World Geography Chapter 25: India

cottage industry

a business that employs workers in their homes

pesticide

a chemical used to kill insects, rodents, and other pests

What are the Nilgiri Hills?

a fertile region for growing tea and coffee

alluvial plain

a floodplain on which flooding rivers have deposited silt

Aryans

a group of hunters and herders from the northwest

The heartland of northern India is ___________________________.

a humid subtropical zone

Subcontinent

a large landmass that is part of a continent but still distinct from it

green revolution

a program begun in the 1960s to produce higher-yielding, more productive strains of wheat, rice, and other food crops

Monsoon

a seasonal wind that brings warm, moist air from the oceans in summer and reverses direction in the winter, bringing cold, dry air from Asia's interior

Cyclone

a storm with heavy rains and high winds that blow in a circular pattern around an area of low atmospheric pressure

India has a wide diversity of _________________.

animals

These varieties require ________________________.

carefully managed irrigation, fertilizers, and pesticides

The distribution of population varies from place to place due to factors such as ______________________ that affect the number of people the land can support.

climate, vegetation, and physical features

When summer monsoons rise over the Western Ghats, the air ______ and _________ that create rain forests in this part of the country.

cools; releases heavy rain

Farmers in this _________ depend on these rains.

densely populated plain

Indo-Aryan

descended from the Aryans

Different amount of rain create __________.

different biomes

The imperialist policy of the British government led it to take ________________.

direct control of India

Then from early October to February, the winds change _________________.

direction

The climates of different areas of India make ____________________________.

diverse biomes of vegetation and animal life

The extreme heat, however, can dry the fields, and without rainfall there is ____________.

drought

This rain shadow makes a ______________________.

dry area of scrub and deciduous forests

Areas that receive less than 60 inches (152 cm) are ___________________.

dry deciduous forests

The air is _______ and __________ compared to the wet season.

dry; cool

These rivers carry __________ from the mountain slopes of the Himalaya and Karakoram onto the floodplains as the rivers swell with seasonal rains.

fertile soil

Aquaculture, of both ________ and __________, is increasing.

fish; shrimp

Large amounts of rain from the monsoons cause ____________ in low-lying land.

flooding

These winds cause rainfall and temperature to ________________, creating wet and dry seasons.

fluctuate

About one-fourth of India's land is _______________, but the types of trees and plants vary with rainfall.

forest

The Deccan Plateau

has a relatively flat surface but rises to hundreds of feet high

Dravidians

have lived in the south of India for 8,000 years

This occurs during the summer period because _____________________.

heated air rises over the land, which pulls in the moist ocean air from south and southwest

The monsoon winds cause ________ and _______ across the subcontinent during these months.

heavy rains; flooding

The weather becomes hot with little rainfall but _________________ in the south and _________________ in the north.

high humidity; dry conditions

India is one of the world's largest exporters of ________________ and _______________.

high-technology services; software workers

The weather turns _______ and ________ with little rainfall from March to mid-June and the winds turn calm.

hot; humid

From mid-June to the end of September the monsoon winds bring __________, ___________ weather

hot; wet

Many other rivers begin in the Western Ghats. These rivers' many rapids and gorges make navigation impossible, but make them suitable for _________________.

hydropower

Karma

in Hindu belief, the sum of good and bad actions in one's present and past lives

Jati

in India, a group that defines one's occupation and social position

Where is the Chota Nagpur Plateau?

in eastern India

Green revolution has sought to ________________ in India with high-yielding varieties of crops.

increase crop yields

The Indus is an important source of ___________________ and ___________________.

irrigation; a major transportation route

Although India has large oil reserves, ________________________.

it uses more and more energy every year

India's religions are key to understanding ________________________.

its history and culture

One of the most significant characteristics of India's population is _____________.

its size

The floods can also ____________________________.

kill people and livestock, ruin crops, and leave thousands homeless

India's cities are among the world's ______________ and __________________.

largest; most densely populated

The vegetation here is desert scrub of _____________________.

low, thorny trees, and grasses

The difference in temperatures of the air over the ocean and the air over the landmass creates the ___________________.

monsoon winds

As the winds go over the mountains, they lose ______________________.

most of their moisture

Today India is the world's ____________________.

most populous democracy

When rain sweep over the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta, the Himalaya block rain clouds from moving __________.Instead, the rain moves ________ to the Gangetic Plain.

north; west

Neutral

not favoring either side in a quarrel, contest, or war

Annual

occurring once a year

tsunami

originally a Japanese term, is a huge sea wave caused by an undersea earthquake

High temperatures and ample water allow farmers to produce __________________, especially on the alluvial plains.

plentiful crops

Reincarnation

rebirth in new bodies or forms of life

The arts are as much a part of Indian life as ________________.

religious practice

Wetlands are used for growing _________ and are important _______________.

rice; wildlife habitats

The floods deposit __________ on the floodplains which renews soil fertility.

rich silt

What is the Deccan Plateau covered with?

rich, black soil

Although the cities are large, most of India's population is _____________.

rural

The rest of the area around the Thar Desert is _________________.

semi-arid grassland

The center of the Deccan Plateau, between the Eastern and Western Ghats, is __________________.

semi-arid steppe

Number of major cities are located on its ______________.

shore

What is Cape Comorin?

