1. Southern & Eastern Asia Geography

2. Southern & Eastern Asia The southern and eastern parts of Asia are home to almost half of the world's population. The geography of this large area is varied, containing some of the world’s longest rivers, highest mountain ranges, and most extensive (large) deserts.

3. Rivers to Know Idus River (IN-dus) – Pakistan Ganges River (Gan-gees) – India Huang He (Whoang-he) or Yellow River– China Yangtze (Yangsee) River – China Mekong (ME-kong) River - China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam

4. Indus River - Pakistan The Indus River begins in the mountains of Tibet and flows almost 2,000 miles through the country of Pakistan before emptying into the Arabian Sea.

5. Indus River - Pakistan

6. The Indus River valley is one of the richest farming areas in this region. Many different civilizations have lived along this river throughout the centuries.

7. Indus River Valley

8. Indus River Civilizations Indus Valley Civilizations Video Link - Advanced

9. Ganges River - India The Ganges River is India’s most important river. Begins in the Himalayan Mountains and flows southeast through India and Bangladesh before emptying into the Bay of Bengal.

10. Ganges River - India The water of the Ganges carries tons of rich sediment (topsoil, silt, and minerals from the mountains) This sediment enriches the farmland along the river and creates a large, fertile delta at the mouth of the river.

11. Ganges River Farming

12. Ganges River - India The Ganges is a sacred river to Hindus along every fragment of its length. All along its course, Hindus bathe in its waters, paying homage to their ancestors and to their gods by cupping the water in their hands, lifting it and letting it fall back into the river. When a loved one dies, Hindus bring the ashes of the deceased person to the Ganges River.

13. Ganges River - India

14. Because so many people live and work along the Ganges, the water in the river is heavily polluted.

15. Ganges River - India

18. Chemicals used in fertilizer and industry are washed into the river every day.

19. Ganges River - India The bodies of dead animals and the (sometimes) cremated remains of human beings regularly float down the river.

20. Ganges River - India Despite this pollution, many Indians bathe in the water and use it for drinking and cooking. Diseases such as cholera, dysentery, typhoid, and hepatitis are common.

21. Huang He River - China

22. Begins in the mountainous Tibetan Plateau Flows east through China and empties into the Yellow Sea

23. Huang He River - China The river picks up the yellow dust that blows from the Gobi Desert and is carried along as loess (silt) Creates fertile farming along the banks of the river

24. Huang He River - China Also called the Yellow River

25. Yangtze River - China Also begins in the Tibetan Plateau Flows east and empties into the East China Sea at the port of Shanghai

26. Yangtze River - China At 3,400 miles long, it is the longest river in Asia

27. Yangtze River - China Connected to the Huang He river by the Grand Canal, parts of which were built over 2,000 years ago

28. Yangtze River - China Passes through fertile farming land and is one of China’s main transportation routes

29. Yangtze River - China The Three Gorges Dam is the largest hydropower structure ever built. It supplies electricity to millions of Chinese who have never had electricity before. It creates as much electricity as 15 nuclear power plants.

30. Three Gorges Dam

31. Yangtze River - China Pollution caused by sewage, agricultural runoff, and industrial waste endangers the Chinese people as well as the environment

32. Mekong River Also begins in the Tibetan Plateau Runs south from China through Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam and empties into the South China Sea

33. Mekong River

34. Geographic Features of Asia Rivers Himalayan Mountains Taklimakan Desert Gobi Desert Korean Peninsula

35. Himalayan Mountains

36. The Himalayan Mountains form the southern border of China This high ground spreads to the north to form the Tibetan Plateau

37. Himalayan Mountains This wide area of mountains and high plateau blocks any moisture coming from the rivers and seas to the south.

38. Himalayan Mountains It is the world’s largest mountain region Nine of the world’s ten tallest peaks are located in the Himalayas, including Mt. Everest, the highest in the world at 29,035 feet

39. Himalayan Mountains Sir Edmund Hillary, from New Zealand, was the first to climb to the peak of Mt. Everest in 1953 The corpses of over 200 failed hikers still litter the mountain

40. Geographic Features of Asia Rivers Himalayan Mountains Taklimakan Desert Gobi Desert Korean Peninsula

41. Taklimakan Desert Also spelled “Taklamakan” Pronounced Tah-kluh-muh-kahn Means “Abandoned Place”

42. Taklimakan Desert 600 miles long and extremely dry and cold (-4 0 F) The Himalayas block all moisture from the south and east

43. Geographic Features of Asia Rivers Himalayan Mountains Taklimakan Desert Gobi Desert Korean Peninsula

44. Gobi Desert Located in northern China and southern Mongolia

45. Gobi Desert 500,000 square miles in area Huge temperature range – highs of up to 122 0 F and as low as -40 0 F

46. Geographic Features of Asia Rivers Himalayan Mountains Taklimakan Desert Gobi Desert Korean Peninsula

47. Peninsula – A body of land surrounded by water on three sides

48. Korean Peninsula Over half of the Korean Peninsula is made up of mountains

49. Korean Peninsula Since the end of WWII, divided into the communist North Korea and capitalist South Korea