geography of southeast asia and oceania
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GEOGRAPHY OF SOUTHEAST ASIA AND OCEANIA
SOUTHEAST ASIA
Southeast Asia: Mainland and Islands
Mainland Southeast Asia lies on two peninsulas - rectangular Indochinese Peninsula is south of China- Malay Peninsula is 700-mile strip south from mainland
Southeast Asia: Mainland and Islands
Malay Peninsula bridges mainland and island archipelagoes - archipelago—set of closely grouped islands, often in a curved arc - Malay Archipelago includes the Philippines & Indonesian islands
Southeast Asia: Mainland and Islands
Mountains and Volcanoes - Island mountains are volcanic in origin, part of Pacific Ring of Fire - volcanic eruptions, earthquakes are common in region
Southeast Asia: Mainland and Islands
Rivers - Several large mainland rivers run south through mountain valleys - spread out into fertile deltas near coast
Natural Resources - Volcanic activity, flooding rivers create nutrient-rich, fertile soil
Rivers, seas provide fish; some areas have petroleum, tin, gems
Southeast Asia: Mainland and Islands
Climate - Tropical wet climate in coastal Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Oceania - also in most of Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines - High temperatures—annual average of 80 degrees in Southeast Asia - Parts of Southeast Asia get 100, even 200 inches of rain annually
Southeast Asia: Mainland and Isla
Tropical wet and dry climate found in parts of Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam - weather is shaped by monsoons - Monsoon areas often have disastrous weather - typhoons can occur in region during the wet season
U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia
1957 – 1975 - U.S. became involved in Vietnam War - tried to stop Communist control of South Vietnam
1973 - U.S. left & South Vietnam surrendered in 1975
Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos became Communist
An Uneven Economy
Agriculture is region’s main income source- rice is chief food crop -Myanmar is heavily forested & produces teak wood
Growth of cities is linked to industrialization—growth of industry
An Uneven Economy Scarcity of land—in
Philippines 3% of landowners hold 25% of land
60% of rural families don’t have enough land to earn a living farming
Population growth—as populations grow, land shortages increase- farmers divide land among heirs—plots become too small
Southeast Asian cities have trouble dealing with numerous immigrants
An Uneven Economy Housing availability
can’t keep pace - many immigrants live in slums
Traffic increases due to workers driving, trucks hauling goods - creates more pollution, particulates- 5,000 people a year die from breathing polluted air in Bangkok & Thailand
An Uneven Economy People are afraid
that the income gap between the rich & poor will cause social unrest & increased crime rates
Southeast Asia Review Questions
What is an archipelago?What was the United States attempting to
preventin the Vietnam War?What are many people afraid that income gap inSoutheast Asia will cause?How do cities suffer in times of rapidurbanization?What type of landform is abundant in the Ring ofFire?
OCEANIA
Oceania
No one knows how many islands there are in the Pacific - some estimate there are more than 20,000 - hard to count because islands vanish and new ones appear
As a group, the Pacific Islands are called Oceania - includes New Zealand, Australia (a continent, not an island)
Oceania Three geographic, cultural
regions:-Micronesia—“tiny islands” - Melanesia—“black islands” -Polynesia—“many islands”
Volcanoes create high islands, coral reefs make up low islands - most islands are small; total land area is smaller than Alaska
Island Life
Traditional Life- fishing & farming economies (Subsistence Activities) - taro - starchy root that makes poi—a major crop - fishing villages on coasts & farming, hunting, & gathering inland
Island Life Few cities, but they’re growing
- people move for education, jobs - fast growth means shantytowns, bad sanitation - urban dwellers giving up traditional ways
Modern communication links island groups, connects Oceania to world
Nuclear Tests
1940s - Nuclear arms race between U.S., USSR began
U.S. conducted 66 nuclear bomb tests on Bikini, & Enewetak atolls - atoll - ringlike coral island, or islands, surrounding a lagoon
Nuclear Tests
“Bravo” hydrogen bomb test vaporized several islands - radiation contamination injured or sickened many islanders
Nuclear Tests
1948 - Bikini Islanders moved to the island of Kili - conditions there don’t allow them to fish or grow enough food
Late 1960s - U.S. declared Bikini safe & some islanders return
1978 - doctors found dangerous radiation levels in islanders & islanders left again
1988 - Cleanup of Bikini Atoll began- still unknown when Bikini will be suitable for humans again
Oceania What name are the Pacific Islands known as Name
the three regions of Oceania?What do most people in Oceania do for a living?What does Micronesia mean?What does Melanesia mean?What does Polynesia mean?How were the high island formed?How were the low islands formed? Why were the Bikini Atoll inhabitants forced to
move?
