INDIA and surrounding areas A Day in the Spice Many of today s most used spices are na3ve to the Indian region of the world. Christopher Columbus crossed the Atlan3c Ocean in hopes of gaining that tasty pepper and savory tea. India: Poli4cal Geography Popula4on: 1,147,995,898 (July 2008 est.) Capital: New Delhi World s largest democracy. Many people s3ll do not have rights because of the caste system. Literacy 61% GDP $2.965 Trillion GDP per capita $2,700 1
India Popula4on Density Map Physical Geography India is the largest country on the subcon4nent. Subcon4nent split from the rest of a con3nent by something like a mountain range or by tectonic plates. Himalaya Mountains make up the northern border of Indian subcon3nent. Ganges River flows through northern India Important to Hindu Religion Indian subcon3nent is slightly more than one third the size of the U.S. The Indian Subcontinent is surrounded by mountains, isolating it from the rest of Asia. 2
Mt. Everest (29,029 [.) The tallest mountain in the world. Edmund Hillary became the first person to reach the summit in 1953. To date, 179 people have died trying to reach the summit, which sets the fatality rate at around nine percent. Most of these fatali3es happened before 1990. In the last ten years, advances in climbing equipment and more experienced guides have resulted in a steep drop in fatality sta3s3cs: from 37% in 1990 to 4.4% in 2004. 3
12/16/09 Climbing Mt. Everest Climbing Mt. Everest will cost you about $125,000 when it is all said and done. Ed Viesturs is the only climber to summit all 14 8,000 meter peaks without the use of supplemental oxygen. I think I can see my house from here! 4
The spiritual act of bathing in the Ganges River is part of the Hindu Religion. However, many ci3es dump raw sewage into the river. Monsoons Changing winds in South and East Asia that last for months and bring rainy and dry seasons. Summer Monsoons Wet, winds blow from the Indian Ocean. Winter Monsoons Dry, Winds blow from the plateau of Tibet and Himalaya Mts. In India it can rain for days at a 3me during the wet monsoons. Some4mes Flooding Can Be Fun Until you realize you re all wet, wrinkled, and have been playing in flooded sewage and debris or you have to work in it. 5
Huge Flood? Not a Problem India s Religions Hindu 80.5%, Islam 13.4%, Chris4an 2.3%, Sikh 1.9% Hinduism World s 3 rd largest religion. 13% Polytheis4c Hindu beliefs create a caste system in India. Caste System social system where someone is born into a specific class and can never leave. Buddhism was started in India but it is not one of India s major religions. India s Caste System 6
India s Road to Independence Once called the Jewel of the Bri3sh Empire A[er WW2 many European countries could not hold on to their colonies anymore. Bri3sh educated Mohandas Gandhi started an independence movement in India. India gained independence in 1947. India has gradually became stronger economically and militarily in the years to follow. Gandhi s Influence Gandhi urged independence from G.B. by peaceful protest. 20 years a[er India gained its independence Mar3n Luther King Jr. used many of his methods in the United States civil right movement. Also used by an3 apartheid ac3vists in South Africa. MLK Jr. Stephen Biko Nelson Mandela India Today India s technology industry is rapidly growing. Many U.S. technology jobs are being outsourced to India. Some economic projec3ons say India will surpass the U.S. as the #1 economic power in the world. The region of Deccan Peninsula is known as the Indian Silicon Valley. Bollywood has already overtaken Hollywood as the #1 movie distributer in the world. 7
The ci3es of Bangalore and Hyderabad are the center of India s new technology industry. If you ever call for tech support on many electronic items you will probably being talking to someone in the Bangalore/Hyderabad area. Microsoft has outsourced most of its costumer support to India India s Wildlife In Nebraska, we might have to worry about a snake in our yard. But in India TIGER SOUP! 8