Geography of south asia

Part III:
Geography of South Asia

INTRODUCTION
Location : Southern region of Asian continent
Comprises of Sub-Himalayan countries
Surrounded by Western Asia , Central Asia, Eastern Asia,
Southeastern Asia , The Indian ocean
Countries: Bangladesh , Bhutan , India , The Maldives , Nepal , Pakistan ,
Sri Lanka, Afghanistan
Population: 1/5th of world population (most populous)
Conflicts: Political instability , war between two nuclear armed states i.e.
India and Pakistan
Regional Cooperation: SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional
Cooperation)

COUNTRIES IN SOUTH ASIACOUNTRIES IN SOUTH ASIA
Bhutan
Nepal
India

Vital Statistics of South Asia
Source: CIA Factbook: Data 2012-13

“Human , Economic and Regional Geography : Paper II “ …… Author: Imran Bashir
Country Per Capita
Income
GDP
(PPP)
Area
(Km2)
Population and
Population
growth rate
Public sector spending
on education % of GDP
Literacy rate
Inflation Population
Below
Poverty line
Un-
employ-
ment
Imports Exports
Bangladesh $2,000 $305.5 Billion 147,570 163,654,860
1.59%
2.2%
Lit. rate
56%
8.8% 31.5% 5.1% $35.06
billion
$25.79
billion
India $3,900 $4.784 trillion 3,287,240 1,220,800,359
1.28%
3.3%
Lit. rate
61%
9.2% 29.8% 9.9% $500.3 billion $309.1 billion
Nepal $1,300 $40.49 billion 147,181 30,430,26
1.81%
4.7%
Lit. rate
60.3%
8.3% 25.2% 46% $6.15 billion $1 billion
Pakistan $2,900 $514.6 billion 803,940 193,238,868
1.52%
2.4
Lit. rate
54.9%
11.3% 22.3% 5.6% $40.82 billion $24.66 billion
Sri Lanka $6,100 $125.3 billion 65,610 21,675,648
0.89%
2% (2010)
Lit. rate
91.2%
9.2% 8.9% 4.5% $19.08 billion $10.51 billion
Bhutan $6,500 $4.813 billion 38,394 725,296
1.15%
4.7%
Lit. rate 47%
8.3% 23.3% 4% $1.28 billion $725.2 million
Maldives $8,700 $2.974 billion 298 393,988
-0.11%
7.2%
Lit. rate
93.8%
5.1% 16% 28% $1.406 billion $283 million
Afghanistan $1000 $33.55 billion 647,500 31,108,077
2.25%
n/a
Lit. rate
28.1%
13.8% 36% 35% $6.39 billion $376 million
Analysis
(Higher in the
region)
Per capita
income of
Maldives is
highest
GDP of India is
higher in the
region
Area of
India is
largest in
the region
Population of
India and
growth rate of
Afghanistan are
higher
Maldives is spending
higher percentage of
GDP on education
Highest
inflation is in
Afghanistan
Highest
poverty is in
Afghanistan
More
unemploy-
ment is in
Nepal
India has
most
imports and
2nd is
Pakistan
India has
more exports
and
2nd is
Bangladesh

CREATION OF THE REALM
7
Continental Drift
6/3/2014

TOPOGRAPHY OF SOUTH ASIATOPOGRAPHY OF SOUTH ASIA
Elevation
below sea
level , lakes,
rivers, seas,
and deserts
(hot & cold)
Elevation
below sea
level , lakes,
rivers, seas,
and deserts
(hot & cold)• Most fertile valley of
Indus to Ganges
Himalaya
to land
area in
Maldives
Himalaya
to land
area in
Maldives
Face of
earth
Face of
earth

Topography of South Asia

“Human , Economic and Regional Geography : Paper II “ …… Author: Imran Bashir 10
THE REALM
6/3/2014 IMRAN BASHIR

