ASIAN CIVILIZATIONPhysical Environment

Importance of Knowing Asia

Asia stands out with the rest of the continents on two facts. Its great size and enormous population. It is home to more than half of the world's people. The history of Asia is the story of the genesis of anthropology, religion, culture, and civilization, geopolitics, economics, astronomy, astrology, philosophy, the arts, literature, military science, mathematics, medicine, and even the so-called mother

Filipinos must know that Asia was superior to West until about 500 years ago China for example led the world in developing technology when the Romans were still building their empire. The fact that Europeans wanted goods (silk, tea, porcelain, spices, etc) Also, the Chinese regarded Europeans then as barbarians.

East and WestThe

East (Orient) is the Asian World, said to be the region of the rising sun. West (Occident) is the Europe, said to be the region of the setting sun.

The

In

1980, Russian geographers even went so far as to mark the boundary between East and West in the Ural mountains by placing a stone cross on the highest pass in the route connecting Tiflis (Tbilisi) and Orjonikidze.

This

mountain pass was called Krestovie Pereval (Pass of the Cross) cross bore the word "Asia" on the side facing east and the word "Europe" on that side facing west.

The

Asia, World's Largest ContinentOf

the seven continents in the world, Asia is the largest. total area is 17 million miles, one third of the land surface of the earth and with 60 percent of its population.

Its

Seven Continents in the World

Asia, World's Largest ContinentAsia

is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the south by the Indian Sea, on the east by the Pacific Ocean, and on the west by the Ural Mountain, Caspian Sea, Black Sea and Aegean Sea.

Asia, World's Largest ContinentIt

is separated from the Americas by the narrow Bering Strait, and from Africa by the man-made Suez Canal. In the southeast, it is linked by the tropical islands like stepping-stones to Australia.

Sub-regions of AsiaEast

Asia - also called the Far East, this sub-region includes China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea and Taiwan.

South

Asia includes Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

Southeast Asia includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor- Liste and Vietnam.

Southwest Asia It includes Afghanistan, Bahrain, Cyprus, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Yemen.

North

Asia - includes Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan

Physical FeaturesIt

has the world's tallest and deepest areas, the wettest and driest places, some of the most productive barren places on earth. Asia has towering snow-capped mountains, cool plateaus, verdant valleys, arid deserts, extensive forests, cascading waterfalls and historic rivers.

The

mountains are the mighty Himalayas (abode of Snow), the Ural mountains, and the Caucasus range.

Ural mountains

The Caucasus Mountain Rage is famous in song and story, for it was on its rocks, according to Greek mythology, where Prometheus was chained by the irate Zeus for giving the fire of the gods to mortal men.

Physical FeaturesAsia

has many peninsulas which stretch out like the arms of an octopus, notably India, Indochina, Malaya, Korea and Kamchatka. These contain excellent harbors and bays.

Physical FeaturesRivers

serve as highways of commerce and communications. Three of these rivers drain into the Indian Ocean - Indus River, Ganges River, and the Human So (Yellow River). The Yangtze River and the Si Kiang drains into the Pacific Ocean.

Indus River

Ganges River

Yellow River

Yangtze River

Physical FeaturesOne

mighty river, the Mekong, runs through three of Asia's "rice bowls" (Burma, Thailand and Vietnam) and joins the South China Sea.

The historic Tigris and Euphrates, flow down into the Persian Gulf.

Physical Features

Tu n d ra - a frozen soilcovered by snow most o f th e ye a r a n d stre tch i g fro m 1 5 0 -5 0 0 km n

Steppes - a forest which gives what to semi-dessert areas which stretch from Arabia to Mongolia. The lack of rain and vegetation encourage a nomadic lifestyle.

Physical FeaturesConditions

in southern Asia are different. Nine-tenths of the population live in fertile river valleys and lower hills cultivated for crops.

Climate and RainfallAsia

has all kinds of climates known to man ranging from the freezing cold of Siberia's arctic region to the scorching heat of the Western Asian deserts. Rainfall is extremely scarce in North Asia, abundant the Southeast and South and relatively little in the Middle East.

Climate and RainfallThe

town of Cherrapunki in Assam, India, holds the world record of the heaviest annual rainfall. Philippines holds the world record of the heaviest 24hour rainfall recorded on October 17, 1967.

The

One of the driest deserts in earth is Kara Kum in Turkmenistan (Soviet Central Asia).

Climate and RainfallSiberia

holds the world record of the lowest temperature registered in 1892. Asia has both temperate and tropical climates. In the north, temperate climate is felt in the very cold winters and very hot summers.

The coldest part of the world in winter is found in Siberia. To the south, there is no cold season, only a cooler season.

The climate in Southern Asia is dominated by the "monsoon", an Arabic word for rainy season when several months of the year bring heavy rainfall.

In the Philippines, heavy rain and stormy winds are called "typhoons" a Chinese word for strong wind.

