Southeast AsiaSoutheast Asia

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WHY IT’S IMPORTANT—

Southeast Asia is a vital crossroads

of trade and commerce.The region is

rich in natural resources such as tin,

petroleum, rubber, tea, spices, and

valuable woods. In recent years,

many Southeast Asians have migrat-

ed to the United States, bringing

their own religions and cultures

with them.You are probably familiar

with the flavors of many Southeast

Asian dishes, available now in restau-

rants in the United States.

To learn more about

Southeast Asia and its impact on

your world, view the World Regions

video “Southeast Asia.”

Terraced rice fields on the island of Bali, Indonesia

World Regions Video

NGS ONLINEwww.nationalgeographic.com/education

Lying east of India and south of China, Southeast Asia juts out fromthe rest of the Asian continent and then fragments into a jumble of islands that straddle the Equator. Two peninsulas form the main-land—the bulbous Indochina Peninsula and the narrow Malay

Peninsula, which extends southward from the other like a long, gnarledfinger. Millions of years ago, tectonic plates collided to form parallelmountain ranges that span the mainland from north to south. Great

rivers, such as the Irrawaddy, Mekong, Chao Phraya, andRed, course through the valleys between these rangesand create fertile deltas where they meet the sea.

Most of the region’s islands are mountainous, too,but their peaks were spawned by ancient volcaniceruptions. Active volcanoes remain a threat on theseislands, which lie along the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Rain forests cover parts of Southeast Asia.Wateredby monsoon rains, these forests—valued for their tim-ber and wildlife—are decreasing because of extensivelogging.

What Makes SoutheastAsia a Region?

1 Ankle-deep in muddy water,a Philippine farmer plants riceseedlings in a flooded paddy.Southeast Asia’s fertile soilsand warm, wet climate areideal for growing rice. Mostfarmers in Southeast Asia plant and harvest their cropsby hand.

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Using trunk and tusks, an Asianelephant piles up teak logsalong a river in Myanmar. Thelush forests of this country sup-ply more than three-fourths ofthe world’s teak, a beautiful,durable wood often used forfurniture. Some SoutheastAsian loggers use tractors, butelephants are cheaper anddon’t require roads.

Like a fountain of fire, Krakatauhurls lava into the night sky.One of Indonesia’s many active volcanoes, Krakatau lies between the islands ofSumatra and Java. In 1883,36,000 people died whenKrakatau erupted violently,generating huge tidal wavesthat swept over the nearbyislands.

Steering with slender paddles,a Vietnamese woman guidesher boat through a shallowwaterway on the delta of theMekong River. From its sourcein China, the Mekong flows2,600 miles (4,180 km) to theSouth China Sea. Like riversthroughout this region, theMekong is a vital transportationroute for people and goods.

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Ethnic Mosaic

A white scarf covers the headof a Muslim girl in Malaysia.Arab and Indian tradersbrought the faith of Islam toSoutheast Asia in the 1300sand 1400s. Today, Islam is thedominant religion on the MalayPeninsula and in Indonesia. In fact, Indonesia has moreMuslims than any other coun-try in the world.

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Rugged mountains and rolling seas could not hold backthe outsiders that have been drawn to Southeast Asiathroughout its history. Some came to trade, some to settle,and others to forge empires. Beginning in the 1500s,Europeans laid claim to various parts of the region.

Eventually, every Southeast Asian countryexcept Thailand was a European colony.

Colonial rule ended in the mid-1900s,but the region was left fragmented and inturmoil. Struggles among ethnic groups andbetween Communist and non-Communistpowers claimed thousands of lives.

Today, more than 500 million peoplelive in this culturally diverse region.Theyspeak hundreds of languages and dialectsand practice several major religions.Despite rapid urbanization and industrial-ization in some places, most SoutheastAsians still make their living traditionally,as farmers.

1

Beneath gilded towers,Buddhist monks descend thesteps of a temple in Vientiane,the capital and largest city ofLaos. After Islam, Buddhism isthe second most widespreadreligion in Southeast Asia.It is the primary religion in Laos and on the rest of theIndochina Peninsula.

Fruit vendors on bicycles offerbounty from the fields to buy-ers on the streets of Hanoi,Vietnam. Most Vietnamese, likeother Southeast Asians, arefarmers who raise rice, fruit,and other crops on small plotsof land. Only a small percent-age of Vietnamese people workin industry.

Southeast Asia’s busiest port,Singapore lies at the tip of theMalay Peninsula, along theStrait of Malacca, the mainshipping route between theIndian Ocean and the SouthChina Sea. From this strategiclocation, the city handles muchof the flow of goods into andout of Southeast Asia.

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U N I TREGIONAL ATLAS10 Southeast Asia

PHYSICAL

N

Isthmusof

Kra

MalayPeninsula

S u ma t r a

BorneoMoluccas

NewGuinea

Mindanao

Luzon

Java

Bali

Celebes(Sulawesi)

KHORATPLATEAU

G R E A T E R

S U N D A I S L A N D S

ShanPlateau

MekongRiver Delta

Spratly

Islands

NatunaIs.

Paracel

Islands

Palawan

Mindoro

Negros

Samar

Leyte

Ceram

Aru Is.

BilauktaungBar i san

M

ts .

L e s s e r S u n d a I s l a n d s

Range

Naga

Hills

Tanen Ra.

Dangrek Ra.

Arakan

Yoma

Ann am

Cordi l lera

Irra w

ad

dy

R.

Salw

een R.

M

ekong

R.

RedR .

ChaoPhraya R.

TonleSap

Indian

Ocean

Pacific

Ocean

Gulf ofTonkin

J a v a S e a

P h i l i p p i n e

S e a

SuluSea

CelebesSea

Banda Sea

Ceram Sea

Flores Sea

SavuSea

TimorSea

AndamanSea Gulf

ofThailand

A r a f u r a S e a

Maka

ssar

Str

ait

Molu

cca

Sea

Luzon Stra

it

Balabac Str.

Great Channel

Karim

ataStr.

S o u

t hC

hi n

aS

ea

Strait of Malacca

Bay of Bengal

TROPIC OF CANCER

EQUATOR

120°E 130°E 140°E110°E100°E

30°N

10°N

20°N

0°

10°S

M Y A N M A R

LAOS

THAILAND

CAMBODIAVIETNAM

M A L A Y S I A

SINGAPORE

PHILIPPINES

BRUNEI

I N D O N E S I A

EAST TIMOR

E A S T

A S I A

A U S T R A L I A

Jaya Peak16,500 ft.(5,029 m)

Miller Cylindrical projection400

0

0

400

km

mi.

