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.
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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
