In this section you will:

1. Objectives In this section you will: • Learn about the landforms of South Asia. • Discover the most important factor that affects climate in South Asia. • Examine how people use the land and resources of South Asia.

2. Key Terms • subcontinent (SUB kahn tih nunt)n. a large landmass that is a major part of a continent • alluvial (uh LOO vee ul)adj. made of soil deposited by rivers • cash crop (kash krahp) n. a crop that is raised or gathered to be sold for money on the local or world market

3. Scientists believe that all of Earth’s continents were once joined, and the Indian subcontinent was attached to the east coast of Africa. They think that the Indian subcontinent broke from Africa and slid slowly toward Asia about 200 million years ago.

4. About 50 million years ago, the Indian subcontinent collided with Asia, crumpling the land where they met and forming the Himalaya Mountains. The Himalayas form a barrier between South Asia and the rest of Asia. They stretch 1,550 miles from east to west and include Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world.

5. Nations in South Asia include: • Bangladesh • Bhutan • India • The Maldives (islands) • Nepal • Pakistan • Sri Lanka (island)

6. South Asia is one of the most densely populated regions in the world. Most of the people live in areas that have abundant rainfall, including coastal areas, northeastern India, and Bangladesh. About 70 percent of the population of South Asia live in rural areas, especially fertile river valleys.

7. South Asia: Physical

8. The Ganges and the Indus—the two major rivers in South Asia—both begin in the Himalayas. The Ganges flows across northern India and empties into the Bay of Bengal, and the Indus flows west from the Himalayas into Pakistan.

9. Huge alluvial plains stretch from the mouth of the Indus River to the mouth of the Ganges River. The plains have fertile soil, so they are good for farming and are heavily populated. South of India’s plains lies the Deccan Plateau, which is framed by two mountain ranges, the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats.

10. South Asia: Climate and Region

11. Monsoons are the single most important factor affecting the climate of South Asia. During the summer, steady monsoon winds blow from the southwest across the surface of the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean.

12. The winds pick up moisture and drop it as rain over the hot western tip of India. The rain cools the land, so when the next air mass blows in, it travels further inland before dropping rain on the land. In this way, the monsoon rains work their way inland until they finally reach the Himalayas.

13. During the winter, the monsoons change direction, and the winds blow from the frigid northeast. The Himalayas block the cold air, so South Asia has dry, mild winter weather.

14. Some countries in South Asia grow cash crops such as tea, cotton, coffee, and sugar cane. Cash crops bring in money, but countries must be careful not to rely on them too much or their economies might suffer if global prices drop.

15. India has a vast supply of minerals, including iron ore, coal, copper, limestone, and bauxite. India has only a small amount of oil, though, so it relies heavily on hydroelectricity and nuclear power plants.