dynasty (or Ch'in, from which China got its name). The First Emperor, Qin Shi Huang, imposed reforms, consolidated power, and standardized language, currency, and measurements across the empire. The First Emperor also connected and built

onto some existing territorial walls to form an early version of the Great Wall of China, which stretched across the northern territories to prevent raids from invaders from the north. The wall was extended and strengthened in the 14th century A.D. under the Ming Dynasty, and it is thought to have spanned over four thousand miles. For the most part, the wall still stands today, though only some sections have been preserved as tourist att ractions and monuments, while others have fallen into disrepair.

The Qin Dynasty only lasted 15 years until the death of the emperor. It was succeeded by the Han Dynasty, which ruled China for over four hundred years, and is considered a golden age in Chinese history. It was

Great Wall of China

Originally built of rammed earth walls, the Great Wall of China was fi rst begun by the fi rst emperor of the Qin Dynasty in order to prevent invasion from the north. In the 14th century, the Ming Dynasty expanded and reinforced the wall, creating the brick and stone walls that remain today. The wall was added to by almost every dynasty, and today the main wall and its off shoots stretch more than 13,000 miles across northern portions of China.

97South & East Asia

16

Unit 8: SOUTH & EAST ASIA

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS:

1. The _______________________________________ separates the eastern edge of Russia from Alaska.

2. The fi ve major world religions that originated in Asia are:

a. _______________________________________

b. _______________________________________

c. _______________________________________

d. _______________________________________

e. _______________________________________

3. At its height, the ____________________________ Empire covered almost all of modern-day China and

Mongolia, and parts of Indochina, Central Asia, and the Middle East.

4. The ________________________________ Mountains in Russia divide the continents of Europe and Asia.

5. Also known as the "Roof of the World," the ____________________________________________ is the least

populated region of Asia.

6. Describe the Gobi Desert. _____________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

7. _____________________ and _________________________ are the two most heavily populated countries

in the world.

8. The "Mother River" of India is used daily by millions for bathing, religious ceremonies, and as a main

source of drinking water. What river is it? ______________________________________________________

9. Both Japan and China took isolationist stances against trade with Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Were these policies eff ective? How did it help or harm the economic and social development of the

countries in the long term? ____________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

10. The region of Russia east of the Urals is known as _______________________________________________ .

Bering Strait

Hinduism Taoism

Buddhism Shinto

Confucianism

Mongol

Ural

Tibetan Plateau

The Gobi is a cold desert mostly of rock and gravel. It straddles the

southern border of Mongolia and part of the northern border of China. Weather in the desert can be

extremely cold as well as extremely hot, and it is often covered in frost or snow.

China India

Ganges River

Being isolated from technological developments in other

countries made China and Japan ill-equipped to face Western countries who used modern warfare

tactics. The way in which China's isolationism was ended—namely by force, and to the advantage

of Western countries—was harmful both to the economy of China, and to internal social and political

stability. Japan was forced to sign a series of treaties that favored the United States and other

countries, and which had little benefi t for Japan.

Siberia

42 Unit 8: South & East Asia

17

11. The country of _________________________ was created in 1947 when India gained independence from

Britain, as a haven for Muslim Indians.

12. The ____________________________________ was built to prevent northern tribes from invading China.

13. What trade route between the West and East was used from the 1st and 2nd centuries A.D. through the

Middle Ages? _______________________________________________________________________________

14. What features of the Indian subcontinent make it diffi cult to invade? _______________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

15. The _______________________________________ are the world's largest mountain range.

16. Briefl y describe the British East India Company's involvement in India. ____________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

17. What is the Indian caste system?_______________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

18. Compare the Korean and Vietnam Wars, including events that sparked the confl ict, countries involved,

and outcomes. ______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

19. What problems did colonized countries in South and East Asia face aft er they gained independence?

What other region of the world experienced similar diffi culties? ___________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Pakistan

Great Wall of China

Silk Road

The Himalayas in the north,

the Hindu Kush in the northwest, and the Deccan Plateau that covers most of the center of India make

it physically diffi cult to invade the subcontinent.

Himalayas

From the 17th century the

British East India Company (BEIC) had trading posts in India, and was given a monopoly on trade

there by the British government. When the Mughal Empire dissolved the BEIC annexed India and

ruled it for nearly a hundred years.

It was an ancient hereditary social system that dictated a

person's social and economic status within society; historically there was little to no movement or

interaction between classes, but the rigidity has eased in modern times.

