Deck 12: South Asia

Question 1

The Western Ghats

A)are a separatist group that is calling for the division of India into eastern and western halves.
B)form the border between India and Pakistan.
C)are a range of mountains that separate the narrow western coast of India from the rest of the country.
D)is the major cattle ranching region of Pakistan.
E)is the Indian political party that currently rules the country.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

The population of South Asia

A)is largely concentrated in two countries:Bangladesh and Pakistan
B)has been slowly decreasing in recent decades
C)lags well behind both East Asia and Europe
D)has already passed East Asia to become the world's most populous region
E)could soon surpass East Asia to become the world's most populous region

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which is NOT a cause of deforestation in South Asia?

A)aquaculture expansion
B)commercial logging
C)industrialization
D)urban expansion
E)clearing land for agriculture

Answer 3

A

Question 4

What was the primary force behind the formation of the Himalayas?

A)the collision of peninsular India with the Eurasia continental plate
B)the rifting (pulling apart)of the Eurasian Plate and the Indo-Australian Plate
C)the erosion of the landscape north and south of the region that would become the mountains
D)the upwelling of molten matter from a hot spot beneath the Indian subcontinent
E)major volcanic activity

Question 5

The highest peaks of the Himalayas exceed what elevation?

A)19,000 feet
B)16,000 feet
C)22,000 feet
D)13,000 feet
E)25,000 feet

Question 6

Which area will be the driest as result of the rain-shadow effect?

A)the higher elevations on the windward side of a mountain range
B)the flatlands bordering the windward side of the mountain range
C)the leeward (downwind)side of a mountain range
D)the low elevations on the windward side of a mountain range
E)the summit of the mountain, where temperatures are usually below freezing

Question 7

Most of India's rapidly growing electricity demand is being met by what source?

A)nuclear
B)dung
C)coal
D)hydropower
E)wind

Question 8

Where do the Himalayan Mountains lie, relative to the region of South Asia?

A)in the center of South Asia
B)south of South Asia
C)west of South Asia
D)north of South Asia
E)east of South Asia

Question 9

The wet monsoon, under normal conditions will arrive in South Asia during

A)December
B)June
C)September
D)January
E)March

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT one of the environmental problems of South Asia?

A)insecure nuclear waste disposal
B)extinction of wildlife
C)air pollution
D)deforestation
E)desertification

Question 11

South Asia recently surpassed which region as the world's most populous region?

A)Europe
B)Latin America
C)East Asia
D)Sub-Saharan Africa
E)North America

Question 12

Which of the following rivers flows into Bangladesh?

A)Indus
B)Yamuna
C)Ghaghara
D)Brahmaputra
E)Kashmiri

Question 13

What climatic factor dominates South Asia?

A)hailstorms
B)blizzards
C)droughts
D)monsoons
E)tornadoes

Question 14

The two rivers which dominate South Asia are the

A)Brahmaputra and Yamuna
B)Indus and Ghaghara
C)Brahmaputra and Ghaghara
D)Ganges and Yamuna
E)Indus and Ganges

Question 15

Orographic precipitation requires which two physical features to occur?

A)ocean and tropical forest
B)ocean and desert
C)desert and tropical rain forest
D)desert and mountains
E)ocean and mountains

Question 16

What name is sometimes given to the region of South Asia?

A)Indistan
B)the peninsula
C)the Indian Subcontinent
D)India proper
E)Hindustan

Question 17

What is the most serious natural hazard in Bangladesh?

A)flooding
B)earthquakes
C)wildfires
D)severe tornadoes
E)volcanoes

Question 18

Which of the following statements about the Himalayan Mountains of South Asia is correct?

A)The Himalayas are the longest mountain range in the world.
B)The Himalayas are the most volcanic mountains in the world.
C)The Himalayas are the tallest mountains in the world.
D)The Himalayas are home to more species than any other place except the Amazon Basin.
E)The Himalayas are the oldest mountains in the world.

Question 19

Which month will India most likely experience the greatest cumulative rainfall?

A)July
B)May
C)October
D)December
E)March

Question 20

Which nation is dominated by the Himalayas?

A)Bangladesh
B)Sri Lanka
C)Nepal
D)Pakistan
E)Maldives

Question 21

The area of India where one is most likely to find wheat harvested is while the region most likely to find rice under cultivation is _.

