Deck 12: South Asia

Question 1

What are the causes of deforestation in South Asia?

A) to make room for agriculture
B) urban expansion
C) industrial and urban expansion
D) commercial logging
E) logging and agriculture, as well as industrial and urban expansion

Answer 1

E

Question 2

Which region of India is considered to be its breadbasket (that is, its area of greatest agricultural productivity)?

A) Bihar
B) Deccan Plateau
C) Kashmir
D) Punjab
E) All of the choices are correct.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

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

A) the peninsula
B) India proper
C) Indistan
D) the subcontinent
E) All of the choices are correct.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

What is the longest river in South Asia?

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

Question 5

Which of the following statements about Pakistan is INCORRECT?

A) Pakistan has nuclear weapons.
B) Most of Pakistan's people are Muslim.
C) Pakistan is made up of a small group of islands.
D) Pakistan was once part of a British colony called "India."
E) Pakistan has become more closely connected to its neighbors in Southwest Asia in recent years.

Question 6

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

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

Question 7

What environmental damage often occurs after many years of irrigation?

A) salinization
B) deforestation
C) desertification
D) water pollution
E) acid rain

Question 8

Which of the following statements about India is INCORRECT?

A) Bangladesh gained its independence from India in 1971.
B) India is the world's seventh largest country based on land area.
C) India is mostly Hindu, but contains people of many faiths.
D) India ranks second only to China in population.
E) India has nuclear weapons.

Question 9

In 2007, India signed an agreement with another country that could improve its energy and environmental outlook. What country was it, and what did the agreement specify?

A) India signed an agreement to encourage Japanese companies to invest in India's energy sector and transfer energy-saving technology.
B) India signed an agreement with the Russian government to purchase oil at a bargain price.
C) India signed an agreement with Sri Lanka to work together to develop solar energy technology.
D) India signed an agreement to encourage U.S. industries to work with it to develop its nuclear energy industry.
E) India signed an agreement with Iran to purchase natural gas.

Question 10

South Asia is likely to experience the following effects of climate change, EXCEPT

A) large areas of the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta in Bangladesh will be inundated.
B) as many as 7 million people could be displaced from coastal areas.
C) as Himalayan glaciers retreat, water flow into the Indus-Ganges Plain will be reduced.
D) South Asia is at such a low elevation that 50% of its land area will be under water.
E) increasingly violent storms could increase flooding and soil erosion.

Question 11

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

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

Question 12

What is the tallest mountain chain in South Asia and the world?

A) Western Ghats
B) Eastern Ghats
C) Himalayas
D) Aravalli Range
E) Satpura Range

Question 13

What South Asian country is building the Quadrilateral Highway?

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

Question 14

The Green Revolution in South Asia

A) had little effect on crop yields.
B) relied in part on newly developed varieties of crops.
C) originated in the early 1950s.
D) was accomplished without the use of pesticides.
E) has been a total success.

Question 15

Why is Bhopal, India known?

A) It was the site of a 1984 explosion at a fertilizer factory that killed over 2,500 people.
B) It is the capital of India.
C) It is the major economic center of Pakistan.
D) It has the largest population in the world.
E) It is the town in which Mahatma Gandhi was born.

Question 16

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

A) flooding of the river deltas
B) deforestation
C) water pollution
D) acid rain
E) air pollution

Question 17

Which country in South Asia is only 6 feet above sea level at its highest point, and therefore is most threatened by rising sea levels predicted to accompany climate change?

A) the Maldives
B) Sri Lanka
C) India
D) Pakistan
E) Bangladesh

Question 18

What makes the Himalayan Mountains of South Asia distinctive?

A) They are home to more species than any other place except the Amazon basin.
B) They are the world's tallest.
C) They are the world's oldest.
D) They are the world's wettest.
E) All of the choices are correct.

Question 19

What is the purpose of the Quadrilateral Highway?

A) To connect four of India's major cities
B) To connect India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Bhutan with a high-speed freeway
C) To build a four-lane high-speed freeway between Islamabad and Delhi
D) To connect the capital cities of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka with the fastest Internet service possible
E) To build freeways to the field camps of the four highest peaks in the Himalayan Mountains

Question 20

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

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

Question 21

About how large is South Asia, in terms of land area?

A) 1 billion square miles
B) one-half million square miles
C) one-quarter million square miles
D) 1.5 million square miles
E) 1 million square miles

Question 22

Which country of South Asia has the largest population in the region?

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

Question 23

What is the rain-shadow effect?

