For the following questions, read the passage below.
South Asia is one of the four early places where human civilization began—similar to Egypt (Nile), China (Yellow), and Iraq (Tigris and Euphrates). Civilization in South Asia began along the Indus River. The land of South Asia is dominated by three main types of physical features. Mountains, rivers, and the massive triangular-shaped peninsula of India.
50 or 60 million years ago India slowly smashed into Asia and formed the Himalaya and Hindu Kush Mountains that nearly block off India from the surrounding area. Except for the coast, there are only a few narrow passes through the mountains such as the Khyber Pass that have allowed people to enter this land. The other main physical features are the Indus River in modern day Pakistan and the Ganges River in modern day India. The Indus River is in a very dry area called the Thar Desert--this Arid climate is the site for another of the world's first human civilizations.
Question: What physical land feature blocks India off from the surrounding areas?
Indus River
The Khyber Pass
The Ganges River
The Himalaya and Hindu Kush Mountains
