IndiaIndiaGeography’s affect on the Indian people•The Indian subcontinent•The physical regions of India•The Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Indus rivers•The Indian Monsoon

The Indian SubcontinentThe Indian Subcontinent India is apart of a larger piece of land called the

Indian “Subcontinent” A landmass that is part of a continent but is

geographically an independent entity India is separated from Asia by the Himalaya

and Hindu Kush Mountains The Indian subcontinent is divided into three

major physical regions The Northern Mountains The Indo- Gangetic Plain The Deccan Plateau

The Northern MountainsThe Northern Mountains Himalayan Mountains

Tallest mountain range in the world 20 mountains that are over 24,000 ft. high

Mount Everest Tallest peak at 29,035 ft

First climbed by Edmond Hilary & Tenzing Norgay in 1953 Many have tried to climb it since and hundreds have died

Creates the majority of the northern border of India Source of important rivers to India

Ganges, Feni, Indus, and Brahmaputra rivers

The Northern MountainsThe Northern Mountains Hindu Kush

Named for their danger Kush= Death

Extremely rugged Like the Himalayas are a source of water for much

needed rivers

Indo- Gangetic plainIndo- Gangetic plain Area that surrounds the Ganges and

Brahmaputra rivers Best farmland in India

No coincidence that this is one of the two most densely populated areas in India

They farm rice, wheat, cotton, sugarcane, and tea

Ganges RiverGanges River Begins in the Himalayas and flows 1500 miles

directly through the Indo- Gangetic plain Also known as “Gangamai” or Mother Ganges

Important for farming, trade, and transportation Holiest river of Hinduism

Home to the Goddess Ganga Hindus believe they must purify themselves in it

Travel down the sacred “Ghats” or steps Bathe and drink water to wash away their sins

Ashes of the dead are scattered in the water

Ganges RiverGanges River One of the most polluted rivers on earth

Raw sewage, industrial waste, dead animals and humans have poisoned the water

Toxic chemicals and bacteria Dangerous to Hindus who bath in and drink it

Hepatitis, typhoid, and cholera are common

Many Hindus travel as far upstream as they can before purifying themselves Cities like Varanasi get many bathers because

of the relatively clean water Less pollution

Indus RiverIndus River Begins in the Himalayas and flows 1975 miles

through the country of Pakistan Formerly apart of India

Important to the development of the first cities and civilizations in India

Mohenjo- Daro and Harrapan civilizations Important for farming, trade, and transportation

Today it the at the front lines of conflict between India and Pakistan

Fighting over the fertile cotton fields of Kashmir

Brahmaputra RiverBrahmaputra River Begins in the Himalayas and flows 1100 miles

through northern Indian the country of Bangladesh

Important for farming, trade, and transportation Important to Hinduism like the Ganges Represents one of the main gods of Hinduism

called Vishnu The river is credited with preserving all life along its

banks

The MonsoonThe Monsoon India has two major seasons

Summer is hot and very wet Winter is cool and very dry (still hot)

The climate is caused by the “Monsoon” Seasonal winds

During summer the winds come from the Indian Ocean & bring large amounts of rain

During winter the winds come from the land and are dry

The MonsoonThe Monsoon Summer monsoon is essential for survival

Brings needed water for farming But the heavy rains also cause great devastation Flooding and “cyclones” are common

Violent storms like hurricanes

Eastern India and Bangladesh suffers great damage almost every year Villages and farms are flooded and destroyed

Overflowing of rivers Ganges and Brahmaputra