Definition to learn A Region is an area on the earths surface which is different to all areas around it It has different characteristics eg physical climate soils rocks drainage cultural administrative economic human ID: 294646
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Slide1
Regional Geography Slide2
Definition to learn:
A Region is an area on the earth’s surface which is different to all areas around it.
It
has different characteristics e.g. physical (climate soils, rocks, drainage), cultural, administrative, economic, human.Slide3
Types of Region:
PHYSICAL REGIONS (Climate or Geomorphological)
ADMINISTRATIVE REGIONS
CULTURAL REGIONS
SOCIO-ECONOMIC REGIONS I.E. CORE/PERIPHERY, INDUSTRIALLY DECLINED REGIONS
URBAN REGIONS Slide4
Physical Regions
Climate
Geomorphic
An area with similar climatic conditions (Temperatures, Rainfall
etc
)
Cool Temperate Oceanic Climate
Mediterranean Climate
An area with similar landscape features, rocks or formation
The
Burren
, Co. Clare
Alps, Central EuropeSlide5
World Climatic RegionsSlide6
COOL TEMPERATE OCEANIC
(Climatic Region)
Where
: Western Europe - From Northern Norway to North West Spain (including Ireland)
Temperatures
: Summer average 15 (can go to 23) Degrees, lower averages along coasts, higher inland (South
Westerlies
=Trade winds / North Atlantic Drift=warm current). Winter average 6 Degrees - influences of S.
Westerlies / North Atlantic Drift current.
Precipitation: all year round - Cyclonic and Relief Rainfall but with Winter Maximum 8000mm (Rain Shadow Dublin)- 2,800mm (West)
Effects: Positive (irrigation) and negative (leaching) effects of precipitation on soilsSlide7Slide8Slide9
PHYSICAL REGIONS
CASE STUDY - THE BURREN
KARST LANDSCAPE: Exposed limestone on the surface
Large expanses of Limestone Pavements (
Clints
&
Grikes
) containing Swallow
Holes,terraces
, Dolines and few surface streams
Underground Passages and Caverns
Unique Flora and Fauna (Spring Gentian and Common Lizard)
Slide10Slide11
Types of Region:
PHYSICAL REGIONS (Climate or Geomorphological)
ADMINISTRATIVE REGIONS
CULTURAL REGIONS
SOCIO-ECONOMIC REGIONS I.E. CORE/PERIPHERY, INDUSTRIALLY DECLINED REGIONS
URBAN REGIONS Slide12
Types of Region:
PHYSICAL REGIONS (Climate or Geomorphological)
ADMINISTRATIVE REGIONS
CULTURAL REGIONS
SOCIO-ECONOMIC REGIONS I.E. CORE/PERIPHERY, INDUSTRIALLY DECLINED REGIONS
URBAN REGIONS Slide13
ADMINISTRATIVE
REGIONSCASE STUDIES IRELAND & FRANCE
IRELAND - SINGLE TIER SYSTEM
Central Government
County Councils/City Councils/ BoroughsSlide14
Administrative
Regions
Dates back to Norman times 12th Century
By mid 13th Century we had 8 counties
1606 - 1994 26 counties
1994 Dublin subdivided into 3 new counties -
Dublin,Fingal
, Dun Laoghaire -
Rathdown
Many county boundaries are distinguished by natural physical boundaries
eg River Slaney/ Wicklow Mountains
HistorySlide15
WexfordSlide16
Administrative Regions….now
Local Authorities….such as County Councils or
Corportations
EU Administrative Regions……larger areas like The West of IrelandSlide17
FRANCE - ADMINISTRATIVE SYSTEM
Multiple Tier System
Central Government
22 Regional Governments
92 DepartmentsSlide18
Cultural Regions
These are regions with unique
landguage
or religion characteristics.