Elevation Profile

Sea level

2,000 m

4,000 m

6,000 m

8,000 m

6,562 ft

13,123 ft

19,685 ft

26,247 ft

ANNAMCORDILLERA

Yangon(Rangoon)

0 mi.

0 km 500

500

GULF OFTONKIN

BAYOFBENGAL

IRRAWADDYRIVER

MEKONGRIVER

POLITICAL120°E 130°E 140°E110°E100°E

30°N

10°N

20°N

0°

TROPIC OF CANCER

EQUATOR

Pacific

Ocean

Indian

Ocean

L. Toba

Gulf ofMartaban

Gulf ofTonkin

Andaman

Sea

Gulf ofThailand

Great

Channel

Karim

ataStrait

J a v a S e a

P h i l i p p i n e

S e a

S o u t h

C h i n a

S e a

Luzon Strait

Sulu Sea

CelebesSea

Balabac Strait

Ceram Sea

Savu Sea

Timor Sea

Banda Sea

Flores Sea

A r a f u r a S e a

MoluccaSea

Mak

assa

rS

trai

t

Irra w

ad

dy

R.

Salw

een R.

Mek

ong R

.

KapuasR.

ANNAMCO

RDILLE

RA

Isthmusof

Kra

MALAYPENINSULA

SUMATRA BORNEO

MOLUCCAS

N E W G U I N E A

MINDANAO

LUZON

JAVA

CELEBES

Yangon(Rangoon)

Vientiane

Bangkok

PhnomPenh

KualaLumpur

Dili

Jakarta

Bandung Surabaya

Manila

Ho Chi Minh City

Bandar SeriBegawan

Hanoi

EAST TIMOR

M Y A N M A R

L A O S

THAILAND

CAMBODIAVIETNAM

M A L A Y S I A

SINGAPORE

P H I L I P P I N E S

BRUNEI

I N D O N E S I A

E A S T

A S I A

A U S T R A L I A

Miller Cylindrical projection400

0

0

400

km

mi.

N

1. What are the capitals of the continentalcountries in Southeast Asia?

2. To what country does the island ofMindanao belong?

StudyMAP

National capitalTerritorial capitalMajor city

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U N I TREGIONAL ATLAS10 Southeast Asia

POPULATION DENSITY120°E 140°E110°E100°E

30°N

10°N

20°N

0°

10°S

TROPIC OF CANCERTROPIC OF CANCER

EQUATOR

Pacific

Ocean

Indian

Ocean

Philippine

Sea

LuzonStrait

Andaman

SeaGulf

of

Thailand

Gulfof

Tonkin

J a v a S e a

CelebesSea

MoluccaSea

TimorSea

SuluSeaBalabac Strait

Banda Sea

Ceram Sea

Savu Sea

Flores Sea

Arafura Sea

Karimata

Strait

Great Channel

So

ut

h

C

hi

na

Se

a

Yangon(Rangoon)

Bangkok

PhnomPenh

MedanKualaLumpur

Jakarta

Bandung Surabaya

MataramDili

Kendari

Ho Chi Minh City

Singapore

Hanoi

Sittwe

Mandalay

Vientiane

Haiphong

Da Nang

Manila

Quezon City

Cebu

Davao

Cagayan de Oro

ChiangMai

Bandar SeriBegawan

Padang

Palembang

Semarang

Pontianak

Kuching

Samarinda

Banjarmasin

Makassar

Jayapura

E A S T

A S I A

A U S T R A L I AMiller Cylindrical projection400

0

0

400

km

mi.

N

Cities(Statistics reflect metropolitan areas.)

Per sq. mi.Per sq. kmOver 100

50–100

25–50

1–25

Under 1

Uninhabited

Over 250

125–250

60–125

2–60

Under 2

Uninhabited

Over 5,000,000

2,000,000–5,000,000

1,000,000–2,000,000

250,000–1,000,000

Under 250,000

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ECONOMIC ACTIVITY

120°E 130°E 140°E110°E100°E

30°N

10°N

20°N

0°

10°S

TROPIC OF CANCER

EQUATOR

Pacific

Ocean

Indian

Ocean

Andaman

Sea

J a v a S e a

P h i l i p p i n e

S e a

S o u t h

C h i n a

S e a

CelebesSea

A r a f u r a S e a

Sulu Sea

Karim

ataStrait

Gulf of

Thailand

Gulf ofTonkin

Luzon Strait

Banda Sea

SUMATRA BORNEO

N E W G U I N E A

JAVA

CELEBES

Yangon(Rangoon)

Bangkok

KualaLumpur

Jakarta

Palembang

Surabaya

Manila

Ho Chi Minh City

Hanoi

PhnomPenh

Medan

Bandung

Teak Teak

RiceRice

RiceRice

Rice

Sugarcane

AbacaCoconuts

Coconuts

Coconuts

Coconuts

Corn

Rice

Tea

Coffee

Rice

Cassava

SpicesRubber

Rubber

Spices

Rubber

Rubber

Pearls

Pearls

Spices

Spices

Coconuts

EAST TIMOR

M Y A N M A R

L A O S

THAILAND

CAMBODIAVIETNAM

M A L A Y S I A

SINGAPORE

P H I L I P P I N E S

BRUNEI

I N D O N E S I A

E A S T

A S I A

A U S T R A L I A

N

N

N

N

Miller Cylindrical projection400

0

0

400

km

mi.

