South and Southeast Asia Questions

India's Islamic community constitutes what percentage of the population?

13-15%

South Asia is one of the world's least urbanized regions. Which of the following most accurately represents the current proportion of South Asia's population that lives in cities?

35%

The Maldives are extremely vulnerable to climate change because their average maximum elevation is only

6 ft

What population issue has resulted from the cultural preference for male children in South Asia?

A significantly lower ratio of female infants born compared to male infants

What is the caste system?

A strict division of society that ranks members based on different hierarchical statuses

What has been the impact of the Green Revolution on society?

Agricultural advancements in cultivation techniques such as industrial fertilizers and pesticides that have boasted crop yields

The Ganges Valley of India has been deforested for over thousands of years to make space for what human development?

Agriculture

What is the relationship between areas that have high fertility rates and high educational levels?

Areas that have experienced a growth in female literacy have also seen a decrease in fertility.

What factor is the most significant for rural-to-urban migration in South Asia?

As farm labor becomes more mechanized, laborers are forced to move to the city in search of work.

Which South Asian country is very susceptible to mass flooding due to its low elevation?

Bangladesh

Why have government-funded dams and water reservoirs been so controversial in India?

Because of the dams and resultant reservoirs have displaced hundreds of thousands of rural residents

What northern Himalayan country only recently began to embrace a tourist economy?

Bhutan

How did European colonialism bring about Southeast Asia's integration into the globalized world?

Colonialism brought European languages, Christianity and new economic and education systems to Southeast Asia.

What sport was introduced to South Asia by sailors from the British East India Company?

Cricket

What will be the major impacts in South Asia from climate change in the coming years?

Decreased rainfall in Pakistan and an intensified monsoon season in wet regions of South Asia

What two forces will likely increase the toll of flooding in Bangladesh?

Deforestation and population growth

What climate type characterizes most of Pakistan?

Desert

Bangladesh is extremely susceptible to natural hazards. Which natural hazard is the least likely to affect Bangladesh?

Desertification

What city has become Bangladesh's economic center?

Dhaka

The majority of southern Indian languages belong to what language family?

Dravidian

As the South Asian population continues to grow and an increasing proportion turns to more "modern" lifestyles, what is an increasing global concern?

Energy supply

Christianity came late to Southeast Asia. What best describes its spread through the region?

Europeans brought Christianity to the region in the 1570s, first to the Philippines and then to other parts of the region.

What is the biggest challenge to Indonesia's policy of transmigration?

Farmers fail in their efforts to grow rice in former rain forests so field abandonment is common.

After gaining independence from Britain, how did the new country of India organize itself politically?

Federal states operate under local autonomy, but under control of the National Government

Despite more than 300 years of Spanish occupation, Spanish never became the official language of the Philippines. Why?

Filipinos speak a variety of languages and Spanish was never seen as a unifying force for the islands.

Pakistan's tense geopolitical relationship with India may intensify due to a shortage of which natural resource?

Fresh water

The remaining Asiatic lions can only be found in which Indian state?

Gujarat

What South Asian mountain range dominates the northern part of the region, bordering India, Nepal, and Bhutan?

Himalayan Range

What is the main religion of India?

Hinduism

Where in South Asia are the densest population centers located?

In the region's river deltas, the coastal areas, and zones of fertile volcanic soil

What is a significant characteristic of India's information technology field?

India's competitive software program has proved to be highly efficient and developed despite the lack of sophisticated infrastructure.

Of the three main river systems in the Indus-Ganges-Brahmaputra Lowlands, which is the longest?

Indus River

Because India has insufficient oil reserves, it has been forced to import about 80 percent of its oil from what set of oil-exporting countries?

Iran, Venezuela, Iraq, Oman

The use of English as a global language is controversial in Southeast Asia but it is still widely used and accepted. Why?

It is the language of global business and politics.

What part of Southeast Asia has the largest rural population and why?

Java, because of its fertile soils

What characteristics of Bangladesh make it an excellent candidate for the development of solar electricity?

Lack of development in terms of power transmission lines and the availability of intense light

Approximately what percentage of Pakistanis are Hindu?

Less than 1%

Key indicators of social development vary throughout Southeast Asia. However, one indicator seems to be consistently high even in poorer countries. What is the correct indicator?

Literacy Rates

South Asian agricultural production historically yields much less than that of East Asia. What is the most generally accepted reason for this?

Low status of agricultural laborers and large landholders controlling agricultural land

Austronesian is one of the world's most widespread language families. What Southeast Asian language is the so-called lingua franca, or common language, of insular Southeast Asia?

Malay

What is the main climatic event that affects most of South Asia?

Monsoons

What are the four sub-regions that together make up South Asia's complex physical landscape?