Unemployment Rate
World: 6.1%
South Asia:
5.4%
Pakistan: 5.5%

Some Facts About South Asia
Population projected to rise to 2.22 billion by 2050
70% population live in rural areas
60% of Bangladesh is flood prone
Contains 16% of world’s flora and 12% of world’s fauna

Some Facts About South Asia (Cont.)
Less than 1% of world’s income and less than 2% of trade
1.3% of world’s exports
Accounts for 1% of world’s FDI (Foreign Direct Investment)
1% of Global Tourism

Some Facts About South Asia (Cont.)
400 million poor people, 40% of population lives below
poverty line
Life expectancy, education and per capita income are
very low
40% of global coral coverage

•Common terminologies: ‘South Asia’ , ‘Indian subcontinent’, ‘The
Subcontinent’
•Subcontinent signifies: “having a certain geographical and political
independence”
•Geophysically , Tsangpo River in Tibet is situated outside the border
of structure while the Pamir Mountains in Tajikistan is situated
inside the border.

Territory and Regional Data
Country/
Region
Area (km²)
Population
July 2013
Population
density
(per km²)
Capital or
Secretariat
Currency Government
Bangladesh 147,570 156,050,883 1057 Dhaka Taka Parliamentary republic
Bhutan 38,394 725,296 18 Thimphu Ngultrum, Indian rupee Constitutional monarchy
India 3,287,240 1,220,800,359 355 New Delhi Rupee Federal republic, Parliamentary
democracy
Nepal 147,181 30,430,267 194 Kathmandu Rupee Democratic Republic
Pakistan 803,940 193,238,863 219 Islamabad Rupee Islamic Republic
Sri Lanka 65,610 21,665,648 325 Colombo Rupee Democratic Socialist Republic
Afghanistan 647,500 31,108,077 51.9 Kabul Afghani Islamic republic
Maldives 280 328,536 1,102.5 Mala Maldivian Rufiyaa Unitary Presidential
Constitutional Republic
This club of countries covers about 4,480,000 km² (1,729,738 mi²) or 10
per cent of the Asian continent, and accounts for about 40 per cent of
Asia’s population.

 8 nations
 Ethnically diverse
 More than 2000 entities
 South Asia has been invaded and settled by different ethnic groups
(Dravidian, Indo-Aryan , Iranian)
 Sanskrit language + Vedic religion Hinduism , Jainism ,
Buddhism , Sikhism
1.ETHNIC GROUPS

 Many similar cultural practices , festivals and traditions
 Other ethnic groups successively streaming in later mainly from Central
Asia and Iran e.g. Sakas , Kushans, Huns etc
 New arrivals were Arabs , Turks and Pashtuns
 Arab influence was very limited compared to Turks and Pashtuns
 The Punjabi , Sindhi , Pashtun ,Balochi and Kashmiri people gave birth to
URDU
 URDU___ A syncretic language of combined Indo-Persian-Turkish-Arabic
heritage , is widely spoken today
1.ETHNIC GROUPS

Religions

Demographics: Religions
Afghanistan Sunni Muslims (80%), Shia Muslims (19%), others (1%)
Bangladesh Muslims (90%), Hindus (9%), Christians (.5%), Buddhists (.5%), Believers in tribal faiths
(0.1%)
Bhutan Buddhists (75%), Hindus (25%)
India Hindus (80.5%), Muslims (13.4%), Christians (2.3%), Sikhs (1.9%), Buddhists (0.8%), Jains
(0.4%), Others (0.6%)
Iran Shia Muslims (89%), Sunni Muslims (9%), Zoroastrians, Jews, Christians, and Bahais (2%)
Maldives Sunni Muslims (100%) (One must be a Sunni Muslim to be a citizen of the Maldives.
Myanmar Theravada Buddhists (89%), Muslims (4%), Christians (4%) (Baptists 3%, Roman Catholics
1%), Animists (1%), others (including Hinduism) (2%)
Nepal Hindus (80.6%), Buddhists (10.7%), Muslims (4.2%), Kirats (3.6%)
Pakistan Muslims (96.28%), Hindus (1.85%), Christians (1.59%), Ahmadis (0.22%)
Sri Lanka Theravada Buddhists (70.42%), Hindus (10.89%), Muslims (8.78%), Catholics (7.77%),
Other Christians (1.96%), Others (0.13%)