A) the area of high rainfall found on the windy side of a mountain range
B) the area of low rainfall found on the windy side of a mountain range
C) the area of high rainfall found on the leeward (downwind) side of a mountain range
D) the area of low rainfall found on the leeward (downwind) side of a mountain range
E) the snow-capped peak of a mountain, where the temperatures are too cold for rain to fall

Question 24

Where do most people in South Asia live?

A) in the major cities
B) in compact rural villages
C) in the mountains
D) in medium-sized towns
E) in the suburbs

Question 25

South Asia could soon surpass which other region as the world's most populous region?

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

Question 26

What country of South Asia has been one of the most successful in the region in reducing its fertility rate?

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

Question 27

Approximately how many Muslims are there in South Asia?

A) 2 million
B) 20 million
C) 150 million
D) 400 million
E) half a billion

Question 28

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) is the Indian political party that currently rules the country.
D) are a range of mountains that separate the narrow western coast of India from the rest of the country.
E) is the major cattle ranching region of Pakistan.

Question 29

What climatic factor dominates South Asia?

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

Question 30

South Asia's monsoons

A) typically occur only in winter.
B) hit most of the region at the same time.
C) do not typically reach the Himalayas.
D) bring flooding in the summer.
E) usually do not cause any problems.

Question 31

What physical feature is needed for orographic precipitation to occur?

A) lake
B) mountain
C) river
D) desert
E) a tropical forest

Question 32

What is the most serious natural hazard in Bangladesh?

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

Question 33

In what South Asian country is the Deccan Plateau located?

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

Question 34

Which country of South Asia is an island?

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

Question 35

Of the following countries of South Asia, which has the smallest population?

A) Nepal
B) Bhutan
C) Sri Lanka
D) Bangladesh
E) the Maldives

Question 36

Where is Pakistan's population concentrated?

A) along the Indus River
B) on the border with India
C) on the western border near Afghanistan
D) along the coast of the Arabian Sea
E) Pakistan's population is evenly distributed, with no concentrations of population.

Question 37

How were the Himalayas formed?

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

Question 38

Why are floods so devastating in Bangladesh?

A) because of the high population density in this region
B) Deforestation in Bangladesh increases runoff in the area.
C) Powerful cyclones form over the Bay of Bengal.
D) Natural population growth adds many new people to the region each year.
E) All of the choices are correct.

Question 39

What country of South Asia extends farthest south?

A) India
B) Bangladesh
C) Pakistan
D) Sri Lanka
E) the Maldives

Question 40

What is the most isolated country in South Asia?

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

Question 41

Sri Lanka

A) was originally colonized by the French.
B) is located about 50 miles south of the southern Pakistan coast.
C) has a Hindu majority living on its north coast.
D) has a majority Muslim population.
E) is a peninsula.

Question 42

A thousand years ago, what was the major unifying force in South Asia?

A) Islam
B) Buddhism
C) syncretism
D) Hinduism
E) language

Question 43

Which of the following is NOT a problem facing Calcutta, India?

A) Electrical power is inadequate.
B) Many streets are routinely flooded during the wet season.
C) The economic base is declining.
D) A mixed Hindu-Muslim population generates ethnic tension.
E) It has poor quality educational institutions.

Question 44

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

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

Question 45

What is the name for India's secluded or untouchable class?

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

Question 46

What is the most widely spoken language in South Asia?

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

Question 47

What are "hutments"?

A) government-appropriated funds that aid in the construction of housing for Pakistan's poor
B) crude shelters built on formerly busy sidewalks in India
C) the Indian term for high-rise apartments in urban areas such as Mumbai
D) the term for street-side shops in Bangladesh
E) tents used by mountaineers attempting to climb Mt. Everest and other Himalayan peaks from Nepal

Question 48

According to your textbook, in Mumbai, there is a stark contrast between poverty and wealth, and

A) it is very dangerous for one to walk the streets.
B) there are riots on almost a weekly basis.
C) yet it remains a relatively crime-free city.
D) there are many homeless people on the streets.
E) street crime is more of a problem than organized crime.

Question 49

What is the main reason why urbanization is increasing in South Asia?

A) changes in the economics of agriculture resulting in greater mechanization
B) official government policies that encourage city growth
C) the high incidence of mosquito-borne illnesses in the countryside
D) better economic opportunities in the cities
E) Urbanization is a prerequisite for assistance from the International Monetary Fund.

Question 50

What is the source of the place name "Mumbai"?

A) It is named after the founder of modern day India.
B) It is named after the river that flows through it.
C) It is named after the highest mountain peak in the Himalayas.
D) It is named after a Hindu goddess.
E) It is named after the Dravidian word for "mother."

