A mountain range in A mountain range in South Asia that includes South Asia that includes

Mount Everest, the Mount Everest, the world’s tallest mountain world’s tallest mountain

peak.peak.Himalaya Himalaya MountainsMountains

A landmass that is A landmass that is like a continent, only like a continent, only smaller, such as the smaller, such as the one found in South one found in South

Asia.Asia.

SubcontinentSubcontinent

Land that is rich Land that is rich farmland, composed of farmland, composed of

clay, silt, sand,, or clay, silt, sand,, or gravel deposited by gravel deposited by

running water.running water.Alluvial Alluvial PlainPlain

A set of closely A set of closely grouped islands.grouped islands.

ArchipelagArchipelagoo

A ringlike coral island A ringlike coral island or string of small or string of small

islands surrounding a islands surrounding a lagoon.lagoon.

AtollAtoll

A seasonal A seasonal wind, wind,

especially in especially in South Asia.South Asia.MonsoonMonsoon

A violent storm with A violent storm with fierce winds and heavy fierce winds and heavy rain; the most extreme rain; the most extreme

weather pattern of weather pattern of South Asia.South Asia.

CycloneCyclone

The dominant The dominant religion of India.religion of India.

HinduismHinduism

River in South Asia; an River in South Asia; an important water resource important water resource flowing more than 1,500 flowing more than 1,500 miles from its source in a miles from its source in a Himalayan glacier to the Himalayan glacier to the

Bay of Bengal.Bay of Bengal.Ganges Ganges RiverRiver

High water level High water level brought by a cyclone brought by a cyclone

that swamps low-that swamps low-lying areas.lying areas.Strom Strom SurgeSurge

A broadened seaward A broadened seaward end of a river, where end of a river, where the river’s currents the river’s currents meet the ocean’s meet the ocean’s

tides.tides.

EstuaryEstuary

The Muslim empire established The Muslim empire established by the early 1500s over much by the early 1500s over much of India, which brought with it of India, which brought with it new customs that sometimes new customs that sometimes conflicted with those of native conflicted with those of native

Hindus.Hindus.Mughal Mughal EmpireEmpire

The period of British rule The period of British rule in India, which lasted for in India, which lasted for nearly 200 years, from nearly 200 years, from

1857 to 1947.1857 to 1947.

RajRaj

A movement that A movement that uses all means of uses all means of

protest except protest except violence.violence.

Nonviolent Nonviolent ResistanceResistance

The process of breaking The process of breaking up large landholdings to up large landholdings to attain a more balanced attain a more balanced land distribution among land distribution among

farmers.farmers.Land Land

ReformReform

An agricultural program An agricultural program launched by scientists in the launched by scientists in the

1960s to develop higher-1960s to develop higher-yielding grain varieties and yielding grain varieties and improve food production by improve food production by incorporating new farming incorporating new farming

techniques.techniques.Green Green

RevolutionRevolution

The Aryan system of social The Aryan system of social classes in India and one of the classes in India and one of the cornerstones of Hinduism in cornerstones of Hinduism in

which each person is born into a which each person is born into a class and can only move into a class and can only move into a

different caste through different caste through reincarnation.reincarnation.Caste Caste

SystemSystem

The largest of the world’s The largest of the world’s first civilizations in what is first civilizations in what is now Pakistan; this was a now Pakistan; this was a highly developed urban highly developed urban

civilization, lasting from 2500 civilization, lasting from 2500 B.C. to about 1500 B.C.B.C. to about 1500 B.C.

Indus Valley Indus Valley CivilizationCivilization

Separation; division Separation; division into two or more into two or more

territorial units having territorial units having separate political separate political

status.status.

PartitionPartition

A region of northern A region of northern India and Pakistan India and Pakistan over which several over which several

destructive wars have destructive wars have been fought.been fought.

KashmirKashmir

A small loan available A small loan available to poor entrepreneurs, to poor entrepreneurs,

to help small to help small businesses grow and businesses grow and

raise living standards.raise living standards.

MicrocreditMicrocredit

A person who A person who starts and starts and builds a builds a

business.business.EntrepreneuEntrepreneurr

An Islamic practice An Islamic practice of month-long of month-long

fasting from sunup fasting from sunup to sundown.to sundown.

RamadanRamadan

A government in A government in which the ruler’s which the ruler’s

powers are limited powers are limited by a constitution and by a constitution and the laws of a nation.the laws of a nation.

Constitutional Constitutional MonarchyMonarchy

A person of Tibetan A person of Tibetan ancestry in Nepal, who ancestry in Nepal, who

serves as the traditional serves as the traditional mountain guide of the mountain guide of the Mount Everest region.Mount Everest region.

SherpaSherpa

The founder of The founder of Buddhism and known Buddhism and known as the Buddha, born as the Buddha, born in southern Nepal in in southern Nepal in

the sixth century B.C.the sixth century B.C.

Siddhartha Siddhartha GautamaGautama

In Tibetan Buddhism, In Tibetan Buddhism, a geometric design a geometric design that symbolizes the that symbolizes the universe and aids in universe and aids in

meditation.meditation.

MandalaMandala

An Indo-Aryan people who An Indo-Aryan people who crossed the strait separating crossed the strait separating

India and Sri Lanka in the sixth India and Sri Lanka in the sixth century B.C. and who created an century B.C. and who created an

advanced civilization there, advanced civilization there, adopting Buddhism.adopting Buddhism.

SinhaleseSinhalese

A Dravidian Hindu, who A Dravidian Hindu, who arrived in Sri Lanka in the arrived in Sri Lanka in the fourth century, settling in fourth century, settling in

the north while the the north while the Sinhalese moved further Sinhalese moved further

south.south.

TamilsTamils

A ruler of a A ruler of a Muslim Muslim country.country.

SultanSultan

Food, clothing, Food, clothing, and shelter.and shelter.

Basic Basic NecessitiesNecessities

The inability to The inability to read or write.read or write.

IlliteracyIlliteracy

The season when winds blow The season when winds blow from the southwest across the from the southwest across the

Indian Ocean toward South Indian Ocean toward South Asia, from June through Asia, from June through

September, with winds stirring September, with winds stirring up powerful storms and up powerful storms and causing severe flooding.causing severe flooding.

Summer Summer MonsoonMonsoon

The season when dry winds blow The season when dry winds blow from the northeast across the from the northeast across the

Himalaya Mountains toward the Himalaya Mountains toward the sea from October through sea from October through

February ,sometimes causing February ,sometimes causing drought.drought.

Winter MonsoonWinter Monsoon