Chapter 12: South Asia

Geography 202 with O'reilly at Texas A&M University

About this deck

By: Katie Shirley
Textbook:

Globalization and Diversity: Geography of a Changing World (2nd Edition)
Created: 2011-11-10
Size: 54 flashcards
Views: 53

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Setting the Boundaries: S. ASIA

- "subcontinent"
- a distinct landmass of Asia south of Himalayas
- India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, & Maldives
- extensive cultural & religious diversity
- 2nd most populous region & growing
- British colony for several centuries; indep. since 1947
- Geopolitical conflicts between India & Pakistan
- both have nuclear weapons

Cultural Coherence & Diversity

- Early unity: Hinduism
- Islam- added dimension to cultural landscape
- British colonialism until 1947

Linguistic Diversity

- Dravidian: language family unique to South Asia
- linguistic nationalism

How many official Indian languages are there?

British Partition (1947)

- India & E/W Pakistan
Hindu & Muslim majorities, respectively
- Millions displaced

S. Asia North Mts.

-Himalayan Range
-Karakoram Range
-Seismic activity
-several peaks exceed 7,600 m
- Population centers: Valley of Kashmir & Kathmandu Valley

Lowlands: Indus R.

-flows through arid & semi-arid Pakistan
- source of irrigation water
- early civilization

Ganges River

- densely settled plain- alluvial plains
- sacred to Hindus
- flooding in delta

Brahmaputra River

- NW India to Bangladesh
- very densely settled

Peninsular India

-Deccan Plateau: some fertile black soils
bordered by coastal plains in west & east- fertile lands
- West coast: Western Ghats- (5,000 ft)
- East coast: Eastern Ghats- broken/discontinuous & lower
- Well drained: rivers flow W to E
- dam construction: displacement of people
- Thar Desert

Southern Islands

- Sri Lanka: coastal plain & mountainous interior
humid SW, drier NE
- Maldives: coral atoll; threat from rising sea-level

Climate

- orographic rainfall
- rain- shadow effect
- Western Ghats & Himalayas act as barrier
- Cherrapunji

orographic rainfall

rainfall caused due to a barrier

rain-shadow effect

windward & leeward sides

Cherrapunji

world's wettest place (463.7 inches)

Monsoon

- "Mausim" Arabic word for season
- seasonal change in wind direction
- determines wet & dry seasons

summer monsoon

warm, humid wind from Indian Ocean to land

winter monsoon

cold, dry winds flow from Central Asia to Indian Ocean

forests & deforestation

- causes: agricultural, urban & industrial expansion
- fuel wood shortage leads to use of manure for heating rather than fertilizer

natural hazards in Bangladesh

- Ganges & Brahmaputra river deltas
- flooding in wet summer monsoons
- dense settlement --> displacement & death
- flooding
- cyclones
- earthquakes

Climate change

- sea level rise
- glacial reduction threaten supplies of Indus-Ganges plain
- new precipitation regime leaves more flooding than erosion
- environmental migration

Growth rate

double East Asia

Near future population

will surpass East Asia & China

India's pop.

> 1.1 billion!
- preference for male children
- TFR 2.7

Pakistan's pop.

-181 million
- lacks good family planning program
- TFR 4.0, RNI 2.3%
- early childhood mortality; low rate of contraception
- political instability, arid climate, underdeveloped economy

Bangladesh's pop.

- very high density
- TFR 2.5; RNI 1.6%
- strong family planning policies

Settlement

- one of the least urbanized regions of the world: 25% urban
- majority live in rural villages
- rural-to-urban migration causes: mechanization, export crops, farms expand

clusters: fertile soils & dependable water sources
- Ganges, Indus, Brahmaputra River Valleys
- coastal plains
- sparse: arid regions; highlands

crop zones

rice: abundant rainfall
wheat: cooler, drier
millet & sorghum: less fertile areas

Green Revolution

- agricultural techniques: hybrid crops, industrial fertilizers, chemical pesticides
- hybrid, high-yield seeds
- doubled grain production (70s-90s)

Environmental & social costs of Green Rev.

- chemical fertilizers & pesticides
- salinization
- poorer farmers forced from their lands
- prosperous farmers afford seeds

bustees

squatter settlements in Urban S. Asia

Mumbai (Bombay)

- 14 million
- largest city in South Asia
- finance, commerce, industry, Bollywood
- Hutments

hutments

shelters built on sidewalks

Delhi

- New & "old" capital
- New: planned city, British colonial capital after 1911

Calcutta (Kolkata)

- 15 million
- poverty, pollution, congestion, homelessness
- poor infrastructure
- flooding in wet monsoon

Karachi

12-18 million
- Pakistan's largest city
- capital 1947-60, then Islamabad
- Native Sindis & Muhajirs (Muslim refugees from India after 1947)

Cultural patterns

- Hindu, then Islam
- British imperialism: English, cricket
- Secularism in India since 1948, but tensions between Hindus/Muslims
- India: Growth of Hindu nationalism from 80s
- Pakistan: tensions between Islamic fundamentalists & secularists

Hindu nationalism

movement promoting Hindu values as essential & exclusive fabric of Indian society

Indus Valley civilizatoin

established 5,000 years ago, then disappeared
- 2800 years ago: civilization in middle Ganges Valley

Hindu civilization

- Ganges Valley--> Hinduism: a complicated faith without a single, uniformly accepted system of belief
- various gods: expressions of single divine entity
- shared epic stories, written in Sanskrit
- transmigration of souls; reincarnation
- source of caste system: strict division of Hindu society into ranked hereditary groups
- Major faith of India & Nepal; worship differs by region

Islam in S. Asia

- 400 million members in the region
- 1 of largest Muslim communities in world
- Maldives almost entirely Muslim

Sikhism

- 2% of population
- Guru Nanak
- Merging of Hinduism & Islam
- opposed caste system
- saved by works alone
- monotheistic
- Gurudwara-
- 5 ks

5 ks

- kesh (uncut hair)
- kangha (comb)
- kara (bracelet)
- kirpan (sword)
- kaccha (underwear)

Hinduism in S. Asia

- major faith of India & Nepal
- polytheistic
- ethnic religion
- case system
- HINDI: language
- HINDU: person who practices Hinduism

caste system

- Brahmins
- Kshatriyas
- Vaisyas
- Sudras
- Pariah, Harijans, Dalit

-if you live a good life, you can move up in next life (& bad/down)

Brahmins

priests

kshatriyas

warriors & rulers

vaisyas

skilled traders, merchants, & minor officials

sudras

unskilled workers (craftspeople)

pariah

outcastes
harijans
DALIT
untouchables
children of God

subcastes

jatis

water supply system

- 1 meter, several taps
- billed by dividing amount of water on meter by # of households
- unfair; rich set up pipes leading to their homes

Rajasthan

2-8 castes in each village, but Jats dominated in # and influenec
- Rajputs, Brahmins, untouchables
- lower castes occupy village outskirts

PSPs

public standposts
- upper class tapped in with their own pipes

About this deck

By: Katie Shirley
Textbook:

Globalization and Diversity: Geography of a Changing World (2nd Edition)
Created: 2011-11-10
Size: 54 flashcards
Views: 53

About StudyBlue

“I have been getting MUCH better grades on all my tests for school. Flash cards, notes, and quizzes are great on here. Thanks!”
Kathy