South Asia Flashcards
India has how many union territories? Define Union territories
Seven
Small political areas directly under the control of the national government
This nation has a president, but unlike the U.S., the requirements of the president are mainly ceremonial.
India
_______ legislature is made up of two houses that make the laws. There are two houses, a large and a small.
India’s
Having states allows groups to focus on their what?
Unique needs and interests
India has two houses that decide the laws. What are the houses called.
People’s Assembly and Council of States
________ constitution is one of the most detailed in the world. It guarantees all citizens certain fundamental rights.
India’s
India’s constitution states certain duties. Give an example of one of these duties.
Citizens must defend the country when necessary and promote harmony among ethnic and religious groups
_________ democratic values remain strong. This country has a great influence on the rest of Asia.
India’s
_________ has shifted from a largely government-run economy towards a free market economy.
India
Nearly 75% of workers in this nation are farmers and more than half of this nation’s land is used for farming.
India
_______ has benefited greatly from the green revolution. What was the green revolution?
India
A set of changes that modernized agriculture and greatly increased food production in the 1970s
Which nation produced new strains of wheat, rice, and corn to develop and produce more grains.
India
Define Jute and which nation grows this.
A plant fiber used for making rope, burlap bags, and carpet backing
India
Which nation is one of the world’s top coal producers?
India
________ mines iron ore, manganese, bauxite, diamonds, and coal.
India
In recent years, _______ government has promoted deep-sea fishing, especially in coastal areas and river valleys.
India
This nation has two forms of manufacturing; cottage industries and factory-based industries. Explain what the cottage industry is.
India
It involves people working in their homes and using their own equipment to make goods.
People in which nation make craft pottery, spin and weave cloth, and create metal or wooden items from their home and then are sold to individuals or to companies for resale or export, and what is this called?
India
Cottage industries
This nation’s prime minister, Indira Ghandi, the daughter of a former prime minister, was assassinated in 1984.
India
This nation has tall mountains rising in the far north and the Indus River valley is located in the south.
Pakistan
This nation has mostly Muslims living there.
Pakistan
In the 1970s, ______ industries were nationalized. However, since the 1990s many government owned industries have been sold to private owners.
Pakistan’s
Which nation has the largest democracy in the world?
India
Half of this nation’s people are farmers and the farmers are largely helped by the large irrigation systems.
Pakistan
Cotton cloth and clothing are among this country’s major exports. This country also has a cottage industry, but the people make metalware, pottery, and carpets.
Pakistan
In this nation democracy is limited and military leaders have often ruled the country.
Pakistan
________ is a key player in the war against terrorism.
Pakistan
Due to the country’s high population density, floodwaters can kill thousands of people at a time.
Bangladesh
Floods can drown this nation’s crops and cause food shortages. As a result, malnutrition affects many people in this nation.
Bangladesh
This nation has a warm climate, fertile soil, and plentiful water so this nation can plant and harvest three times a year.
Bangladesh
Ship breaking is a very profitable industry in this nation.
Bangladesh
Why can Bangladesh produce thee rice crops a year?
Warm climate, fertile soil, and plentiful water
This country was established in 1971, and is struggling for success as an independent nation, but with a large population and few resources, it has not been easy.
Bangladesh
The government in India has shifted from a largely government-run economy to what type of economy?
Free market economy
How many countries are in the south Asian subcontinent. Name the number and the names of the countries.
7
Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Pakistan
What three mountain ranges separate South Asia from the rest of the continent?
These mountain systems are the Hindu Kush, the Karakoram (KAH∙rah∙KOHR∙ahm), and the Himalaya (HIH∙muh∙LAY∙uh).
Which mountain range is the highest in the world?
Himalaya range
Which nation in South Asia has Mount Everest?
Nepal
This nation and Nepal were once protected from the outside influence because of the high mountain range.
Bhutan
How did people located north of South Asia enter? What is the most famous passageway?
Hindu Kush
Khyber Pass
In the 1970s, _______ industries were Nationalized. Explain what nationalization is.
Pakistan
Put under government control
This nation broke away from India and the people living there are usually quite poor.
Pakistan
About half of _______ people are farmers
Pakistan’s
This country is known for its cotton cloth and clothing industries.
Pakistan
This nation has a large irrigation system helps them grow crops such as sugarcane, wheat, rice, and cotton.
Pakistan
Even though ________ economy has grown, there are not enough jobs for everyone, so millions of people leave to become temporary workers in other countries.
Pakistan
The money people send home helps support their families and also boost the local economy in ________.