3. ECONOMY
GDP per capita: India highest , Pakistan second ,Bangladesh third ,Nepal ,
Afghanistan and Myanmar lowest
India is largest economy of region , in the world 12th largest and 4th largest by
purchasing power rates
World bank report 2007: Trade between South Asian states is 2% compared to
East Asian states which is 20%
75% population lives in rural areas
Global Hunger Index (GHI): S.A has highest Child Malnutrition
Child mortality: In India 5.6 million child deaths/year

POPULATION DENSITY
6/3/2014 23IMRAN BASHIR

CONTROLLING FACTORS FOR DISTRIBUTION OFCONTROLLING FACTORS FOR DISTRIBUTION OF
POPULATION IN S.APOPULATION IN S.A
Thomas Malthus, published an essay on the principle of population
in 1798 and argued that:
“ Population when unchecked increases in geometrical ratios
,whereas subsistence increases only in arithmetic ratios”
Positive checks
such as
disease ,war, famine and
disaster increase death rate
can save humanity from itself
Preventive checks
Factors that affect the birth
rate i.e. moral restrain,
abstinence and birth control

POPULATION DISTRIBUTION OF S.A
Population density is determined as
PD= Total population
Land area in Km2
Population: counts all residents regardless of their legal status or
citizenship except for refugees who are not permanently settled in the
country of asylum, and are generally considered to be the part of the
population of their country of origin.
Land area: country’s total area excluding inland water bodies , national
claim to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones
PD of S.A 2013= 342.05/km2:
Southeast Asia: 118.6/km2
Population density of Pakistan
was 225.19/km2 in 2010

Population Density of South Asia (Cont.)

Demographics of South Asia
 Total population in 2010: 1.5bn
 IMR (Infant Mortality Rate): 60/1000
 Fertility rate: 2.78 in 2012
 CDR (Crude Death Rate): 8.15 in 2012
 Population growth rate: 1.43 in 2012
 Real GDP Growth : 5.8% in 2012
 GDP growth is projected to 7.1% in 2013

S.A poorest region on earth after Sub-Saharan Africa
Bhutan , Bangladesh and Nepal are least developed
India world’s 2nd, Pakistan world’s 6th ,Bangladesh 8th populous country
>40% population lives below the international poverty line
Resources availability decreasing
PD of Pakistan 223.19/km2 in 2010
PD of India 382/km2 in 2011
PD of Bangladesh 1142.29

Population
1.5bn in 2010 Rapid
demographic
change
Fall in Infant
Mortality Rate
(60/1000 in 2010)
Afghanistan IMR 150
Sri Lanka
IMR 15
Fertility rate
2.78 in 2010
Death rate
8.15
Annual
population
growth 1.43%
in 2012
571 million people
live below the
poverty line $ 1.25
GDP
growth
5.8% in
2010
DEMOGRAPHICS OFDEMOGRAPHICS OF
SOUTH ASIASOUTH ASIA

Demographics of South Asia
12 8 4 0 4 8 12 12 8 4 0 4 8 12 12 8 4 0 4 8 12
Males Females
Pakistan 1970
Males Females Males Females
Pakistan 2000 Pakistan 2025
Ages
75+
70-74
65-69
60-64
55-59
50-54
45-49
40-44
35-39
30-34
25-29
20-24
15-19
10-14
5-9
0-4
Ages
75+
70-74
65-69
60-64
55-59
50-54
45-49
40-44
35-39
30-34
25-29
20-24
15-19
10-14
5-9
0-4
Population in millions
Male India - 2011 Female
65 52 39 26 13 0 0 13 26 39 52 65
100
95
90
85
80
75
70
65
60
55
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Population pyramid ( age structure diagram):
A graphical illustration that shows the distribution of various age groups
in a population which forms the shape of a pyramid when population is
growing.

