Deck 12: South Asia

Question 1

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

Answer 1

B

Question 2

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

Answer 2

A

Question 3

What environmental damage often occurs after many years of irrigation?

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

Answer 3

A

Question 4

What physical feature is needed for orographic precipitation to occur?

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

Question 5

What is the most serious natural hazard in Bangladesh?

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

Question 6

What climatic factor dominates South Asia,often causing summer floods?

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

Question 7

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

A) the peninsula
B) India proper
C) Indistan
D) the Indian subcontinent

Question 8

What are the causes of deforestation in South Asia?

A) to make room for agriculture
B) urban expansion
C) industrial expansion
D) commercial logging
E) all of the above

Question 9

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

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

Question 10

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 11

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 12

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 13

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 14

Which of the following countries of South Asia is an island?

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

Question 15

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 16

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 17

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 18

Why is Bhopal,India known?

A) It was the site of a 1984 gas leak 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 19

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 20

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

A) just over 10%
B) about 33%
C) approximately 50%
D) nearly 70%
E) more than 75%

Question 21

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 22

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 23

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 24

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

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

Question 25

Who brought Islam to South Asia?

A) Turkic-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 26

What religion dominates in India?

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

Question 27

About how many metropolitan areas in India have populations over 1 million inhabitants?

A) 2
B) 10
C) 15
D) 20
E) 40

Question 28

Approximately how many Muslims are there in South Asia?

A) 2 million
B) 20 million
C) 150 million
D) 500 million
E) 750 million

Question 29

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 30

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 31

What religion dominates in Pakistan and Bangladesh?

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

Question 32

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 33

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

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

Question 34

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

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

Question 35

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 36

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

A) Islam
B) Buddhism
C) syncretism
D) Caste system
E) language

Question 37

What work are Sikh men noted for?

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

Question 38

In which of the following countries of South Asia is Hinduism the majority religion?

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

Question 39

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 40

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

A) Kshatriyas (princes and warriors)
B) Shudras (farmers, craft occupations)
C) Dalits (untouchables)
D) Brahmins (priestly class)
E) Vaishyas (merchant class)

Question 41

Which of the following is one of the main reasons that Pakistan has had a difficult time achieving economic growth?

A) Its landlocked position makes it difficult for the nation to engage in trade.
B) Its economy is almost solely dependent on the information-technology industry.
C) It is burdened by high levels of defense spending.
D) Its ongoing war with Afghanistan has sapped the nation's economy.
E) Its "bubble" economy has collapsed.

Question 42

Despite widespread poverty in the country of India,approximately how many Indians are able to purchase modern consumer goods such as televisions?

A) 50 million
B) 100 million
C) 300 million
D) 600 million
E) 450 million

Question 43

What role does the Grameen Bank play in Bangladesh?

A) It regulates interest rates in the country.
B) It provides low-interest credit to fund small-scale enterprise.
C) It is the largest commercial bank.
D) It facilitates international financial activities .
E) all of the above

Question 44

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

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

Question 45

What are the Tamil Tigers?

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

Question 46

Which country of South Asia has the region's overall highest level of social development,in terms of favorable social indicators?

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

Question 47

What are the sources of ethnic violence in Sri Lanka?

A) religious and linguistic differences
B) linguistic and cultural differences
C) cultural and political differences
D) political and economic differences
E) economic and religious differences

Question 48

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 49

Why did the Bengalis in the former East Pakistan fight for independence?

A) The government of India encouraged them to rebel.
B) They did not like the Islamic fundamentalism of Pakistan.
C) They did not share the Muslim religion of the Pakistanis.
D) They felt they were treated as second-class citizens.
E) They did not want to share their oil wealth with Pakistan.

Question 50

What is the most widely spoken language in South Asia?

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

Question 51

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 52

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 53

Why is Bangladesh internationally competitive in textile and clothing manufacture?

A) It has abundant natural resources.
B) It has a cheap source of energy.
C) It is located near its markets.
D) Its wages are low.
E) all of the above

Question 54

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 55

Who is the father-figure of Indian independence?

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

Question 56

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 57

India's economy is most advanced in what economic activity?

A) engineering technology
B) automobile production
C) electrical appliances
D) software development
E) consumer electronics

Question 58

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

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

Question 59

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

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

Question 60

What is the most isolated country in South Asia?

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

Question 61

Urbanization is increasing in South Asia because of changes in the economics of agriculture.

Question 62

Sri Lanka is claimed by both India and Pakistan.

Question 63

In western and southern India,fertility rates are now generally at or below replacement levels.

Question 64

A thousand years ago,the major unifying force in South Asia was language.

Question 65

A monsoon can be defined as a seasonal change in wind direction,with corresponding wet and dry periods.

Question 66

After years of irrigation,soil salinization frequently becomes a serious environmental and agricultural problem.

Question 67

A river is needed for orographic precipitation to occur.

Question 68

The Punjab is considered to be the breadbasket of Sri Lanka.

Question 69

Why do some of the poorest regions of India have relatively high literacy rates despite their poverty?

A) because of the educational efforts of Christian missionaries
B) because of investment in education by the provincial government
C) because of foreign direct investment in schools in these areas
D) because of Peace Corps efforts of the United States
E) all of the above

Question 70

South Asia could soon surpass East Asia to become the world's most populous region.

Question 71

The climatic factor that dominates South Asia is the tornado.

Question 72

What country of South Asia has the region's highest adult literacy rate?

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

Question 73

Mumbai is the oldest city in South Asia.

Question 74

The Deccan Plateau is located in Bangladesh.

Question 75

Among the countries of South Asia,the Maldives is likely to be most concerned about climate change.

Question 76

According to a 2010 report,India's urban population will increase from 340 million in 2008 to 590 million in 2030.

Question 77

The Green Revolution in South Asia relied in part on traditional varieties of crops.

Question 78

The most serious natural hazard in Bangladesh is volcanoes.

Question 79

South Asia's monsoons bring flooding in the winter.

Question 80

India has the largest population in South Asia.