Download South Asia: Physical Geography

SOUTH ASIA: PHYSICAL
GEOGRAPHY
A SEPARATE LAND

The seven countries that make up South Asia are
separated from the rest of Asia by mountains,
making South Asia a Subcontinent

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Subcontinent – a large, distinct landmass that is
joined to a continent
Most of the region forms a peninsula of about 1.7
million square miles, being touched by three
bodies of water:
The Indian Ocean
 The Arabian Sea
 The Bay of Bengal
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A LAND OF GREAT VARIETY: MOUNTAINS
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The Himalaya
Formed after the subcontinent broke away from the same
large landmass that contained Africa and smashed into the
southern edge of Asia.
 Extends more than 1,000 miles across the northern edge of
the peninsula, and hundreds of mile wide.
 Contains Mt. Everest
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The Himalaya meet the Karakoram Mountains in the
northernmost part of the region
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The world highest peak – rises 29,035 feet above sea level.
The Hindu Kush range completes the chain
Over the centuries, the mountains have served as
protection from foreign invaders, forcing them
through a small number of narrow crossing places
(Khyber Pass)
HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS

http://www.sciencechannel.com/tvshows/wonders-with-brian-cox/videos/wonders-ofthe-universe-himalayan-mountains.htm
A LAND OF GREAT VARIETY
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Central Landforms

The same collision that created the Himalaya also
created the Vindhya (ˈvin-dyə, -dē-ə) Range in India
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This range divides India into its northern and southern
regions
 These Regions each have their own distinct cuisine,
architecture, and religious practices
Southern Land Forms

Eastern & Western Ghats (gawts, gots)
Eroded mountains in southern India
 Between them lies the Deccan Plateau
 The Western Ghats prevents yearly rainy winds from
reaching the plateau
 Instead the Karnataka Plateau receives the rain.

MAJOR RIVER SYSTEMS
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Indus River
Flows mainly through Pakistan, and empties in the
Arabian Sea
 Serves as an important transportation route
 Known as the “cradle” of ancient India
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Brahmaputra (brah-muh-poo-truh) River
Flows east through the Himalaya, then west into
India and Bangladesh
 There it joins the Ganges – to form a delta before
emptying into the Bay of Bengal
 Serves as an important inland transportation route
 Provides Bangladesh with 50% of its power through
hydroelectricity

MAJOR RIVER SYSTEMS
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Ganges River
Flows east from the Himalaya
 Most important river in South Asia
 The land area through which the river flows is called
the Ganges Plain

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Almost all of this land is used for crops (rice, sesame,
sugarcane, jute, and beans)
World longest alluvial plain – an area of fertile soil
deposited by river flood waters
 Also is India’s most densely populated area

ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS: GANGES
RIVER


http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/special
s/in-the-field-specials/cousteau-ganges-kampurthreats/
End 3:40
NATURAL RESOURCES

Energy Resources

Petroleum
Reserves near Ganges Delta, and northern Pakistan
 Overall South Asia is dependent on imported oil

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Natural Gas Fields
Southern Pakistan
 Ganges Delta Region
 Bangladesh

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Uranium

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India – north of the Eastern Ghats
Hydroelectricity
MINERALS

India
Leading exporter of iron ore
 Supplies 90% of world’s mica – a layered rock used
in making electrical equipment
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Nepal
Mica
 Small amounts of copper

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Sri Lanka
One of world’s largest graphite producers
 Sapphires, Rubies, and other precious stones
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TIMBER
Timber is an important part of South Asia’s
economy
 Forests of Nepal and Bhutan (bü-ˈtän, -ˈtan)
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Silver fir, oak, magnolia, beech, and birch
India
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Sandalwood, sal, and teaks woods