Geographic Regions of the World Physical and political characteristics
East Asia
Present-day countries China Japan North Korea South Korea Mongolia Taiwan
North and South Korea
What makes East Asia? Pacific Ocean in the east Port cities on the eastern coast Navigable Rivers Desert climate in the northwest Mixture of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Christianity and Shintoism
Southeast Asia
Present-day countries Vietnam Laos Cambodia Thailand Burma Malaysia
What makes Southeast Asia? Separated by mountains & rainforest from the rest of mainland Pacific & Indian Oceans Mixture of Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Islam Influenced by Indian and Chinese cultures
Southern Asia
Present-Day Countries India Pakistan Bangladesh Sri Lanka
What makes Southern Asia Cut off by Himalayas and Hindu Kush Dravidians—Aryans—Muslims Cyclical view of Hinduism and Buddhism until the Islamic incursions
Central Asia
Present-Day Countries Former Soviet Republics of Asia Afghanistan (NOT in the Middle East)
What makes Central Asia? Steppe and desert somewhat cut off from surrounding areas Origins of people of South Asia (Aryans) Almost all European and Turkic people were war-like Radical Islamic
Southwest Asia & Egypt (Middle East)
Present-day countries Anatolian Peninsula (Turkey) Levant: Israel, Palestine and Lebanon Arabian Peninsula Syria, Iraq, Iran Egypt NOT Afghanistan
What makes Southwest Asia? Desert climate Surrounded by warm-waterways Access to Mediterranean, Indian Ocean Defined by Islam (North Africa is extension) Origin of the 3 monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam)
North Africa
Present-day Countries Morocco Algeria Tunisia Libya Egypt
What makes North Africa? Sahara Desert Mediterranean Sea Extension of Arab Middle East, influenced by trans-Saharan trade and Islam
West Africa
Present-day countries Senegal & the Gambia Guniea Bissau & Guinea Sierra Leone & Liberia Cote’ D’Ivoire & Ghana Togo & Benin Nigeria Burkina Faso MAYBE: W. Sahara, Mauritania, Mali & Chad
What makes West Africa? Coastal rainforest Savannah Sahel and Steppe Traditionally African until Islam pushed in from the north and Christianity and westernization arrived in the 19 th century
Central Africa
Present-day countries Cameroon Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Equatorial Guinea Central African Republic Rwanda Burundi Chad (maybe) Angola (maybe)
What makes Central Africa? Congo basin, mostly rainforest, wet savannah Traditionally African with some Christian influence
East Africa
Present-day countries Kenya Uganda Tanzania
What makes East Africa? Indian Ocean Coastal trade Bantu/Arab/Indian-Islamic Most influenced by the I/O trade routes than European colonization Sunni Islam on coast and tribal (animistic) in the interior
Southern Africa
Present-day countries Namibia Botswana Zimbabwe Mozambique Swaziland Lesotho Republic of South Africa
What makes South Africa? South of C/E Africa Tribal religions, Islam, little Christianity from W. Europe
Western Europe
Present-day countries Ireland United Kingdom Norway Belgium Denmark Netherlands Luxemburg France Portugal and Spain Italy Switzerland NOT Germany or Austria
What makes Western Europe? West of the Rhine, Scandinavia and Italy Area most affected by the Roman Empire and RCC This is what “western” in culture refers to
Central Europe
Present-day countries Germany Austria Czech Republic Slovakia Hungary Serbia Albania Croatia Slovenia Macedonia Poland
What makes Central Europe? East of the Rhine as far as RCC influence extends Directly influenced by the Reformation, Counter-Reformation and the Enlightenment
Eastern Europe & Russia
Present-day countries Russia Romania Bulgaria Lithuania Estonia Latvia Belarus Ukraine Moldavia Caucus nations NO LONGER: Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Yugoslav nations
What makes Eastern Europe? Eastern extremities of central Europe across Eurasia to the Pacific Orthodox Christianity, some Islam, no direct influence of Reformation/Enlightenment but they have a secondary influence
Latin America and the Caribbean
Present-day countries All of the western hemisphere south of the United States
What makes Latin America & the Caribbean? North American and African cultures with heavy overlay of Spanish and Portuguese influences RCC and Iberian outlook
North America
Present-day countries United States Mexico
What makes North America? British/Western European cultures Enlightenment/Revolutionary attitude Exclusive Western European philosophy
Australia & Oceania (Polynesia)
What makes Australia & Oceania? Islands Mixture of cultures brought in through trade Widely disparate religious philosophy
Avoid pitfalls… “Southern Asia” “South Africa” “Central America” “Balkans” “Mediterranean States” “Afghanistan”