Today we will look for key points on two Language Regions :
Gaeltacht
(Ireland)
BelgiumSlide19Slide20Slide21
Language Regions - Belgium (Independence 1830)
Flanders (North) - Wallonia (South) - German Enclave
Flanders
Flemish speaking, culturally linked to Netherlands
Historically poor - Prospered since 1960’s attracting growth industries to places such as Antwerp
Brussels is the capital of Belgium and located here but is Bilingual
Wallonia
Mainly French speaking
During 1800’s became prosperous based on coal & steel in
Sambre
-Meuse Valley
Collapse of these industries in 1950’s led to massive decline - (Maladjusted Region)
German Enclave
Territory received from Germany after WW 1Slide22
Tensions Caused by Cultural Differences in Belgium
Flanders has received much industrial investment but still feels under threat from the more dominant French language in the south
Possible break up of Belgium has been averted many times
This led to fundamental governmental reforms and the creation of a
Federal Government
which recognises all three regions - each has a certain amount of
Autonomy
Flemish display a defensive attitude over the spread of French and have created a new Pro Flemish political party -
Vlaams Belang Slide23
23
REGIONS IN IRELAND
cCCCSlide24
CORE - PERIPHERY MODEL
A model that helps explain differences in economic development
Economic development does not affect all areas in the same way.
Some regions develop strongly because of a number or factors eg. Raw materials/strategic location for trade
Other areas may not develop to the same extent because of poor resources/unfavourable environments/poor access to trade routesSlide25
CHARACTERISTICS OF A REGION
All regions have different chacteristics but some characteristics are the same.
AREA
: Regions occupy an area of the earths surface that is different from all other areas around it.
BOUNDARIES
: Regions are
separated
by boundaries from surrounding regions. Some boundaries are clear e.g. mountain ranges, rivers. Some boundaries are not clear e.g. local government boundaries e.g. Mayo co. council v
Castlebar
Town Council.
IMAGE
: By naming a region people can conjure up an idea of a place e.g. France – Eiffel Tower, Garlic , USA – McDonalds, Disneyland,
Gaeltacht
– Aran sweaters, Thatched cottages.
CHANGE
: Regions change over time e.g. Dublin –Why? – Transport, Industry. Urban Sprawl, Satellite Towns, Suburbs,
Commuter
Belts. Slide26
REGIONAL DEFINITIONS
CORE REGIONS
-
A core region is the wealthiest part of an area of land. It is the centre of
economic,political
and administrative life in a region e.g. Dublin, Paris Basin, Manchester-Milan-Berlin axis = core of EU.
Usually the capital of a country is in the core region.Slide27
PERIPHERAL REGIONS
A peripheral region
is a region which is distant from the core and lacks economic, political and administrative investment e.g. BMW,
Mezzogiorno
, Greece, Scottish Highlands
Usually the poorest part of the country.
Usually will have negative aspects to its physical geography
eg
drought, boggy soilsSlide28
MALADJUSTED REGIONS
REGIONS OF INDUSTRIAL DECLINE:
These
are regions which were once dependent on an industry or natural resource which is now in decline or has declined e.g.