Question 51

About how many cities in South Asia have populations greater than one million?

A) 1
B) 6
C) 17
D) 28
E) 43

Question 52

Who brought Islam to South Asia?

A) Turkish speaking Muslims from Central Asia
B) Saudi princes
C) Malaysian traders traveling the Silk Road
D) Persian warriors during the expansion of their empire
E) Afghan mujahedeen

Question 53

The Buddha

A) was born into a wealthy family in northern India.
B) promised his followers an afterlife.
C) supported the caste system.
D) eventually converted to Hinduism.
E) founded Islam.

Question 54

What is the most common employment for today's Indian immigrants to the United States?

A) cab driver
B) professional
C) street merchant
D) farmer
E) construction worker

Question 55

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

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

Question 56

What animal is considered sacred among Hindus?

A) cows
B) dogs
C) elephants
D) horses
E) tigers

Question 57

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

A) New Delhi
B) Karachi
C) Mumbai (Bombay)
D) Bangalore
E) Calcutta

Question 58

In what sector of the economy do most of today's Indian immigrants to the United States work?

A) primary
B) secondary
C) tertiary
D) quaternary
E) There is a mix.

Question 59

Hinduism

A) has always denounced the caste system.
B) is now the minority religion in India.
C) denounces mysticism.
D) is a universalizing religion.
E) places special emphasis on the use of Sanskrit.

Question 60

What are bustees?

A) a type of insect pest that threatens crops throughout South Asia
B) sprawling squatter settlements in South Asia
C) This is the name for the untouchable caste in Hindu South Asia.
D) citizen groups that lobby for better government services in Pakistan
E) the local name given to the monsoonal winds that plague Bangladesh

Question 61

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

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

Question 62

Which of the following is true of Hinduism?

A) Hinduism lacks a single, uniformly accepted belief system.
B) Hinduism is a monotheistic religion.
C) Hinduism is a universalizing religion.
D) Hinduism originated in the Indus Valley.
E) Hinduism emerged in the 1500s.

Question 63

What is the cause of urban unrest in Karachi, Pakistan?

A) a government proposed plan to make Karachi the new capital
B) Muslim separatists wanting to establish Karachi as an independent city-state
C) the influx of U.S. corporations into the region
D) local Sindhis' opposition to the immigration of Mohjirs from India
E) stark contrasts between very rich and very poor people in Karachi

Question 64

After the partitioning of India in the late 1940s and the subsequent formation of Bangladesh in 1971, what was Pakistan's policy toward the Pashtun tribes in the country?

A) to make them citizens of Pakistan
B) to expel them from the country
C) to retain the British policy, and allow them to maintain nearly full autonomy
D) to move the population to a location near the Indian border
E) ethnic cleansing

Question 65

Where in India do Muslims live?

A) in the north
B) in the south
C) in almost every part of the country
D) in the west
E) in the east

Question 66

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

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

Question 67

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

A) culture
B) language
C) politics
D) religion
E) All of the choices are correct.

Question 68

What religion dominates in Bhutan?

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

Question 69

In which country of South Asia is Hinduism the majority religion?

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

Question 70

What two countries in South Asia have nuclear weapons?

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

Question 71

Which of the following best describes the geography of religion in India?

A) Most of the people are Muslim, but about 15% are Hindu.
B) Most of the people are Hindu, but about 15% are Sikh.
C) Most of the people are Hindu, but about 15% are Muslim.
D) Most of the people are Muslim, but about 15% are Sikh.
E) About 50% are Hindu, about 40% are Muslim, and about 10% are Sikh.

Question 72

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

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

Question 73

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

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

Question 74

What work are Sikh men noted for?

A) farmers
B) foresters
C) merchants
D) artists
E) soldiers

Question 75

Sikhism is a blend of what two religions?

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

Question 76

During the period of British colonialism in South Asia, why did the British allow the tribal Pashtun-speaking areas of what is now northwest Pakistan to retain their independence?

A) The people of these areas aided the British in their war effort against Afghanistan.
B) The people of these areas proved to be formidable foes of the British, and used their might to retain both their own territory, while gaining portions of India as well.
C) The British began to realize that their colonial policies were culturally insensitive and thus started an experimental policy to allow this region to remain independent.
D) to avoid diluting their efforts in India
E) This region would serve as a secondary buffer against the Russians to the north.

Question 77

What trend is threatening the survival of the Zoroastrian community?

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

Question 78

What religion dominates in Pakistan and Bangladesh?

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

Question 79

What group of people is at the top of the Hindu caste system?

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

Question 80

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

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