FACTORS TO CONTROL THE POPULATIONFACTORS TO CONTROL THE POPULATION
EDUCATION
FAMILY
PLANNING
ABIOTIC,BIOTIC
FACTORS
ECONOMY

EDUCATION
Population decreases in countries with many educated people
because:
• More people have careers so they decide not to have as many
children
• Fewer people are farming so they don’t want children
• More awareness less want of children

FAMILY PLANNING
“ A reduction of population size and growth would go a long way towards
solving the world’s major problem, including those related to climate change”
•South Asia showed rapid fall in IMR 60/1000 in 2010
•TFR (Total Fertility Rate) fell from 6.0 children per women to 2.8 in 2010
•S.A going through demographic transition particularly due to
fertility decline
•Family planning is the best approach to reduce the population
growth
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050
Childrenperwomen
Afghanistan
Bhutan
Maldives
Nepal
Sri Lanka
S. ASIA

ABIOTIC AND BIOTIC FACTORS
ABIOTIC FACTORS
Wind , temperature , humidity ,
rainfall and light intensity effect
population density
BIOTIC FACTORS
Species-food relationship i.e.
if the population increases in size it
is brought down by an increase in its
predators number or decrease in
amount of food available .
Resilience: Different populations have different ability to tolerate changes
in weather , physical and biotic factors.
Factors like diseases etc. prevent population to sour towards infinity, the
phenomenon is called
environmental resistance or population regulation.

ECONOMY
•Population decreases with
development of country
•Highly industrialized
countries=low population growth
•Population key to economy growth
•Inverse relation of population and
economy

CLIMATE OF INDIA
Koppen System: India hosts four climatic subtypes (desert in west to
alpine tundra in north , to humid tropical rainforest and island in
southwest)
India’s UNIQUE geography
influences climate( Himalaya in
north and Thar desert in
northwest)
Tropical
country
Droughts,
floods,
cyclones and
disasters are
sporadic
Four seasons:
winter ,
summer ,
monsoon and
post-monsoon
period
North India is
hot in summer
and mild cold
in winter
Global
warming
Unstable
climate

REGION
Varying climatic regions
The Himalayas along with HinduKush mountains in Pakistan
prevent cold Asian Katabatic winds from blowing in.
Deserts attract summer monsoon winds

Climate of INDIA
 Wide range of weather conditions
 Four major climatic subtypes:
• Desert in the west
• Alpine tundra and glaciers in the north
• Humid tropical regions in southeast
• Island territories

Climate of India: Regions
Tropical in the South
Temperate and alpine
in Himalayan North
Hindu Kush
Mountains in North
Thar desert: attracting
monsoon moisture

Climate of India: Tropical Wet
Tropical
Wet
Warm and
high
temperature
Not below
18 0C
May and
November:
most rainfall
December to
march:
Driest

i. Tropical wet
Persistent warm or high temperature ( do not fall below 18C)
Most humid tropical wet monsoon= southwestern low lands_ Malabar Coast, Western
Ghats, Southern Assam, Lakshadweep, The Andaman , Nicobar Islands.
Seasonal rainfall but heavy (2000mm/year) between May and November
Lush forest and vegetation
December to march driest months
Heavy biodiversity
Most common climate( tropical wet and dry)
Winters and early summers are long, dry , periodic T ( 18 0C)
Exceptionally hot summers (50 0C)
Rainy season from June to September ;Annual rainfall 750-1500mm
Most precipitation in India falls on Tamil Nadu

