Southeast Asia: Physical Characteristics

 Asia is the largest continent on Earth with over 4 billion people.  2 out of 3 people in the world live in Asia  China and India are the two most populous countries in Asia

 Mountains of Asia:  Himalayas: “Abode of Snow”; forms barrier between the Plateau of Tibet and India; highest mountain in the world.  Western & Eastern Ghats: two mountains ranges on eastern and western sides of India.  Mount Fuji: Located in Japan; is the highest volcano and highest peak in Japan; dormant.

 Himalayas block moisture creating a rain shadow that forms the Gobi Desert.  Windward side of a mountain is moist (ex. Himalayas)  Leeward side of a mountain is very dry (ex. Gobi Desert)  Mountains of Asia influence:  Where people live  Climate

 In China, the Yellow River and the Yangtze River flood.  Yellow River is named “China’s Sorrow” because the flooding of the river has killed numerous amounts of people over the centuries.  The fertile soil that blows into the Yellow River is called loess; meaning yellow in color  Loess is deposited on the land and makes the area very fertile for crops  Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers of South Asia also flood.

 The bodies of water in Asia are extremely important for trade, transportation and agriculture.  These bodies of water include rivers, seas, and ocean currents.  Warmest ocean in the world – Indian Ocean  Largest sea in the world – South China Sea

 East Asia experiences volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and tsunamis because it is part of the Ring of Fire.  Storms that occur in the Pacific Ocean bordering East Asia are called typhoons; in the Atlantic Ocean, they are called hurricanes.  Japan – Averages 1,500 earthquakes per year – has 150 volcanoes, 60 of them still active

 South and East Asia experience monsoons: Winds that blow in certain directions depending on the time of year.  During the summer, the monsoon season brings heavy rains that aid in the production of rice – Asian’s main food crop.

 The tropical rainforest and the tropical savanna are on or near the equator.  Indonesia is mostly tropical rain forest; much of the rainforest is being cut down due to deforestation.

 Desert and steppe climates are found on the leeward side of the mountains.  The Himalayas create a rain shadow that forms the Gobi Desert; a large desert region in northern China and southern Mongolia.  The interior parts of Asia experience a humid continental climate.