The modernity of South Asia

South Asia Today

Question 1: AT LEAST 60% of the labor force in India and Bangladesh are employed in what occupation?Answer 1:

Question 2: Name the three major cash crops of Sri Lanka?Answer 2:

Question 3: What products do Indian peoples create if they are employed for the cottage industry?Answer 3:

Powerlifting With the Brain!

Agriculture in South Asia

Subsistence farming: (?)Labor-intensive farming methods.Rely on the use of animal power.

Agricultural Conditions:Vary based on geography, history, and

culture.Himalayan highlands of Nepal and Bhutan:

Terracing on steep slopes.Delta region:

Farmers work in water above the knees.

Living From the Land

Sri Lanka’s Plantations:HUGE tea, rubber, and coconut plantations.The British and Dutch established vast

plantation networks.Plantations continue to employee 3/4th of Sri

Lanka.

Living From the Land: Cont’d . . .

Sri Lanka: Tea Plantations

Cash Crops: Farm products grown for sale or export.Cotton: key cash crop in South Asia.Jute: A fiber used to make string, rope, and

cloth.South Asian Grains:

Rice is the major food crop in South Asia.

The Green Revolution:Sought to increase the diversity of crop yields

in developing nations.Carefully managed irrigation, fertilizers.Biomass: Fuel composing of plant material

and animal dung.

South Asian Crops

Mineral Wealth:Eastern India: Iron ore, coal, bauxite, and

copper.Petroleum and Natural Gas:

Pakistan oil fields supply a majority of the nations energy.

Bangladesh is very rich in natural gas reserves.

Fishing:Bordered by oceans and watered by rivers.Pakistan & Sri Lanka:

Export shrimp and lobster. Recently, the Indian government has

encouraged deep-sea fishing.

Mining and Fishing

Textiles are a major part of South Asian manufacturing.

Prized wools: Cashmere & Pashmina:Come from a rare breed of goat found in the

Jammu and Kashmir region.Cottage Industries: Businesses that employ

workers in their homes.Mohandas Gandhi: Chose the spinning wheel

as a symbol of the strength India could draw from its cottage industries.

South Asian Industries

Heavy Industry:Geared toward mass production.Iron, steel, and cement.Chittagong, Bangladesh:

1,000’s of workers dismantle aging/damaged ships from around the world.

Service Industries:Transport, real estate, banking and insurance,

and public administration.The High-Technology Sector:

Manufacture of equipment for computers, communications, and aerospace industries.

Hyderabad – “India’s Silicon Valley”

South Asian Industries: Cont’d . . .

Hyderabad, India: “India’s Silicon Valley”

Tourism income is important in several South Asian nations:Nepal:

Hike and climb the Himalayan slopes.India:

Temples and festivals attract more than 2 million people year round.

Sri Lanka:Lush rain forests and tropical beaches.

Ecotourism:Form of tourism that encourages responsible

interaction with the environment and endangered species.

Tourism

South Asia: High population densities meet fragile ecosystems.

Sustainable development: Using resources at a rate that does not deplete them

for future generations.Wildlife:

South Asia is home to a wide variety of animals.Elephants, water buffalo, monkeys, crocodiles, and Bengali

tigers. Poaching: The illegal killing or protected animals.

Water:Lack of clean water is a problem in South Asia.The population uses water that is polluted by human waste

& chemical runoff.

Managing Natural Resources

Forests:Today the region is in a state of environmental crisis.Major contributor: DEFORESTATION.British Rule:

Commercial timber operations destroyed many old-growth South Asian forests.

Slash-and-Burn Agriculture:An ancient technique used still today in some regions.

Chipko Movement: “Tree-hugger” movement was founded by Sunderlal

Bahaguna. Put a government ban on timber production in

Himalayan forests.

Managing Natural Resources: Cont’d . . .

Conflict in Kashmir:1947: An ongoing conflict between India and

Pakistan over the Kashmir region. Today: Pakistan controls 1/3rd of the area; India

controls the remainder. 1998: Danger escalated as both India and

Pakistan tested nuclear warheads.Nuclear proliferation:

The spreading development of nuclear arms.

South Asia’s Challenges

Some South Asian conflicts occur within countries.Sri Lanka:

Buddhist Sinhalese: Control the government.Tamils:

These people are Hindu.Represent only 20% of the population.Accuses government of discrimination.

India:Suffers from its ancient social class system.Dalits:

Those traditionally assigned to the lowest social status.Continue to experience discrimination.Denied: Housing, education, and jobs.

South Asia’s Challenges: Internal Conflicts

Sri Lanka

The beautiful

beaches of Sri

Lanka.

Tourism in South Asia

First, pick 1 person to work with. With your partner, choose 1 South Asian

country: India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives.

Next, collect information on your country. Use pages 569-605 to look for this information.

Questions to consider answering:What landforms are present in your country?What is the climate like in your country?Describe the human characteristics: history,

religion, ext.

Activity