Big Ideas & Vocabulary
What is India called because it is very large and attached to Asia?
A subcontinent
Which river becomes slower and deeper as it flows from mountains into a valley?
Brahmaputra River
What kind of physical feature are the Eastern and Western Ghats?
Mountain ranges
Which mountain range is the highest in the world and forms a natural northern border for India?
The Himalaya Mountains
What is the name of the first known settlement area in ancient India?
The Indus River valley
In summer, what weather pattern brings heavy rain to India?
Monsoon
Which area of India has some of the most fertile farmland because a river leaves rich sediment there?
The plains along the Ganges River
Compared with the Eastern and Western Ghats, the Deccan Plateau has what type of climate?
A drier climate
How did the Himalayas benefit India in history?
They protected India from enemies/invasions
What two things did rivers provide that made them great places for early settlements?
Plenty of water and fertile soil (good for farming)
What word means “rich, good for growing crops” when describing soil?
Fertile
Much of the water in the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra rivers comes from what source?
Melting ice/snow (glaciers) in the mountains
What crop is grown using the iron-rich black soil on parts of the Deccan Plateau?
Cotton
The Khyber Pass helped travelers cross which mountain range?
The Hindu Kush
Why did the land where the Brahmaputra River meets the Ganges become very fertile?
Flooding/river water carried rich minerals/silt that stayed in the soil
What word means a flat area of land that is elevated, or raised, above the land around it?
Plateau
How are the Indus and Ganges similar to the Nile River in Egypt?
They carry silt that enriches the soil
What would you likely see a lot of in the Thar Desert?
Sand dunes
The lower Indus River (near the sea) flows through what modern-day country?
Pakistan
Why might the Eastern Ghats be unsafe for travel, even though rivers flow through them?
The rivers move rapidly, have many rocks, and can plunge over cliffs
Why did early people in India choose to settle near rivers? Give 2 reasons.
Water for drinking/farming + fertile soil for crops (also travel/trade)
What problem can happen during the rainy season along the Ganges River that can hurt farmers?
Flooding that can destroy crops
Name two physical features that are usually unsuitable for early settlement and why.
Himalaya/Hindu Kush (cold, steep, icy) and Thar Desert (hot, dry, little water)
Why was the Khyber Pass important to early people?
It connected Central Asia to the Indian subcontinent, allowing trade and also invasions
If you were choosing ONE place to start a settlement, which would you pick: near the Thar Desert, the Himalayas, or a river valley? Explain with two reasons.
River valley, because it has water and fertile soil (also travel/trade); deserts and high mountains have harsh conditions and limited farming
About how many total miles do the Ganges, Indus, and Brahmaputra rivers add up to when you combine their lengths?
Using the river lengths from Encyclopaedia Britannica:
Ganges: 1,560 miles (2,510 km)
Indus: ~2,000 miles (~3,200 km)
Brahmaputra: ~1,800 miles (~2,900 km)
Put together: about 5,360 miles (about 8,610 km).