Chapter Outline

Use this outline to increase your understanding of the important characteristics of Southern Asia.

1. Periphery with Deferred Promise -- Although containing many poor people and continued conflict, the Indian Subcontinent exhibits several hopeful trends including slowing population growth.
2. Diverse Cultures -- Important aspects include Hinduism, Buddhism, Muslim influence, and British colonialism.

A. Precolonial Cultures -- Dravidians are pushed southward by Indo-Aryans. Hinduism with the caste system and Buddhism with no castes develop. Later, Muslim invasions introduce Islam to the region.

B. Colonial Impacts -- India became a British colony with a variety of consequences as the British "civilized" India and exploited the area's raw materials.

C. Paths to Independence -- Mahatma Gandhi, using non-violent means, led India's drive for independence. Independence finally came in 1984, but Muslims demanded a separate area which led to Pakistan being separate from India.

3. Natural Environment -- Many contrasts are found in this region.

A. Monsoon Climates -- The alternating pattern of dry and wet seasons are of great importance. The wet monsoon brings rains which are crucial for agriculture.

B. World's Highest Mountains -- The Himalayas form a wall along the northern edge of Southern Asia.

C. Peninsular Hills and Plateaus -- The Western and Eastern Ghats and the Deccan plateau leave only a narrow coastal plain in most places.

D. Major River Basins -- The major river valleys are densely populated and heavily farmed.

E. Forest and Soils -- Much of the original forest is gone and the soils have been heavily used.

F. Natural Resources -- Water is the most essential resource.

G. Environmental Problems -- Earthquakes and floods are environmental hazards. Human impacts on the environment are increasing.

4. World Issue: Economic Growth and Environmental Problems -- Agricultural and industrial production need to increase so that quality of life improves, but environmental degradation will occur and poor countries often lack the resources to cope with the problems.
5. India -- Globally, India is in the periphery, but within Southern Asia it dominates in population and economic activity. India's new government is based on strong Hindu nationalism.

A. Regions -- The western regions of India are developing more than the eastern regions.

B. People -- The second largest in the world, India's population is growing at a moderate rate and is predominately rural. Although 80 percent of the people are Hindu, there is lots of religious, linguistic, and ethnic diversity.

C. Economic Development -- Considerable poverty is mixed in with productive farms and industries. Development is gaining, but more infrastructure is needed. The Green Revolution, although having uneven results, helps India produce enough food. Manufacturing is growing, especially around Bombay. India has not achieved the progress of Eastern Asia.

6. Bangladesh and Pakistan -- Split away from India as a single country in 1947, Bangladesh and Pakistan separated into two countries in 1971. Both are Muslim.

A. Countries -- The two countries differ in environmental, cultural, economic, and political characteristics. Similar religion was not enough to keep the two areas together as one country.

B. People -- Population growth is faster in Pakistan than in Bangladesh. Both have problems feeding their large, mostly rural, populations. Bangladesh has less cultural diversity.

C. Economic Development -- Pakistan is poor; Bangladesh is even poorer. Traditional agriculture dominates, but Pakistan has a more diversified economy with some manufacturing. Bangladesh is reducing trade restrictions and encouraging foreign investment in order to improve the economy.

7. Mountain and Island Rim -- British colonial influences are important.

A. Countries -- These smaller mountain and island countries are affected by their more powerful neighbors: China, India, and the former Soviet Union. Afghanistan continues to have internal conflict.

B. People -- Religious variations are important. In Sri Lanka, civil war between Sinhalese Buddhists and Tamil Hindus persists.

C. Economic Development -- Development is hampered by physical and political isolation. Subsistence agriculture is common. In the Maldives, tourism is important, but has reached some environmental limits.

8. Living in Sri Lanka -- Long running bloodshed between Tamils and Sinhalese hamper efforts to improve life in this island country.
9. Urban and Rural Landscapes in Southern Asia -- Religious structures and colonial construction are important features of urban areas. Farming covers most of the rural landscapes.
10. Future Prospects -- Attempts to become part of the world economy are beginning, but population growth, hunger, internal conflicts, and isolation make the task difficult.