World Geography South Asia

Geographic Qualities of South Asia Well-defined physiographically Monsoon Major rivers Ganges Indus Himalayas World’s second largest population cluster, and soon to be THE largest Rising prosperity yet endemic poverty Strong cultural regionalism based on religious and linguistic diversity Boundary tension; Kashmir

The Monsoon Seasonal reversal of winds General onshore movement in summer General offshore flow in winter Very distinctive seasonal precipitation regime “To know India and her people, one has to know the monsoon.” Source of life

Impact of the Monsoon Positive Rainfall for agriculture Breaks an extremely hot and dry season Replenishes water supplies Highly symbolic in Indian society Negative Widespread flooding Destruction to agricultural lands Damage to transportation infrastructure Homelessness Disease Malnutrition

South Asian Culture A culturally fragmented realm due to significant religious and linguistic diversity Islam predominates in Pakistan and Bangladesh Hinduism predominates in India Sikhism thrives in northern India Buddhism is predominant in Sri Lanka Pockets of Jains, Parsis, Christians, Jews Distinctive cuisine Established film industry; ‘Bollywood’

Indian History Indus Valley Civilization The Aryans, 6th century BC The Vedic Age Buddhism and Jainism, 3rd century BC Mauryan Empire Asoka Hinduism Political Fragmentation The Guptas Concept of zero ‘Arabic’ numerals Arrival of Islam, 9th century AD The Mughals The Raj—British control

Hinduism The world’s oldest religion Originated in the cultural hearth of the Indus River; diffused south and east down the Ganges Absorbed and eventually supplanted earlier native religious customs Way of Life Karma and the Caste System No common creed, single doctrine, direct divine revelation, or rigid moral code

Religious Contrasts Hinduism Polytheistic Many idols Various sacred writings Varying beliefs Absorbed other religions Venerate cows Cremate dead Caste system ‘State’ of secondary importance Islam Monotheistic No idols One sacred book Uniform dogma—5 Pillars Intolerant of other religions Eat beef/sacrifice cows Bury dead Social equality (in theory) Theocratic state

Population Geography Population geography: the spatial dimension of demography Study of population distribution, composition, rates of growth and patterns of flow Population density Arithmetic Physiographic Key measure Rate of natural increase

Population Growth

Regions of the Realm Pakistan: South Asia’s Western flank India: The realm’s giant Bangladesh The Mountainous North Nepal Bhutan The Southern Islands Sri Lanka Maldives

The Partition, 1947 West Pakistan East Pakistan