The South Asia consists of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Its landscape ranges from the mighty peaks of the Himalayas in North, through vast plains and arid deserts to tropical forest and palm-fringed beaches in the south.
- A massive towering wall of snow-capped mountains stretches in an arc across the continents.
- The huge floodplains and deltas of the Indus, Ganges and the Brahmaputra rivers separate the mountains from the rest of the peninsula, a great rolling plateau bordered on either side by coastal hills called the Eastern and Western Ghats.
- The Himalayas are the highest mountain system in the world.
- The northern range of the Himalayas average 7,000 m in height.
- They include the highest point on Earth, Mount Everest on the Nepal and China border which soars to 8,848 m. Much of the Bangladesh lies in the enormous delta formed by Brahmaputra and Ganges rivers.
- During the summer monsoon, the rivers become swollen by the torrential rain and meltwaters from Himalayas and the delta flood.
- The Deccan Plateau makes up most of the central and southern India. Its volcanic rock has been deeply cut by rivers such as the Krishna, creating stepped valley called “traps”.
Climate
Climate is strongly influenced by the annual monsoon between July and September which brings hot, humid condition and extremely high levels of rainfall to much of the regions.
Industry
Industry has expanded in India in recent years, and in cities a varieties of goods are produced and processed, including cars, aeroplanes, chemicals, food and drink. Services industries such as tourism and banking are also growing elsewhere. Small scale cottage industry serve the need of local people, but many product, mainly silk and cotton textiles, clothing leather and jewellery are also exported.
Population
Most of the South Asia’s people live in villages scattered across the fertile river floodplains in mountain valley or along the coast, but increasing number are migrating to the cities in search of work. Overcrowding is a serious problem in both rural and urban areas. In many cities thousands of people are forced to live in slums or on streets.
Farming and Land Use
Over 60 per cent of the population involved in agriculture, but most farmers are small and produce only enough food to feed the family. Grains are the staple food crop- rice is grown in the wetter parts of the east and west, corn and millet on the Deccan Plateau, and wheat in north. Groundnuts are widely grown as a source of cooking oil. Cash crops include tea and jute.
Read Also: Asia; Landscape, Population, Climate and Resources
Read more: south asia, asia, india, world geography upsc
