What Are The Five Realms Of South Asia

Asia is the most enormous and populous continent in the world, so much so that it has been geographically split into five Realms. These five realms consist of Central Asia, Southwest Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia. South Asia is one the most diverse realms of the world with its continuously snowcapped mountain peaks, deserts, lush farmlands, and tropical forests it is a topographical marvel in its own right. South Asia is bordered by the Arabian Sea on the West, the Bay of Bengal to the East, the Indian Ocean on the South and Himalaya, Kush, and Karakorum Mountains to the North (the World Today, chapter 8).
Even though the physical geography of the realm is undeniably beautiful it also is one of the most earthquake ridden places in the world (maybe due to the fact it lies near two major tectonic plates), but earthquakes aren’t the only problem that plagues it. Physical geography is vital in the South Asian Realm. Monsoons that occur annually (usually in June) effect all forms of agriculture in India. It sometimes rains
for sixty days or even more. The rain revitalizes not only India but Sri Lanka and Bangladesh as well (Pakistan is the only country that doesn’t rely on the rainy season). It is even said that without the monsoon India would certainly “face disaster", but with the monsoons, they risk flooding that has the potential to destroy homes and claim lives (The World Today, chapter 8). Despite the disadvantages that face South Asia, it also contains advantages to counteract the negative. Examples of that would be the fact that South Asia’s rivers provide extremely fertile land to a majority of the realm, and the Himalaya Mountains assist in the prosperity of India by creating a natural barrier that prevents cold winds that would cause extreme winters throughout the country.
I believe that South Asia is at an advantage considering their physical geography offers so many opportunities. Even though they rely heavily on the rainy season India has flourished through expansion and have experienced extensive economic growth that has put them in the same race as China. According to worlbank.org South Asia also has access to even more growth through the reconstruction of fossil fuels and energy prices via cheap oil cultivation.
The geographical disadvantage that could easily become a drastic problem would be the reliance on a strong rainy season (monsoons).
Lack of rains further into the year than usual could cause drastic changes in crops such as corn, rice, and sugar. According to stratfor.com, “the monsoon isn’t just the key climatic or agricultural event – it’s the key economic event” (stratfor.com). The website elaborates on the problem since the crops rely on the rain if it is delayed farmers are forced to rely on irrigation systems that in turn rely on diesel to power them. Farmers tend to be the biggest consumers of Diesel as well as one of the largest voting population which makes the situation just as much political as economic and agricultural. This problem could be considered cultural as well as physical. The monsoons are a part of the physical geography, however, the political and economic reliance on it makes it a cultural problem as
well.
A significant world geography problem that is evident in South Asia is that of water pollution. The C.I.A. World Factbook reports water pollution caused from things such as raw sewage and industrial wastes limits the amount of natural freshwater resources in Pakistan. The Fact Book also reports pollution caused by raw sewage and runoff from pesticides used for agricultural reasons in India as well as Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Since fresh water is vital to all life it is of absolute importance that the pollution of fresh water resources be decreased if not cease to exist altogether. I am not experienced in agricultural research but I do believe that there are natural ways to ward off pests in your crops without using toxins to do so. Organic products are on a major rise in today’s society and organic pesticides are included in that list. Reducing the amount of toxins that are being widely spread across the land could reduce the risk of polluting natural water sources that they eventually run into without raising expenses or sacrificing the crops that farmers rely on for income.