Unit 3 (Political geography) Flashcards
Regional Spotlight: Central Asia
Explain these things about central Asia
1. Its location. (What it borders and what the region connists of.)
2. Name all 7 stan countries
Location: Central Asia extends from the caspian sea to china. It is bounded to the north by Russia and flanked by Iran and China. The region consists of the former soviet republics.
There are 7 stan countries: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgzstan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan
Regional Spotlight: Central Asia
Population in central Asia
1. Largest country? Its population density and total population
2. Most densely populated country and total population?
20th century information
3. How has population growth in central asia grown in the 20th century?
4. How were environmental problems caused in the late 20th century
Population
* Kazakhstan is the largest country in Central Asia but with the lowest population density of 7 ppl per Km2 (Total population = 19 million)
* The most densely populated country of Central Asia is Uzbekistan with 79 per Km2 and a population of 35 million.
20th century soviet union information
* Population growth in central asia was quite rapid in the 20th century as aresult of high birth rates and soviet health measures that brought down mortality rates.
* The region experienced evironmental problems in the late 20th century that were due to the effects of rapid agricultural development overdepence on irrigation, and the effects of soviet nuclear weapons testing in some areas
Regional Spotlight: Central Asia
Explain the Aral sea
* What was the Aral sea, and what happened to it?
* What borders the region to the east and south?
Lying between kazakstan and uzbekistan was the Aral Sea. Decades ago (1960s) the Aral sea was the worlds 4th largest sea but it has since mostly dried up.
On the east and south central asia is bounded by the western Altai / Atlay Mountains and other high mountain ranges extending into Iran Afghanistan and western China
Regional Spotlight: Central Asia
Long card, good luck. Answer thsese questions
1. What % of the region consits of desert land? What are the main deserts and what do they cover?
2. Explain the desert areas suitable for agriculture, and the 2 main river systems.
3. Where do the Rivers flow, what do they provide and how do they drain.
About 60% of the region consists of desert land, the principal deserts being the Karakum occupying most of Turkmnistan, and the Kyzlkum, covering much of western Uzbekistan
- Most of the desert areas are unsuitable for agricultural use except along the margins of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya river systems, whihc wind their way northwestward through Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and eastern Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan after rising in the mountain ranges to the south and east
- Those two major rivers provide most of the regions water resources, though northern Kazakhstan is drained by rivers flowing north into Russia
Regional Spotlight: Central Asia
Climate, ethnic groups, and languages of Central Asia?
1. explain climate, 3 factors
2. the 5 largest ethnic groups in central Asia, its easy
3. what are the languages related to, 1 exception
hot summers, cool winters, with very little precipitation
The five largest ethnic groups in central asia are, in decending order of size, the Uzbek, Kazakh, Tajik, Turkmen, and Kyrgyz
Languages: All those groups speak languages related to Turkish except for the Tajik who speak a language related to Persian.
Regional Spotlight: Central Asia
- What is the main religion in central Asia? Main branch of it?
- What happened to the region because of Russia the Soviet Union and Ukraine?
Islam is the dominant religion, with most adherents belonging to the Sunni branch.
As a result of the region’s historical incorporation into Russia and then the Soviet Union, large numbers of Russians and Ukrainians give it a distinctive multi ethnic character
Regional Spotlight: India
Location of India?
1. Where it is (simple)
2. What are the three waters that surround it.
Other physical geography features
1. Himalayas (what is it relating to ice and snow, where is it, what does it cover?)
Location
* India is located along the southern edge of Asia
* It is surrounded on three sides by water; the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian Ocean to the South, and the Bay of Bengal to the east.
To the north are the highest mountains in the world, the Himalayas. they cover approximately 1500 mi (2400) km and pass through the nations of India Pakistan Afghanistan, China, Bhutan, and Nepal.
The Himalayas are the third largest deposit of ice and snow in the world, after ANtarcitica and the Artic. They are approximately 1500 glaciers located throughout the range
Regional Spotlight: India
Other physical geography features part 2
1. What is directly south of the Himalayas
2. What is to the west of India??
3. What is between the Himalayas and Decan Plateau
4. Where is the Decan. What is it??
4. Whare are India’s top 3 crops?
Just south of the Himalayas is the valley of the Ganges River.