Mountains of the north, lowlands, peninsular India, and the southern islands

Why has the economy of Vietnam been growing in recent years?

Multinational corporations are attracted to Vietnam because of its low wages and well-educated workforce.

What city serves as India's economic center?

Mumbai

What two Indian cities are the major destinations of South Asian migration streams?

Mumbai and Delhi

Considering that the region gets plentiful rainfall, why is much of the soil considered infertile?

Nutrients are locked up in the lush tropical vegetation instead of being stored in the soil.

What is the relationship between the occurrence of monsoons and the Western Ghats mountain range?

Orographic rainfall

What religion emerged from the tension between Hinduism and Islam in the northern India state of Punjab?

Sikhism

Which of the following is NOT TRUE regarding recent demographic change in Southeast Asia?

Singapore has the highest TFR because its government wants to grow its small population.

Why is the Forest Rights Act so controversial in the eyes of South Asian urban environmentalists?

South Asian urban environmentalists fear the act will increase deforestation as a result of promoting development within communities and expanding agriculture fields.

Which of the following is NOT TRUE regarding the Southeast Asia geopolitical framework?

The Dutch East India Company was the first European nation to establish a fortified outpost in what is now Singapore.

What is the relationship between the soils of the Ganges River lowlands and the Himalayan Mountains?

The Ganges River flows out from the Himalayas and spreads fertile soil material along alluvial fans, allowing for very dense human settlement and agriculture.

What event is responsible for the rapid growth in agricultural production in South Asia?

The Green Revolution

Organized resistance to colonial rule began in the 1920s but what finally exposed the vulnerability of colonial powers?

The Japanese occupation of the region during World War II

How did the domino theory influence United States foreign policy in Southeast Asia?

The United States believed that if Vietnam fell to the communists then Laos and Cambodia would follow and then Burma and Thailand would also fall. This led to the US intervention in Vietnam.

What is the underlying cause for the political tension in the Indonesia territory of Papua?

The continuing immigration to Papua from central and western Indonesia

Why is the area called Kashmir of such vital importance to South Asia's fresh water supply?

The glaciers of Kashmir provide Pakistan with fresh water in the dry season by feeding the rivers.

In September of 1998, more than two-thirds of Bangladesh was flooded, displacing over 22 million people. What did the government do to mitigate this problem in the future?

The government sought international funds to help elevate hundreds of thousands of houses above the 1998 high-water mark.

Which of the following is false regarding the geography of religions in South Asia?

The highest percentage of Muslims living in India can be found in the southwestern state of Kerala.

Which of the following statements related to Southeast Asian languages is NOT TRUE?

The highland areas of mainland country are dominated by people speaking national languages.

Almost 88 percent of Indonesia is Islamic. What area was the first to be exposed?

The initial focus of Islam was in northern Sumatra, around 1200 CE

Southeast Asia is home to many different religions. However, Hinduism is found only in which location?

The island of Bali in Indonesia

What is the most important aspect of linguistic geography in mainland Southeast Asia?

The national language of each country is spoken mainly in the core lowlands.

In terms of cultural coherence and diversity, what makes Southeast Asia unique?

The region lacks the historical dominance of a single cultural heritage or civilization.

Southeast Asia has enjoyed successful integration into the global economy. What has been the driving force behind this integration?

The region's successful development has mostly come about through labor-intensive manufacturing where workers are paid low wages.

What is transmigration?

The relocation of a population from one region to another within a distinct national territory

What is the relationship between the Western Ghats range and the semi-arid climate of the Deccan Plateau?

The western plateau lies in the rain shadow of the Ghats range.

The most densely populated areas are found along the Ganges and Indus River valleys. What makes these areas so suitable for human settlement?

These areas contain large areas of fertile soils and an ample water supply.

India has put much effort into preventing illegal immigration from Bangladesh. Why isn't India concerned about the borders of Nepal and Bhutan?

These countries are much less populated and are bordered by extremely rough terrain.

While the protection of wildlife in India far exceeds that of other countries in Asia, which exotic animal has been significantly declining as a result of deforestation?

Tigers

The Vietnamese, unlike other mainland cultures, were not heavily influenced by South Asian civilizations. Instead, Vietnam was connected very early to East Asia. What was the main cultural influence contributed by the Chinese?

Traditional Vietnamese religious and philosophical beliefs are centered on Buddhism and Confucianism brought by the Chinese.

Southeast Asia has experienced uneven economic development. Two countries in the region have fared much better in the global economy than the others. What are the two countries and why have they prospered?

Vietnam because of its textile industry and Cambodia because of its tourism

What statement best represents the paradoxical nature of economic situations in South Asia?

While India is home to a developing economy and middle class, surrounding countries experience a high rate of illiteracy and malnourishment.