A)Nepal, highland valleys of the Himalaya
B)the Indian states of Punjab and Haryana, in the lowlands of India's eastern and western coasts
C)in the lowlands of southern India, Sri Lanka
D)Sri Lanka, the Indian states of Haryana and Punjab
E)Bangladesh, Sri Lanka

Question 22

The Buddha

A)was also known as Govinda
B)eventually converted to Hinduism.
C)supported the caste system.
D)succeeded in replacing Hinduism as the dominant religion in India
E)preached that the path to enlightenment ("nirvana")was open to all

Question 23

The current population of India is roughly

A)162.9 billion
B)1)328 billion
C)436 million
D)1)328 million
E)203.4 million

Question 24

What is the main crop in the Ganges Valley of South Asia?

A)corn
B)soybeans
C)rice
D)millet
E)wheat

Question 25

Which of the following phrases best describes the outcome of the Green Revolution?

A)an agricultural and ecological failure, but a social success
B)an agricultural success, but an ecological and social failure
C)an agricultural disaster, as well as an ecological and social failure
D)an agricultural success, as well as an ecological and social success
E)an agricultural and ecological success, but a social failure

Question 26

What environmental damage often occurs after many years of irrigation?

A)salinization
B)acid rain
C)desertification
D)siltation
E)deforestation

Question 27

With which religion was the Mughal Empire of South Asia identified?

A)Hinduism
B)Jainism
C)Islam
D)Bahia
E)Christianity

Question 28

Which of these statements regarding migration within South Asia is TRUE?

A)There is presently a great amount of cross-border population exchange between India and Pakistan.
B)There is a steady stream of migrants from southern India (ex. Tamil Nadu and Kerala).
C)There has been a steady stream of migrants from India into Pakistan.
D)Indians have been steadily migrating north into Nepal and Kashmir.
E)People from across northern, central and eastern India have been migrating to Mumbai.

Question 29

What is the largest city in South Asia (based on population)?

A)Karachi
B)Kathmandu
C)Colombo
D)New Delhi
E)Mumbai (Bombay)

Question 30

The Green Revolution began in which decade?

A)1950s
B)1980s
C)1970s
D)1960s
E)1990s

Question 31

Which two nations of South Asia comprise the largest population in the region?

A)India and Sri Lanka
B)Bangladesh and Pakistan
C)India and Nepal
D)India and Pakistan
E)Nepal and Bhutan

Question 32

South Asia is primarily a region of

A)suburban enclaves
B)pastoral nomadic encampments
C)mid-sized industrial towns
D)rural villages
E)major urban conurbations

Question 33

What is the name for India's untouchable class?

A)Dalits
B)Kshatriyas
C)Sudras
D)Brahmins
E)Vaishya's

Question 34

What is a reason why urbanization is increasing in South Asia?

A)widespread rural famines forcing people to migrate into cities
B)official government policies that encourage city growth (such as financial relocation assistance)
C)a higher fertility rate in urban areas
D)changes in the economics of agriculture resulting in greater mechanization
E)better economic opportunities in the cities

Question 35

Which varna group is at the top of the Hindu caste system?

A)Shudras
B)Dalits
C)Brahmins
D)Kshatriyas
E)Vaishyas

Question 36

Which of the following statements is TRUE regarding population density patterns in South Asia?

A)Population density is greatest in the central region of India and decreases as you move away from the core of central India.
B)Bangladesh has a low population density compared to other South Asian nations.
C)Population is evenly distributed across the entirety of South Asia.
D)Population density is greatest in the desert frontier of western Pakistan.
E)There are two primary population clusters N one running the length of the Ganges, the other along the Indus in neighboring Pakistan.

Question 37

About what percentage of people in South Asia live in cities?

A)approximately 50%
B)more than 75%
C)nearly 35%
D)nearly 65%
E)just over 10%

Question 38

The Green Revolution in South Asia largely concentrated on which two crops?

A)rice and potatoes
B)corn and potatoes
C)wheat and rice
D)corn and rice
E)wheat and potatoes

Question 39

One would most likely find "hutments" located in/on

A)in coastal regions of India and Bangladesh
B)in rugged mountainous terrain of Pakistan, India and Nepal where wood is scarce
C)wealthy urban enclaves in Mumbai where the elite live
D)Muslim nations such as Pakistan and Bangladesh because Islam encourages their growth
E)high-density urban thoroughfares and sidewalks in cities such as Mumbai

Question 40

Which of the following is a forward capital?

