Question

landforms and bodies of water
south asia and southeast asia have an amazing variety of physical features. give one example of each listed below:

body of water | example
--- | ---
sea |
lake |
river |
bay |

landform | example
--- | ---
mountains |
desert |
volcano |
forest |

why does the author refer to themselves as a miracle?
fatimah asghar is a south asian american poet whose mother fled jammu and kashmir due to ongoing violence in the region that has been claimed by india and pakistan. this is an excerpt from one of asghar’s poems:
“everyone wants kashmir but no one wants kashmiris
aren’t i a miracle? a seed that survived the slaughter & slaughters to come.
i think i believe in freedom i just don’t know where it is.
i think i believe in home, i just don’t know where to look.”

• fatimah asghar, “how we left: film treatment”

what do you think the author means by the last 2 lines?

“in old javanese, nusantara means ‘archipelago’. it is also the fitting name of the new capital of indonesia, an archipelago of over 1,700 islands in southeast asia – the most populous muslim country in the world. indonesia’s current capital, jakarta, is sinking into the java sea.
the new capital, costing the government an estimated $32 billion, is still under construction in east kalimantan on the island of borneo and is likely to be fully complete by 2045, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the country’s independence from japanese rule.”

• ushar daniele

trt world (september 2024)
why is indonesia building a new capital city?
why is ‘nusantara’ a fitting name for the new capital?

Explanation:

Part 1: Landforms and Bodies of Water (Natural Science - Geography)

• Sea: Example - Java Sea (relevant to Indonesia's context from the text).
• Lake: Example - Lake Toba (in Indonesia, a famous lake).
• River: Example - Ganges River (in South Asia).
• Bay: Example - Bay of Bengal (in South Asia).
• Mountains: Example - Himalayas (in South Asia).
• Desert: Example - Thar Desert (in South Asia).
• Volcano: Example - Mount Krakatoa (in Southeast Asia).
• Forest: Example - Borneo Rainforest (in Southeast Asia).

Part 2: Poetry Analysis (Arts - Literature)

• Why does the author refer to themselves as a miracle?

The author (Fatimah Asghar, a Kashmiri - American) sees themselves as a "miracle" because they are a "seed that survived the slaughter & slaughters to come". Given the violence in Kashmir (where their mother fled from), surviving despite the ongoing conflict and oppression faced by Kashmiris is a remarkable, almost miraculous, act of resilience. They represent the continuation of the Kashmiri identity and spirit in the face of attempts to erase or harm it.

• What do you think the author means by the last 2 lines?

The lines "I think I believe in freedom I just don't know where it is. I think I believe in home, I just don't know where to look." reflect the author's internal conflict. They hold onto the ideals of freedom and home (likely referring to a sense of belonging, maybe to Kashmir or a place of safety/identity), but the ongoing conflict and displacement (their mother fled Kashmir) have left them uncertain about where to find these things. It's a poignant expression of the loss of a clear sense of home and the struggle to locate freedom in a context of violence and displacement.

Part 3: Indonesia's New Capital (Social Science - Geography/Politics)

• Why is Indonesia building a new capital city?

Indonesia is building a new capital (Nusantara) because its current capital, Jakarta, is sinking into the Java Sea (as stated in the text). This environmental threat (sinking due to factors like over - extraction of groundwater and rising sea levels) makes Jakarta unviable in the long - term. Also, the new capital in East Kalimantan on Borneo can help with issues like overcrowding, traffic, and unequal development in Jakarta, and potentially redistribute economic and political power more evenly across the archipelago.

• Why is 'Nusantara' a fitting name for the new capital?

'Nusantara' means 'archipelago' in old Javanese. Indonesia is an archipelago of over 1,700 islands. The new capital is in East Kalimantan on the island of Borneo, and the name reflects Indonesia's identity as an archipelagic nation. It symbolizes the unity of the many islands that make up Indonesia, making it a fitting name for a capital that is meant to represent the entire country.

Answer:

s:

Part 1:

• Sea: Java Sea
• Lake: Lake Toba
• River: Ganges River
• Bay: Bay of Bengal
• Mountains: Himalayas
• Desert: Thar Desert
• Volcano: Mount Krakatoa
• Forest: Borneo Rainforest

Part 2:

• Why refer to self as miracle? : Because they survived the violence in Kashmir as a "seed" of the Kashmiri identity, continuing despite attempts to harm it.
• Last 2 lines meaning: The author believes in freedom and home but is unsure where to find them due to conflict and displacement.

Part 3:

• Why new capital? : Jakarta is sinking, and to address issues like overcrowding and unequal development.
• Why 'Nusantara' fitting? : It means 'archipelago' in old Javanese, matching Indonesia's identity as an archipelagic nation.