N

Land UseCommercial farmingSubsistence farmingHunting and gatheringManufacturing and tradeCommercial fishing

Resources

Petroleum

Natural gas

Coal

Nickel

Tungsten

Copper

Tin

Gemstones

Gold

N

1. Which Southeast Asian countries havedeposits of gold? Gemstones?

2. Which Southeast Asian island countriesare the most densely populated?

StudyMAP

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BruneiDollar

Riel

Rupiah

Kip

Ringgit

Republic

CommunistState

ConstitutionalMonarchy

ConstitutionalMonarchy

ConstitutionalMonarchy

ConstructionMaterials

ManufacturedGoods

300,000156 per sq. mi.60 per sq. km

2,228 sq. mi.5,771 sq. km

13,100,000187 per sq. mi.72 per sq. km

206,100,000280 per sq. mi.108 per sq. km

5,400,00059 per sq. mi.23 per sq. km

22,700,000178 per sq. mi.69 per sq. km

69,900 sq. mi.181,041 sq. km

735,355 sq. mi.1,904,569 sq. km

91,429 sq. mi.236,800 sq. km

127,317 sq. mi.329,749 sq. km

Malay,English, Chinese

Khmer, French

Bahasa Indonesia,Javanese

Lao, French

Malay, English, Chinese

Machinery

Machinery

MachineryElectronicEquipment

Timber

Kyat

PhilippinePeso

SingaporeDollar

Baht

Dong

Republic

Republic

CommunistState

MilitaryDictatorship

ConstitutionalMonarchy

47,800,000183 per sq. mi.71 per sq. km

77,200,000666 per sq. mi.257 per sq. km

4,100,00017,320 per sq. mi.6,687 per sq. km

62,400,000315 per sq. mi.122 per sq. km

78,700,000623 per sq. mi.241 per sq. km

261,228 sq. mi.676,581 sq. km

115,830 sq. mi.300,000 sq. km

239 sq. mi.619 sq. km

198,116 sq. mi.513,120 sq. km

128,066 sq. mi.331,691 sq. km

Burmese,Local Languages

Tagalog, English

Thai, Local Languages

Vietnamese,Local Languages

Chinese, Malay,Tamil, English Aircraft

Raw Materials

ManufacturedGoods

Beans

Computer Equipment

Machinery

Machinery

Machinery

ElectronicEquipment

BRUNEI

Bandar SeriBegawan

INDONESIA

Jakarta

MALAYSIA

KualaLumpur

PhnomPenh

Vientiane

CAMBODIA

LAOS

MYANMAR

Yangon(Rangoon)

PHILIPPINES

Manila

SINGAPORE

Singapore

Bangkok

VIETNAMHanoi

THAILAND

WoodProducts

Crude Oil

Crude Oil

EAST TIMOR

Tetun, Javanese, Portuguese

800,000134 per sq. mi.52 per sq. km

5,741 sq. mi.14,869 sq. km

ManufacturedGoods

Indonesian Rupiah Republic

CoconutProducts

Crude Oil

Dili

COUNTRY *

AND CAPITAL

FLAG AND

LANGUAGE

POPULATION

AND DENSITYLANDMASS

MAJOR

EXPORT

MAJOR

IMPORTCURRENCY GOVERNMENT

COUNTRY PROFILES

* COUNTRIES AND FLAGS NOT DRAWN TO SCALE

FOR AN ONLINE UPDATE OF THIS INFORMATION, VISIT GEOGRAPHY.GLENCOE.COM AND CLICK ON “TEXTBOOK UPDATES.”

U N I TREGIONAL ATLAS10 Southeast Asia

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▲ Ruins of Buddhist temple c. A.D. 1000–1200,Pagan, Myanmar

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�GLOBAL

CONNECTIONSOUTHEAST ASIA AND THE UNITED STATES

CUISINE

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What’s for dinner? Twenty or thirty years ago, the answer probably would have been “steak,”“meatloaf,”or “hamburgers.”But now, you might hear “lemon grass chicken”or “laab moo”!Americans have developed a taste for foods from other lands.

And the cuisines of two Southeast Asian countries—Thailand and Vietnam—have become especially popular in the United States.

Thai and Vietnamese cooks themselves have borrowed foods, flavors, and prepa-ration methods from several of their neighbors, especially China and India. For example, many Thai and Vietnamese dishes are stir-fried, as is much Chinese food.Coconut milk is an ingredient picked up from India. Nevertheless,Thai andVietnamese cuisines have their own distinctive flavors and characteristics.

Some of the common ingredients in Thai food are lemon grass, shrimp paste,Siamese ginger, and chilies—very hot chilies! These and other ingredients are com-bined to create complex and tantalizing tastes. Laab moo, for example, is a dish ofminced pork seasoned with lemon juice,fish sauce, fresh mint, and green chilies. In asingle forkful of a Thai dish, you might tastesweet, sour, salty, and hot flavors all at once.

Vietnamese food is often described asbeing similar to Thai food, but less intense,

Enjoying a meal in Hanoi, Vietnam▲

▲ Floating produce market in Thailand

with more subtle flavors. Some Vietnamese dishes might seem more like salads thanmain dishes to most Americans. Bits of cooked meat or fish are typically served with a platter of fresh lettuce, herbs, and vegetables. One ingredient found in almost allVietnamese dishes is nuoc mam, a salty fish sauce. What salt is to American food and soy sauce is to Chinese dishes, nuoc mam is to Vietnamese cuisine.

How did Thai and Vietnamese foods get to the United States? In the 1970s, after theVietnam War,Vietnamese refugees flocked to America. Many opened small restaurants.Thais had been coming to the United States as students since the 1960s. Many of theThais settled in Los Angeles, where the climate may have reminded them of home. By1990, there were more Thais living in greater Los Angeles than any other place outsideThailand—and the city had at least 200 Thai restaurants.

Now Thai and Vietnamese restaurants can be found in cities all across the UnitedStates. From the fiery flavors of Thailand to the more delicate tastes of Vietnam,Southeast Asian cuisines have found a home in America.

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GeoJournalAs you read the chapter, visualize places inSoutheast Asia that are discussed in thechapter. Write entries in your journal thatdescribe the region’s prominent physical features. Use vivid images and details in your entries.

Chapter Overview Visit the Glencoe WorldGeography Web site at tx.geography.glencoe.comand click on Chapter Overviews—Chapter 29 to preview information about the physicalgeography of the region.

The Land

A Geographic ViewJourney to the InteriorAt dawn the next day I set off upriverin a hollowed-out tree trunk withmy guide. . . . [He] poles the dugoutthrough the tea-colored waterwhile I watch birds—kingfishersdarting from the riverbanks, flocksof hornbills skimming above thetreetops, their wings soundinglike runners panting for breath.

The banks sprout wild bread-fruits, bananas, and a host ofpalm trees, all tangled up withhanging vines. As the heat ofthe day intensifies, the river’sgreen walls vibrate with theringing of cicadas. Then the river growsshallower, forcing us to push the dugout over rocks. It isthe dry season, something hard to fathom in a place drenched with more than 200 inches of rain a year.