To the west is the relatively dry Indus River Valley which runs through modern day Pakistan.
The Decan lies south of thesse two river valleys
It’s a hilly and dry plateau that extends to the southern end of India.
Between the Himalyas and the Decan Plateau is a vast farmland.
India top 3 crops are rice, wheat, and jowar.
Regional Spotlight: India
Population of India
1. total population. rank in size and population
2. most populated areas?
3. how many languages and dialects are spoken in India??
Outdated lol
With a population of 1.4 billion India is the world’s 2nd most populous country. It is 7th largest country in the world
Indias most populated areas lie along the east and west coasts
India is a diverse country where over 22 major languages and 415 dialects are spoken
Regional Spotlight: India
Climate in India
1. how does it vary? South, north, ecosystems??
2. what is the unique geographical feature in India?
India’s climate varies from humid and dry tropical in the south to temperature alpine in the northern reaches and has a great diversity of ecosystems
the most unique geographical feature of india is its monsoon.
Regional Spotlight: Nepal
Explain Nepal and the Himalayas
1. What % of Nepal do they cover?
2. What is the highest peak
3. What do the people of Nepal call Mt. Everest. What does it translate to? How tall is Mt. Everest.
The Himalayas cover approxiately 75% of Nepal
The highest peak is Mount Everest is located in Nepal
The Nepalese call Mt. Everest Samgarmatha which can be translated as Goddess of the Universe.
29029 ft (8848 m) high
Nepal other facts
1. Official religions
2. Other religions
3. Birthplace of who?
4. # of languages and ethnic groups
5. Some of the endangered animals it is home to
6. What calendar do they follow?
Official religion: Hinduism 80%
Other religious: Buddhism Islam
Birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama “Buddha”
Nepal has over 80 ethnic groups. 120 languages
Home to many endgared animals such as the snow leopard, Asian rhinoceros, Bengal tiger, ganges dolphin, king conbra, red panda, elongated tortoise, monitor lizard, and marsh crocodile
They do not follow the Gregorian Calendar. The first date of year starts in the first days of APril and each year has 354 days . So 2023 corresponds to the year 2079 according to the official Bikram Sambat Calendar.
Regional Spotlight: Nepal
Sri Lanka the pearl of the indian ocean. Quick facts rundown
1. Who were the 3 countries it was colonized by? When did it go independent.
2. Size of Sri Lanka and comparison.
3. Population of Sri Lanka
4. Religion of Sri Lanka. Other major ones
5. Official languages (2) of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka was colonized by the Portuguese, Dutch, and British before going independence in 1948
Size 25,332 mi just slightly larger than the state of West Virginia
Population: approximately 21 million people
Religion: BUddhism is the major religion 70.2% Others include Hinduism 12.6%, Islam (9.7%) and Christianity (6.1%)
Official languages: Tamil and Sinhala
fun fact about Sri lanka worth pointing out?
1. the first female prime minister
2. Largest exporters of what kind of tea?
3. What spice originates from Sri Lanka?
It is the first country in the world to gave a female prime minister (1960-2000): Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Although it was introduced by China, Sri Lanka has become one of the largest exporters of Lipton tea in the world
Cinnamon originates from Sri Lanka.
Sri lanka facts pt 2
1. Explain Adams peak (what is it, what is it known as in Buddhism, Hinduism, and Christian/Muslisms of the region
2. ecosystems in Sri Lanka?
3. fun thing about head shaking in Sri Lanka
4. fun thing about “hotels”??
Adams peak
* This holy peak has been a mecca for people of various beliefs
* In Buddhism, the peak is known as Sri Pada Scared Footprint and is bleieved to have been left by Buddha when he was going to paradise.
* For Hindus. It is Lord Shiva’s footprint.
* Christians and Muslisms of the region refer to it as the footprint of Adam as he was banished from the Garden of Eden.
From Safari rides to whale-watching Sri lanka has extremely diverse ecosystems.
In most cultures, one says no with the shaking of their head but not in Sri Lanka. When meaning yes, people shake their head from side to side
It is common for restuarants cafes, and bars to be named as hotels.
