Final answer:
South Asia faces primarily economic challenges, including sexism, poor education, and weak infrastructure. The region's first civilization developed along the Indus River, forming the historical Indus Valley Civilization.
Step-by-step explanation:
The obstacles facing South Asia, such as sexism, poor education, and weak infrastructure, are primarily economic challenges. These issues hinder social development and economic progress by limiting opportunities for individuals, obstructing connections to global markets, and perpetuating a cycle of poverty. Corruption and social inequality further exacerbate these economic challenges, creating a divide between social elites and the general population. Rapid urbanization due to a rural-to-urban shift, often resulting in overcrowded and unsanitary urban living conditions, poses additional strain on infrastructure and public health systems.
Regarding the second question, South Asia's first civilization developed along the Indus River. This early civilization is known as the Indus Valley Civilization, which flourished around 2500 BCE. It was one of the world's earliest urban civilizations, contemporaneous with ancient Egypt along the Nile and Mesopotamia along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Historically, river systems have been critical for early civilizations due to the fertile land, water resources, and transportation opportunities they provided.