—Thomas O’Neill, “Irian Jaya, Indonesia’s Wild Side,”National Geographic, February 1996

Lush rain forests, tangled swamps, and rugged mountainscharacterize the province of Irian Jaya in the Southeast Asian countryof Indonesia. In this section you will explore the physical geographyof Southeast Asia: its beginnings, its natural barriers of mountainsand water, its tempestuous volcanoes, and its abundant naturalresources.

Peninsulas and IslandsWhen the Eurasian, Philippine, and Indo-Australian tectonic plates

collided millions of years ago, they formed the landmasses that areknown today as Southeast Asia. The upheaval formed cordilleras,

Guide to ReadingConsider What You KnowYou have learned how the physicalgeography of a region affects itseconomy. Southeast Asia is rich in tropical rain forests and waterresources. What products do youknow about that come from thisregion?

Read to Find Out• How did tectonic plate movement,

volcanic activity, and earthquakesform Southeast Asia?

• Why are the region’s waterwaysimportant to its peoples?

• How do rich natural resourcesaffect Southeast Asia’s economy?

Terms to Know• cordillera

• archipelago

• insular

• flora

• fauna

Places to Locate• Indochina Peninsula

• Malay Peninsula

• Annam Cordillera

• Irrawaddy River

• Chao Phraya River

• Red River

• Mekong River

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Pura (temple) Ulun Danu,Bali, Indonesia

Stilt houses in Irian Jaya

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or parallel mountain ranges andplateaus, that extend into theIndochina Peninsula. Activity from related volca-noes and earthquakes created a series of archipela-gos in the South Pacific. An archipelago is a groupof islands.

Straddling the Equator, the peninsulas andislands of Southeast Asia combine mountainousterrain with a predominantly tropical climate. Theregion stretches from the Asian mainland almostto Australia and covers 1,570,000 square miles(4,066,300 sq. km). Two large land areas, theIndochina Peninsula and the Malay Peninsula,make up mainland Southeast Asia. South andeast of this area lies the vast Malay Archipelago,

sometimes called the East Indies. The MalayArchipelago, containing 20,000 islands, stretchesfrom the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.

Mainland Southeast AsiaAbout half of Southeast Asia’s 11 countries are

located on the mainland. The rest are island coun-tries, except for Malaysia, which is both a main-land and an island country. Laos is the region’sonly country without a coastline. The four main-land countries of Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, andMyanmar (formerly called Burma) lie entirely onthe Indochina Peninsula. Most of Thailand also islocated there, but part of that country trails south-ward to the Malay Peninsula. Malaysia shares theMalay Peninsula with Thailand, while the rest ofMalaysia is located on Borneo, an island east of theMalay Peninsula.

Island Southeast AsiaThe insular, or island, countries of Southeast Asia

include Brunei, East Timor, Indonesia, Singapore,and the Philippines. Brunei, almost surrounded byMalaysia, is a small country on the northern coastof Borneo. Indonesia is the largest island country

Southeast Asia is about half thesize of the conti-nental UnitedStates.

Hue, Vietnam Farmerstend their fields near Hue, a historic city in central Vietnam.

Place What countries lie on the Indochina Peninsula?

C h a p t e r 2 9 721

in the region. Its 13,677 islands span 3,000 miles(4,827 km) and two oceans, the Indian and thePacific. Only about 6,000 islands are named, andfewer than 1,000 are permanently settled. EastTimor, formerly a part of Indonesia, voted to becomeindependent in 1999. Two years later, East Timoreseheld elections for a new national assembly.

The country of Singapore, a collection of one largeisland and more than 50 smaller ones, sits just off thesouthern tip of the Malay Peninsula. The coun-try’s capital is on the large island, and both the

island and the capital city are called Singapore. Thesize of the islands varies greatly. The total area of theisland of Singapore is 221 square miles (572 sq. km),and the total area of all the other islands is about 18square miles (47 sq. km). Half of those islands areuninhabited.

Although more than 7,000 islands make up thePhilippines, only around 900 are settled, and 11islands account for over 95 percent of the country’sarea. As in Indonesia and Singapore, many of thePhilippine islands have not been named.

Mt. Pinatubo5,248 ft.(1,600 m)

Jaya Peak16,500 ft.(5,029 m)

MYANMAR LAOS

THAILAND

CAMBODIA

VIETNAM

M A L A Y S I A

SINGAPORE

PHILIPPINES

BRUNEI

I N D O N E S I A

EAST TIMOR

Pacific

Ocean

Indian

Ocean

Gulfof

Thailand

South

China

Sea

Philippine

Sea

Irra

wad

dyR

.Red R.

Mekon

gR

.

Chao

Ph

raya

R.

Luzon

Isthmus of Kra

MalayPeninsula

Mindanao

New Guinea

Borneo

CelebesSumatra

Java

INDOCH

INA

Krakatau(Krakatoa)

10°N

10°S

0°

20°N

110°E90°E 130°E

TROPIC OF CANCER

EQUATOR

Miller Cylindrical projection400

4000 mi.

0 km

N

MAP STUDY

Southeast Asia: Physical-Political

Find NGS online map resources @ www.nationalgeographic.com/maps

2. Applying Geography Skills What challengemight Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippinesface as island countries?

National boundaryMountain peak

Feet10,0005,0002,0001,000

0

MetersElevations

3,0001,500

600300

0

1. Interpreting Maps What is the only land-locked country in Southeast Asia?

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Physical FeaturesCordilleras loom above fertile fields. Rivers cre-

ate transportation routes through lush vegetation.Majestic volcanoes add to the scenery. These phys-ical features create Southeast Asia’s colorful andvaried landscapes.

MountainsMountains dominate Southeast Asian landscapes,

although most peaks crest below 10,000 feet(3,048 m). Throughout the region these mountainscreate geographic and political boundaries. TheIndochina Peninsula’s western and northern high-lands separate the region from India and China. Tothe south and east, three cordilleras run mainlynorth to south, forming natural barriers betweenand within mainland Southeast Asian countries.These parallel mountain ranges include theArakan Yoma Range in western Myanmar; theBilauktaung Range, which runs along the borderbetween Myanmar and Thailand; and the AnnamCordillera, the mountain range that separatesVietnam from Laos and Cambodia.

Mountains on Southeast Asia’s islands form partof the Ring of Fire, an area of volcanic and earth-quake activity roughly surrounding the Pacific

Ocean. These mountains are actually volcanoes,many of which are still active. Some islands ofIndonesia and the Philippines are marked withcraters formed by these volcanoes. Mineral-richvolcanic material that has broken down over the centuries has left rich, fertile soil, makingSoutheast Asia’s islands highly productive agri-cultural areas.

