Asia Geography
Mr. Newhall and Mrs. Cuppari
Standards for Southern
and Eastern Asia
• SS7G9 The student will locate selected features in
Southern and Eastern Asia
a. Locate on a world and regional political-physical
map: Ganges River, Huang He (Yellow River), Indus
River, Mekong River, Chang Jiang (Yangtze River), Bay
of Bengal, Indian Ocean, Sea of Japan, South China
Sea, Yellow Sea, Gobi Desert, Taklimakan Desert,
Himalayan Mountains, and Korean Peninsula
b. Locate on a world and regional political-physical
map the countries of China, India, Indonesia, Japan,
North Korea, South Korea, and Vietnam
Standards con’t
• SS7G10 The student will discuss
environmental issues across Southern and
Eastern Asia.
a. Describe the causes and effects of pollution on
the Yangtze and Ganges Rivers.
b. Describe the causes and effects of air pollution
and flooding in India and China
Asia
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China
India
Indonesia
Japan
North Korea
South Korea
Vietnam
Pacific Ocean
Indian Ocean
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Ganges River
Huang He (Yellow River)
Indus River
Mekong River
Yangtze (Chang Jiang)
River
Bay of Bengal
Sea of Japan
South China Sea
Yellow Sea
Gobi Desert
Taklamakan Desert
Himalayan Mountains
Korean Peninsula
Asia
Asia Map Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Into which large body of water does the Ganges River flow?
What is the tallest peak in the Himalayan Mountains?
Of the countries you labeled, which two are archipelagoes?
Of the countries you labeled, which two have borders on the
South China Sea?
In what country is the Gobi Desert?
What is the capital of China?
Which two major bodies of water surround the Korean
Peninsula?
Since World War II, what two major wars has the U.S. fought in
Asia?
Homework 10-29
• Read pages 651 to 658
• Know the periods in Chinese history outlined
in the book.
• Answer questions 2,3,and 4 on page 658
• Big vocab – Long March, Mao, Chiang,
Nationalists, Taiwan, Great leap Forward,
Cultural Revolution, Martial Law.
Himalayas, Taklamakan,
Korea, Indonesia, Japan
Geography Review
1.
2.
3.
4.
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6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Why is China such an important country in the world?
Why is India called a sub-continent?
What separates India from China?
How many islands make up Indonesia?
What is the largest desert in Asia? (191)
Why is Korea divided into two nations?
Where has the United States fought two wars in Asia since WWII?
Describe an archipelago. (209)
What major river flows through Pakistan?
Name the longest river in China. How long is it? (212)
What is China building on the Chang Jiang? (212)
Where is Mt. Everest?
Name the former U.S. colony east of the South China Sea.
Physical Features – The Land
•
Mountains
Himalayas in western China,
Nepal, and northern India are
tallest in the world
– Mt. Everest is the tallest
mountain in the world at 29, 028
feet
•
•
Hindu Kush and the Karakoram
Range in northern Pakistan are
also extremely high
These ranges, called the
Northern Mountain Rim,
separate Pakistan, India, and
Bangladesh from the rest of
Asia
– These countries form a
(a large landmass
that is part of a continent but is
geographically separated from
it)
– The terrain is rough and
difficult to farm so fewer
people live in this region
The Land – con’t
Deserts
• Gobi Desert in southern
Mongolia and northern
China
– Mongolian word for
“waterless place”
– Summer temps can reach
113 degrees F; winter
temps can dip to -40
degrees F
• Taklimakan Desert in
western China
– averages less than 1 inch
of rain per year
– one of the world’s largest
sandy deserts
Don’t believe
everything you see
online.
The Land – con’t
Plains
• The Northern Plains lie
between the Himalayas and
southern India
– includes the Ganges and
Indus River Valleys
– fertile farmland because of
rich sediment left by the
Ganges during flood season
– densely populated
• North China Plains and
Manchurian Plains in
eastern and northern China
– Most of China’s people live in
these fertile areas
Warm Up – Welcome Back
1. How are the deserts in
China different from the
Sahara?
