India & India’s

Perimeter

Landforms & Rivers

Himalayas—includes

Kashmir Valley

The fertile Gangetic Plain

Deccan Plateau bordered by the

Eastern & Western Ghats (mountains)

Major Rivers—

The Ganges &

The Brahmaputra

Himalayas

Mt. Everest

Landforms & Rivers:

Climates & Resources

Climates are varied from tropical, semi-

arid and highlands

Monsoons have a

strong influence

on climate

26 inches of rain in

Mumbai (Bombay), India

Monsoons

Key

resources

are the soil &

rivers

Various

mineral

deposits—

coal,

iron ore, oil,

bauxite &

uranium

History

Aryans drove the Dravidians South in

1500 BC

Hinduism & Buddhism

developed

Muslims empire

formed at Delhi in

the 1200s

Mughal empire

established

in the 1520s Varanasi, or Benaras, is one of the

oldest living cities in the world.

European Influence

Traders from Portugal, France &

Britain arrived in 1490

Britain defeated France for control of

India

The British built the infrastructure,

taught English, influenced education,

law & government

Britain partitioned India at

independence

Britain's Lord Mountbatten

reveals partition plan to the

Indian nationalist leader

Nehru (l) and Muslim League

President Jinnah (r).

India’s Religions

Hinduism is the main

faith=80%

Islam practiced by a

large minority in the

north

Christianity followed

by 20 million

Buddhism by less

than 1%

Culture

Very diverse ethnically: Aryan & Dravidian

More than 1000 languages and dialects —Hindi is the main language but English is widely spoken

Typical clothing is designed for hot weather

India’s economy-Farming

Ranges from subsistence

agriculture to modern technology

Farming is key-more than ½ the

land area. Many farms are small

Major crops are

rice, wheat, tea,

sugarcane &

sorghum

India’s Industrial Base Rank 10th in industrial

production

Many cottage

industries-weaving

Large scale production

of textiles & steel

High-tech computer

industry in Bangalore

Roads, traffic, and driving is a real experience in

Bangalore, India. No rules, no regulations.

Challenges Most Indians live in villages with traditional lifestyles & few services.

Cities are growing rapidly—smog, noise & congestion. Both are poor

Problems: poverty, health & education

Tensions with Pakistan (Kashmir, water) & China (borders)

Ethnic conflicts—Hindus, Muslims & Sikhs

Slum city outside of Mumbai (Bombay),

India

India’s Perimeter Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan,

Bangladesh, Sri Lanka & Maldives

Climates are varied from arid to

tropical

Monsoons promote lush forests are

varied wildlife (tigers, elephants)

Tropical cyclones in the Bay of

Bengal

Pakistan-mainly arid & semi-arid

Highlands in Pakistan, Nepal &

Bhutan have some forests & wildlife

(bears & deer)

Central Nepal

The Indus River in

northern areas of

Pakistan

Resources

Generally not rich

in resources

Pakistan & Sri

Lanka have most

of the resources

Sri Lanka has

gemstones

Nepal & Bhutan

have hydroelectric

potential Sri Lanka

History

Persians, Greeks, &

Indians occupied the

region

Turkic Muslims brought

Islam in AD 1000

Europeans colonized the region

Partition divided India from East & West

Pakistan. East Pakistan became

Bangladesh (1971)

Mosque in Bangladesh

Culture

The cultures of the Indian Perimeter are Multiethnic & Multilingual

Three major religions—Buddhism & Hinduism in Nepal, Bhutan & Sri Lanka---Islam in Pakistan, Bangladesh & Maldives

Religious practice is very important to this region

A Sikh man at the Golden Temple

of Amritsar, Punjab

Economic Foundations Industrialization is limited by

scarce resources

Heavy reliance on agriculture

throughout the region

Pakistan—nearly ½ work in

agriculture, some manufacturing

Bangladesh—farming, clothing,

logging

Sri Lanka—crops (tea, rubber) &

mining

Nepal & Bhutan—farming &

timber, some tourism

Karachi—the financial

capital of Pakistan

Tea Picker in Sri Lanka

Settlement Patterns

Mainly Rural, some growing cities

Pakistan-1/3rd Urban in the Indus Valley

Nepal & Bhutan-low population density

Bangladesh & Sri Lanka-mostly rural & densely populated

Villages in fertile farming areas are close together

The Valley of Hunza in Pakistan. —

Agricultural terracing

Challenges

They are dealing

with developing

country issues—

poverty, health,

population growth

Environmental-

deforestation,

effects of tourism,

flooding & global

warming

The worst floods to hit South Asia for a decade

have left more than 1,000 people dead and

millions homeless. Two thirds of Bangladesh

are under water while the floodwaters in the

capital Dhaka have reached waist height

Challenges

Political Issues-Kashmir,

rebellions in

Pakistan

Nuclear standoff

between Pakistan

and India

Establishing democratic governments &

sharing wealth more equally in society