A)New Delhi
B)Kathmandu
C)Islamabad
D)Colombo
E)Dhaka

Question 41

You live in Karachi. You more than likely speak which two languages?

A)Tamil and Hindi
B)Hindi and Nepali
C)Bengali and Tamil
D)Sindhi and Urdu
E)Kashmiri and Bengali

Question 42

You are a member of the Sikh faith. You most likely live in

A)Tamil Nadu
B)Bangladesh
C)Punjab
D)Kashmir
E)Pakistan

Question 43

What language has been suggested as a unifying national language in India?

A)English
B)Hindi
C)Dravidian
D)Brahui
E)French

Question 44

What trend is threatening the survival of the Zoroastrian community?

A)emigration from the region in search of economic opportunity
B)intermarriage and low fertility
C)persecution by Sikhs
D)the abandonment of the belief system for Hinduism
E)environmental devastation in their homeland of Bhutan

Question 45

The population of Pakistan is primarily

A)Jain
B)Muslim
C)Christian
D)Hindu
E)Sikh

Question 46

What behavior does the South Asian religion of Jainism emphasize over all others?

A)tolerance
B)honesty
C)prayer
D)nonviolence
E)fasting

Question 47

Sikh men have a distinct physical appearance because

A)they dye their hair blue since it is a sacred color to Sikhs
B)they wear bright yellow and saffron robes
C)they do not cut their hair or beards and wrap their hair in turbans
D)they engage in religious ceremonies where they ritualistically scar their faces
E)they shave all their hair and are bald

Question 48

Of the following regions or countries of South Asia, where would you be most likely to find a Muslim?

A)Nepal
B)Sri Lanka
C)Bhutan
D)Kashmir
E)Kerala

Question 49

What is the most widely spoken language in South Asia?

A)Bengali
B)Persian
C)Dravidian
D)Hindi
E)Gujarati

Question 50

Hinduism

A)is the majority religion in Pakistan and Bangladesh
B)actively seeks new converts in the same manner as does Christianity and Islam
C)has always denounced the caste system.
D)is monotheistic
E)is the majority religion in India.

Question 51

Which two nations in South Asia are overwhelmingly Muslim?

A)India and Nepal
B)India and Bangladesh
C)India and Pakistan
D)Bangladesh and Nepal
E)Bangladesh and Pakistan

Question 52

Dravidian languages will be spoken in the Indian state of

A)Rajasthan
B)Kashmir
C)Tamil Nadu
D)Uttar Pradesh
E)Assam

Question 53

What religion dominates in Bhutan?

A)Sikhism
B)Christianity
C)Islam
D)Hinduism
E)Buddhism

Question 54

The dominant colonial power that unified South Asia into a single political system were the

A)Dutch
B)British
C)Russians
D)French
E)Chinese

Question 55

Which of the following statements about Islam in South Asia is TRUE in modern times?

A)Islam has coexisted peacefully with Hinduism during the past century.
B)Sri Lanka is overwhelmingly Muslim.
C)India is predominately Muslim today, with more than 170 million adherents.
D)India is a minority Muslim nation.
E)Muslims tend to be coastal people in South Asia, whereas Hinduism is found in the mountainous interior.

Question 56

The majority of people in South Asia are

A)Muslim
B)Sikh
C)Hindu
D)Christian
E)Jains

Question 57

In what part of India are Dravidian languages most likely to be spoken?

A)south
B)north
C)center
D)west
E)east

Question 58

The British East India Company was

A)largely comprised of British laborers sent to work in India under the authority of Indian vassal states
B)a private firm acting as an arm of the British government that gained economic and military dominance over much of South Asia
C)a publicly-owned Indian company where profits were largely shared by various Indian principalities
D)dissolved after the 1857 uprising in India
E)established after Indian independence in 1947

Question 59

The state of Uttar Pradesh is dominated by which language?

A)Gujarati
B)Uttar Pradeshi
C)Tamil
D)Hindi
E)Bengali

Question 60

Sikhism is a blend of what two religions?