Sambre
- Meuse (coal), Greater Cork AreaSlide29
Irish RegionsSlide30
Core - Periphery Model
Ireland
CORE
– The Greater Dublin Area
Study under these headings
Physical Processes
Economic Processes
Human Processes
Periphery
– The West of Ireland
Study under these headings
Physical Processes
Economic Processes
Human ProcessesSlide31
Regional Contrasts in Ireland
GDA v The WestSlide32
Human Processes – Topics to Include in an Answer
Migration – Causes and Consequences
Birth Rates/Death Rates
Rural Depopulation
Urbanisation
– Positives/Negatives
Openess
to Change
Education Opportunities
Employment OpportunitiesSlide33
BMW – Human Processes
Population Decline since Famine Times – Migration
Aprx. 50% of total area but 27% of population
Few large urban areas – Galway biggest @ 50,000 (Dominant Urban Area)
Lack of Education Facilities – One of the seven Universities – Most young students leave for education and do not come back
Low rates of natural increase due to low birth rates due to so few young people left – Ageing Population
Gaeltacht areas find it very difficult to attract FDI (Foreign Direct Investment)
Some In migration during 1996-2006 due to Celtic Tiger Economy
Population decrease = Decpletion of Infrastructure
Tradition = Extensive Agriculture = Poor DevelopmentSlide34
European RegionsSlide35
CORE REGION - PARIS BASINSlide36Slide37
PARIS BASIN – Human Processes
Population
of the City of Paris (Ile de France) doubled between 1921-2004 to
aprx
. 12 Million but the Greater Urban area has a population of 22 Million- 1/3 of French population (Huge suburbs and New Towns –
Evry
/Marne-
lá
-Valée)
Ile de France – High density/Birth Rate 15 per 1,000 – Death Rate 7 per 1,000- Natural Increase of 0.8% means an increase in population before migration is taken into account
Contrast with France in general- Birth Rate 12 per 1,000 and death rate of 9 per 1,000
Outskirts
of the Paris Basin are experiencing net
Emmigration
while Ile de France is experiencing net Immigration
40% of all foreign migrants in France live in Paris Region
13% of the region's population are
migrants
– mostly from North and West Africa (Former Colonies) and PortugalSlide38
PARIS BASIN – Human Processes
cntd.
Lack of jobs and stricter migration control has slowed migration into the region in past ten years
Many French people have left parts of the Ile
de France
and some of these areas have been replaced by migrant ghettos
Unemployment has led to ethnic instability and Paris riots in early 2000's
Rise of Islamic Fundamentalism – Dress codes in schools
Overcrowding/High Cost of living/Inner city
decline/de-
industrialisation
= Major Human problems
Urban Renewal projects have tried to improve parts of the city –
Development
of 8 Nodes (
centres
) in the greater Paris region (modern housing/employment opportunities/improved services) Example of one is
Lá
Defense
Also New Towns built outside the Ile de France with populations of over 100,000/good range of services and employment
eg
.
Evry
/Marne-le-
Vallée
)Slide39
REGIONS OF INDUSTRIAL DECLINE
Ireland - Greater Cork Area
Belgium - Sambre-Meuse Valley
United Kingdom - South WalesSlide40
Case Study 1.
Sambre - Meuse Valley
Core Region of Belgium has changed from Wallonia - Flanders
1750 - 1950’s major coal and steel/associated industries base around major coalfields of the area - Kampen/Liege/Sambre- Meuse
Engineering/chemicals/iron and steel
Decline due to new cheaper imports/decline in coal and steel/new cheaper sources of energy (oil/gas)/ new technologies =
DEINDUSTRIALISATION
Flow of people to North/Loss of industry to North led to Flanders becoming the
new core
of Belgium
Wallonia became an
Objective 2 Region -
Attempts by government and EU to
REINDUSTRIALISE
the region eg. Charleroi Airport/Caterpillar
Since 1960 Flanders has experienced significant economic growth - Antwerp/ZelzateSlide41
Sambre-Meuse Valley - A Response to Industrial Decline?
