South Asia Powerpoint

Question 1

Himalayan Mountains

Answer 1

Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, China, Nepal and Bhutan
contain many of the world’s highest peaks, including Mount Everest
geologically active region

Question 2

Western and Eastern Ghats

Answer 2

form Deccan Plateau

Western Ghats influence the Indian monsoon pattern
average elevation is approximately 4000 feet

Eastern Ghats are lower (average elevation approximately 2000 feet)
less continuous than the Western Ghats

Question 3

Deccan Plateau

Answer 3

located in south-central India (between the Western and Eastern Ghats)
dry (moisture blocked by Western Ghats)

Question 4

Indus River

Answer 4

Starts in himalayas
flows southwestward through Pakistan
empties into the Arabian Sea

Question 5

Ganges River

Answer 5

Starts in himalayas
flows southeastward to the Bay of Bengal
sacred to Hindus
heavily polluted
Ganges river valley is one of the mostly densely populated regions in the world

Question 6

Brahmaputra River

Answer 6

flows southwestward from Tibet
southward through Bangladesh
merges the Ganges
empties into the Bay of Bengal

Question 7

Sundarbans

Answer 7

largest mangrove forest in the world
located on the delta of the Ganges River
protect coastline from storms
known for its diversity of wildlife (Bengal tiger)
humans depend on forest for their livelihood

Question 8

Sundarbans ecosystem is threatened by

Answer 8

industrial and agricultural activity (development, population growth)
climate change (sea level rise, saltwater intrusion)

Question 9

Climates in Region

Answer 9

Tropical – mostly along the coast of Southeastern India, Sri Lanka
Mild Temperate - northeast
Dry/Arid – northwest; southcentral India (deccan plateau region)
Highland – Himalayans

Question 10

Vulnerability to climate change

Answer 10

increased rainfall (and flooding) and droughts
more intense storms
sea level rise
increase in prevalence of disease (particularly from mosquitoes)

Question 11

Monsoons

Answer 11

a seasonal reversal of wind flows in parts of the lower to middle latitudes,
driven by atmospheric pressure gradients
governs precipitation patterns here

Question 12

Climate of South Asia

Answer 12

Summer: southwesterly winds bring warm, moist air from south; results in heavy rainfall and flooding
Winter: northeasterly winds bring dry conditions
Late/unusually dry monsoon season can lead to drought, famine
Climate change may disrupt the monsoon pattern

Question 13

Natural Resources

Answer 13

Modest resource wealth, compared to other world regions (coal, iron ore, bauxite, manganese)
The geology of the region yields large amounts of sandstone and marble
- reflected in architecture

Question 14

labor and environmental concerns

Answer 14

challenging physical labor and dangerous work conditions

pollution, land degradation - damages watersheds, wildlife habitats and forest cover

Question 15

Air pollution

Answer 15

motor vehicle emissions is a major contributor
coal-fired powered plants
crop burning
linked to premature deaths (respiratory disease, lung cancer)

Question 16

Water Issues

Answer 16

competition between agricultural and urban use
poor distribution systems
pollution

Question 17

most successful economic sectors

Answer 17

textiles
petroleum
pharmaceuticals
Technology
Tourism

Question 18

Mountain Tourism in Nepal

Answer 18

Very important

It brings in revenue and offers job opportunities (guides, porters, etc.)

Question 19

Challenges associated with tourism in Nepal

Answer 19

worker exploitation (low pay, dangerous work)
lack of cultural respect
damage to natural environment
tourism business is vulnerable to outside factors

Question 20

Child Labor (causes)

Answer 20

form of bonded labor sometimes (labor for a loan)
additional income
better life for child

Question 21

Poverty and Literacy

Answer 21

Poverty rates are very high (especially in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Afghanistan)
Low literacy rates
	Bangladesh -75%
	India – 74%
	Nepal – 68%
	Bhutan – 67%
	Pakistan – 59%
	Afghanistan – 43% (literacy rate for females 15 and over is only 30%)

Question 22

Hinduism

Answer 22

polytheistic

belief in karma, reincarnation

Question 23

Buddhism

Answer 23

Based on teaching of Siddhartha Gautama(the Buddha)
focus on achieving enlightenment—a state of inner peace and wisdom (nirvana)
Four Noble Truths - related to suffering

Question 24

Languages (India)

Answer 24

there are over 20 official languages in India
Hindi is the most prevalent (spoken by approximately 40% of the population)
English is the lingua franca

Question 25

Caste System

Answer 25

a social hierarchy that determines norms of interaction between classes
reinforced by language, region and occupation
associated with Hinduism
common in India and Nepal
outlawed by Indian constitution, but remains in practice in some areas

Question 26

Gender Inequality

Answer 26

women are socially, culturally, and economically dependent on men
dowry disadvantages women
-6000 dowry deaths annually in India (murder/suicide over dowries)
arranged marriages
child brides
women are often under threat of violence from male relatives
low literacy rates (women’s literacy rate approximately 30% in Afghanistan)

Question 27

Microfinance

Answer 27

programs that provide small-scale credit and saving to the self-employed poor, including those in the informal sector who cannot borrow money from commercial banks

Question 28

The Raj

Answer 28

period of British Rule in India (1858-1947)

Question 29

Partition (1947)

Answer 29

India – Hindu

Pakistan – one country, but two separate territories (East Pakistan and West Pakistan); Islamic

Question 30

Problems with Partition

Answer 30

Hindus minorities in Pakistan
Muslims minorities in India.
Religious violence erupted
12 million people fled to respective countries

Question 31

East and West Pakistan

Answer 31

1971
West Pakistan becomes Pakistan
East Pakistan becomes Bangladesh

Question 32

Kashmir

Answer 32

northwestern portion is Pakistan
southern portion is India
northeastern corner is China

Question 33

Demographics

Answer 33

greatest population density is along the Ganges river

lower population density in the more arid regions and the more mountainous regions

Question 34

Growth Rates

Answer 34

Rate of growth varies by country

Afghanistan is growing at a relatively high rate, while India and Sri Lanka are growing at a lower rate

Question 35

Bhutan

Answer 35

smallest country of South Asia
low level of urbanization
highly traditional, rural, Buddhist society
the King of Bhutan coined the term: Gross National Happiness

Question 36

Swayambhunath

Answer 36

also known as the Monkey Temple

Buddhist temple

Question 37

Pashupatinath Temple

Answer 37

oldest Hindu temple complex in Kathmandu

site of Hindu cremation rituals

Question 38

Indian gender demographics

Answer 38

Preference for men (more men, sex-selective abortions)

large, rapidly growing population

Question 39

Grameen Bank

Answer 39

grassroots organization formed to provide small loans (microfinance) to rural poor in Bangladesh
has grown into international organization that lends worldwide
average loan is a little over $100 (enough to buy a cow, a sewing machine or a slik worm shed)
97% of borrowers are women
99% repayment rate

Question 40

Caste system Top and Bottom of hierarchy

Answer 40

Brahmins (priests, teachers)

Dalits (“the oppressed”, untouchables)

Question 41

Languages (Pakistan)

Answer 41

English and Urdu are official languages

Punjabi is the most widely spoken language in the country

Question 42

Puja (Hinduism)

Answer 42

worship ritual
typically involves offerings of fruit, water or flower
may be done at a temple or at home

Question 43

Pollution of India’s water

Answer 43

about 70% of India is polluted
most of the pollution is a result of untreated sewage;
industry, agriculture, improper disposal of garbage
climate change/drought, etc. are causes