Geo Quiz chapter 24

Highland Zone

This is the area of the Himalayas and other northern mountains, where snow exists year-round. This is also the coldest climate.

Estuary

a broadened seaward end of a river, where the river's currents meet the ocean's tides.

Subcontinent

a landmass that is like a continent, only smaller, such as South Asia, which is called the Indian subcontinent.

Himalaya Mountains

a mountain range in South Asia that includes Mount Everest, the world's tallest mountain peak.

Semiarid Zone

a region of high temperatures and light rain-fall is found at the western end of the Plain and in parts of the Deccan Plateau. The desert zone covers much of the lower Indus Valley, in the borderlands of western India and southern Pakistan.

Atoll

a ringlike coral island or string of small islands surrounding a lagoon.

Monsoon

a seasonal wind, especially in South Asia.

Archipelago

a set of closely grouped islands.

Cyclone

a violent storm with fierce winds and heavy rain; the most extreme weather pattern of South Asia.

Tropical Wet Zone

found along the western and eastern coasts of India and in Bangladesh. Temperatures are high, and rainfall is heavy.

Storm Surges

high water level brought by a cyclone that swamps low-lying areas.

Alluvial Plains

land that is rich farmland, composed of clay, silt, sand, or gravel deposited by running water.

Humid Subtropical zone

lower elevations, which include the lush foothills and valleys of Nepal, Bhutan, and northern India. This zone is warm.

Ganges River

river in South Asia; an important water resource flowing more than 1,500 miles from its source in a Himalayan glacier to the Bay of Bengal.

Hinduism

the dominant religion of India.