EU designated the area Objective 2 (Convergence Region) – Structural Funds from The Common Regional Policy
Investment in transport network -motorways to Randstad/Rhur/Paris
Development of new Industrial Estates near citiies such as Charleroi/La Louviere
Upgrading of airports to International standard eg. Charleroi (Ryanair Hub)
Cleaning up of derelict landscape to make it more attractive for investment
Jim Ryan SPC
41Slide42
Case Study 2
Greater Cork Area
1973 - Ireland joined EEC - Began process of
INDUSTRIALISATION
Verholme Shipyard/Oil Refinery/Ford/Dunlop/Irish Steel/Sunbeam Textiles added to traditional industries eg processing - Cork became a
Growth Centre
for the National Economy
1980’s Recession - Industrial decline hit the Cork area. Long established industries closed down. MNC’s eg. Ford & Dunlop closed the branch plants in Cork -
DEINDUSTRIALISATION
- Massive unemployment
1990’S - REINDUSTRIALISATION - due to booming world economyLots of
FDI (Foreign Direct Investment)
led by IDA
PFIZER/JOHNSON&JOHNSON/WYETH/APPLE/BOSTON SCIENTIFIC
Unlike Wallonia Cork has recovered
Jim Ryan SPC
42Slide43
Urban Regions - Case Study
Dublin
60% of Irish people live in cities and towns - Dublin has by far the largest proportion -
Primate City
Ireland - One of least urbanised in Europe (European Average - 80%)
Dublin’s development traced back to Vikings -
Site
-
Woodquay
, Christchurch
/ Lowest bridging point -Further developed by Normans and Plantations
Situation
- Deep sheltered bay on East Coast development of infrastructure focused here/
Liffey
Valley providing access to central lowlands/
Agricultural Hinterland -
Market City
Large population - led to development of Industries and Services
eg
Guinness/Intel - IFSC/Transport system centralised in Dublin
Urban Sprawl
- Eastwards and Northwards and along coast but restricted by Irish Sea and Dublin/Wicklow mountainsSlide44
PERIPHERAL REGION
MEZZOGIORNOSlide45
Mezzogiorno/Gulf of Metapontino/Tarranto
2 Drainage Features Agri/Sinni Rivers flowing into Gulf of MetapontinoSlide46
MEZZOGIORNO- Land of Midday Sun
40% of Italy's territory
36% of population
25% of GDP
50% of
agricultural employment Slide47
THE MEZZOGIORNO
Primary Activities
Pre 1950's – most employed in
Farming/Fishing
Very Low incomes – 50% of average
Latifundia – Extensive Farming-Hiltops
Only1/4 owned own land
70% of holdings smaller than 3 Hectares of poor land
Minifundia – overgrazing/overcultivation= soil erosion
Post 1950 land reform/Casa per il Mezzogiorno
Land redistribution larger holdings 5-50 hectares
Retraining = more Intensive farming-new machinery/new crops-citrus and olives/vines(cash crops) for large EU market- 2 seasons
Irrigation eg Gulf of Metapontino(was malaria swamp)-5 rivers (coastal lowlans now the most successful area)
Jim Ryan SPC
47Slide48
THE MEZZOGIORNO
Primary Activities
Pre 1950's – most employed in
Farming/Fishing
Very Low incomes – 50% of average
Latifundia – Extensive Farming-Hiltops
Only1/4 owned own land
70% of holdings smaller than 3 Hectares of poor land
Minifundia – overgrazing/overcultivation= soil erosion
Post 1950 land reform/Casa per il Mezzogiorno
Land redistribution larger holdings 5-50 hectares
Retraining = more Intensive farming-new machinery/new crops-citrus and olives/vines(cash crops) for large EU market- 2 seasons
Irrigation eg Gulf of Metapontino(was malaria swamp)-5 rivers (coastal lowlans now the most successful area)
Jim Ryan SPC
48Slide49
Mezzogiorno
-Secondary Sector
By 1950's only 17% of Italian workforce in
Mezzogiorno
Government help-Casa per
ilMezzogiorno
/Grants/
TaxRelief
Infrastructure developed-Autostrada
/Ports/AirportsState companies 80% of new investment
Development of Industrial Zones-Brindisi/Palermo/Bari/
Naples
Between 1960-2000 workforce almost tripled to 1.4ml/reduction on Primary sector dependance
75% 0f new jobs in Steel
/Chemicals/Engineering – located on coast
Inland areas remain depressed
Most successful area= Bari/Brindisi/Taranto
Deep water port@ Taranto=Oil Refining/SteelMill
Car Assembly@ Latina-Fronsione 16,000 workers
Oil Refining/Potash@SiracusaSlide50
Mezzogiorno
Tertiary Sector
Traditionally very poorly developed – Fascist regime of Mussolini and Mafia influence didn't help
Under Casa major investment in transport system –
Autostrada
del Sol running from Swiss Border to toe of Calabria. Also other large motorway connecting West to East of
Mezzogiorno
. Both help to connect it to the Core
Port developments in South West have improved accessibility – Taranto/Bari/Brindisi
Long hot dry summers thanks to anticyclone settling over the South has helped develop tourist numbers
Also the historical Roman sites, expansive underdeveloped beaches and coastal scenery have helped develop the tourist sectorCheaper than other Italian holiday areas
eg
. The Northern Lakes and
Amalfi
coastSlide51
Mezzogiorno
– Tertiary Sector cntd.