2. Why is it so difficult to
climb Mt. Everest?
3. How has geography
isolated India from China?
4. What country is northwest
of India? (Hint – Muslim)
5. Where do most people live
in India? Where do most
people live in China?
The Land – con’t
Plateaus
• The Deccan Plateau
– makes up most of southern
India
– bordered by coastal mountains
– fewer people than the
Northern Plains
• Plateau of Tibet
– southwestern China
– spreads across ¼ of China’s
land
– about 15,000 ft above sea level
making it the highest plateau
in the world
– nicknamed “Roof of the World”
Checking up?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Hindu Kush
Subcontinent
Mt. Everest
Bangladesh
Gobi
Northern Plains
Tibet
Deccan Plateau
A. High, flat area in India
B. Includes Ganges and
Indus River valleys
C. Five miles high
D. Country east of India
E. Mountains separating
Pakistan from China
F. High, flat area in south
west China.
G. India, Pakistan,
Bangladesh
H. “waterless place”
The Land – con’t
Islands
• South Asia: Sri Lanka and
the Maldives
– south and southwest of India
– Sri Lanka has lots of rain and is
known for its tea production
– The Maldives is made up of
1200 atolls (ring-shaped coral
islands surrounding a lagoon)
The Land – con’t
• Southeast Asia:
Borneo, Singapore,
Indonesia, and the
Philippines
– Indonesia is made of
volcanic islands, more
than 6000 islands of
which are inhabited
• most people are farmers
even though the soil is
not fertile
– the Philippines have
800 inhabited islands
• half of the people are
farmers
The Land – con’t
• East Asia: Japan and
Taiwan
– Japan is an archipelago with
4 main islands and about
4000 smaller islands
• many active volcanoes and is
prone to earthquakes
• mountainous, very little flat
land
– Taiwan has a forested
mountain range that bisects
the island from north to
south
• also has foothills, terraced
flatlands, and coastal plains
Check Up Islands
1.
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3.
4.
5.
6.
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10.
Where is Sri Lanka?
What is the main industry in the Maldives?
Describe an atoll?
What made many of the islands in Indonesia?
What is Singapore known for?
Why is the soil in Indonesia not good for farming?
Why is Indonesia so tropical?
What natural disasters occur frequently in Japan?
Where are many farms created in the Philippines?
Why is Taiwan not part of Communist China?
Pictorial Summary
• With collaborative partner, fold
paper into 6 squares.
• Label one square for mountains,
one for deserts, one for plains,
one for plateaus, and one for
islands.
• In the last square, explain in
words the effects of the high
mountains and where most
people in Asia live.
• Draw a picture or pictures in
each square that represents that
land feature. It can show specific
features, absolute locations,
relative locations, etc. Anything
that “summarizes” your notes
through pictures will work.
Mountains
Deserts
Plains
Plateaus
Islands
Explain (in
words) 3
effects of
the
mountains.
Explain
where most
people in
Asia tend to
live.
“The Land” – quick quiz
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Indonesia
atoll
subcontinent
Taklimakan
Sri Lanka
Deccan
a. ring-shaped coral islands
surrounding a lagoon
b. small teardrop-shaped
island known for its tea
c. desert in western China
d. India, Pakistan, and
Bangladesh
e. 6000 inhabited volcanic
islands
f. large area in southern
India located between
the Western Ghats and
the Eastern Ghats
Physical Features – Seas and Rivers
Rivers of Southern Asia
• Ganges River
– located in northern India
– carries rich sediment (minerals
and debris that settle at the
bottom of a river) from the
Himalayas to the plains
– river valley is a fertile farming
area and is densely populated
– holy river in Hinduism
– pollution causes health problems
for the people who bathe in the
river
Seas and Rivers – con’t
• Indus River
– begins north of the Himalayas in
Tibet, China
– flows southwest through
Pakistan to the Arabian Sea
Rivers of Eastern Asia
• Huang He (Yellow River)
– major river system in northern China
– called “yellow” because of loess (a
fine, yellow-brown soil) that blows in
from deserts in western China
– rich soil from the river has made
the North China Plain a major
wheat-growing area
– floods regularly killing people and
destroying property
– nicknamed “China’s Sorrow”
Rivers
(continued)
• Chang Jiang (Yangtze)
 Asia’s longest
3,400 miles long
 Flows through canyons
and broad plains
 Provides water for
irrigation of rice paddies
 Shanghai is port city
 14 million people
 China’s largest port
• Chinese are building
world’s largest dam.