Pakistan
________ is a federal republic, but democracy is limited.
Pakistan
This nation’s first prime minister was Jawaharlal Nehru, elected in 1947
India
This nation is a federal republic with its state system having 28 states.
India
Since independence, the military has often forced elected leaders out of office and seized power in 1999, when ___________ took power.
General Pervez Musharraf
_________ and India each claim the territory of Kashmir, and they have fought two wars for control of the area.
Pakistan
In 1998 tensions rose when both countries success-fully tested nuclear weapons. The possibility that _______ and India could start a nuclear war worried many world leaders.
Pakistan
This nation is considered the youngster of the south Asian countries. It was established in 1971.
Bangladesh
___________ sits surrounded by India on three sides, with the Bay of Bengal to the south.
Bangladesh
__________ is one of the most densely populated countries in the world and the poorest.
Bangladesh
This nation’s people are largely Muslim. About 75 percent of the people live in rural villages. In recent years, however, many people have moved to crowded urban areas to find work in factories and workshops.
Bangladesh
The country is made up of lush, low plains crossed by the Brahmaputra and Ganges Rivers. Heavy monsoon rains cause the riverbanks to overflow almost yearly. Powerful cyclones can also cause flooding.
Bangladesh
Rice is this country’s most important export.
Bangladesh
Other crops include sugarcane, jute, wheat, and tea. Despite favorable growing conditions, _________ cannot produce enough food for its growing population. Farmers have few modern tools, and they use outdated farming methods.
Bangladesh
The clothing industry provides jobs to nearly 2 million people, mainly _________. In the past, children also worked in this industry, but the government has moved to end child _____. What nation am I?
Women
Labor
Bangladesh
Nepal and _______ are small, mountainous kingdoms to the north of India. Both are still largely rural and struggling to build stronger economies.
Bhutan
_________ forms a steep stairway to the Himalaya. In the north are 8 of the world’s 10 highest mountains including Mount Everest. Hills, valleys, and a fertile river plain are also part of the landscape.
Nepal
More than 85 percent of this nation’s people live in rural villages.
Nepal
Many ethnic groups make up the population. Hinduism is this country’s official religion, but Buddhism is practiced as well.
Nepal
In recent years, this nation has been torn by political conflict. The king has been locked in power struggles with pro-democracy groups and also with communist rebels. The instability in government has made it difficult for it to strengthen its economy. Even with substantial foreign aid, the country remains desperately poor.
Nepal
This nation lies east of Nepal.
Bhutan
With India’s help, this nation has built hydroelectric plants to create electricity from rushing mountain waters.
Bhutan
Tourism is a growing industry, but the government limits the number of tourists to protect this nation’s cultural traditions.
Bhutan
Most of the people in Bhutan belong to what ethnic group and practice which religion?
Bhutia ethnic group and they are faithful Buddhists
The Nepali in this nation complain of discrimination during years of rule by powerful Buddhist kings. Recently, though, this nation has moved toward democracy.
Bhutan
South Asia includes two island republics: _________ and ________. Both lie south of _______ in the ______ Ocean.
Sri Lanka
Maldives
India
Indian
This nation lies off the southeastern coast of India.
Sri Lanka
Much of this country is rolling lowlands, with white sandy beaches that attract tourists. Highlands cover the center, and tourists come here, too, to hike on nature trails that are rich with wildlife.
Sri Lanka
For many years, this nation’s people have farmed. In ______ areas, they grow food crops, especially the rice that people eat daily. At _______ elevations are large plantations of rubber trees, coconut palms, and the Ceylon tea that is a famous export.
Lowland
higher
Sri Lanka
This nation’s economy is becoming more industrialized. Factories produce textiles, fertilizers, cement, leather goods, and wood products for export. This nation also exports sapphires, rubies, and other gemstones.
Sri Lanka
This nation’s people are made up of two main groups. The Sinhalese (sihng∙guh∙LEEZ), who form about 74 percent of the population, live in the south and west and are mostly Buddhist. The Tamils (TA∙muhlz), who make up about 17 percent of the population, live in other parts of the country and are mainly Hindu.
Sri Lanka
What is Sri Lanka’s smallest ethnic group and largest ethnic group? Which religions do these groups practice?
The Sinhalese (sihng∙guh∙LEEZ), who form about 74 percent of the population, are mostly Buddhist. The Tamils (TA∙muhlz), who make up about 17 percent of the population, live in other parts of the country and are mainly Hindu.
Since 1983, the Tamils and the Sinhalese have been fighting a violent civil war. The minority Tamils claim they have not been treated justly by the majority Sinhalese. They want to set up a separate Tamil nation in the northern part of this nation.