History

Volcanoes of Indonesia and the Philippines

Three hundred twenty-seven volcanoes stretchacross Indonesia. Java, an Indonesian island, is oneof the Ring of Fire’s most active areas. This geologichot spot is home to 17 of Indonesia’s 100 active vol-canoes. In 1883, the eruption of Krakatau (Krakatoa)in Indonesia caused massive destruction and greatloss of life. To avoid a repeat of such disastrous con-sequences, observers in Java monitor volcanic activ-ity, prepared to alert the population when aneruption threatens.

Some scientists believe that the 1991 eruptionof Mount Pinatubo was the twentieth century’smost powerful eruption. Located 55 miles (89 km) north of the Philippine capital of Manila,Mount Pinatubo churned out lava that severely

Pinatubo Eruption Heavymudflows from the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo forced thousands of people to evacuate the area (inset) and caused the deaths of more than 700 people.

Region What countries in Southeast Asia are likely to experience volcaniceruption?

C h a p t e r 2 9 723

damaged the town of Angeles. The volcano alsoblanketed the United States’s Clark Air ForceBase with volcanic ash nearly a foot deep.

RiversSoutheast Asia’s people rely on waterways for

transportation, communication, and food. Therivers’ silt and deposits of sediment also create fer-tile agricultural regions. Mainland rivers originatein the northern highlands of Southeast Asia and insouthern China. Most of these rivers flow south-ward toward the Gulf of Thailand.

Major mainland rivers include the Irrawaddy inMyanmar, the Chao Phraya (chow PRY•uh) inThailand, and the Red (Hong) in Vietnam. TheMekong, which begins its 2,600-mile (4,184-km)journey in China, forms the border between Thai-land and Laos and then meanders through Cam-bodia and southern Vietnam before emptying intothe South China Sea. Sediment deposited by theMekong increases the shoreline around the deltaby as much as 50 feet (15 m) per year.

Generally shorter than their mainland counter-parts, rivers on Southeast Asia’s islands flow invarious directions. Most rivers in Indonesia runsouth to north, cutting vertically across the nar-row islands. Borneo’s rivers tend to start near theisland’s center, running outward toward the sealike spokes on a wheel. As one writer notes, trav-eling on Borneo’s rivers reveals a dense, vibrantecosystem:

“ Poling our way along the inky greenwaterway, we glided upstream throughquiet still -water bends in the river,where mats of fragrant white flowershad gathered, closing behind the sternof our 24-inch-wide dugout and con-cealing any sign of our passage.”Eric Hansen, Stranger in

the Forest: On Foot AcrossBorneo, 1988

Natural ResourcesIn addition to the remarkable features found in

the landscape, Southeast Asia also has rich naturalresources. Fossil fuels, natural steam, minerals,

and gems can be found in the region. The floraand fauna, or plants and animals, of SoutheastAsia are among the most diverse on the earth andalso a valuable natural resource of the region.

Energy SourcesThe region has a plentiful supply of fossil

fuels—coal, oil, and natural gas. Malaysia’s sec-ond major export is petroleum, and the country’sproduction of oil and natural gas has increasedsince the 1970s. Indonesia, Vietnam, and thePhilippines mine coal, and Vietnam also has richoil reserves offshore. Oil and natural gas depositsoff Borneo’s northern coast have made the sultan,or ruler, of Brunei one of the world’s richest peo-ple. Indonesia also has large petroleum reserves.The island of Sumatra supplies two-thirds ofIndonesia’s oil, and oil and gas are the country’smain exports. One of the leading producers of oilin the Far East, Indonesia is a member of OPEC(Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries).

Minerals and GemsSoutheast Asia has an abundance of miner-

als. Indonesia mines nickel and iron, and the

River Highway Two tugboats pull a chain of logsto a sawmill on the island of Borneo.

Place What are some important rivers in the region?

Checking for Understanding1. Define cordillera, archipelago,

insular, flora, fauna.

2. Main Ideas Re-create the tablebelow, and fill in five SoutheastAsian countries and examples oftheir physical features and naturalresources.

Critical Thinking3. Identifying Cause and Effect Rich

soil makes Southeast Asia a pro-ductive agricultural region. Whatmakes this soil so fertile?

4. Drawing Conclusions SoutheastAsia has a diversity of peoplesand cultures. How might physicalgeography have shaped thisdiversity?

5. Making Generalizations Whatspecial challenges does the loca-tion of Laos, the only country inthe region without a coastline,present?

Analyzing Maps6. Location Review the text and ana-

lyze the physical-political map onpage 721. Note the geographicfeatures found on Southeast Asiaislands. What geographic featuresdo the islands of Borneo, Celebes,and New Guinea share?

7. Effects of Water Write aparagraph explaining whythe abundance of water inSoutheast Asia can be bothan asset and a challenge forthe region’s population.

Applying Geography Physical NaturalCountry Features Resources

Malaysia

724 U n i t 1 0

Philippines mines copper. Thailand, Laos, Indonesia,and Malaysia mine tin. Indonesia and Malaysiaare among the world’s leading producers of tin.

Gems also are plentiful in the region. Sapphiresand rubies can be found in Myanmar, Thailand,Cambodia, and Vietnam. In the Philippines pearlsare harvested in the province of Sulu and on theisland of Palawan. A giant pearl found off Palawanin 1934 weighed about 14 pounds (6.4 kg), makingit the largest natural pearl ever harvested.Although most countries take advantage of thewealth provided by nature, some countries’resources remain underdeveloped. Myanmar, forexample, has substantial deposits of tin, zinc, andother minerals, as well as jade, rubies, and sap-phires, but mining employs less than 1 percent ofMyanmar’s workers.

Flora and FaunaSoutheast Asia’s plant life is exotic and diverse.

The region boasts the world’s largest flower, the Rafflesia arnoldii, a spectacular plant with ablossom three feet wide. Southeast Asian flora,however, is more than just beautiful—it also con-tributes to the region’s economy. For example,Thailand cultivates over 1,000 species of orchids,a valuable trade commodity. Workers tap rubbertrees from Malaysia and process woods for exportsuch as mahogany from the Phillippines and teakfrom Myanmar. Indonesia is the world’s largestsupplier of plywood.

