Unit 8 South Asia

What is the official language of India?

Hindi

What is microcredit?

A policy makes small loans available to poor entrepreneurs.

What was the Green Revolution?

After a series of famines in the 1960s agricultural scientists introduced new farming techniques and higher-yielding grain.

What is the official language of Bangladesh?

Based on Sanskrit

Why have Nepal and Bhutan never been colonized by European powers?

Because of the rugged landscape of the two countries has isolated them throughout their histories. Neither country has access to the sea making them difficult to conquer and settle.

Why is the Deccan Plateau such a dry region?

Because the mountain ranges block moist winds from reaching the interior as a result it is mostly arid.

When and in what direction do monsoons blow? What do monsoons bring to South Asia?

From October through February dry winds blow across South Asia from the northeast. From June through September the winds blow in from the south west, bringing moist ocean air and heavy rains.

From where did the Aryan people come?

From the plains of Iran.

Why do monsoons change direction?

In the hot season warm temperatures heat the air, which rises and triggers a change in wind direction. Moist ocean air then moves in from the south and southwest, bringing monsoon rains.

What is the Hindu caste system? How does one move up or down in the caste system?

It is how every body is placed in class society and you move up or down by reincarnation.

What is the significance of the Khyber Pass?

It is that it has served as a way for invading armies to get to India

What was the 90 years of British control of South Asia called?

It was called the raj.

What other religions exist in India?

Jainism, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, Islam

Who led India's independence movement? What were his most successful methods?

Mohandas Gandhi led the independence movement and his methods were an opposition movement based on nonviolent resistance.

Define Purdah

Seclusion of women - this prevents women from having contact with males who are not relatives.

Who is Siddhartha Gautama?

The founder of Buddhism

What is the official language of Pakistan?

Urdu

How were the Himalayas formed?

When the India subcontinent was not part of Asia it came to Asia and when it hit Asia it brought up forth the Himalayan mountains by the tectonic plates shifting and causing subduction where they collide and one plate goes under the other to form mountains.

What is ship breaking?

Workers break down old ship and sell the scrap for recycling.

How have tourists affect Nepal? What has Bhutan done to limit tourists' influences?

They have affected them by helping them bring money into Nepal, but has also damaged the environment. They have limits the tourists and keeps some areas off limits to keep trash and pollution of the mountains along the slope.

Why do Hindus wade in the polluted Ganges River? What could happen to people who wade in the water?

They wade in the river because they believe that it is an important River that brings life to its people and Hindus worship the river as a goddess and believe it has healing powers. What could happen to the people who wade in the water could become very ill and develop hepatitis, typhoid, and cholera.

Who were the first people to settle in the Indus River Valley?

The Indus River valley civilization.

How was India partitioned when it gained independence?

The Muslims of East and West Pakistan chose to separate from India, which was strongly Hindu.

Who is the world's largest supplier of Mica? Why is this important?

The world's largest is India and it is important because it is a key component in electrical equipment.

What type of democracy does India practice?

They are a parliamentary democracy.

What are Sherpas most well known for doing?

They are from high in the Himalayas and are traditional mountain guides for Mt. Everest.

Where are the coldest climates in South Asia found?

They are in the Himalayas called the highland zone.

Why are the dalits/untouchable abused and discriminated against?

They had the lowest status in Indian society. Because they sinned in their earlier life.

What are the 3 great river systems of South Asia? What is the significance of each river?

1. Indus - flows west through Pakistan 2. Ganges - drops form the Himalayas and flows east across northern India 3. Brahmaputra - winds its way through the mountains and then south through Bangladesh 4. These rivers also provide crucial irrigation to South Asia and fertile soil, and hydroelectric power. O

What 3 empire dominated India before the British arrived? What religion was promoted by each empire?

1. Mauryan Empire - Buddhism 2. Gupta Empire - Hinduism 3. Mughal Empire - Islam

What is the main export of Bangladesh?

Jute

Over what region have India and Pakistan been fighting for years?

Kashmir

What two ethnic groups make up the majority of Sri Lanka's people? What are the differences between these two groups of people?

The Sinhalese and Tamils. The Tamils are Hindu and Sinhalese Buddhist and Sinhalese created an advance irrigation system and their are more of them on the islands of Sri Lanka.

How did the countries of South Asia change in 1971?

The division caused violence to break out between Muslims and Hindus and mass migrations across new borders caused great hardship and suffering. So then east Pakistan wanted to become its own country and became Bangladesh.

Why have Indians been slow to clean up the Ganges River?

The government has tried to clean up the river but progress has been slow because many Hindus believe the Ganges is too holy to be harmed by pollution.

What is the second tallest peak in the world? In what mountain range is it found?

The second tallest peak is K2 and it is found in Karakoram Mountains.

What is the tallest mountain in the world? In what mountain range is it found?

The tallest mountain is Mount Everest. The mountain range is the Himalayan Mountains.