NEW ZEALAND & AUSTRALIA
New Zealand
New Zealand has two main islands, North Island and South Island
Southern Alps—300-mile mountain range down center of South Island - 16 peaks over 10,000 feet; over 360 glaciers
North Island has hilly ranges, volcanic plateau - fertile farmland; forests for lumber; natural harbors
Few mineral resources, but dams generate electricity
New Zealand’s History
Originally settled by Maori - migrated from Polynesia 1,000 years ago
1769 - Captain James Cook explored New Zealand
1840 - Treaty of Waitangi gave Great Britain control of New Zealand
1861 – Gold Rush 1907 - New Zealand
became independent
New Zealand’s Economy
Major industry in Australia, New Zealand is food-product processing
New Zealand sells butter, cheese, meat, & wool
1998 - had 15 times more sheep and cattle than people
New Zealand also produces wood, paper products
Australia
Australia is earth’s smallest & flattest continent
Great Dividing Range—chain of highlands parallel to east coast
West of range are plains and plateaus
Australia
Climate - One-third of Australia is desert, located in the continent’s center - under 10 inches of rain annually; too dry for agriculture - Few live in dry inland region called the outback
Australia Murray River is
largest of continent’s few rivers
Little forestry, but rich in bauxite, diamonds, opals, lead, coal
Australia Great Barrier
Reef—1,250-mile chain of 2,500 reefs, islands
Australia’s History
Original Inhabitants were Aboriginal people - hunter-gatherers with complex religious beliefs, social structures
Australia’s History 1770 - Captain
James Cook explored Australia
1788 - Britain colonized Australia - Sydney founded as a penal colony - a place to send prisoners
Australia’s History 1901 - Australia became
independent 1909 to 1969 - 100,000
mixed-race children were taken (Assimilation)- raised by white families to promote assimilation (minority group gives up culture & adopts majority culture) -Aborigines angrily call these children the Stolen Generation
Economy 60% of Australia’s jobs are in service
industries Australia’s sheep ranching makes it the
world’s largest wool exporter Mining - Australia has diamonds, lead,
zinc, opals - also bauxite, coal, copper, gold, iron ore
Modern Life in New Zealand & Australia
Both countries highly urbanized: 85% of people live in cities, towns - Australia’s large cities have pollution, traffic problems - New Zealand’s cities are quiet, uncrowded & pollution- free
Modern Life in New Zealand & Australia
In both countries, ranchers live far from cities
Recreation - Tennis, rugby, soccer, Australian rules football are popular - New Zealand has skiing, mountain climbing
Invasion of the Rabbits
European colonizers brought animals to Australia, including rabbits
1859 - Thomas Austin released 24 rabbits into Australia to hunt - one pair can have 184 descendents in 18 months
Australia has over one billion rabbits by 1900
Invasion of the Rabbits
Rabbits stripped sparse vegetation & ruined sheep pastures, caused erosion - resulted lack of food endangers native animals
Foxes were imported to prey on them ( but also endanger native wildlife)
1950s - they were intentionally infected with myxomatosis; 90% die - ranches then able to support twice as many sheep - rabbits become immune to disease; back to 300 million by 1990s - Today a combination of poisons, diseases, fences are used
New Zealand & Australia The overpopulation of what animal damaged
Australia’s’ agriculture?What happened to the Stolen Generation of
Aboriginal children?What did the British want to assimilate the Aboriginal
people?What is the smallest continent?What purpose did Great Britain originally establish
Sidney Australia for?What was the name of the original inhabitants of
New Zealand?What is the Great Barrier Reef?
Global Warming
Industry damages environment; factories pollute air, water, soil
Damage to the Environment - Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide (CO2) into atmosphere - CO2 is greenhouse gas—traps sun’s heat
Some scientists fear atmosphere now has too many greenhouse gases- atmosphere might trap too much heat, raising temperatures (Global Warming)
Global Warming Many disagree with
global warming theory- say temperature increases are natural
Ozone Hole - Ozone layer is high in the atmosphere- absorbs most of sun’s damaging ultraviolet rays
Global Warming In 1970s, scientists found thinning of
ozone layer over Antarctica- called it a hole in the ozone
Chemicals like chlorine in CFCs destroy ozone- many governments restrict use of such chemicals- others delay passing laws because they are costly for industry
Long-Term Effects
Global warming fear: small temperature increase could melt ice caps- rising seas may swamp coastal cities, Oceania’s low islands
Warming might change evaporation, precipitation patterns- create violent storms like typhoons and increase droughts- shift climate zones and agricultural regions, upset economies
Ozone hole lets in more ultraviolet rays- cause skin cancer, eye damage, & crop damage
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