Like the region’s flora, Southeast Asian fauna isvaried and distinctive. Elephants, tigers, rhinocer-oses, and orangutans roam the region’s wildlifesanctuaries and national parks. Southeast Asia ishome to animals found nowhere else in the world,including Borneo’s bearded pig, the Malaysianlacewing butterfly, and the Komodo dragon, anIndonesian native and the world’s largest lizard.

Economics

FishingMore than 2,500 species of fish swim the tropical

waters of Southeast Asia. Fish thrive in the main-land rivers and in seas near the Philippines, Indone-sia, and Myanmar. Fish farming is an importantpart of the region’s economy. Southeast Asians con-sume seafood at almost twice the world’s averagerate. The region’s fishers, who have traditionallymaintained small operations, now compete withlarge fleets of trawlers. This competition has pro-duced an increased fish yield that helps meetdemand, and so overfishing is a concern. Luckily,demand for exported seafood has started to leveloff, which may ease the pressure to fish excessively.

As in other parts of the world, Southeast Asia’sdiverse landforms shape the climate and vegeta-tion of the region. The next section will examinethese features—the lush tropical vegetation of theregion’s rain forest, the seasonal grasslands of itssavannas, and its highlands.

Guide to ReadingConsider What You KnowYou have learned that much ofSoutheast Asia lies near the Equator.Based on this knowledge, what typesof climate and vegetation do you suppose dominate the region?

Read to Find Out• What weather pattern influences

the region’s climate?

• What are the region’s main climate types?

• What is the main type of naturalvegetation found in the region?

Terms to Know• endemic

• deciduous

Places to Locate• Shan Plateau

• Myanmar

• New Guinea

• Borneo

Climate andVegetation

A Geographic ViewWorld in BalanceThis is the forest primeval. . . . Thedappled splotches of sun and shadefiltering through the leafy canopy200 feet above wash over a rainforest that has been here sincebefore humans appeared onearth. . . . It is a world in suchcareful balance that the mix ofvegetation in these undisturbedjungle tracts has been essen-tially the same . . . for mil-lions and millions of years.

—T. R. Reid, “Malaysia: RisingStar,” National Geographic, August 1997

The rain forests of Southeast Asia owe much oftheir ancient beauty to an equally ancient climate pattern—monsoons, orseasonal winds that blow over the northern part of the Indian Ocean andthe land nearby. In summer, moist monsoons blow in from the cooler seain the south and west toward the warmer land and bring abundant rain,enough to support the region’s tropical rain forests. The ample rain fallson lush tropical plants whose exotic flowers perfume the air. In winter,air over the land is cooler than that over the sea, so the wind blows outto sea from the northeast as a dry monsoon. The rain forests themselvesare aptly named. They are generally wet all year long.

Tropical Climate RegionsTropical rain forest climate dominates Southeast Asia. Parts of the

mainland and some of the islands have a tropical savanna or humidsubtropical climate. These climate regions are characterized by grass-lands and tropical forests that support a diverse ecosystem.

C h a p t e r 2 9 725

Malaysian rain forest

90°E

20°N

10°N

10°S

0°

100°E 110°E 120°E 130°E 140°E

TROPIC OF CANCER

EQUATOR

P a C I F I C

O C E a N

I N D I a N

O C E a N

Yangon(Rangoon)

Hanoi

Bangkok

PhnomPenh

Ho Chi Minh City

Davao

Jayapura

Kupang

Makassar

Banjarmasin

Manila

Medan KualaLumpur

Singapore

SurabayaBandung

Jakarta

AndamanSea

J a v a S e a

S o u t h

C h i n a

S e a

PhilippineSea

ArafuraSea

Timor Sea

Banda Sea

CelebesSea

SuluSea

N

Miller Cylindrical projection400

4000 mi.

0 km

MAP STUDY

Southeast Asia: Climate Regions

Find NGS online map resources @ www.nationalgeographic.com/maps

2. Applying Geography Skills How does the climate of the mainland countries differ from thatof the island countries?

Tropical rain forestTropical savanna

Humid subtropical

Highlands (climatevaries with elevation)

Tropical

Mid-Latitude

726 U n i t 1 0

Tropical Rain Forest Climate Most of the region, including the islands and

coastal areas, has a tropical rain forest climate.This climate is characterized by little variation intemperature and mostly wet conditions almostyear-round. The 79°F (26°C) average daily temper-ature creates hot, humid, and rainy conditions.Rainfall averages between 79 and 188 inches (201and 478 cm) per year, and the humidity hoversbetween 80 and 90 percent. Even more rain fallsnear the summit of Mount Isarog in the Philippines,described here by journalist Virginia Morell:

“ Thick mats of spongy mosses coverevery rock , tree trunk , and branch,forming an emerald carpet for theorchids and ferns that drape the limbsoverhead—a lush testament to the 35feet [420 inches, or 1,067 cm] of rainthat can annually drench this moun-tain’s summit.” Virginia Morell, “In Search of

Solutions,” National Geographic,February 1999

1. Interpreting Maps Where are highlands climateslocated in Southeast Asia?

PhnomPenh

Bandung

Bangkok

KualaLumpur

Jakarta

Manila

Makassar

Medan

Surabaya

Jayapura

Davao

Hanoi

Yangon(Rangoon)

Banjarmasin

Ho Chi Minh City

Kupang

20°N

10°N

10°S

0°

90°E 110°E 130°E

TROPIC OF CANCER

EQUATOR

P a c i f i c

O c e a n

I n d i a n

O c e a n

AndamanSea

J a v a S e a

S o u t h

C h i n a

S e a

PhilippineSea

ArafuraSea

Timor Sea

CelebesSea

SuluSea

Banda Sea

Singapore

N

Miller Cylindrical projection400

4000

0

mi.

km

MAP STUDY

Southeast Asia: Natural Vegetation

Find NGS online map resources @ www.nationalgeographic.com/maps

2. Applying Geography Skills What type of cli-mate produces tropical grasslands on Indonesia’seastern islands?

Tropical forest

Tropical grassland

Deciduous and mixeddeciduous-coniferous forest

C h a p t e r 2 9 727

The tropical rain forest climate supports a diverseecosystem. More than 145,000 species of floweringplants blossom in Malaysia alone. The Malaysianrain forest, where vegetation types mix, may be theregion’s oldest forest, dating back many millions ofyears. Here there are several layers of vegetationbetween river valleys and higher elevations. Peatswamp forests thrive in the river valleys. Sandycoastal soil supports various shrubs, and mangroveswamp forests cover the tidal mud flats. Lowlandareas with poor or shallow soil support forests of talltrees with leathery, evergreen leaves. Some of these

Student Web Activity Visit the Glencoe World GeographyWeb site at tx.geography.glencoe.com and click on Student WebActivities—Chapter 29 for an activity about writing a visi-tor’s journal about the physical features of Southeast Asia.

trees produce aromatic resins, or organic com-pounds. Such resins are used to make medicinesand varnishes, or chemicals that protect wood fromwater damage.

