Is a subcontinent because its countries- India, Pakistan,
Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives are separated
from the rest of Asia by mountains.
Northern Landforms
Himalayas created when India slammed into Asia. 1,500
miles across northern edge of peninsula and hundreds of
miles wide. Mt. Everest- highest mountain at 29,028 ft.
Meet the Karakoram Mountains in the northern most part
of South Asia.
Further west are the Hindu Kush. Khyber Pass is one of the
few places you can cross these mountains.
Plains at the base of the Himalaya ranges. Watered by great
rivers like the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra. 1/10th of the
world’s people live in this area known as the Gangetic Plain.
Central and Southern Landforms
Vindhya Ranges in central India. Satpura Range.
Narmada Rive flows in between. Divide India into
separate places.
At the base of subcontinent are the Eastern and
Western Ghats. Triangle of rugged hills. In between
is the Deccan Plateau. Rich black soil.
Sri Lanka is a tear drop shaped island. Maldives is a
chain of volcanic outcroppings and of tiny coral
atolls.
Maldives covers 35,200 square miles of ocean, its
land area only totals 116 square miles.
Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers
Ganges comes east from Himalaya. Most important
river. Keeps its waters during dry season because of
snow. Floods during the wet season.
Gangetic Plain cleared to make way for rice,
sugarcane and jute. Longest alluvial plain in world.
Brahmaputra River flows east through Himalaya
and into western India. Joins the Ganges in
Bangladesh and forms a fertile delta.
Indus River
Flows mainly through Pakistan. Transportation
route. Cradle of ancient civilizations.
Natural Resources
Rivers provide drinking water, alluvial soil, transportation,
and hydroelectric power. Fish.
Water resource management is a challenge because rivers
cross national borders. Work together.
India is leading exporter of iron ore and mica.
Nepal has copper and mica.
Sri Lanka is one of the world’s largest producers of graphite.
Also has precious stones.
Do have some oil reserves and uranium deposits.
Timber includes sandalwood, sal and teak. Sri Lanka banned
timber exports in 1977 and several countries have cut back
on timber industry.
Tropical Regions
Western coast of India, Ganges Delta in Bangladesh, and
southern Sri Lanka.
Rain forests absorb great amounts of moisture.
Sundarbans- swampy area in southwestern Bangladesh and
the north-eastern coast of India.
Tropical dry surrounds central Indian steppe and eastern Sri
Lanka.
Mid latitude and Highland Regions
Himalaya block cold winds from Central Asia. Humid
subtropical extends across Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and
northeastern part of India.
Coldest climate lies along northern edge. Himalayas and
Karakoram snow year round.
Dry Regions
Lower Indus in the northwestern part of South Asia keeps
dry climate.
Thar Desert- east of Indus River. Surrounding desert is
steppe climate. Average rainfall is less than 20 inches.
Monsoon Rains
3 seasons- hot (February to June), wet (June to September),
and cool (October to February). Depend on monsoons.
700 million people depend on these rains for livelihoods.
Natural Disasters
Temperatures and rainfall impact agriculture. Monsoon
winds are good and bad. Not enough or too much rain.
Cyclones- high winds and heavy rains. Tsunamis also
prevalent.
Ring of Fire
China makes up 80% of East Asia. Mongolia 13%. Japan,
Taiwan, North and South Korea.
Arc of islands that marks the meeting place of the Pacific,
Philippine and Eurasian tectonic plates.
Japan has about 50 active volcanoes. 1,000 small
earthquakes a year.
Peninsulas, Seas, and Islands
Korean Peninsula juts southeast out from China’s Northeast
Plain., separating Sea of Japan from the Yellow Sea.
Tectonic activity is cause of many of the seas and islands.
Japan is 4 main islands and hundreds of smaller islands.
Honshu is central and largest. Hokkaido to north, and
Kyushu and Shikoku to the south.
Mountains, Highlands and Lowlands
Pamirs- area of high peaks and valleys. Mountain ranges fan
out from here.
Kunlun Shan and Tian Shan. Altay Shan form boundary
between Mongolia and China.
Kunlun Shan bends to become Qinling Shandi. Changbai
Shan of Manchuria extend into Korean to become Northern
Mountains.
Mount Fuji- 12,388 ft.
Plateau of Tibet is highest plateau region. Average 15,000 ft.
Gobi desert- less than 3 inches of rain a year.
China’s Rivers
Huang He (Yellow River) is major river system in China.
Carries loess which gives it its color.
North China Plan a major wheat and soy bean farming area.
Chinas Sorrow- often floods its banks, killing hundreds of
thousands of people.
Chang Jiang (Yangtze River)- longest river. 3,965 miles. Major
transportation route.
Xi (West River)- southern China. Huge fertile delta.
China’s Grand Canal- longest artificial waterway. 1,085 mile
route.
Rivers in Japan and Korea
Short and swift. Waterfalls. Hydroelectric power. Many
diverted for irrigation.
Natural Resources
Unevenly distributed.
China has greatest share and range of minerals- iron ore, tin,
tungsten, and gold.
Oil deposits in South China Sea and Taklimakan.
Coal deposits in northeastern China.
Productive farmlands also uneven. Southern China’s rice
bowl- two harvests a year. Leading producer of rice.
25% of land suitable for farming in South Korea produces
two crops a year.
Japan not good for farming. Taiwan and Mongolia are not
good for farming either.
Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and China have world’s biggest
deep sea fishing industries.
Mid latitude
Humid continental- northeastern East Asia. Northern parts
of Korea and Japan.
Southeastern part has a humid subtropical climate.
Bamboo is abundant in warm areas.
Desert and Steppe
Inland China and Mongolia. Gobi and Talkimakan are cold
and windy. Gobi temps average 73°F in summer and 0°F in
winter.
Highland
Changes with elevation. Plateau of Tibet average temps only
hit 58°F.
Tropical Wet Climates
Hainan- island. Very rainy summer and year round warm
temperatures. Rain forests
Seasonal Weather Patterns
Interaction of prevailing winds and ocean currents.
Air mass above Asian continent meets air mass above Pacific
Ocean in East Asia. Results in monsoons.
Summer winds are hot with lots of humidity off Pacific
Ocean. April to October rains. Gets 80% of annual rain.
November to March is cold, arctic air.
Rely on monsoon rains for their crops.
Ocean currents influence climate. Japan Current- warm
water. Adds warm moisture to winter monsoon.
Kuril Current- harsh cold winters to Japan.
Warm humid air gives rise to typhoons.