The Physical Geography of Southeast Asia

1
The Physical Geography of Southeast Asia

• Ch. 29.1

2
Peninsulas and Islands

• Southeast Asia was made by the collision of
  Eurasia, Philippine, and the Indo Australian
  plates.
• This collision also created the Himalayas.
• Cordilleras- parallel mountain ranges.
• Archipelagos- island groups
• Flora- plants
• Fauna- animals

3
Peninsulas and Islands (cont.)

• Indonesia is made of 13,677 islands, 6,000 of the
  islands are inhabited.
• Borneo and the Philippines have 7,107 islands.
• 5 countries of Southeast Asia lie entirely on the
  mainland Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, and
  Thailand.

4
Mountains

• There are only 3 main
  mountain ranges in Southeast
  Asia Arakan, Bilauktaung,
  and Annamese.
• Indonesia has 327 volcanoes, 127 are still
  active. Krakatoa erupted violently in 1883.
• Mt. Pinatubo was on of the most powerful
  eruptions of the 20th century in 1991.
• The land near the volcanoes is very fertile
  because of the volcanic ash.

5
Rivers

• Transportation, food supplies, and communication
  are dependent on the major waterways within this
  region.
• The major rivers are the Irrawaddy, Chao Phraya,
  Mekong, and the Hong(red) river.
• The mainland rivers start in the highlands and
  flow southward.
• The island rivers are usually shorter and flow in
  all directions.

6
Natural Resources

• Oil and natural gas were discovered
  on the northern coast of Borneo.
• Minerals and gems are another important resource
  product of regional trade.
• Malaysia has the worlds largest tin deposits.
• Sapphires and rubies are found in Myanmar,
  Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
• Steam is a natural resource used as geothermal
  energy to generate electricity.

7
Flora and Fauna

• Mahogany, teak, and
  rubber are the important
  trees found in Southeast
  Asia.
• More than 10 of prescription drugs are made from
  the tropical trees of Southeast Asia.
• The wildlife of Southeast Asia includes
  elephants, tigers, rhinoceroses, and orangutans,
  which are also considered a resource.
• Another valuable resource is the 2,500 different
  species of fish.

8

• Southeast Asia covers 1,740,000 sq mi
• One-third of Thailand lies on the Khorat Plateau.