The Land

East Asia and Southeast Asia extend from the mountains of inland China westward to the Pacific shores of Japan, and north to south from the highlands of northeastern China to the tropical islands of Indonesia.

The Land (cont.)

East Asia occupies much of the Asian continent south of Russia.
China and Mongolia extend over most of East Asias landmass.

The other East Asian countriesNorth Korea, South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan lie on peninsulas or islands.

The Land (cont.)

Mountain ranges and highlands slice through western East Asia.
The tallest ranges here include the Himalaya and the Kunlun Shan.

Between these mountains is the vast Plateau of Tibet, averaging about 15,000 feet (4,572 m) in elevation. It is called the Roof of the World.

The Land (cont.)

East of the mountains are East Asias only major lowland areasthe North China Plain and the Manchurian Plain. Narrow lowland areas also line the coasts of the Korean Peninsula and Japan.
Most of East Asias population lives on these fertile lowland areas.

The Land (cont.)

In the Pacific Ocean off East Asias coast lies an arc of mountainous islands.
These islands include Japan, which forms an archipelago, or chain of islands, and Taiwan off the coast of southeastern China. Indonesia and the Philippines are also archipelagoes.

The Land (cont.)

East Asias islands are part of the Ring of Fire, an area bordering the Pacific Ocean where plate movements cause many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

The Land (cont.)

From north to south, mainland Southeast Asia is crossed by cordilleras, or mountain ranges that run side by side. Fertile river plains and deltas separate the ranges.
These lowland areas are home to most of mainland Southeast Asias people.

The Land (cont.)

South and east of mainland Southeast Asia are many mountainous islands which form part of the Ring of Fire and hold many active volcanoes.
Despite their dangers, they provide rich soil that supports agriculture.

The Land (cont.)

The islands of Southeast Asia also face challenges from earthquakes.
An earthquake on the Indian Ocean floor in 2004 caused a tsunami that washed over the coastal lowlands of more than a dozen countries, killing more than 300,000 people and destroying thousands of homes and businesses.

Seas and Rivers

The most important rivers in East Asia flow through China, beginning in the Plateau of Tibet and flow eastward to the Pacific Ocean.
The Huang He (Yellow River) is northern Chinas major river system. This river carries tons of fine, yellowbrown soil called loess that blows in from deserts in western China.

Seas and Rivers (cont.)

When deposited, the rich soilalong with the rivers watermakes the North China Plain a major wheat-growing area. Throughout Chinas history, the Huang He has regularly flooded the land, destroying homes and drowning many people.
For this reason, it has been called Chinas sorrow.

Seas and Rivers (cont.)

Chinas Chang Jiang (Yangtze River) is Asias longest river, flowing about 3,400 miles through spectacular gorges and broad plains until it empties into the ocean at Shanghai.
The Chang Jiang provides water for a large farming area where more than half of Chinas rice and other grains grow. It is also an important trade route allowing oceangoing ships and barges to travel far upriver.

Seas and Rivers (cont.)

The Chinese are constructing a the worlds largest damthe Three Gorges Damon the Chang Jiang, intended to prevent floods and supply a large amount of hydroelectric power.

Seas and Rivers (cont.)

Southeast Asias major rivers begin in northern highlands and in southern China.
Several of them flow southward toward the Gulf of Thailand, which is an arm of the South China Sea.

Seas and Rivers (cont.)

Southeast Asias major rivers include the Irrawaddy and the Salween in Myanmar and the Chao Phraya in Thailand. The Mekong River begins in China and empties into the South China Sea. It borders Laos and Thailand. Warm temperatures and heavy rains make the Mekong region a fertile ricegrowing area.

A Wealth of Natural Resources

China, Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, and Vietnam have rich oil reserves.
Major coal producers are China, Indonesia, North Korea, South Korea, Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam.

A Wealth of Natural Resources (cont.)

China produces electricity from the Three Gorges Dam on the Chang Jiang.
Dams on Japans swift, short rivers provide hydroelectric power for that countrys cities, industries, and farms.

A Wealth of Natural Resources (cont.)

Indonesia, Malaysia, and China are leading producers of tin.
China has one of the largest iron ore deposits in the world.

North Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines also mine iron ore.

A Wealth of Natural Resources (cont.)

Chromium, manganese, nickel, and tungsten, which are used to make highquality steel, are found in China and the Philippines.
Tungsten is also used to make light bulbs and rockets.

A Wealth of Natural Resources (cont.)

Myanmar, Indonesia, and Thailand have large quantities of teak wood, which is used to make buildings and ships because it is strong and durable.
Mahogany from the Philippines is used in wall paneling and high-quality furniture.

Effects on Climate
Winds, along with the regions landforms, shape the climates of East Asia and Southeast Asia. In winter, cold Arctic winds sweep across flat areas of Siberia and lower temperatures in Mongolia and northern China.
The average January temperature around Ulaanbaatar, Mongolias capital, is about 15F (26C), the coldest of the region.

Effects on Climate (cont.)

In the vast parts of the region that lie below northern China, monsoon winds are common. In the summer, warm, moist Pacific air brings as much as 80 percent or more of the regions yearly rainfall. In the winter, dry winds blow outward from the Asian continent to the ocean.

Effects on Climate (cont.)

Areas of Southeast Asia that are closest to the Equator have warm temperatures year-round.
Rain falls more evenly there throughout the year.

Effects on Climate (cont.)

Ocean currents also affect climate, especially on islands such as Japan.
A warm-water current flows north along southeastern Japan, adding moisture to the winter monsoon as it warms the land. A cold current flows southwest along Japans Pacific coasts, bringing harsh, cold winters to Japans northernmost areas.

Effects on Climate (cont.)

The warm waters of the Tropics help form strong, hurricane-like storms called typhoons. Typhoons that arise in the Pacific can blow across coastal East Asia, causing much damage with their high winds, large waves, and heavy rains.

Climate Zones
The climate is dry in the northern and far western parts of East Asia.
In summer, dry continental air blows across Asia from the west.

In winter, cold Arctic air from the north also carries little moisture.

Climate Zones (cont.)

In addition, monsoon winds from the Pacific have released all their moisture by the time they reach inland areas.

Climate Zones (cont.)

Most of Mongolia and northern China receives only enough rain to create a steppe climate that supports livestock with extensive grasslands.
Some years a small amount of rain falls, and summers are dry. The weather pattern of a dry summer followed by a harsh winter is called a dzud.

Climate Zones (cont.)

Mongolians fear dzud conditions because dry summers decrease the available food for their herds.

Climate Zones (cont.)

Northeastern China, the northern part of the Korean Peninsula, and northern Japan have humid continental climates with warm summers and cold winters.
The rest of East Asia and the northern part of Southeast Asia have a humid subtropical climate.

Climate Zones (cont.)

Much of Southeast Asia lies in the Tropics.
It receives the direct rays of the sun in the summer, making temperatures very warm. In winter, warm air from the Equator blows over the area, keeping temperatures warm.

Climate Zones (cont.)

Though sites, or locations, near the Equator are generally warmer, sea breezes help keep coastal temperatures more moderate.
Altitude also keeps temperatures low in tropical areas. In the mountains that cross the islands of Borneo and New Guinea, temperatures can be quite cold.

Climate Zones (cont.)

Rains can be heavy in the tropical rain forest climate region.
Parts of Indonesia receive as much as 120 inches (305 cm) per year.

Large amounts of rain can fall in a single dayas much as 28 inches (71 cm).

Climate Zones (cont.)

Abundant rains support the growth of tropical rain forests, home to a tremendous variety of plants and animals. Malaysias rain forests alone contain more than 14,000 species of flowering plants.
Deforestation is taking the regions rain forests at a rapid rate. Thailand has lost nearly half of its forest in less than 40 years.

Climate Zones (cont.)

Deforestation has contributed to natural disasters such as landslides.
Landslides are when heavy rains soak treeless hillsides.

Soil is washed down the hills, sometimes burying villages in mud and killing villagers.

Climate Zones (cont.)

Mountain areas in Indonesia and southwestern China, including the Himalaya and the Plateau of Tibet, have highland climates.
Temperatures in these areas tend to be cool and drop even more in the mountains. Because these areas receive dry continental air, they tend to have dry landscapes.