PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY/ENVIRONMENT
Several major rivers rise in the Himalayas and are a focus of population in this region. What are they?
Indus
Ganges
Brahmaputra
Most of India's population is settled in this narrow area.
Ganges Plain
List the major religions found in the South Asia region.
Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Parsi (Zoroastrianism), Sikhism
The area fought over by India, Pakistan and China.
Jammu and Kashmir
Describe the concept of centralized planning
the state controls what is produced, where industries are located, policies controlling trade, education etc.
The geographic feature separating European Russia from Siberia.
Ural Mountains
Why are the areas of the Northern Caucasus so different from Russia.
cultural, language and religious differences
The distinct cultural preference for male children in South Asia has led to several issues. Describe some.
Widespread abortion of female fetuses.
A population imbalance with far more males than females
Why has South Asia experienced so many insurgencies since independence?
religious, cultural and ethnic differences. Minority groups who feel discriminated against politically and economically
Who are oligarchs
Very wealthy businessmen who control important aspects of Russian economy.
The lowland area of mangrove swamps defining the Bengal coast of Eastern India and Bangladesh.
Sundarbans/ Ganges Delta
What are challenges to urbanization in India?
- rapid population growth
- lack of adequate transportation, water, housing and waste management infrastructure
- language barriers
- education
Q: Describe Reverse Russification
A major population shift in post-Soviet era. In many post-soviet countries citizenship is now tied to language requirements based on the language of the ethnic majority, meaning that many Russian speakers have moved back to Russia
Two areas of internationally recognized as belonging to other counties which are currently under Russian control or autonomous with Russian protection.
Crimean Peninsula and Eastern Ukraine, Abkhazia, South Ossetia
What are some negative effects of the Green Revolution?
- Pollution of wells and rivers,
- exposure to chemicals,
- increased cost of production and indebtedness of poor farmers
- Soil salinization
The northern Russia vegetation type commercially harvested for international lumber markets.
Boreal Forest
Describe the reason for the contemporary population distribution we see in the Russian Domain.
Harsh climate of northern Russia and Siberia not suitable for agricultural production and so historically sparsely populated.
Centralized planning created specialized towns in resource rich areas.
Forced migration of cultural groups away from their homelands.
What are some of the ways Slavic cultural influences were promoted in the region?
Use of Russian as the national language, Russian Orthodox religion, forced migration of 'troublesome' groups, suppression of symbols of ethnic identity.
Why were some areas administered differently and not included in the new countries of India & Pakistan after independence?
Relative isolation in the mountainous area meant cultural links, communication and control were difficult with British India but also with the competing interest of China.
Traditionally Nepal and Bhutan were self-governing and only seen as British Protectorates and a buffer area between India and China
Describe reasons for the decline of health care in post-soviet Russian Domain
Collapse of the centralized planning system
High fat diets, low physical activity and high alcohol consumption
Describe the major environmental issues affecting the Russian Domain region
- climate change
- air pollution
- water pollution
- toxic waste from mining, chemical and nuclear activities
Much agricultural production is focused in the southern part of the Russian Domain. Why?
the climate and soils are better suited for agriculture.
The largest cultural group in South Asia
Hindus
Explain why South Asia was politically partitioned at the end of British rule.
Many saw the religious split as problematic and a single independent unit was not favored, particularly by the Muslim population
Describe challenges to development in Bangladesh.
- High population
- High density with poor infrastructure
- High incidence of poverty
- High exposure to natural hazards (cyclones, floods)
How is climate change affecting the Maldives?
Sea level rise inundating the limited land and drowning protective coral reefs.
Increased temperatures damaging to corals
Increased storminess
What is the dominant ethnic group in Sri Lanka
Sinhalese
In Pakistan, one of the major cultural tensions plays out in Karachi between these two cultural groups.
Sindis - native inhabitants and Muhajirs - Muslim refugees from India
How have the tensions of the Cold War affected current interactions between the Russian Domain and Western Europe?
Differential development as Western European countries industrialized faster and more thoroughly than Eastern Europe. This has led to migration from east to west, continued conflicts as former eastern bock countries pivot to the EU, Russian resurgence a concern for Ukraine, Finland and the Baltics.
Russia's economy is heavily dependent on its energy resources. How has this affected its national development?
falling word prices reduce foreign income,
international sanctions against Russian energy industry have made development further development difficult.