Climate of India: Tropical Dry
Tropical
Dry
Near
tropic of
cancer
400-750
millimeters
rainfall
Post -
monsoon rain
in October
and December
Hot and
dry
climate

ii. Tropical Dry
•Three climate subtypes
Tropical semi-arid steppe climate : long stretch of land south of tropic
of cancer to east of western Ghats and Cardamom hills (areas:
Karnataka, Inland Tamil Nadu, western Andhra Pradesh, Central
Maharashtra, gets 400-250mm annually); drought prone; significant
post-monsoon in Oct and Nov ;winter 20-24 0C; artificial irrigation.
Arid climate: Western Rajasthan; cloudbursts precipitation annually
(<300mm) ;monsoon during July , Aug , Sep ; highly erratic rainfall ;
exceptionally hot summers (May to July) 35 0C to 50 0C. During winter
in some areas temperature falls below the freezing point.
Tropical and Sub-tropical Steppe Climate: east of Thar desert from
Punjab to Haryana to Kathiawar; savannahs and forests; annual
unreliable rainfall 30-60 cm ,summers 40 0C, natural vegetation short
and coarse grasses

Climate of India: Subtropical Humid
Subtropical
Humid
Northeast
and north
India
Hot
Summers
Winters
may
below 0
0C
Less than
39 in.
rainfall

iii. Sub-Tropical Humid
Northeast Asia and North India
Hot summers ; 0 0C during winters
Very little precipitation during winter owing
to anticyclonic and katabatic winds
Proximity to Himalaya elevated prevailing
winds speed
Dry winters, intermittent rainfall, occasionally
snowfall, large storm (Nor’westers)
Annual rainfall <1000mm in west and 2500mm
in northeast

Climate of India: Montane
Montane
Northern
most
fringes
Alpine
climate
Himalayas
Sharp temp.
contrasts b/w
sunny and
shady areas
Heavy
rainfall:
Dec and Jan

•Montane
North most fringes subject to montane or alpine climate
Himalaya temperature falls per kilometer 5.1 0C/km
In terms of environmental lapse rate, ambient temperature falls by 6.0 0C for every 100m rise in
altitude
Foothills to tundra above the snow line
Sharp temperature contrast
Variability in rain fall common
Trans Himalayan belts is barren , arid , frigid, and wind blown waste lands
Snowfall as precipitation
South Himalaya: Leeward side ( northern side) of mountain receives less rain fall while southern
slopes well exposed to monsoon
Elevation 1070-2290m experiences heaviest rainfall
Snow fall at elevations 1500m
Elevation above 5000m never experience rainfall

Climate of India: Seasons
Winter
Between
January and
March
Temp. average
10-15 0C
Summer
March to June
Temp. average
32-40 0C
Monsoon
June to
September
Heavy rainfall
Post- Monsoon
October to
December
Monsoon rains
recede

Floods and Landslides
Landslides common in lower Himalaya
Rising population and development
pressure cause deforestation
Western Ghats= Low intensity landslide
Avalanches occur in Kashmir , Himachal
Pradesh, Sikkim
Heavy southwest monsoon rains cause
massive floods
Floods and Landslides

Flood most common disaster
Heavy Southwest Monsoon __
Brahmaputra and other rivers flood
Provide rice paddy farmer natural
irrigation and fertilization
Floods can kill 1000s and displace millions
of people
Ruin other crops
All India is flood prone
Flood

CYCLONES
Severe storms spun
off from Inter
tropical convergence
zone
Affect thousands of
people living in
coastal areas
Tropical cyclo-
genesis common in
north Indian ocean
and Bay of Bengal
Heavy rain , storm
surges, winds
April to December ,
peak activity
between May and
November
Average 8 storms
/year with speed
>63km/hr
Out of these 2,true
tropical cyclone -
117km/hr
A major (category 3
or higher) cyclone
develops every year
Death and property
destruction every year:
Andhra Pradesh , Orissa,
Tamil Nadu, West Bengal
Major: 1737 Calcutta
Cyclone, 1970 Bhola
Cyclone, 1991 Bangladesh
cyclone-widespread
devastation
Summer- Bay of Bengal
subject to intense heat
producing cyclones
Super Cyclone (Category
5) 05B struck Orissa on 29
oct. 1999 at 160miles /hr
(257km/h)

