• 10/9 Focus10/9 Focus:– Geographic conditions in the Indus

River Valley allowed for the development of civilization on the Indian subcontinent

– Seasonal monsoons were and continue to be an important factor in the life of people on the Indian subcontinent

• Do Now:Do Now:– What is a peninsula? What is a peninsula?

River Valley River Valley CivilizationsCivilizations

The Indus ValleyThe Indus ValleyGeography of South AsiaGeography of South Asia

(Indian Subcontinent) (Indian Subcontinent)

• The Indus Valley civilization developed around 2,500 B.C. in the western part of South Asia

Indian SubcontinentIndian Subcontinent• Landmass that includes Landmass that includes

the modern day nations the modern day nations of:of:– India India – Pakistan Pakistan – BangladeshBangladesh

• Separated from Asia by Separated from Asia by large mountain ranges large mountain ranges in the Northin the North– HimalayasHimalayas– Hindu KushHindu Kush – KarakoramKarakoram

Indian SubcontinentIndian Subcontinent

• Southern half Southern half is large is large peninsula peninsula

• PeninsulaPeninsula– Landmass Landmass

with water on with water on three sidesthree sides

Geographic RegionsGeographic Regions

• Three distinct Three distinct geographic geographic regionsregions– Mountains in Mountains in

the north the north – Deccan PlateauDeccan Plateau– Northern PlainsNorthern Plains

Mountains Mountains • Kept climate

subtropical• Limited contact

with other groups • Ways through the

Mts.– Khyber Pass

• Mountain pass in the Hindu Kush

• Allowed movement into the Indus Valley

– Thar Desert

• Khyber Pass is still an important way through the mountains today

Deccan PlateauDeccan Plateau

• Plateau Plateau – Raised, flat Raised, flat

area of landarea of land

• Dry, Arid Dry, Arid region in the region in the center of the center of the subcontinentsubcontinent

Northern PlainsNorthern Plains

• Three rivers pass Three rivers pass through this areathrough this area– IndusIndus– GangesGanges– BrahmaputraBrahmaputra

• Silt from flooding Silt from flooding made the soil made the soil fertilefertile

• Civilizations Civilizations developed heredeveloped here

MonsoonsMonsoons

• Seasonal winds Seasonal winds • Summer Summer – Heavy rains, Heavy rains,

warm airwarm air

• WinterWinter– Cool, Dry airCool, Dry air

MonsoonsMonsoons

• Brought rain Brought rain needed for needed for cropscrops

• Led to flooding Led to flooding of rivers and of rivers and creation of creation of fertile silt fertile silt

Environmental Environmental ChallengesChallenges

• Floods along the Floods along the Indus Indus unpredictableunpredictable

• river can change course

• Rainfall Rainfall unpredictable; unpredictable; could have could have droughts or floodsdroughts or floods