South Asia, which mainly includes India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bhutan in this article, is located between about 5° and 37°N, in tropical and equatorial latitudes, with the Indian Ocean to the south, the Great Himalayas and Karakoram to the north, the Baluchistan highlands to the west, and the meridional chains of mountains in Indochina to the east. The distinct geographical features in South Asia restrict the horizontal exchange of oceanic and continental airmasses and modify the climate to a characteristic pattern. Besides great mountains and upland systems there are also lowland depressions. Numerous bays and gulfs enhance the influence of the ocean. In winter a warm, westward-flowing current reaches eastern Sri Lanka, from where it diverges northward, affecting the southeast coast of India. During the summer a warm current in the Indian Ocean reaches the west coast of India and flows southward; from south of Sri Lanka the current moves east (Martyn, 1992).
South...
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Cross-references
Asia, Climates of Siberia, Central and East Asia
Asia, Climate of Southwest
Climate Classification
Intertropical Convergence Zone
Monsoons and Monsoon Climate
Tropical and Equatorial Climates
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Xue, Y., Yanai, M. (2005). Asia, Climate of South. In: Oliver, J.E. (eds) Encyclopedia of World Climatology. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht . https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-3266-8_20
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