East & Southeast Asia Physical Notes

Climate & Vegetation• Wide Range of Climates• Subarctic (Mongolia) to Tropical Rainforest (Vietnam & Indonesia)

Climate Zones

Similar Climate Zones Around the World

Similar Zones

Climate & Vegetation• Monsoons• Seasonal winds• Summer – Warm and Wet from Oceans• Winter – Cold from Siberia

• Typhoons• Asian name for Hurricanes

Climate & Vegetation• Flooding Rains Important for Rice Crop• Floods Bring Rich Sediment to Farmland• Fields Flooded to Prevent Weeds & Vermin

Climate & Vegetation• Deforestation• Major Problem due to Agriculture and

Population Growth

Archipelago• Groups or Chains of Islands• Usually Volcanic in Origin• Indonesia (13,677 islands), Philippines (7,107) are Largest

Examples• Vulnerable to Earthquakes & Tsunamis because of Proximity to

the Pacific Ring of Fire

Rivers• Chinese Rivers• Long with a lot of Volume• Huang He (Yellow) • Chang Jiang (Yangtze)

Yellow River

Yangtze River

Rivers cont.• Southeast Asia• Vary in Volume Depending on Season• Sediment Deposits aid agriculture• Irrawaddy• Mekong

Rivers cont.• Himalayas are

source for most major rivers in East & Southeast Asia

Rivers cont.• Japan & the Korean Peninsula• Very Short and Steep (Shinano River – 228 miles) • Many Waterfalls

• Japanese Rivers are Often Polluted in Urban Areas • Have Had Concrete Banks Added to Prevent Flooding

Natural Resources• Rich Soil Throughout Most of Region• Rubies (Vietnam ) & Sapphires (Thailand)• Forests provide Teakwood, Mahogany & Rubber • Geothermal Energy• China Leads the World in Steel and Aluminum Production• Japan has Limited Natural Resources