Over 12 Million tourists now visit the
Mezzogiorno
annually
9 Million come from other parts of Italy – Need to further develop foreign tourists to help bring in further revenue
Geomorphological sites are very popular
eg
. Mt Vesuvius near Naples and Mt. Etna in Sicily
Herculaneum and Pompeii and the Isle of Capri are hugely popular with tourists and bring valuable revenue to this area
The area is not overly
commercialised
unlike high profile tourist areas of Spain, Portugal and France so still has a natural feel to it
The tourist season in the
Mezzogiorno
should be able to overcome seasonality which is a problem in other areas. This is due to warm weather for large parts of the year particularly in the East which also receives less rainfall due to the rain shadow of the ApenninesSlide52
Subcontinental Region - IndiaSlide53
India – A Sub Continental RegionSlide54
India A Subcontinental Region - PhysicalSlide55
INDIA - BASIC STATISTICS
Geographical Location:
Between latitudes 8
0
4’ and 37
0
6’ North and longitudes 68
0
7’ and 97
0
25’ East
.
Land Area:
3.29 Million Square Kilometers
.
Climate:
Mainly tropical with temperatures ranging from 10
0
C – 40
0
C in most parts of the country
.
Capital:
New Delhi
.
Population:
1.147 Billion (estimated as at March 2008
).
Population growth rate:
1.606% per annum
.
Population density:
348 persons / square kilometer. (Population / land area in
sqkm
)
Life
expectancy
at birth:
66.28 years, male; 71.17 years, female
.
Literacy rate:
65.47% (as per 2001 Census
).
Languages spoken:
Eighteen principal languages; majority speak Hindi; business language: English
.
Major religions:
Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism
.
International
Airports:
Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bangalore, Chennai,
Dabolim
, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Nagpur, New Delhi,
Shrinagar
and Thiruvananthapuram
.
Major Seaports:
Chennai,
Ennore
,
Haldia
,
Kandla
, Kochi, Kolkata,
Marmagao
, Mumbai, New Mangalore,
Paradip
,
Tuticorin
and Vishakhapatnam.Slide56
India Physical Processes
3 Main Regions – Northern Mountains/Indus-Ganges Plain/ Southern Plateau
NORTHERN MOUNTAINS
Extremely high and separate India from neighbours
Extend from Hindu Kush in North West to Himalayas in North East containing Mt Everest and next 23 highest peaks in world
Formed by tectonic collision of Eurasian Plate (Continental) and Indian Plate (Oceanic)
Collision caused uplifting at the convergent boundary and formed fold mts approx. 35 Million years ago (Alpine Fold System)Slide57
India Physical Processes
cntd.
Indus-Ganges Plain
A huge depression formed south of the fold mts.. Follows the Indus river valley from Pakistan through Ganges valley and ends in Bangladesh as a double Delta – Ganges/Brahmaputra
Covered in thousands of metres of rich Alluvial soils washed down by Indus Ganges and Brahmaputra which are swollen by summer meltwater from these rivers causing flooding of their floodplains
Flooding is positive from soil formation point of view but negative as valuable land can be destroyedSlide58
India Physical Processes
cntd.