Sri Lanka
Adding to its troubles, this nation suffered its worst natural
disaster in December 2004. A tsunami struck this nation. Define tsunami.
A huge ocean wave, was released by a powerful earthquake near Indonesia on the eastern edge of the Indian Ocean.
Sri Lanka
In 2004 this nation had a terrible natural disaster. Governments and international aid organizations responded to the tragedy with one of the largest relief efforts in modern history.
Sri Lanka
About 1,200 coral islands make up the this nation, which lie southwest of India.
Maldives
This nation has islands that are more than 6 feet (1.8 m) above sea level. Some scientists believe that global warming will eventually cause ocean levels to rise and completely cover the this nation.
Maldives
About 360,000 people, mostly Muslims, live in this nation.
Maldives
Farmers in this nation can grow only a few crops in the sandy soil, so most food must be imported. In recent years, this nation’s sandy beaches and coral formations have attracted many tourists. As a result, ________ is now the largest industry. Fishing and boatbuilding are other important economic activities.
Maldives
Tourism
By 2500 b.c.e., people in the Indus River valley had built what may have been South Asia’s first cities. Name them and what made these ancient cities so spectacular.
Harappa (huh∙RA∙puh) and Mohenjo Daro (moh∙HEHN∙joh DAHR∙oh)
These cities, with brick build-ings, were well planned. They had carefully laid-out streets, ceremonial gateways, and buildings to store grain. The cities also had plumbing, sewers, and other technology that would not be matched again for centuries.
As the population grew, farming, small industries, and trade brought wealth to the _______. The people who lived in this ancient civilization made ______ and _______ tools, _______ pottery, and _______ cloth. They also developed a ______ system.
Indus Valley copper Bronze clay cotton Writing
After centuries of prosperity, this civilization declined between 1700 b.c.e. and 1500 b.c.e. Historians believe what three things contributed to the fall of this civilization?
Indus Valley civilization
About 1500 b.c.e., these nomadic herders known as what were settling in parts of northern South Asia. These nomadic herders developed a spoken language called what? They passed on hymns and religious teachings by word of mouth. When their spoken language later became a written language, these traditions were recorded in sacred, or holy, texts called the _______.
Aryans
Sanskrit (SAN∙skriht)
Vedas
The Vedas show that what nomadic group were organized into four varnas? What are varnas?
Aryans
broad social groups
Name the different groups of people
Priests had the highest status. Warriors came next, followed by farmers. At the bottom were unskilled laborers and servants. At first, people of different groups could marry each other and change jobs.
Define caste and what people in South Asia call it and why it is becoming less important.
A caste is a social group that someone is born into and cannot change
The religions of ______ and _______ both developed in South Asia. They have had a lasting influence in the region.
Hinduism
Buddhism
Which religion in South Asia is one of the world’s oldest reli-gions and the third largest in the world? It developed gradually as the beliefs of the ancient ______ mixed with the beliefs of other peo-ples in the region.
Aryans
Religion: Hindu
What is the eternal spirit in Hinduism?
Brahman
Which people believe that every living being has a soul that wants to be reunited with Brahman? To achieve this reunion, a soul must repeatedly undergo what? Explain what that is. Thus Hindus believe what?
Hindu
Reincarnation: being born into a new body after dying
They believe that a soul passes through many lives, becoming purer each time, before reaching Brahman.
To ensure that their next lives are better, Hindus believe they must perform their duty, also known as what? Each caste has its own _______. Give two examples of the different duties.
dharma (DUHR·muh)
dharma
For example, a farmer has different duties than a priest, and a woman has different duties than a man.
The consequences, or effects, of how a person lives are known as what? Hindus believe that if they do their duty, they will have good ________. This will move them closer to Brahman in the next life.
karma (KAHR·muh)
Karma
This religion was developed in the 500 B.C.E.
Buddhism
Which man developed Buddhism? Where was he born? He became known as what?
It was founded by a young prince named Siddhartha Gautama (sih∙DAHR∙tuh GOW∙tuh∙muh). Born in a small kingdom near the Himalaya, he gave up wealth and family in search of truth. After many years, he found what he was seeking. He became known as the Buddha, or “Enlightened One.”
The Buddha taught what to people? How did he think this problem could be solved?
He believed that people suffer
they are too attached to material things, which are not lasting.
By following the eight steps, people can escape suffering and reach what? What are the eight steps?
nirvana (nihr·VAH·nuh), a state of endless peace and joy.
