ASIA

Physical Geography

South Asia• Includes the countries of: India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan,

Bangladesh and Maldives

Landforms

• India is a sub-continent• Himalaya Mountains—

highest mountains in the world

• Mt. Everest—highest peak in the world located in Nepal (29,000 ft)

• Khyber Pass—used to be the only crossing into India and Pakistan

Major River Systems

• Ganges River—sacred river of Eastern India– Fed by the snowcapped

Himalayas– Annual flooding during

monsoon season– Empties into the Bay of

Bengal• Indus River—flows mainly

through Pakistan– Home to the ancient Indian

civilization– Empties into the Arabian Gulf

Climate and Vegetation

• Tropical and sub-tropical in the East (Indian Rainforest)

• Dry in the West– Great Indian Desert

• Monsoons—Seasonal winds (wet, dry and cool seasons)– Wet season brings moisture

from the sea over land– Dry season blows cool air

from the Himalayas

East Asia• Countries include: China, Japan, South Korea, North Korea,

Taiwan and Mongolia

Islands and Peninsulas

• Japan is a mountainous archipelago (4 main islands)– Mt. Fuji (dormant volcano)

• Japan sits along the Ring of Fire and experiences 1000s of earthquakes and tsunamis every year

• Taiwan is a former part of China

• Korean Peninsula

Landforms

• Several mountain ranges are located in China

• The Gobi Desert is located in Northern China and Southern Mongolia

Major River Systems

• Huang He River (Yellow River) runs through central China– Carries yellow top soil

called loess downstream– Irrigates North China

Plain• Yangtze River is located

in southern China– 3 Gorges Dam

Southeast Asia• Includes the countries of: Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia,

Singapore, Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Brunei

Landforms• There are several nations

in Southeast Asia that are made up of islands: Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia

• Malaysia is also part of a peninsula (Malay Peninsula)

• The landscape is dominated by mountain ranges with volcanoes

• Most of the region experiences a tropical rainforest climate

Water• This area is surrounded by many seas and oceans including:

South China Sea, Philippine Sea, Celebes Sea, Banda Sea, Java Sea, Andaman Sea, Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Thailand and Gulf of Tonkin

Climate and Vegetation

• Most of Southeast Asia is covered with tropical rainforest

• Much of the land is dedicated to agriculture