Southern Plateaux:
The south is made up of a number of plateaux
Largest is Deccan Plateau which tilts from West to East
2 mountain ranges – Western Ghats/Eastern Ghats, border narrow coastal ranges
Both mountain ranges have an effect on onshore winds and the amount of rainfall falling on the peninsula area of IndiaSlide59
INDIA - Climate Slide60
India Physical Processes
cntd.
CLIMATE
Tropical Continental Monsoon – most of India is in the Tropics
Frost only happens in mountains of North and North West
Temperatures are generally high all year round but summer maximum inland can reach 40c+
2 Seasons: Dry Monsoon/Wet Monsoon
DRY MONSOON
October-February cool winds blow outwards from area of high pressure in centre of Asia. Dry winds bringing freezing temperatures and snow to North
March-June these winds become warmer and can bring temperatures up to 49c to Ganges Valley Slide61
India Physical Processes
cntd.
WET MONSOON
Mid June-September warm ocean winds are sucked in to a low pressure area – 2 winds
First wind is a South-West monsoon from Arabian Sea. Air rises to come in over Western Ghats and falls as intense relief rain
Second wind blows from Bay of Bengal and goes northwards along Brahmaputra and Ganges river valleys – Can give up to 10,000mm over a six week period
The further west along the Ganges valley they go the lighter the rains become. By the time they get to extreme North West they have become dry and lead to Desert conditions
Monsoons bring essential water supplies to India and if they are late or do not arrive at all can bring widespread famine to the country as crops failSlide62
PRIMARY ACTIVITIES - Agriculture
India has the same amount of cultivated land as in the whole of the EU
Cereal production is the main type of farming
Holdings are small aprx. 0.5 Hectares – some have no land at all
2/3 of India's population depend directly on the land
¼ of agricultural land owned by less than 5%
Intensive subsistence
Rice is main crop – also wheat and millet in drier Northern areas
Very labour intensive – most done by hand
Double-Cropping
is widespread. Rice grown in wet season and other cereals grown in dry seasonSlide63
PRIMARY ACTIVITIES Agriculture cntd.
The population is ever increasing which means output also needs to increase – huge demand
Genetically Modified varieties of rice/wheat giving high yields and resistant to disease/pests have been introduced - This is the
'Green Revolution'
and has led India to become a net exporter of some foods
Largest livestock numbers in the world but of poor quality. Slaughter of cows is outlawed in many states of India due to religious beliefs (Hindu)
Most beef comes from malnourished cattle who have died of old age and is not very nutritious
Agriculture totally dependent on the arrival of the 2 Monsoon periods
Jim Ryan SPC
63Slide64
PRIMARY ACTIVITIES - Mining
Large reserves of Iron Ore and Copper
Also Bauxite which makes Aluminium, Zinc/Gold/Silver
Oil reserves in the Arabian Sea and brought to shore in Mumbai
Coal produced in West Bengal and Bihar
Jim Ryan SPC
64Slide65
SECONDARY ACTIVITIES
Independence achieved in 1947 and only 2% of
labour
force was employed in Industry at that time
Most industry concentrated on main cities (colonial legacy) – Kolkata/Mumbai/Chennai due to large cheap
labour
force/large home market and natural resources(coal & iron)
New Indian
govt
focused on:
1. Agri-Industry – Food Processing/
Fertilisers
2. Craft Industries – employing large amounts of people with traditional skills
3. Rural Community based projects to reduce migration from rural areas to cities
4. High tech industries – Computers/Engineering – located mostly in Kolkata/Mumbai/Chennai/BangaloreSlide66
INDIA Secondary Sector
New growth sectors include call
centres
in cities such as Mumbai and BangaloreSlide67
Jim Ryan SPCSlide68
SECONDARY ACTIVITIES
cntd.