1. Interpreting Maps What is the dominant naturalvegetation in Southeast Asia?

Monsoon Rains Commutersin Thailand travel by boat, using a plastic sheet to protect themselves againstthe torrential rains of the summer monsoons.

Region How do the summer monsoons differ from winter monsoons?

History

SingaporeOnce an island covered by dense rain forest and

surrounded by mangrove trees, Singapore devel-oped into an urban area containing one of theworld’s highest population densities, more than16,732 people per square mile (6,471 per sq. km).Towering apartment buildings now house Singa-pore’s population of nearly 4,000,000 people.

As Singapore grew, an urbanized settingreplaced much of its natural habitat. Manyendemic species—those native to a particulararea—are gone. Nearly 80 percent of the trees andshrubs now growing in Singapore are imported,some originating from such distant places as Cen-tral and South America. Singapore’s vegetationmakes it exceptional in another way. Singapore isone of only two cities in the world that have areasof tropical rain forests within their boundaries.(The other is Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.)

Tropical Savanna ClimateThe second most prominent climate zone, the

tropical savanna, sweeps southeastward across theIndochina Peninsula and along the southeasternparts of Indonesia. Unlike the steady, wet climateof the tropical rain forest, alternate wet and dryseasons characterize this climate, which supportstropical grasslands with scattered trees and someforests. On the Indochina Peninsula, the dry sea-son may last from four to eight months each year.

On the mainland from around May through Sep-tember, summer monsoon winds bring rain. Thewinter dry season extends from October to April.The first few months of this period are generallycooler, but the last few months become hot. In southern Indonesia, south of the Equator, thewet and dry cycles are reversed. From May toSeptember, South Pacific tradewinds bring the hot,dry season. From October to April, the monsoonsbring rain.

728 U n i t 1 0

Checking for Understanding1. Define endemic, deciduous.

2. Main Ideas Create a web like theone below. In the boxes, list eachSoutheast Asian climate region,its location, the kinds of vegeta-tion found there and any iden-tifying traits.

Critical Thinking3. Analyzing Information How

do monsoon winds impact climates and seasonal changes in Southeast Asia?

4. Identifying Cause and Effect Whyare wet and dry seasons in South-east Asia reversed on differentsides of the Equator?

5. Analyzing Information How does a humid subtropical climate differ from a tropical rain forest climate?

Analyzing Maps6. Climate Regions Study the map

of climate regions on page 726.Which of the countries in South-east Asia has the most varied climate?

Southeast Asian Climates

Humid Subtropical ClimateParts of Southeast Asia’s mainland,

including most of Laos, a small part ofThailand, and northern Myanmar andVietnam, have a humid subtropical cli-mate. The northern reaches of Laos,Thailand, and Vietnam provide relieffrom the hot, humid temperatures.From November to April, the cool, drytemperatures there average around61°F (16°C). In Myanmar the elevatedShan Plateau has lower temperaturesthan the rest of the country. The cli-mate there resembles cooler climateselsewhere, and the plateau is some-times called “tropical Scotland.”

Highlands ClimateIn mountainous areas of Myanmar,

New Guinea, and Borneo, highlandsclimates predominate. The muchcooler temperatures of these areasset them apart from surrounding cli-mate regions. Deciduous forests withmoss-covered tree trunks are found on lowerslopes. Deciduous trees are broad-leafed and losetheir leaves in autumn. Evergreen forests appear athigher elevations. In Myanmar’s highlands climate,forests of rhododendrons grow.

C h a p t e r 2 9 729

Highlands Forest Tropical deciduousforests are found in some highlands areas of Borneo (shown), Myanmar, and New Guinea.

Place What other kind of vegetation is found inthe highlands areas of Myanmar?

7. Climate and VegetationReview Southeast Asia’s cli-mate regions and naturalvegetation. How mightthese features influence theregion’s economic activities?

Applying Geography

Learning the SkillThe writing process has sev-

eral steps: prewriting, writing,revising, proofreading, and pub-lishing. Following this processallows you to organize yourideas and complete the writingtask in a logical manner. Use thefollowing steps to help youwrite about geography:

• Prewriting is the research,writing, and organizationyou do before you beginyour essay or report. Select a topic, and define your pur-pose for writing about it.Identify the audience whowill read your final product.Then do research to gatherinformation. Organize yourideas using a graphic orga-nizer such as a chart, a webdiagram, or an outline.

• Write your first draft. As you write, follow the planyou created during the pre-writing step. Do not worryabout grammatically correctsentences in this stage. Focuson getting your main ideasand supporting details downon paper.

• Revise your draft. Look for places where you can add transitions betweenideas, combine or rearrangeparagraphs or sentences, orcut repetitive or unnecessarysections.

• Proofread your draft. Checkyour draft for grammar, spell-ing, and punctuation errors.

• Publish your draft. Create aclean draft, and present it toyour audience.

Practicing the SkillYou have been assigned to

write a travel brochure for aSoutheast Asian country for anadvertising agency. Answer thefollowing questions about thewriting process.

1. What will you need to dobefore you begin writing thefirst draft of your brochure?

2. Why might it be a good ideato let a day pass betweenwriting and revising yourbrochure?

3. What are two resources youmight use while proofread-ing your brochure?

Writing About GeographyWriting well is an essential skill. In school you write research

papers and answers to essay questions. Beyond the class-room you may have to write business letters or reports. The writ-ing process can help you put your thoughts on paper.

730 U n i t 1 0

Prewrite and then create a draftof a brief guide for someone whohas just moved to the UnitedStates from Southeast Asia.Include information about thegeography and life in the UnitedStates. Read your first draft care-fully, and mark places that need tobe revised. After revising, proof-read and publish your writing.

The Glencoe Skillbuilder Interactive Workbook,

Level 2 provides instruction andpractice in key social studies skills.