– Three Gorges Dam
• 607 feet high
• 1.4 miles wide
• Will prevent floods and
make electric power
• Will force 1 million people
to move
Mekong River
• 2,400 miles long
• Forms boundary between
Thailand and Laos
• Large population along the
banks, especially in Vietnam
• Fighting along river in
Vietnam War.
• Water provides irrigation for
rice paddies.
Checking Up on Asian Rivers
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Ganges River
Mekong River
Indus River
Chang Jiang
River
Three Gorges
Huang He River
Shanghai
Loess
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
U.S. soldiers fought in this delta.
Major dam built in China
China’s sorrow (Yellow)
Asia’s longest river (Yangtze)
Fine yellow soil blown in from
desert
F. India’s holy “Hindu” river
G. Flows through Pakistan to Arabian
Sea
H. Largest city in China at mouth of
Chang Jiang River.
Ganges River Movie
• Write out 20 facts from the movie on the
paper provided.
• When the movie is over, answer the
questions on the back of the paper.
• Question: What are the most significant
problems and concerns with the Ganges
River and the land around the river. How
could these problems be fixed (propose a
solution).
Warm Up - Geography
1.
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3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Name the longest river in Asia.
Name the highest mountain in Asia.
What is the largest city in China?
Name the two deserts in China.
What is the longest river in India?
List two countries through which the Mekong flows.
What island is the “other” China?
How were the islands of Japan formed?
List the countries other than India on the sub-continent.
List three animals sacred to the Hindu religion.
• India and Pakistan
have the most mineral
wealth in Asia.
• Oil is found in South
China Sea, Indonesia
and Vietnam.
• Coal is in China,
Indonesia, North and
South Korea, Japan,
India, Philippines and
Vietnam.
• Hydroelectric and
nuclear power plants
are used.
• Iron ore in China.
Natural Resources
• Where are most natural
resources in Asia?
What can
you tell from
this map of
Asia?
Japan Geography
• Is most likely place for
earthquakes and volcanos.
– 1,500 earthquakes/year
– Buildings made to withstand
• Mountains cover 80% of
land. Deep valleys
between mountains.
• Mount Fuji is an active
volcano – part of Ring of
Fire along borders of Pacific
Ocean.
Nuclear Power Plants in Asia
Environmental Concerns in Asia
• Water is in short supply.
– High population needs large
amount of water.
– Long dry seasons limit water
flow in rivers.
– Pollution is increasing,
especially in Ganges River
• Air Pollution
– Increase in cars
– Inside homes because of
cooking fuel.
– Clouds of chemicals
•
• Seasonal winds
influence the weather
of Asia
• Dry and wet seasons
• Winter – dry winds
off the colder land
keep clouds away
• Summer – cooler air
over the oceans rush
toward land bringing
large amounts of
moisture
• Moisture needed for
growing season.
Monsoons
Winds
• Dry Monsoon – cold dry wind
• Wet Monsoon – warm wet wind.
Japan and Korea
Climate
• Korea and Japan’s
climate is controlled by
the Monsoons. Summer
months are wet/warm.
• Winter winds bring cold
and snow to western
coasts and North Korea.
• Typhoon season is
summer and early fall.
Images of Asia
Can you identify the issue?
Asia Environment Questions
Answer in sentences
1. Why are the number of nuclear power plants
in Japan being questioned?
2. Why are the Monsoons important to the
growing of rice? Where do they come from?
3. What causes indoor air pollution in Asia?
4. What problems are associated with the
Ganges River? How do people use it?
5. List three reasons for environmental
concerns in China? Do you have a solution?