"South Asia is... beginning have a significant global impact, based on high levels of scientific and technical skills, the international links that the region has established through migration, and the enormous size of its local markets." (Rowntree, et al., p. 315)
- This chapter covers South Asia, which includes India (the world's second-most populous country), Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. You should understand the unique climatological challenges of this region, including monsoons and typhoons, as well as the accompanying floods. Upon completion of this chapter, you should be familiar with the physical, demographic, cultural, political, and economic characteristics of South Asia through the following concepts and models:
- Environmental geography
- The film star and the poacher king; Environmental issues in South Asia; South Asia's monsoon climates; Physical subregions of South Asia.
- Population and settlement
- Migration and the settlement landscape; Agricultural regions and activities; Urban South Asia.
- Cultural coherence and diversity
- Origin or South Asian civilizations; Contemporary geographies of religion; Geographies of language; South Asians in a global cultural context.
- Geopolitical framework
- South Asia before and after independence in 1947; Ethnic conflicts in South Asia; International and global geopolitics.
- Economic and social development
- South Asian Poverty; Geographies of economic development; Globalization and India's economic future; Social development.