The eight steps include thinking clearly, working hard, and showing deep concern for all living things.
Buddhism won many followers among what two types of people?
People who were poor or had no social standing.
Which large nation absorbed Buddhism with Hinduism?
India
In the 300s B.C.E., a family called the ________founded the ______ Empire. Who was the most well know ruler from this family? What did the ruler do?
Maurya (MAUR∙yuh)
Mauryan
Àsoka
He brought much of the subcontinent under his control
About 260 B.C., ______ dedicated his life to peace and became a Buddhist. He sent Buddhist missionaries throughout Asia, but he also allowed his people to practice other _______. Trade and culture thrived under his capable rule. After he died, however, ________ led to the empire’s fall.
Asoka
Religions
Invasions
About C.E. 320, a ruler named ___________ set up the Gupta Empire in _______ India. Under the empire’s Hindu rulers, trade increased and ideas were exchanged with other parts of the world. As a result, science, mathematics, medicine, and the arts thrived.
Chandragupta I (CHUHN∙druh∙GUP∙tuh) North
Under which empire did the numerals 1 - 9 develop?
Gupta
Define civil disobedience and give an example of this.
the refusal to obey unjust laws using peaceful protests. Gandhi and his followers held strikes and boycotted, or refused to buy, British goods.
Define boycotted
Refused to buy
The South Asian region includes three of the world’s seven most populous nations. Name them.
India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh
In the 1990s alone, India’s population rose by _______ people.
175 million
What is India’s average of people per square mile? Bangladesh’s?
869
2,594
South Asia’s people speak how many major languages and hundreds of local dialects?
19
This nation has 15 official languages.
India
What are dzongs and what are they important for? Where are there dzongs?
They are Buddhist centers of prayer and study
They are important in shaping the country’s arts and culture.
Bhutan
This religion was founded in the 1500s?
Sikhism
What does Sikhism teach? Where do most Sikhs live? What do many Sikhs want?
It teaches belief in one God and stresses doing good deeds as the way to escape the cycle of reincarnation and join with God. Most of South Asia’s Sikhs live in northwestern India.
Many of them want an independent Sikh state in northwestern India.
Another religion is South Asia is _________. It has about 4 million followers in India and perhaps 100,000 elsewhere in South Asia. ______ try to reach spiritual purity by rejecting all violence. They aim to protect every living creature.
Jainism
Jains
What has a large influence in art in South Asia?
Religion
One of India’s major sacred texts is the ________. Written about 100 B.C.E., the ________ is very long—about _______ verses.
Mahabharata (muh∙hah∙BAH∙ruh∙tuh)
88,000
What is the Mahabharata about? What is the best known section in this text?
It describes a great war for control of an Indian kingdom about 1,000 years earlier. The best known section in this ancient text is the Bhagavad Gita (BAH∙guh∙vahd GEE∙tuh), or “Song of the Lord.”
What does the Bhagavad Gita (BAH∙guh∙vahd GEE∙tuh) describe?
In it, the deity Krishna accompanies the prince Arjuna to a great battle. Krishna preaches a sermon to Arjuna. He tells him that it is noble to do one’s duty even when it is difficult and painful.
Classical Indian music usually features the ________, a long-necked instrument with 7 strings on the outside and 10 inside the neck.
sitar (sih-tahr)
Which city has Bollywood become the nickname of?
Mumbai
The life of South Asians centers on the _______.
Family
What is a sari?
A long, rectangular piece of cloth that is draped gracefully around the body.
Name two of the most popular sports in South Asia.
field hockey and Cricket
What three rivers bring water to south Asia’s heavily populated plains?
The Ganges, Indus, and Brahmaputra River
What two types of landforms dominate southern India?
Highlands and lowlands
Sri Lanka has a ________ interior and surrounding _________ lowlands.
Highland
Coastal
Maldives includes islands that are what?
Coral atolls
Which nation has most of South Asia’s natural resources?
India
South Asian nation’s need to import energy. Give two examples of energy that they import.
oil and natural gas
What type of power is a promising energy source for South Asia?
hydroelectric power
South Asia’s large population has put pressure on limited _______ resources.
water
South Asian countries are trying to protect their few remaining ________.
forests
What two things have greatly helped increase air pollution?
More vehicles and wood burning for fuel
Farmers depend on what to grow their crops?
The monsoons
Cyclones can cause disaster to what type of land?
Coastal lowlands
Much of South Asia is ________, although the region also has __________, desert, and highland climates.
tropical
Temperate
South Asia’s _________ areas receive heavy rain fall.
tropical
