ASIA
Physical Geography
South Asia
• Includes the countries of: India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka,
Bhutan, Bangladesh and Maldives
Landforms
• India is a subcontinent
• Himalaya
Mountains—highest
mountains in the
world
• Mt. Everest—highest
peak in the world
located in Nepal
(29,000 ft)
• Khyber Pass—used
to be the only
crossing into India
Major River
Systems
• Ganges River—sacred river
of Eastern India
– Fed by the snowcapped
Himalayas
– Annual flooding during
monsoon season
– Empties into the Bay of
Bengal
• Indus River—flows mainly
through Pakistan
– Home to the ancient Indian
civilization
– Empties into the Arabian
Gulf
Climate and
Vegetation
• Tropical and sub-tropical
in the East (Indian
Rainforest)
• Dry in the West
– Great Indian Desert
• Monsoons—Seasonal
winds (wet, dry and cool
seasons)
– Wet season brings
moisture from the sea
over land
– Dry season blows cool air
from the Himalayas
East Asia
• Countries include: China, Japan, South Korea, North
Korea, Taiwan and Mongolia
Islands and
Peninsulas
• Japan is a mountainous
archipelago (4 main
islands)
– Mt. Fuji (dormant
volcano)
• Japan sits along the Ring
of Fire and experiences
1000s of earthquakes
and tsunamis every year
• Taiwan is a former part
of China
• Korean Peninsula
Landforms
• Several mountain
ranges are located in
China
• The Gobi Desert is
located in Northern
China and Southern
Mongolia
Major River
Systems
• Huang He River (Yellow
River) runs through
central China
– Carries yellow top soil
called loess downstream
– Irrigates North China
Plain
• Yangtze River is located
in southern China
– 3 Gorges Dam
Southeast Asia
• Includes the countries of: Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia,
Singapore, Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Brunei
Landforms
• There are several
nations in Southeast
Asia that are made up of
islands: Philippines,
Indonesia, Singapore
and Malaysia
• Malaysia is also part of a
peninsula (Malay
Peninsula)
• The landscape is
dominated by mountain
ranges with volcanoes
• Most of the region
experiences a tropical
rainforest climate
Water
• This area is surrounded by many seas and oceans
including: South China Sea, Philippine Sea, Celebes
Sea, Banda Sea, Java Sea, Andaman Sea, Indian Ocean,
Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Thailand and Gulf of Tonkin
Climate and
Vegetation
• Most of Southeast
Asia is covered
with tropical
rainforest
• Much of the land is
dedicated to
agriculture