Extremes
Lowest temperature record
was 49 0F
Highest temperature recorded
50.6 0C in Alwar Rajasthan
Average annual precipitation
467 inches in Mawsynram
2005: Mumbai; 26 in. of
rainfall= Massive Flooding
Extremes

Global Warming
Sea level rise, Cyclones and
temp. increase is projected in
India
Temperature rise may cause
Himalayan Glacier to retreat
causing less flow of rivers
Increased landslides and
floods are also projected in
Assam
Climate related factors can
cause India’s GDP to surge up
to 9%.
Global Warming

GLOBAL WARMING
Effects
Precipitation matters
Changes
in
ambient
temper-
ature
Increased
cyclonic
activity
Steady
sea level
rise

Impacts:
•Rise in sea level has submerged several low laying islands in Sundarban, displacing 1000s of
people
•Temperature rises on Tibetan Plateau, may reduce the flow of Ganges , Brahmaputra, Yamuna,
and others. Indus river may run dry because of same reason
•Ecological disasters: 1998 coral bleaching event killed 70% of corals in the reef ecosystem of
Lakshadweep and the Andamans
•Indira Gandhi Institute of Development and research: India’s GDP decline to 9% and major crop
production to fall by 40%
•Submersion of Mumbai and Chennai can displace 7M people if global temperature were to rise by
mere 2 0C

ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION
Thick Haze and smoke
from burning biomass
in northwestern India
and industrial pollution
in northern India
concentrate inside
Ganges Basin
Westerlies carry
aerosols along the
steep faced Tibetan
Plateau to eastern
India and the Bay of
Bengal.
Dust and black carbon,
which are blown towards
higher altitudes by winds at
the southern margins of
Himalayas , can absorb
shortwave radiations and
heat the air over the Tibetan
Plateau.
The net atmospheric heating due to
aerosols absorption causes air to
warm and convect upwards ,
increasing the concentration of
moisture in the mid-troposphere and
providing positive feedback that
stimulates further heating of
aerosols .

SOUTH ASIAN ASSOCIATION FOR REGIONAL
COOPERATION (SAARC)
Country
/
Region
Area
(km²)
Population
Population
Density
(per km²)
Capital or
Secretariat
Currency Countries
Official
Languages
SAARC 3,989,969 1,549,348,689 388.31 Kathmandu N/A Afghanistan,
Bangladesh, Bhutan,
India, Maldives,
Nepal, Pakistan, Sri
Lanka
English or
Hindi/Urdu as
lingua franca

SAARC
Economic
and
political
cooperation
Established on
December 8 1985
by India ,
Pakistan ,
Bangladesh , Sri
Lanka , Nepal,
Maldives,
Bhutan
April 2007
Afghanista
n joined it
at its 14th
summit
Largest
organization
w.r.t.
population:
1.5billion
people
8
members

HISTORY:
•Late 1970s , Bangladesh president Zia-ur-Rehman proposed trade bloc consisting of S.A. countries
•Accepted by India , Pakistan and Sri Lanka during meeting held at Colombo in 1981
•1983: Declaration of S.A. regional countries at New Delhi, seven countries
•April 2006: EU, US and South Korea made formal request to be granted observer status
•Aug 2006: Observer status granted
•2007: Iran requested observer status
Transport
Human resource development
Health and population activities
Telecommunication, science, technology,
meteorology
Agriculture and rural development
Objectives

INEFFECTIVENESS:
Political and military rivalry between India and
Pakistan
Could not harness unified economy
Mere platform for annual talks
and meetings
Between its members
POLITICAL ISSUES
Intentionally laid stress on “core issues” rather
than political issues like Kashmir dispute and
SriLankan civil war
No internal matters of member states

1. ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF
AFGHANISTAN
2. PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF
BANGLADESH
3. KINGDOM OF BHUTAN
4. REPUBLIC OF INDIA
5. REPUBLIC OF MALDIVES
6. STATE OF NEPAL
7. ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF
PAKISTAN
8. DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST
REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA
1. PEOPLE REPUBLIC OF CHINA
2. EUROPEAN UNION
3. ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN
4. JAPAN
5. REPUBLIC OF KOREA
6. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
MEMBERSHIP OBSERVERS

Abul Ahsan 16 January 1987 to 15 October 1989
Kant Kishore Bhargava October 17, 1989 to December 31, 1991
Ibrahim Hussain Zaki January 1, 1992 to December 31, 1993
Yadav Kant Silwal January 1, 1994 to December 31, 1995
Naeem U. Hasan January 1, 1996 to December 31, 1998
Nihal Roderigo January 1, 1999 to January 10, 2002
Q.A.M.A. Rahim January 11, 2002 to February 28, 2005
Lyonpo Chenkyab Dorji March 1, 2005 to February 29, 2008
Sheel Kant Sharma March 1, 2008 to February 28, 2011
Fathimath Dhiyana Saeed March 1, 2011 to March, 2012
Mr Ahmed Saleem from Maldives March, 2012 to date
SECRETARIES GENERAL

GEOPOLITICAL ISSUES IN SOUTH ASIA
6/3/2014 IMRAN BASHIR 66

INDIAN STATES &UNIONTERRITORIES
6/3/2014 67IMRAN BASHIR

INDIA LANGUAGES AND MINORITY RELIGION

69
BANGLADESH
 One of the poorest countries
 High population density
 Independent since 1971
 Formerly East Pakistan
 85% Muslims, 12% Hindus
 Physiological density = 3,622/sq. mi
 1.9% annual growth rate
 Per capita GNP = 350 U.S. dollars
 Economy is overwhelmingly agricultural
 Cultivation of rice is the single most important
activity in the economy.
 Prone to natural hazards
• Cyclones
• Flooding

 Independent Since 1948
 19.7 Million People (70% Buddhists)
 Plantation Agriculture:
• Tea, Rubber, Coconuts
 South (Majority Of Population)
• Aryan
• Buddhists
• Speak Sinhala (Indo-European)
 North (18% Of The Population)
• Dravidian
• Hindu
• Tamil Language
 Sinhalese vs Tamils
 Tamils - demanded equal rights in:
-- education
-- employment
-- landownership
-- linguistic & political representation
 LTTE - Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
SRI LANKA

71
NEPAL
 A poor country
 Capital is Kathmandu
 Main language is Nepali
• Related to Hindi

NEPAL
 Himalayan Region:
• Altitude ranges between 4877 meters and 8848 meters
• Includes 8 of the existing 14 summits in the world which exceed an altitude of 8000
meters.
• Mt. Everest (8848), (2) Kangchenjunga - 8586 m, (3) Lhotse - 8516m, Makalu -
8463m, (5) Cho Oyu- 8201 m, (6) Dhaulagiri - 8167m, (7) Manaslu - 8163m, and
Annapurna- 8091 m.
 Mountain Region:
• This region accounts for about 64 percent to total land area.
• Formed by the Mahabharat range that soars up to 4877 meters.
 Terai Region:
• The low-land Terai region which has a width of about 26 to 32 kilometers and a
maximum altitude of 305 meters, which occupies about 17% of total land area of the
country.
• Kechana kalan the lowest point of the country with an altitude of 70 meters lies
in Jhapa District of the eastern Terai.

73
AND THE REST …
 Bhutan
• “Shangri-La” because it is
relatively untouched by
“modernity”
• Monarchy
 The Maldives
• Archipelago in the Indian Ocean
• The realm’s highest per capita
GNP
• Tourism

Geography of south asia

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Geography of south asia