1. South, Southeast, and East Asia

2. Physical Characteristics
Mountains influence the region
population settlement patterns
ability of people to move
climate

3. Mountains
Himalayas
Western and Eastern Ghats
Mount Fuji-Japan

4. Varied climate regions--ranging from tropical wet to humid continental
Many natural hazards--monsoons, typhoons, volcanoes, and earthquakes

5. Monsoon--a seasonal shift in the prevailing winds that influences large climate regions
Typhoon--a destructive tropical storm occurring in the western Pacific Ocean or the China Sea, similar to a hurricane

6. Influence of water--(rivers, seas, and ocean currents) on agriculture, trade, and transportation

7. Important bodies of water--Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal, Ganges River, Indus River, Brahmaputra River, Pacific Ocean, Yangtze River (Chaing Jiang), Mekong River, Yellow River (Huang He)

8. Area have abundant arable land
areas of loess
Plateau of Tibet hard to live on
Gobi Desert--second largest in the world

9. Economic Characteristics
Varied economies in the region ranging from subsistence/commercial agriculture to high-tech industrial manufacturing
Active participation in global markets

10. Many newly industrialized countries--South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore
Japan is the economic leader of the area
China is in a transition period--from a centrally planned economy to more of a tradition free market economy

11. Agricultural advancements and technology are enabling greater food production-- “Green Revolution”
Environmental degradation
deforestation
fishing is important

12. Many countries are members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) which was set up with the US
main crops are rice and tropical crops such as bananas

13. Cultural Characteristics
Areas of extremely dense and sparse population
severe contrast between rural and urban areas
serious religious conflicts--primarily between Hindus and Muslims

14. deep respect for ancestors
Religious diversity--Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, Taoism, Shinto, Confucianism are the major religions

15. India has a strict caste system--(similar to a class structure) once born into a caste it is next to impossible to move out of that caste

16. Cultural heritage
Silks
Batik
wood and ivory carving
ideograms--unique alphabets
jewels

17. Important cities--Tokyo, Japan; Beijing, China; New Delhi,India

18. Cultural landscape--Taj Mahal, Angkor Wat, Great Wall of China, floating markets, mosques,minarets, pagodas, temples and shrines, terraced rice fields

19. Angkor Wat

20. Angkor Wat

21. Great Wall of China

22. Taj Mahal

23. Taj Mahal

24. Batik

25. Himalayas

26. Mount Fuji

27. Mount Fuji—outside of Tokyo

28. Mt. Fuji

29. Himalayas—Mt. Everest

30. Gobi Desert

31. Buddha

32. Buddha in New Delhi

33. Shinto Shrine

34. Temple

35. Pagoda

36. Pagoda

37. Temple