World Geography and Cultures © 2008Chapter 25:
The Region Today: South AsiaChapter Overviews
While high-technology and service industries have grown in recent years in the
region, most South Asians still live a traditional life style of subsistence farming.
Modern management methods are allowing higher crop yields, but South Asia continues
to battle problems such as inadequate water supply, pollution, and internal and
external strife.
The Economy Agriculture is the most common occupation in South Asia, with most people practicing subsistence farming. In the Himalayan highlands terracing is common, while in Sri Lanka large plantations dominate. Cash crops include tea, rubber, coconuts, cotton, and jute. The region also is a major
producer of rice. Since the 1960s the green revolution has increased yields
through modern technology and irrigation methods. Mining and fishing are important
resources. Many people in South Asia work in light industry that grew out of
the region's history of cottage industries. Tourism also is important, although some countries regulate it to protect natural and cultural resources. Service industries and the high-technology sector have grown in recent years. Chronic political conflicts between countries have hindered the development of regional interdependence and free-trade agreements. People and Their Environment Countries in South Asia practice sustainable
management to manage their resources, including wildlife and forests, for their
large populations. Access to clean water is a persistent problem throughout
South Asia. Deforestation and poaching also threaten the region's ecology. Scientists are studying the region to find solutions to the problems of air pollution and devastation by storms. Other problems in the region include
the continuing conflict between India and Pakistan over Kashmir, nuclear proliferation,
and internal problems such as religious conflicts and the legacy of the caste
system. |