 Region stretches from Myanmar in the southwest to Japan in the northeast  Region borders Russia on the north and India on the southwest  Mountainous volcanic islands such as Japan, the Philippines and Indonesia line East and Southeast Asia and form part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. › This area has some of the world’s largest concentration of active volcanoes.

Krakatau, Indonesia Mt. Fuji, Japan Mayon, Philippines

 Rugged mountains, plateaus, and hills dominate much of mainland East and Southeast Asia.  The mountain ranges and plateaus of the region often serve as political and cultural boundaries.

 World’s highest mountain range

 World’s highest point (29,035 feet)  Located in Nepal

 World’s highest plateau - average elevation 14,764 ft.

 “Shan” means mountain in Chinese.

 World’s 5 th largest desert (1.3 million sq. mi.)  Largest in Asia

 The regions high mountains are the source of all East and Southeast Asia’s major rivers  Chang Jiang › Asia’s longest river › 3,915 miles › 3 rd longest in world

 Huang He › Also called the Yellow River because it carries yellowish-brown topsoil called loess.

 Plays a large part in the high population of the river valleys and plains  Climates outside of these areas cannot support large human populations  Gobi and Taklimakan Deserts have extremely hot summers (days) and bitter, cold winters (nights)  Orographic effect surrounding mountains prevents ocean air from bringing rain to areas above

 Much of the rainfall in East and Southeast Asia is seasonal due to monsoons (seasonal winds). › Winter months are dry. › Summer months are humid and rainy.

 Roughly 1/3 of the world’s population lives here, although it is unevenly distributed  China › Over 1 billion  Brunei › Less than 1 million

 Hundreds of languages are spoken in the region  Some are character-based languages › Pictograms = simple pictures of the objects and ideas they represent › Chinese has nearly 50,000 characters. › Characters can also be symbols.

 Most of the world’s major religions are represented in East and Southeast Asia  Islam = main religion in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei  Christianity = in areas, such as the Philippines, that were once controlled by European countries.

 Buddhism = major religion in Thailand, Myanmar, Tibet, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Mongolia

 Theravada Buddhism - practiced mainly in Southeast Asia believes humans must look only to themselves for salvation.

 Mahayana Buddhism - practiced in China, North & South Korea, and Japan holds that humans seek the aid of spiritual beings.

 Founder: Siddhartha Gautama

 He was a prince who was given every luxury. He was never allowed to go outside of the palace.  On a trip, he saw the sufferings of life.  He left his family to find the answers to life’s questions.  Through meditation, he found enlightenment and became the “Buddha” or Enlightened One.

 Four Noble Truths › Life involves suffering. › Suffering comes about because of desire. › Suffering will end when desire is destroyed. › The way to conquer desire is through right thought and right actions.

 The final goal is to return to the great void and reach a state of Nirvana which a state of all-knowing peace and joy.  Suffering is a part of life, and people must deal with it the best they can with right thoughts and actions.

 Aims at the unity of a person with nature so that good acts become natural  Simplicity in life is key in achieving peace.  Practiced in China and Japan

 Based on teachings of Confucius, a Chinese philosopher

 Not an actual organized religion – it is a series of ethical behavior that centers around family, social relationships, and duty.  Reverence for family is important › Ancestor worship is common.  Practiced in China mostly.

 Practiced in Japan; believes that gods, called kami, inhabit natural objects.  Humans, gods, and nature are all in harmony with each other.  Humans are naturally good, and evil is thought to be caused by people’s contact with external forces that pollute their pure nature.

 All kami (gods) are related to natural objects and creatures.  Worship is carried out to express gratitude to the gods and to secure their favor.

 Shinto attitudes and values › Gratitude › Respect for nature › Appreciation of the beauty and power of nature › Love of purity = cleanliness › Prefer things to be simple in appearance

 China’s religions are a mixture of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism.  Daily lives of Japanese mix Shintoism and Buddhism.