New Capital City set up after independence – New Delhi- a new urban centre to attract economic development
Major growth areas were also developed in the established cities – shift focus from Industries developed during British occupation
MUMBAI:
Electronics/Pharmaceuticals (to add to traditional industries such as food processing and textiles)
CHENNAI:
Computer Software (to add to textiles and light engineering)
KOLKATA: Cotton /Clothing/Jute/
Heavy engineering had always been here(British) but it became enhanced with the development of the Indian owned TATA IRON AND STEEL COMPANY Slide69
INDIA – Tertiary Activities
Very poorly developed and typical of a poor population with little money to spend on services
2 Types of Services:
1. Regular Services for Wealthy members of society (5% of population)
2. The Informal Sector (Black Market?) Unlicensed vendors/street traders/
organised
begging rackets/prostitution/drug dealing
Transport
Very poor road infrastructure – most of rural India does not have access to tarred roads suitable for cars and other vehicles
Many rural communities depend on dirt-tracks and cattle-drawn cartsSlide70
INDIA – Tertiary Sector
cntd.
Tourism:
India has such a vast and diverse landscape that it could offer much for potential tourists:
Mountain Climbing/Trekking – Himalayas/Ghats
Religious temples – Hindu/Buddhist/Sikh/Muslim
Rivers – Transport/Adventure/Spirituality- Ganges/Brahmaputra/Indus
Wide variety of wildlife
The problem is that the poor development of the country's infrastructure and safety issues in cities along with racial/religious tensions in areas such as Kashmir restrict the potential of tourism
Poverty and disease can be off putting for potential touristsSlide71
INDIA – Human Processes
Population: 1.2 billion (1/4 of everyone on planet)
Only a quarter of them have access to clean water
Half are illiterateSlide72
INDIA – Human Processes
Population cntd.
Natural Increase – 1.6% per year -
ie
its population increases by
aprx
. 16 Million per year! This will continue as a trend as India's population is very young
Estimates suggest the Indian population could reach 2 Billion by 2040
Death Rates are quite high despite improvements in healthcare
Large rural families due to social reasons (looking after parents)/religious/cultural beliefs
Food supply is becoming a major challenge
Insufficient jobs for this population growth = further poverty
Rural-Urban migration is almost out of control
India has only recently entered the third stage of the 'POPULATION CYCLE'
Population distribution is uneven. High population densities in the Ganges river valley/coastal lowlands but low population densities in the interior regions – areas such as
Thar
Desert/Mountainous regionsSlide73
INDIA – Human Processes - CultureSlide74
INDIA - Culture
India's culture has been influenced by:
Migration of Indo-Europeans
Spread of Islam
British Colonialism
India has over 1,600 languages and dialects (Disunity)
Schools teach 58 different languages
National newspapers printed in 87 different languages
These languages/dialects can be arranged into 2Main Groups:
1. Indo-European
2. Dravidian
Hindi is the official state language – resented by other language groupsSlide75
INDIA – Human Processes
Religion
HINDUISM:
Multi-layered
CASTE
system – Highest ranked such as priests (
Brahmins
) at the top. The bottom are the unclean
(Untouchables)
It is frowned upon to socialise or marry outside your own caste – happening somewhat now in large urban centres
Hindus regard cow as sacred
The dominant religion
ISLAM:
Introduced by traders
200 Million muslims in India
Most common in Indus/Ganges river basins
Not common in peninsular India
A growing religion – accepts converts disillusioned with other religionsSlide76
INDIA – Human Processes
Religion cntd.
Sikhism:
Founded in 15
th
century
No caste system
Powerful cultural group
Focal area is the
Punjab
region
Buddhism:
A minority religion in India
Christianity:
A minority religion in IndiaSlide77Slide78
Jim Ryan SPC
78Slide79Slide80
Conflict In Kashmir
1947 – Creation of the two countries
Secular, mostly Hindu India
Muslim nation of Pakistan
Conflict between Hindus and Muslims in Kashmir dates back to British rule before partition.
India and Pakistan are technically still waiting for a UN decision on where the final border between the two countries will be.
Civil war has erupted repeatedly and sporadic fighting continues along the boundary line. Both India and Pakistan have nuclear weapons.