The newsroom of the Chicago Defender

SUMMARY & STUDY GUIDE

C h a p t e r 2 9 731

Key Points• Southeast Asia’s mountains were formed when

the Indo-Australian, Philippine, and Eurasiantectonic plates collided.

• Straddling the Equator, Southeast Asia includesthe Indochina and Malay Peninsulas as well asthe 20,000 islands of the Malay Archipelago.

• About half of Southeast Asia’s 11 countries arelocated on the mainland. The rest are islandcountries, except for Malaysia, which is both amainland and an island country.

• Mountains and rivers dominate the region’slandscape. The island mountains are part of the Pacific Ring of Fire.

• Rivers on the mainland of Southeast Asia areimportant for agriculture, communication, andtransportation.

• Southeast Asia contains abundant naturalresources, including fossil fuels, natural steam,minerals, and gems.

Organizing Your NotesUse a web diagram like the onebelow to organize your notesabout the islands and peninsulas,physical features, and naturalresources of Southeast Asia.

Terms To Know• endemic• deciduous

Key Points• Monsoons cause two main seasons in Southeast

Asia, one wet and one dry.

• Southeast Asia’s major climate is tropical rainforest, although parts of the mainland andsome of the islands have other types of climate.

• Humid subtropical climates predominate inLaos and in northern areas of Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.

• Highlands climates are found in the mountainsof Myanmar, Borneo, and New Guinea.

• Southeast Asia’s lush vegetation is characteristicof tropical rain forest and tropical savanna climate regions.

Organizing Your NotesCreate an outline like the onebelow to help you organizeyour notes for this section.Copy the boldface headingsand subheadings that appear in Section 2, and then listimportant points under each head.

Terms To Know• cordillera• archipelago • insular• flora• fauna

SECTION 1 The Land (pp. 719–724)

SECTION 2 The Climate and Vegetation (pp. 725–729)

I. Tropical Climate RegionsA. Tropical rain forest climate

1. steady rain and humidity2. average daily temperature of 79°F

(26°C)B.

Climate and Vegetation

Physical Features of Southeast Asia

Critical Thinking1. Drawing Conclusions What geographic

factors explain the large number of islands inSoutheast Asia?

2. Making Inferences How might volcanoesaffect the region’s economy?

3. Identifying Cause-and-Effect Copy theweb diagram below onto a sheet of paper.Complete the diagram to show how the trop-ical climate affects human activities in South-east Asia. Then choose one effect, and write aparagraph explaining its impact on the peo-ple of Southeast Asia.

Reviewing Key TermsWrite the letter of the key term that best matcheseach definition below.

a. cordillera d. insularb. archipelago e. deciduousc. flora and fauna f. endemic

1. group of islands

2. system of parallel mountain ranges

3. island

4. native to a particular area

5. trees that lose leaves in autumn

6. plants and animals

Reviewing FactsSECTION 1

1. Which Southeast Asian countrieslie partially or entirely on theIndochina Peninsula?

2. Name the five insular countries.

3. What geologic activities createdSoutheast Asia?

4. Explain why waterways areimportant to Southeast Asia’speople.

5. Name a Southeast Asian resourcefound underground, anotherresource found underwater, anda third resource found in a tropi-cal rain forest.

SECTION 26. What are the four main climate

regions of Southeast Asia?

7. Where are the region’s oldestforests found?

8. Where can highlands climates befound?

9. How is weather north of theEquator different from weathersouth of the Equator?

10. What is unusual about most ofSingapore’s vegetation?

Locating PlacesSoutheast Asia: Physical-Political Geography

Match the letters on the map with the places and physical features ofSoutheast Asia. Write your answers on a sheet of paper.

1. Singapore2. Irrawaddy River3. Thailand4. Malay Peninsula

5. Mekong River6. Vietnam7. Philippines8. Java

9. Sumatra10. Borneo

N30°N

20°N

10°N

0°

100°E 110°E 120°E 130°E 140°E

TROPIC OF CANCER

EQUATOR

A

B

H

I

J

C

D

E

F

G

Mercator projection

1,000

1,0000

0

mi.

km

ASSESSMENT & ACTIVITIES

732 U n i t 1 0

Tropical Climate

Self-Check Quiz Visit the Glencoe WorldGeography Web site at tx.geography.glencoe.comand click on Self-Check Quizzes—Chapter 29 toprepare for the Chapter Test.

Using the Regional AtlasRefer to the Regional Atlas on pages 710–713.

1. Movement What river provides Laos withits chief means of transportation?

2. Place Study the physical, economic activity,and population maps of the region. Whatthree generalizations could you make aboutBorneo, given the information on these maps?

Thinking Like a GeographerThink about the physical geography of SoutheastAsia. Why do you suppose the capital cities of the region are located on or near water? As ageographer, would you encourage people to relo-cate to other areas in order to avoid overcrowdingthese cities? Explain.

Problem-Solving ActivityGroup Research Project Working in agroup of four, plan a trip through SoutheastAsia. Decide what areas to visit, noting the kindsof landforms you would see in each place. Deter-mine how to get from one place to another, andwork together to create a map that shows yourtravel routes. Prepare a written itinerary, andpresent your travel plans to the class.

GeoJournalDescriptive Writing Using the informationyou wrote in your GeoJournal as you read thischapter, write a newspaper story about the land-scape of the region. You may wish to focus on arecent event, such as a volcanic eruption, flood, orother natural disaster.

Technology ActivityUsing E-mail Use library or Internet

resources to locate a postal or e-mail address forthe United States Embassy in Manila, the Philip-pines. Compose and send a letter requesting infor-mation about the February 2000 eruption of theMayon Volcano. Use the information you receiveto create a bulletin board about the eruption.

C h a p t e r 2 9 733

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Choose the best answer for the following multiple-choice question. If you have troubleanswering the question, use the process ofelimination to narrow your choices.

1. About how much tin does Indonesia produce each year?

A 55,900 metric tonsB 55,000,900 metric tonsC 55.9 million metric tonsD 55.9 billion metric tons

In order to understand any type ofgraph, look carefully around the graphfor keys that show how it is orga-

nized. On this bar graph, the numbers along the leftside represent the exact number shown. You do nothave to multiply by millions or billions to find thenumber of metric tons.

Top Tin Producers

Met

ric

Ton

s

China

75,000

60,000

45,000

30,000

15,000

0

70,000

Indonesia

55,900

Peru

25,700

Brazil

14,600

Bolivia

10,500

Source: The Economist Pocket World in Figures, 2001

Country