 Variation of climate and landforms.  Extends east to west from the Ural Mountains to the Pacific Ocean and north to the south from the Artic to the Indian Ocean.  Major mountain ranges include the Himalayas, the Eastern and Western Ghats of India, and the Altai Mountains of Mongolia.  The Gobi Desert in China and Mongolia and the Takla Makan Desert of China are among the driest areas of Asia.

 The continents most important rivers include the Hwang He and the Chiang Jiang in China; the Indus and the Ganges in India; the Brahmaputra in China and India; and the Mekong in Southeast Asia  Another important physical characteristic is the archipelagoes of Japan, the Philippines, and Indonesia that surround the continent along the Pacific Rim.

 Location- southern Asia and divided from the rest of the continent by the Himalayas and other mountains. The countries of the Subcontinent are India (the largest), Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and the island countries of Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

 Two major rivers flow from the mountains through the northern tier of the Subcontinent. The Indus flows westward to the Arabian Sea and the Ganges flows eastward to the Bay of Bengal. South of these large river valleys lies the Deccan Plateau which occupies the center of the landmass. The plateau is bordered by two mountain ranges, the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats.

 The Himalayas form a barrier between the wet Subcontinent and the dry Tibetan Plateau to the north. Great mineral wealth lies hidden in the mountains, with the greatest concentration located in the region of Jammu and Kashmir. The large deposits of sapphires, gold, copper, iron ore, and coal are partially responsible for the dispute that has raged among India, China, and Pakistan for control of the area. Nine of the world’s fourteen tallest mountains are located in this mountain range.

 The worlds highest mountain, Mt. Everest, is located in the Himalayas along the border of Nepal and China. Throughout history this mountain was never climbed, but now it has become a popular feat for adventurers to attempt to reach its summit. Many people have died trying to climb the mountain which is nearly 30,000 feet high.

 With almost 1.3 billion people, China contains about 1/5 of the world’s population but because of its physical geography most live in the eastern half of the country. Most of western China is either mountain or desert. The Himalayas and some smaller ranges fill the southwest quarter of the country. The Takla Makan Desert and the Gobi Desert are located in northwestern China. Therefore few, if any, crops are grown in the west.

 The eastern half on the other hand has fertile river valleys and rolling hills for farming. Plentiful rainfall and rich in mineral wealth. Most industries have developed where raw materials are located and water transportation is accessible.

 Monsoons are large air masses in the tropics that move onto land from the sea during the summer and from the land back to the sea in the winter. Researchers believe the flow of air is determined by air pressure since air moves from where pressure is high to where it is low. While they do not know exactly what causes the flow to reverse, they are working to be able to predict the rains more accurately.

 Roughly 65% of the worlds people live in monsoon regions. The summer monsoons, can bring as much as 30 inches of rainfall in a day, are important to lives and economies. For some countries the rains are their main water source. The rain brings water for people, crops, and hydroelectric power. Downside is it can bring floods that can wash away entire villages. Too little can cause droughts and starvation.

 Vary widely. Three main categories: hot, temperate, and arid. The countries in the tropics have hot climates that are either tropical or tropical monsoon. The temperature in this region is warm or hot throughout the year, but tropical climates have more consistent rainfall than monsoon climates. Monsoon climates tend to receive all their rain within a few months.

 Temperate climates have four seasons, and arid climates are dry. Arid climates can have various ranges of temperatures from hot desert to cold steppes, but neither receives much precipitation.

 Asia suffers a wide range of natural disasters for several reasons. Frist the continent is so large and second it is located in the Ring of Fire. Around the Pacific Ocean and across southern Asia many tectonic plates move and cause earthquakes. In addition to these reasons, Asia also has many rivers that flood in addition to large, tropical areas where typhoons spawn.

 Due in large part to the many earthquakes in the region, many coastal areas are therefore susceptible to tsunamis, earthquakes on the ocean floor that create massive waves that reach shores and wreak terrible havoc there. Large population and industrial activity have taken their toll as well. Pollution in rivers and air occur.