Regional
Quick Views
EAST ASIA
AUSTRALIA AND ANTARCTICA
EUROPE
RUSSIAN AND CENTRAL ASIA
LATIN AMERICA
UNITED STATES AND CANADA
East Asia
Mongolia
North Korea
China
South Korea
Taiwan
Hong Kong
Japan
Physical Features
Gobi Desert
Taklamakan Desert
Plateau of Tibet
Himalaya Mtns
Yellow River
Yangtze River
Three Gorges Dam
Xi Jiang
Economic Characteristics
 China is transitioning from command (communist) to market
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economy
North Korea still communist economy – people are the
poorest in the world
Varied economies in the region ranging from
subsistence/commercial agriculture to high-tech industrial
manufacturing
Participation in global markets
Newly industrialized countries—South Korea, Taiwan,
Singapore
Japan—economic leader
Agricultural advancements and technology, enabling greater
food production—Green Revolution
Cultural Characteristics
 Areas of extremely dense and sparse population
 China – most populated country in the world
 Contrast between rural and urban areas
 Religious diversity—Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism,
Christianity, Taoism, Shinto, Confucianism
 Respect for ancestors
 Silk, ideograms (calligraphy)
Famous Landmarks
 Great Wall of China –
built 2000 years ago to
keep out northern
invaders
 Terra Cotta Warriors
 Buddhist pagodas
Famous Landmarks
The world's
largest religious
building. Built for
the king
Suryavarman II in
the early 12th
century as his
state temple and
capital city. First
a Hindu temple,
dedicated to the
god Vishnu, then
Buddhist temple.
Angkor Wat
Cambodia, Southeast Asia
Australia and Antarctica
Great Barrier Reef
Physical Features
 Wide range of vegetation, from tropical rain forests
to desert scrub
 Australia mostly desert – “Outback”
 Pacific islands—Volcanic, coral, or continental
 Australia’s isolation, resulting in unique animal life
 Antarctica, the world’s coldest,
driest, windiest continent; icecap
Economic Characteristics
 Air and water travel that bring goods and services to
remote areas
 Dry areas of Australia good for cattle and sheep
ranching
 Upset of environmental balance, caused by the
introduction of nonnative plants and animals
 Ranching, mining (primary activities)
Cultural Characteristics
 Pacific islands are sparsely
populated.
 Australia colonized by GB
as a penal colony
 Lifestyles range from
subsistence farming to
modern city living.
• Traditional cultures:
Maori in New Zealand
Aborigines in Australia
Famous Landmarks
• Sydney Opera House
• Cattle and sheep
stations (Australia)
• Research stations
Antarctica – Int’l Treaty
• Thatched roof
dwellings (Pacific
islands)
Europe
Scandinavian
North Sea
British Isles Jutland
Chunnel
Iberian
Italian
Balkan
U
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Physical Features
 A peninsula of peninsulas
 Ural Mountains divide Europe from Asia
 All places near the water – rivers and canals major
transportation links
 Great farming - Advanced farming techniques, high
crop yields, fertile soils, black earth (chernozem)
 Areas threatened by air and water pollution
– Forests (Black Forest)
– Cities (Venice)
– Rivers (Rhine, Danube, Seine)
Economic Characteristics
 Highly developed in the West – East lags behind
because of communist ties
 Oil reserves in the North Sea
 European Union – economic alliance to promote
trade among European nations
Cultural Characteristics
 Highly urbanized
 Densely populated
 Birthplace of Industrial Revolution (London)
 Birthplace of Democracy (Athens/Greece)
 Ethnically diverse
 Many languages
 Switzerland – neutral/specialized products and banking,
multilingual
 Regional conflicts – Yugoslavia (ethnic divisions),
Northern Ireland (religious tension)
 NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organ.) for defense
Famous Landmarks
 Paris, France:
Notre Dame
The Louvre
Arc de Triomphe
Eiffel Tower
 London, England:
Big Ben
Famous Landmarks (con’t)
 Rome, Italy
Coliseum
 Athens, Greece:
The Parthenon
Russia and Central Asia
Siberia
The “Stans”
Physical Features
 Vast land area—spans two continents, Europe and
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Asia (covers 11 time zones)
Vast areas of tundra, permafrost, taiga, and steppe
Varied climate regions
Black earth belt (rich chernozem soil)
Ural Mountains (divide Europe from Asia)
Siberia (the sleeping land), located east of the Urals
Major oil, natural gas, and mineral resources –
location is a problem
Economic Charateristics
 Developing economies
 Poor infrastructures
 Transitioning from communist to free market
economy
 Russia is industrialized
 Central Asia is very agricultural
 Air and water pollution – Aral Sea/Chernobyl
Cultural Characteristics
 Diverse ethnic groups,
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customs and traditions
(many of Turkic, Slavic
and Mongol heritage)
Dominant religion –
Russian Orthodox
Fabergé eggs
Matrioshka dolls
Samovars
Famous Landmarks
 Moscow:
Red Square
The Kremlin
St. Basil’s Cathedral
 Yurts – round tents
for nomads on
the steppes of Central
Asia
Latin America
Sierra Madre Mtns.
Caribbean Sea
Llanos
Amazon Rain Forest
Atacama Desert
Patagonia
Physical Features
 Wide variety of
landforms
 Mostly tropical climates
 Seasons reverse south of
the border
 Vertical Zonation
Economic Characteristics
 Developing economies
 Subsistence farming
 Slash and burn agriculture
 Cash crops and food crops – coffee and bananas
 Environmental issues: air pollution in Mexico City
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and destruction of rainforests (deforestation)
Oil resources in Ecuador, Venezuela and Mexico
Widening gap between rich and poor
Members of NAFTA and OAS (Organ. of Am States)
Diverse mineral resources – primary business
(extraction)
Cultural Characteristics
 Indian roots – Mayan, Aztec and Inca
 European colonialism – Influence of the Spanish and
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Portuguese (Brazil)
Indian + European = Mestizo
Roman Catholic Religion/Spanish Language
African Influence – African slave trade
Large out-migration – people leaving home country
for work
Famous Landmarks
 Hacienda – communal lands
 Machu Picchu – Andes Mtns./Inca
 Tikal – Guatemala/Mayan pyramid
United States and Canada
R
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Rio Grande River
Hudson Bay
St. Lawrence River
Mississippi River
Physical Features
 Abundant natural resources
 Wide variety of climates – From tundra in Alaska to
tropical wet in Hawaii
Economic Characteristics
 Highly developed infrastructure
 Highly diversified economy
 Center of world financial markets – New York Stock
Exchange
 U.S. culture exported via global marketplace –
McDonalds, Coca-Cola and blue jeans
 High literacy rate, GDP, life expectancy
 NAFTA – North American Free Trade Agreement
Cultural Characteristics
 Multicultural societies – U.S./melting pot;
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Canada/quilt
Bilingual nations – US has English and Spanish;
Canada has English and French
Highly urbanized and mobile
French separatists movement in Canada - struggling
to maintain national identity
Democratic governments
NATO – North Atlantic Treaty
Organization/European roots
Famous Landmarks
 U.S. Capitol Building
 Golden Gate Bridge
 St. Louis Gateway Arch