East and Southeast Asia Physical Geography

East Asia Physical GeographyEast Asia

China, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan

HimalayasNatural Barrier

Tibetan Plateau (Southwest)Indian Plate and Eurasian PlateHigh altitude, ice, snow mountainousSparsely populated

East Asia Physical GeographyTakla Makan & Gobi Deserts

Rain ShadowEastern China

Plains and BasinsRiver Systems: Huang He (Yellow); North,

Yangzi (Chang): Central, Xi Jiang: SouthFertile alluvial soilDensely populated

Hainan & Taiwan: Tropical

East Asia Physical GeographyNorth Korea

Mountainous, harsh climate (20% arable)Sparsely populatedOne crop (short growing season)

South KoreaDensely populatedMild climate, mountains and plains (60% arable)Multiple crops (longer growing season)

JapanArchipelago, lack of natural resources, Mountainous Densely populated, urban areas Inland Sea

Southeast Asia Physical GeographyMainland Southeast Asia

Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, VietnamIndochina Peninsula (Indian Ocean and South

China Sea)Mountainous, high plateausFertile valleys run north to south (Irrawaddy

and Mekong rivers)Monsoon

Southeast Asia Physical GeographyIsland Southeast Asia

Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Philippines

Series of Archipelagos, complicated water rights Indonesia 13,500 Philippines 7,000

Fertile SoilLarge populationsPacific Ring of Fire

Petronas Towers