Both wars were fought between Communist and anti-Communist forces; both involved

previously united countries that had been split in two, in which the divided governments were fi ghting to

reunify the country under different ideologies; in both wars the Communist governments were aided by

China and the Soviet Union, while the anti-Communist forces were aided by the U.S. and other countries;

the Korean War only lasted three years and ended with a still-divided Korean Peninsula; the Vietnam War

lasted twenty years and ended with the Communist government in control of the entire country (teachers

may want to discuss the concept of proxy wars fought as part of the Cold War b/w the U.S. and Russia).

Like in Africa, when colonial powers

were dividing up territories in South and East Asia they did not take cultural, religious, or ethnic divisions

into account. There have been several violent confl icts in several countries (India/Pakistan, Korean

Peninsula, Vietnam, Indochina) over the years, especially as countries were seeking independence and

establishing their own governments. 43Unit 8: South & East Asia

18

CAPITALS: List the capital of each country.

a. ____________________, Sri Lanka

b. ____________________, Bhutan

c. ____________________, Taiwan

d. ____________________, Cambodia

e. ____________________, Mongolia

f. ____________________, Maldives

g. ____________________, India

h. ____________________, Laos

i. ____________________, Nepal

j. ____________________, Bangladesh

k. ____________________, China

l. ____________________, Afghanistan

m. ____________________, Vietnam

n. ____________________, South Korea

o. ____________________, Japan

p. ____________________, Pakistan

q. ____________________, North Korea

r. ____________________, Thailand

s. ____________________, Burma

MAP ACTIVITY: On the following page, locate and label the following:

□ Tibetan Plateau □ Russia □ Thailand □ Bay of Bengal □ Yellow River □ Hindu Kush Mtns. □ Bering Strait □ Gobi Desert □ Afghanistan □ Vietnam □ Burma □ Mt. Everest □ Pakistan □ Sea of Japan □ Maldives

□ Arabian Sea □ China □ Indus River □ Taiwan □ Tien Shan Mtns. □ India □ Cambodia □ Yellow Sea □ Siberia □ Yangtze River □ South Korea □ Bangladesh □ East China Sea □ Mt. Fuji □ Pacifi c Ocean

□ Ural Mountans □ Himalayas □ Laos □ South China Sea □ Mekong River □ Bhutan □ Japan □ Sri Lanka □ Bering Sea □ Nepal □ North Korea □ Ganges River □ Mongolia □ Equator

ROBINSON MAP PROJECT: On a blank Robinson map, draw North America, South America, Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and Asia, and label the following:

□ Pacifi c Ocean □ Atlantic Ocean □ Arctic Ocean □ Indian Ocean □ Arctic Circle □ Tropic of Capricorn □ Tropic of Cancer □ Equator

□ Prime Meridian □ Strait of Magellan □ Strait of Gibraltar □ Bering Strait □ Amazon River □ Nile River □ Yellow River □ Ganges River

□ Rocky Mountains □ Andes Mountains □ Himalayas □ Caribbean Sea □ Mediterranean Sea □ Cape Horn □ Horn of Africa □ Cape of Good Hope

Colombo

Thimphu

Taipei

Phnom Penh

Ulaanbaatar

Malé

New Delhi

Vientiane

Kathmandu

Dhaka

Beijing

Kabul

Hanoi

Seoul

Tokyo

Islamabad

Pyongyang

Bangkok

Naypyidaw

44 Unit 8: South & East Asia

19

INDIA

AFGHANISTAN

PAKISTAN

BANGLADESH

SRILANKA

MALDIVES

Equator

LAOS

VIETNAM

TAIWAN

THAILAND

CAMBODIA

CHINA

BHUTANNEPAL

Tien ShanMtns.

HinduKush Mtns.

Mt.Everest

BURMA

MONGOLIA

NORTHKOREA

SOUTHKOREA

JAPAN

Mt. Fuji

PacificOcean

Bering Sea

Bering Strait

Arabian Sea

South China Sea

East China Sea

YellowSea

RUSSIAUralMountains

Bay of Bengal

Indu

s Rive

r

Ganges River

Yellow

Rive

r

Yangtze River

Gobi Desert

Himalayas

MekongR.

Sea

ofJa

pan

SI B

E R I A

Ti b e t a n P l a t e a u

45Unit 8: South & East Asia

20

MAJOR WORLD RELIGIONSJudaism Christianity Islam

Deity

Founder/Important Leaders/Prophets

Important Dates

Sacred Text

Places of Worship

Leader

Beliefs

60 World Religions Chart

21

MAJOR WORLD RELIGIONSBuddhism Hinduism Confucianism

Deity


Important Dates

Sacred Text

Places of Worship

Leader

Beliefs

61World Religions Chart

22

MAJOR WORLD RELIGIONSTaoism Shinto

Deity


Important Dates

Sacred Text

Places of Worship

Leader

Beliefs

62 World Religions Chart

geography booklet tt2020 · 2020-07-05 · general class information...

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