0 Bewertungen0% fanden dieses Dokument nützlich (0 Abstimmungen)
130 Ansichten10 Seiten
The document summarizes the physical, human, and environmental geography of Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. It describes their landforms, water systems, climates, populations, cultures, economies, and environmental challenges like deforestation. It also discusses some efforts being taken to address issues like Bhutan keeping 60% of its land forested and Maldives limiting fossil fuels.
The document summarizes the physical, human, and environmental geography of Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. It describes their landforms, water systems, climates, populations, cultures, economies, and environmental challenges like deforestation. It also discusses some efforts being taken to address issues like Bhutan keeping 60% of its land forested and Maldives limiting fossil fuels.
The document summarizes the physical, human, and environmental geography of Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. It describes their landforms, water systems, climates, populations, cultures, economies, and environmental challenges like deforestation. It also discusses some efforts being taken to address issues like Bhutan keeping 60% of its land forested and Maldives limiting fossil fuels.
Physical Geography of Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal & Sri Lanka
Landforms
Their locations on the fringe of South Asia
means their physical and human geography have been influenced by the South Asian core.
Nepal and Bhutan each have four geographic
zones, with few people living in the rugged mountain areas.
Sri Lanka has two regions, a mountain range in
the Central Highlands and a plain the covers most of the island.
Maldives is a scattered collection of 1,200
islands grouped into thirteen atolls with barrier reefs. Physical Geography of Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal & Sri Lanka
Water Systems
Nepals fast-flowing rivers feed into the Ganges
and have great potential, or ability to be developed, as a source of hydroelectric power.
Bhutans rivers supply the Brahmaputra.
Sri Lankas Mahaweli features many spectacular
waterfalls and helps irrigate fields.
Maldives has underground aquifers, water-
bearing layers of porous rock, that supply water.
The Indian Ocean surrounds Maldives and Sri
Lanka and offers both benefits and dangers. Physical Geography of Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal & Sri Lanka
Climates, Biomes, and Resources
Monsoons affect the climates of all four
countries.
Nepal and Bhutan each have four climate zones
due in part to large variations in elevation.
Maldives has a humid tropical climate.
Sri Lanka has a humid tropical climate in the
lowlands and a cooler climate in the highlands.
Bhutan has been successful in making use of, or
exploiting, its hydroelectric power.
Sri Lanka has many mineral resources.
Human Geography of Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal & Sri Lanka
History and Government
In 1600s Bhutan, a Tibetan lama, or Buddhist
monk, consolidated religious and political power; however, today it is a constitutional monarchy.
Historically ruled by many smaller kingdoms,
modern Nepal has wavered between representative government and rule by the king.
Under European control for centuries, Maldives
became a republic in 1965.
Sri Lanka adopted a parliamentary government
after independence from Britain in 1948. Human Geography of Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal & Sri Lanka
Population Patterns
Nepal is the most populous country of the
region, with 30.9 million people.
Bhutans 700,000 people live in pockets across
the rugged terrain.
Sri Lanka has a population of 21.2 million
people, with most living near the capital, Colombo.
The city of Male is the most populous settlement
in Maldives, with a third of the countrys 300,000 people. Human Geography of Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal & Sri Lanka
Society and Culture Today
Nepals population is mostly Hindu, with the
remaining ten percent Buddhist.
The Bhote in Bhutan are descendants of Tibetan
peoples, and most are Buddhist.
Sri Lankas majority Sinhalese population is
Buddhist, and the Tamil minority is Hindu.
Maldives is a mix of Sinhalese, East African, and
Arabic peoples.
Women often have second-class status in these
societies. Human Geography of Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal & Sri Lanka
Economic Activities
These countries are not very economically
developed because they have relatively few resources and are remote.
Nearly 75 percent of Nepalese are engaged in
agriculture and herding, with farmers practicing terracing to make the most use of the land.
Tourism is an important part of the economy in
the region, with hiking, rafting, and touring religious sites being popular in Bhutan and Nepal, while in Sri Lanka and Maldives, people enjoy the beaches. People and Their Environment: Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal & Sri Lanka
Managing Resources
As poor countries generally lacking in
technology, these countries face obstacles to achieving sustainable development.
Culturally, they do have advantages, as Buddhist
tradition encourages respect for nature and the value of all life forms.
These countries have made some progress as
they realize that if they lose their natural beauty they will lose their tourist appeal. People and Their Environment: Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal & Sri Lanka
Human Impact
Major environmental problems include
deforestation, along with soil and water issues.
Commercial timber companies have used clear-
cutting, or the removal of all trees in a stand of timber, to harvest logs, harming forests.
As rain forests disappear, soil erodes, rains
produce floods, and temperatures rise.
The wide array of endangered and rare wildlife is
threatened by encroaching settlements and poaching. People and Their Environment: Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal & Sri Lanka
Addressing the Issues
Bhutans constitution requires it to keep 60
percent of its land forested and it encourages organic farming, or the use of natural substances rather than chemical fertilizers to grow crops.
Sri Lankas Ministry of Environment and Natural
Resources raises environmental action to the cabinet level.
Maldives has launched programs to limit fossil
fuels and hopes, along with Bhutan, to have no carbon emissions by 2020.