Current or Future Issues

In India, there is overpopulation, poverty, and poor infrastructure in major cities.

• India is the second most populous country in the world, causing overpopulation. The rapidly growing cities are caused by many people from the country moving to find better opportunities, but many of them have to live in slums. This rapid growth causes poor infrastructure.

A Slum in Mumbai
http://www.mumbailocal.net/2938/dharavi-slum-mumbai/

There is religious violence in India, especially the Kashmir dispute.

• The Kashmir dispute has caused tension between India and Pakistan. Both countries have fought wars to get control over the territory.

(Source: http://www.abc-clio.com/)

Economic Activities

A Subsistence Farmer in India
http://www.wikistreets.com/essay/lifestyle-of-a-farmer/

The main economic activity is subsistence farming.

In the northwest, the economic activity is nomadic herding.

Across the country, there are small sections of manufacturing and trade.

In the north, east, and south, there are few areas of commercial farming.

• Commercial farming is found around high populations.

In the north, there is little to no activities.

• There is little to no activity because of the Himalayas.

India is a developing country because the main economic activity is subsistence farming but there are some growing areas of manufacturing and trade.

(Source: Copyright 2003 by Pearson Education, World Geography: Building A Global Perspective)

Government System




Seal of India
http://allcity7.com/showthread.php?t=27303

  India is the largest democracy in the world.

• The colonial British government left India to be a democracy after they left.

The government consists of a constitution and 3 branches of government- the legislative, executive, and judicial branch. The government in India is very similar to that of the United States.

• The legislative branch has two house.
• In the executive branch, power is shared between the Prime Minister and the President.
• The judicial branch consists of the Supreme Court of India.

India consists of seven territories and 25 smaller states.

(Source: http://www.abc-clio.com/)

Demographics

In India, there are 61,338,000 people who use the internet and they make up 7% of the entire population.

The entire population is 1,210,193,422 people as of 2011.

• There is a large population in India because the majority of the population is in subsistence so they want more children to help in the field.

India has a 1.41% growth rate.

• Now the population growth is lover due to a more educated population.

India has a birth rate of 22.22 births/1000 population and a death rat of 6.4 deaths/1000 population.

India has a 69.89 years of life expectancy.

India has a infant mortality rate of 30.15 deaths/1000 live births.

India has a 61% literacy rate.

• Low literacy rate because of rural populations.

This population pyramid of India with a broad base
indicates that India is a developing country.
http://www.d-transition.info/countries-glance-3/india-110/

(Source: http://www.cia.gov/)

Culture (Language, Religious, Food, Beliefs)

Flag of India
http://www.freeworldmaps.net/asia/india/map.html

In India, cattle are very common.

• Cows are common because in Hinduism, cows are sacred.

There are many different languages across India.

• Hindi is the official language.

There are many religions, but Hinduism is the majority.

• Religion plays a big role in everyday life, including prayers, and religious holidays.

In India, education is encouraged for children.

• Education is encouraged because of India's growing economy based on a skilled engineering workforce.

Many people wear traditional clothing.

Cricket and tea are very popular in India.

• British colonialism caused cultural diffusion between the two nations.

India has unique food and spices.

Traditional Indian Clothing- Sari
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:A_women_wear
ing_a_Sari,_traditional_Indian_attire.jpg

(Source: Copyright 2003 by Pearson Education, World Geography: Building A Global Perspective, http://www.abc-clio.com/)

Political Borders

India in the World
http://www.cyec.org.uk/young-common
wealth/about-commonwealth/profiles/india

In the west, there is a border between India and Pakistan. In the east, there is a border between India and Bangladesh.

• These borders were created because of religious conflicts. India is mainly Hindu, while Bangladesh and Pakistan is mainly Muslim.

In the north, the border is the Himalayas.

• The Himalayas are a natural border for India.

In the south, the Indian Ocean creates a border.

(Source: Copyright 2003 by Pearson Education, World Geography: Building A Global Perspective)

Human Environment Interaction

The Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers deposit rich soil to help farming.

• The rivers are slow-moving and are perfect to produce good farm soil. This results in a large concentrated population.

Many top-level consumers have been hunted, causing disruptions in food webs.

Deforestation, soil erosion, overgrazing, and desertification have been caused due to human influences.

The large population strains the ecosystem.

The building of dams disrupts the rivers.

• The dams disrupt the river ecosystems and many animals' habitats, but they give an area a constant source of energy and water.



(Source: http://www.abc-clio.com/, http://www.youtube.com/)

Natural Resources

Hydroelectric Plant in India
http://aboutrenewableenergy.org/hydro-power/hydro-power-plant-in-india.php

In the north and west India, hydroelectric power is used, due to the many rivers that flow there.

Along the west coast, coal  and petroleum is found.

In south and west India, iron is found.

In northwest India, there is little phophate.

In south India, there is a little gold.

In general, there are not many resources. Most of the resources are in the west and south and are distributed unevenly throughout the country. Most of them are located along the edge of India so it is easier to export.

(Source: Copyright 2003 by Pearson Education, World Geography: Building A Global Perspective)

Ecosystems

Tropical Grassland
http://herbalnews.co/?p=296

The main ecosystem of India is tropical grassland.

• Many people live in tropical grassland because of the good farming.

In the Thar Desert, the ecosystem is desert scrub.

• Desert scrub is usually found deserts.

In southwest and east India, tropical rain forests are found.

• The tropical rain forests are found where monsoons occur.

In north India, mixed forests are found.

(Source: Copyright 2003 by Pearson Education, World Geography: Building A Global Perspective)

Climates

In southern India, the climates include tropical wet & dry, and semiarid to the east on the Western Ghats.

• Tropical wet & dry is caused by orographic rainfall and summer monsoon winds.
• The semiarid climate is caused by the rain shadow of the Western Ghats.

In the Indo-Gangetic Plain, the climate is humid subtropical.

• The majority of the population lives in the humid subtropical climate.

In the Thar Desert, the climates include arid and semiarid.

In the Himalayas, the climate is highlands.



The Himalayas
http://www.mrdowling.com/612-himalayas.html

(Source: Copyright 2003 by Pearson Education, World Geography: Building A Global Perspective, http://www.abc-clio.com/)



Landforms

In northern India, the landforms include the Himalayas, the Karakoram Range, the Great Indian Desert, the Indo-Gangetic Plain, and the Ganges River.

• The Himalayas were formed from two converging tectonic plates, and they block India from northern neighbors.
• The Indo-Gangetic Plain is flat and fertile which causes many people to live there.
• The Ganges River has spiritual value in Hinduism, also causing a more crowded population.

In eastern India, the landforms include the Brahmaputra River and the Eastern Ghats.

In southern India, the main landform is the Deccan Plateau.

In western India, the landforms include the Western Ghats.

• The Western Ghats disrupt wind patterns and cause a rain shadow in southern India.



Physical Map of India
http://www.freeworldmaps.net/asia/india/map.html



(Source: Copyright 2003 by Pearson Education, World Geography: Building A Global Perspective)

India