Southeast Asia  Myanmar  Thailand  Laos  Cambodia  Vietnam  Indonesia  Philippines  Malaysia  Brunei  Singapore

Physical Geography Southeast Asia is…  Two “peninsulas” extending out of the continent of Asia Surrounded on 3 sides by water Indochinese and Malay Peninsulas  Series of “archipelagos” A chain of closely grouped islands Philippines and Indonesia  Malaysia is on the peninsula and an archipelago Peninsulas Archipelagos Malaysia

Physical Geography Volcanoes formed most of the islands in the archipelagos  “Ring of Fire” An area that surrounds or “rings” the Pacific Ocean  Earthquakes and volcanoes are common because of tectonic plate boundaries

Mount Pinatubo  Located on the Island of Luzon in the Philippines  Volcano that last erupted in June of 1991 Second largest volcanic eruption of the twentieth century  Eruption lasted 9 hours  800 people were killed and 100,000 became homeless Accompanied by a 7.8 earthquake Forced thousands of Filipinos from their homes  Aetna tribe lived on the side of the mountain and have never been able to return to their homes 100 feet of ash buries their villages Physical Geography

2004 Asian Tsunami  A 9.0 earthquake occurred on the ocean floor 100 miles off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra Lifted a piece of the ocean floor 900 miles long and moved it 65 feet in a matter of minutes  Lifted the ocean and sent it racing towards land in all directions in a series of enormous waves Some waves reached 50 feet  Devastated much of Southeast Asia Physical Geography Sumatra

Physical Geography Climate of Southeast Asia  Most of the region is a tropical wet environment Average temperature is 82 degrees Average rainfall is inches a year  Rainforests cover most of the land Great diversity in plants and animals Mekong River  Begins in the high mountains and travels through Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam Collects the massive amounts of water that falls as rain

The Ring of Fire has made Southeast Asia mountainous  Makes daily life here very challenging People have become creative in the way they deal with the land and their resources  “Terrace farming” is used Carve flat spots or steps into the side of the mountain  People depend heavily on the Mekong River Fishing  Mekong River catfish and stingrays Irrigation for crops  Rice, sugar, tea, rubber, and coffee Human Environmental Interaction

Historical Geography Southeast Asia has had a rough last 1000 years  Has been constantly taken over by other countries China and France for most of the time  Largely because of those tropical resources Rubber, sugar, rice, tea, and coffee  Other resources Gem stones and oil Ground zero for the Vietnam War  Fought for two major reasons Control of important resources Communism and dictatorship vs. Capitalism and democracy

Most people in Southeast Asia depend on farming and manufacturing for income  “Subsistence agriculture” Produce only enough food for the family to survive  Nothing extra to sell at the market for money  America/ Japan produce many of their products here Working in factories does not make people a lot of money “Sweat Shops” dominate  Long hours, low wages, and poor working conditions Economic Geography

Buddhism, Islam are the main religions Hinduism is present, but not in great numbers of followers  Religion determines people’s values and influences art and architecture  Temples are very unique and important in here Angkor Wat  World’s largest religious temple and complex Located in Cambodia  Important to Buddhists and Hindus  Known for its Temple, Gardens, and Moat Cultural Geography

Big contrast in how people live in this region  Many people live in primitive huts out in the jungle Hunters, gatherers, and farmers  Others live in very large cities Kuala Lumpur- Capital of Malaysia  Financial capital of Southeast Asia  Home to one of the world’s tallest building “Petronas Towers”