Francisci WG.4

1. Southeast Asia: Physical Characteristics Francisci WG.4

2. Asia is the largest continent on Earth with over 4 million people. • 2 out of 3 people in the world live in Asia • China and India are the two most populous countries in Asia Interesting Facts:

3. Mountains of 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.

4. Mountains of Asia • 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

5. Bodies of water • 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 • Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers of South Asia also flood.

6. Bodies of water • 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

7. Natural Hazards • 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

8. Natural Hazards • 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.

9. Climate of Asia • 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.

10. Climate of Asia • 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.

11. Fertile soil of Asia • There is abundant fertile (arable) land in Asia. • The fertile soil that blows into the Yellow River in China is called loess; meaning yellow in color.