A)Christianity and Hinduism
B)Hinduism and Buddhism
C)Islam and Buddhism
D)Christianity and Islam
E)Hinduism and Islam

Question 61

The ISI (Inter-Intelligence Services)is

A)are the presidential bodyguards in Pakistan
B)an Indian counterterrorist force which works undercover in Kashmir
C)worked extensively with the Soviet KGB during the Cold War
D)have a strong working relationship with the American CIA and Israeli secret police
E)are Pakistani and may be comprised by radical Islamist elements

Question 62

After the September 11th terrorist attacks on the United States, the Pakistan government

A)used the confusion of the situation to launch an attack against India.
B)agreed to aid the United States in its fight against the Taliban.
C)dissolved and reorganized as an Islamic theocracy.
D)immediately rescinded Pashtun autonomy in the northern portions of the country.
E)sided completely with the Taliban.

Question 63

Which region of in India has the region's overall highest level of socio-economic development?

A)the Himalayan north (ex. Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh)
B)the eastern states (ex. Assam, Meghalaya and Manipur)
C)the Ganges Plain (ex. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar)
D)Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh
E)the west and the south (ex. Maharashtra, Goa and Kerala)

Question 64

What territory in South Asia is claimed by both India and Pakistan?

A)Sri Lanka
B)Kashmir
C)the Indian State of Goa
D)Punjab
E)Madhya Pradesh

Question 65

What are the Tamil Tigers?

A)a rebel force in Sri Lanka
B)a politically oriented singing group in Bangladesh
C)a sub-species of large felines in Nepal
D)an international soccer team from one of the states of India
E)a group of environmental activists in Pakistan

Question 66

Which nation below has the highest life expectancy at birth in South Asia?

A)Nepal
B)India
C)Sri Lanka
D)Pakistan
E)Bangladesh

Question 67

Bangladesh was part of which nation from 1948 until 1971?

A)England
B)Pakistan
C)Sri Lanka
D)India
E)Bhutan

Question 68

What factor was the basis for the creation of the states in India?

A)culture
B)politics
C)language
D)gender
E)religion

Question 69

In what year did the British withdraw from India?

A)1967
B)1937
C)1957
D)1927
E)1947

Question 70

The two ethnic groups involved in the violence in Sri Lanka are

A)Sinhalese and Muslims
B)Sinhalese and Tamils
C)Hindus and Tamils
D)Hindus and Bengalis
E)Hindus and Muslims

Question 71

What two countries in South Asia have nuclear weapons?

A)Sri Lanka and Bhutan
B)Pakistan and Bangladesh
C)Bhutan and India
D)Bangladesh and Sri Lanka
E)India and Pakistan

Question 72

What nation did the Bengalis in the former East Pakistan establish after independence in 1971?

A)Bhutan
B)India
C)Nepal
D)Pakistan
E)Bangladesh

Question 73

What role does the Grameen Bank play in Bangladesh?

A)It acts as a liaison to the International Monetary Fund.
B)It provides low-interest credit to fund small-scale enterprise.
C)It regulates interest rates in the country.
D)It is the largest commercial bank.
E)It facilitates international financial activities.

Question 74

The Grameen Bank originated in which country?

A)Pakistan
B)Bangladesh
C)Nepal
D)India
E)Sri Lanka

Question 75

The two nations formed because of Partition in 1947 were

A)Kashmir and Sri Lanka
B)India and Sri Lanka
C)India and Bangladesh
D)Pakistan and Bangladesh
E)India and Pakistan.

Question 76

Based on ALL of the socio-economic factors listed, which nation has the overall lowest socio-economic status for women?

A)Nepal
B)India
C)Bangladesh
D)Sri Lanka
E)Pakistan

Question 77

Why is Bangladesh internationally competitive in textile and clothing manufacture?

A)Its wages are low.
B)It is located near its markets.
C)It has abundant natural resources.
D)It has a well-educated population with levels of literacy.
E)It has a cheap source of energy.

Question 78

Which of the following statements best describes the 21st century economic realities of India?

A)an emerging middle class numbering some 270 million people but with large numbers of people still well below the poverty line
B)a large, prosperous middle class with far smaller numbers of people who are either extremely poor or extremely wealthy
C)poverty exists but only in rural areas
D)vast poverty with little to no emerging middle class
E)the gap between the extremely wealthy and extremely poor has closed in recent decades in India

Question 79

Upon which industry is Nepal heavily reliant?

A)mining
B)heavy manufacturing
C)international tourism
D)cotton production
E)information-technology

Question 80

Who is the father-figure of Indian independence?

A)Raj Kumar
B)Koose Veerappan
C)Aasif Mandviwala
D)Mohandas Gandhi
E)Siddhartha Guatama