southernmost tip of the subcontinent

Cyclones often cause _____________, or __________________ along the coast.

storm tides; surges of high water

India occupies most of the ____________.

subcontinent

In these winter months, air from the Asian interior in the north is drawn across the __________________.

subcontinent toward the ocean

The British called their Indian empire __________________.

the British raj

raj

the Hindi word for "empire"

The Himalaya meet ________________ in northwestern South Asia, which in turn connects to the Hindu Kush farther west.

the Karakoram Range

imperialism

the actions by which one country is able to extend power to control another country

environment

the complex of physical, chemical, and biotic factors (as climate, soil, and living things) that act upon an organism or an ecological community and ultimately determine its survival

Thar Desert is borders by _________________.

the mineral-rich Aravalli Range

ecotourism

the practice and business of recreational travel based on concern for the environment

India's climate is influenced by _____________________.

the shape of the continent

mercantilism

the theory or practice of merchant or trading pursuits

Much of the land along the coast is ____________ or _______________, with mangrove forests in some areas.

tidal marsh; wetland

dominate

to have a commanding position

prohibit

to prevent from doing something

Tropical cyclones bring _______________ and _____________ that can reach speeds of more than 100 miles (161 km) per hour.

torrential rains; winds

Areas with 60 to 80 inches (152 to 203 cm) of annual rainfall have mostly ______________________.

tropical deciduous trees

Areas that receive more than 80 inches (203 cm) of rainfall on an annual basis have generally _________________________.

tropical evergreen and mixed evergreen-deciduous forest

Coastal regions also face the threat of _______________________.

tsunamis

panchayat

village council

About 70% of the people live in ___________.

villages

Despite problems of poverty in the country as a whole, India has millions of _____________________.

well-educated

This plain is the ________________.

world's longest alluvial plain

The people of India speak more than _____________________.

1,000 languages

India has a relatively high average population density of about _________________, but it is much higher in some places.

1,050 people per square mile (325 per sq. km)

The mountain range stretches about _________________ from west to east and includes Mount Everest, Kanchenjunga, and over 100 other peaks that are more than 24,000 feet (7,300 m) above sea level.

1,500 miles (2,414 km)

India won its independence in _____________.

1947

The population density on the Gangetic Plain can be more than _______________________.

2,000 people per square mile (800 people per sq. km)

Northwestern India receives less than ________________ in some desert areas.

20 inches (51 cm)

Regions in the northwest and the central southern subcontinent that receive ___________________ of rain are steppe, covered largely with thorny scrub, acacia, and palm trees.

20 to 40 inches (51 to 102 cm)

There are _______ official languages.

22

India's history dates back more than ____________________ to the Indus Valley civilization, located in what is now modern-day Pakistan

4,500 years ago

What is Lakshadweep?

A group of about three dozen islands in the Arabian Sea

______________, geologists think that a large piece of land broke away from the landmass that is now Africa

About 160 million years ago

Many of India's major cities, such as Mumbai (Bombay) on the___________ and Chennai (Madras) on the _____________, are port cities.

Arabian Sea; Bag of Benegal

__________________ is important to Indians whether they live in cities or villages.

Artistic expression

The __________________ forms a broad delta as it joins the Ganges in Bangladesh and empties into the Arabian Sea.

Brahmaputra River

India's largest megalopolises are _______________.

Delhi (DEH•lee), Mumbai, and Kolkata, each with populations of between 15 and 22 million people

What are the three major river systems in India?

Ganges, Brahmaputra, Indus

At the foot of the Himalaya lies the ______________.

Gangetic Plain

What is the world's highest mountains?

Himalayas

Britain divided the region into ______________ and ______________.

Hindu India; Muslim Pakistan

Indians traditionally identify themselves by their religion as __________________.

Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, or Christians

People fish all along _________ and ________.

India's coastline; nearly all of its rivrrs

______________ is the result of the movement of the Earth's tectonic plates.

India's shape and position

Among the large mammals are the _____________________.

Indian elephant, the Indian rhinoceros, and several species of tiger

What are some of the major cities located on its shore?

Kanpur, Varanasi, and Kolkata (Calcutta)

____________________ and _____________ affect the amount of rain that monsoon winds bring to different areas.

Landforms; location

What are India's long coastlines?

Manage Coast on the west, the Ganges Delta, and Coromandel Coast in the east

India's capital

New Delhi

The Indus flows mainly through _______ and empties into the ___________.

Pakistan; Arabian Sea

__________________ affect agriculture in the subregion.

Temperature and rainfall

The driest area of India is the ______________, east of the Indus River.

Thar Desert

West of the alluvial plain is the ____________.

Thar Desert

Cape Comorin marks a division between _____ and ________.

The Arabian Sea; the Bay of Bengal

Vedas

The Aryans' sacred writings

What is bordering the Deccan Plateau on the east?

The Eastern Ghats

What are the two low mountain ranges?

The Eastern Ghats and the Western Ghats

What divides India into northern and southern regions?

The Vindhya and Satpura Ranges

What is bordering the Deccan Plateau on the west?

The Western Ghats

______________ is very important to Indians of all religions.

The family unit

fluctuate

To ebb and flow in waves

______________ and _____________________ are found throughout the country.

Tropical palms; bamboo