The Physical Geography of Southeast Asia:

1
The Physical Geography of Southeast Asia

• The Land

2
Introduction

• Having mostly a tropical climate, Southeast Asia
  is mountainous, with fertile river valleys.
• The region is made up of 10 countries
• The similarities and differences among the
  cultures of these countries often reflect the
  influence of other Asian countries and European
  colonialism.

3
Peninsulas and Islands

• Mainland Southeast Asia
• Five countries lie on the Indochina Peninsula
• Vietnam
• Laos
• Cambodia
• Myanmar
• Thailand
• Malaysia lies both on the Malay Peninsula and the
  island of Borneo.

4
Mountains

• Mainland Southeast Asia has three major mountain
  ranges
• Arakan Range
• Bilauktaung Range
• Annamese Cordillera
• These mountain ranges form borders between and
  within the countries of mainland Southeast Asia.

5
Mountains

• Mountains on the islands of Southeast Asia are
  part of the Pacific Ring of Fire
• Indonesia alone has 327 volcanoes, 127 of which
  are still active today.
• One of the most famous is Krakatoa, which is
  located on the strait between the island of
  Sumatra and Java.

6
Questions

• How might the locations of these countries affect
  the lives of the citizens?
• What is the Ring of Fire and how has it impacted
  the development of Indonesia?

7
Rivers

• The rivers of mainland Southeast Asia flow
  north-south in the valleys between the mountain
  ranges
• The major rivers include
• Irrawaddy River in Myanmar
• Chao Phraya in Thailand
• Mekong River along the Laos-Thailand border
  through Cambodia and into Vietnam
• Hong (Red) River in northern Vietnam

8
Natural Resources

• Major Natural Resources
• Fossil Fuels
• Minerals and Gems
• Flora and Fauna
• Mahogany, Teak, and Rubber Trees are all
  important resources.
• Fishing is a major supplement to the economies of
  the region.

9
Questions

• How has life in this region been impacted by
  rivers?
• What concerns may these countries have in terms
  of harvesting Mahogany and Teak trees?

10
The Physical Geography of Southeast Asia

• The Climate and Vegetation

11
Southeast Asias Climate Regions

• Although Southeast Asia largely has a tropical
  climate, there are exceptions in the regions
  climate patterns due mainly to latitude,
  elevation, and wind patterns.
• For example, the northernmost parts of Laos and
  Vietnam are humid subtropical.
• The Shan Plateau in Myanmar is elevated and
  cooler than the rest of the country

12
Tropical Rain Forest

• Uniformly hot, humid, and rainy throughout the
  year.
• Found throughout the Southeast Asian Islands as
  well as the eastern and western coasts of the
  Indochina Peninsula.

13
Tropical Savanna Climate

• Located in central to southeast regions of the
  mainland.
• Characterized by alternating wet and dry seasons
  . . . Monsoons

14
Vegetation

• Malaysia alone has over 145,000 species of
  flowering plants.
• Southeast Asia mainly has tropical vegetation
  however, in the tropical savanna climate region
  grasses extend southeastward across Indochina.

15
Deforestation

• Thailand has lost over ½ of its forests.
• Throughout the region, the lost of rain forests
  have decreased the soil quality, created erosion
  problems, and contaminated water sources.

16
Questions

• What other areas of the world have similar
  climates to humid subtropical Southeast Asia?
• How might Thailand act in order to protect the
  remaining rain forests? What effects might this
  action have on the people of Thailand?
• What other regions that we have studied
  experience monsoons and what factors contribute
  to the development of monsoons?