Asia's Rich Natural Resources but Poor PeopleSixty

percent of the worlds oil reserves and fifty percent of the world coal deposits lie beneath Asian strata. The Middle East, Brunei and Indonesia virtually float on a sea of oil.

Asia's Rich Natural Resources but Poor PeopleChina

produces 50% of the world's supply of antimony (a mineral used in light bulbs). China and Siberia are rich in coal and natural gas deposits as well as oil. Malaysia is the world's greatest producer of rubber and tin.

Asia's Rich Natural Resources but Poor PeopleIndonesia

is the greatest exporter of kapok, pepper, and quinine. The Philippines ranks 1st in coconut and hemp production, 2nd in sugarcane and 5th in tobacco. 90% of the world's rice comes from Asia.

Asia's Rich Natural Resources but Poor PeopleBurma,

Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines are the greatest "rice bowls" of the world. Most of the world's supply of teak comes from the jungles of Borneo, Burma, Cambodia, and Thailand.

Asia's Rich Natural Resources but Poor PeopleBangladesh

is the leading producer of jute, a tough fiber for making sacks. The world's supply of tea comes largely from Sri Lanka and India. Asia houses one fourth of the world's forests. The vast forests of Siberia and tropical forests in Southeast Asia total to 2.7 billion acres.

Asia's Rich Natural Resources but Poor PeopleUnfortunately,

most Asians remain poor despite their continent's rich natural resources. Some reasons are: some resources are not yet developed the developed resources are mostly controlled by Western multinational companies and not by Asian entrepreneurs the environment is not protected from natural or man-made

Asia's Rich Natural Resources but Poor PeopleAlthough

Asia has 60% of the world's population, it only accounts for 17% of the world's production and industry. Thus, Asians generally did not earn enough to feed, clothe, house and care for themselves in the same standards as Westerners live.

Asia's Rich Natural Resources but Poor PeopleAsian

countries mostly rely on foreign technology and capital. The rich forests in Asia are suffering the fastest rate of destruction in the world due to illegal logging, crude farming and forest fires.

VegetationThere

is great variety in Asian vegetation because of the diversity in climates. It is in the southern part of Asia where most vegetation and agriculture thrive.

VegetationRice,

wheat, soy beans, and other important crops are cultivated here. The tropical south also produces coconut, rubber, tea, tobacco, and other products valuable for export to the world.

AnimalsThe

native animals of Asia are as varied as its climate and vegetation. On the Arctic coastal and tundra are found the polar bears, the seal and the domesticated reindeer.

AnimalsThe

brown bear, wolf and other furbearing animals have their home in the taiga (the vast coniferous forests of Siberia). Antelopes, gazelles and camels (work animal of the desert).

AnimalsNot

found elsewhere in the world is the yak, the native goat of Tibet, and the Angora goat of Anatolia. The tropical region of Asia is inhabited by tigers (only found in Asia), leopards, monkeys and elephants.

Tibetan Yak

Angora goat of Anatolia

AnimalsThe

elephant has been domesticated to move heavy goods, especially in India and Sri Lanka. Many brickfields are tilled with the help of the carabao or water buffalo.

Natural WondersThe

Nepal-Tibet border looms the world's highest peak, Mt. Everest (29,028 feet) along the Himalayan Range.

Natural WondersThe

world's lowest land area is the Dead Sea (303m below sea level) which is actually a salt lake in the Israel-Jordan border.

The largest ocean is the Pacific which washes the eastern shores of Asia.

The

world's deepest ocean depth is the Philippines Deep along eastern Mindanao.

Natural Wonders

T h e l rg e st b a y i th e w o rl i I d i ' B e n g a l a n d s n as

The Caspian Sea in Siberia is the largest lake (inland sea) on earth.

Lake Baikal, also in Siberia, is the world's deepest lake.

The world's largest archipelago is Indonesia consisting of more than 3,000 islands.

The world's longest strait is the famous Malacca Strait, between Malaysia and Indonesia, which extends for 485 miles.

The narrowest strait in the world is the San Juanico Strait between the islands of Samar and Leyte in the Philippines.

Man-made WondersThe

Great Wall of China is the most colossal edifice ever fashioned by human hands. It was built by Emperor Shih Huang Ati as a defensive rampart against the marauding Tartans. It took more than 10 years to finish and more that 200,000 men labored on the gigantic project.

Man-made WondersBecause

thousands of workers died during the construction of the Great Wall, many were buried in it that is why it is also the world's largest cemetery. The Great Wall of China is the only man-made structure visible from the moon.

Man-made WondersThe

Ifugao rice terraces is another Asia's man-made wonder. Built about 2,000 years ago, these terraces escalate like colossal stairways into the clouds. If placed end to end, they would extend more than 22,500 km, eight times longer than China's Great Wall or more than half the circumference of the earth.

Man-made WondersThe

Taj Mahal (Crown of the Palace), a magnificent marble tomb in Agra, India is hailed by Western writers as the most beautiful and perfect of all buildings in the world.