Chapter Questions
Describe the geological relationship between the Himalayas and the flat, fertile plain of the Indus and Ganges river valleys.
Explain how the monsoon winds are generated and describe their importance for South Asia.Environmental degradation and instability pose particular problems for South Asia. The monsoon climate causes both floods and droughts, which
Outline the ways in which the patterns of population growth in South Asia have changed over the past several decades, and explain their striking variation across the region.
Identify the causes of the explosive growth of South Asia's major cities, and list both the benefits and the problems resulting from the emergence of such large cities.
Summarize the historical relationship between Hinduism and Islam in South Asia, and explain why so much tension exists between the two religious communities today.
Compare and contrast the ways in which India and Pakistan, both containing numerous distinctive language groups, have dealt with the issue of national cohesion.
Explain why South Asia was politically partitioned following British rule and how the legacies of partition continue to generate political and economic difficulties in the region.
Describe the challenges that India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka have faced from insurgency movements that seek to carve out new independent states from their territories.
Explain why European merchants were eager to trade in South Asia in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries and how their activities influenced the region's later economic development.
Summarize the variations in economic and social development across the different parts of South Asia and explain why such variability is so pronounced