Physical Environment Of South And East Asia - Essay Example

 PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT OF SOUTH AND EAST ASIA Introduction The region of South and East Asia is marked by a number of physical features that are distinguishing the region from the rest of the world. The region be largely divided into three major physical environments namely the mainland and the island. The island of the region ranges from the very large ones such as Sumatra, Indonesia, Java and Luzon to the tiny ones such as those of Indonesia islands. Most part of the island is covered with jungle forests that make travelling hard. These physical conditions have affected the culture of the region as well as the economic activities taking place in the region. Half of eleven countries in the region are located on the mainland and they include Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia and some parts of Malaysia. Laos is the only country in the region that is completely landlocked. The south and east Asia islands include the Brunei, East Timor, Insular, Philippines, Singapore and Indonesia which forms the largest island. Physical characteristics of the region and its effect on the people The mainland and the island of the region have different physical environmental conditions. The mainland of the region is marked by long rivers that originates from the highlands in China and separates the region from the Northwestern part. The rivers have provided a means for transportation, communication as well as fishing grounds thus ensuring constant supply of food in the region (James & Merchant, 2013). Most of the Mainland Rivers in the region originates from northern highlands and they flow towards South. Some of the these rivers include the Red in Vietnam, Irrawaddy in Myanmar, Chao Phraya in Thailand and the Mekong river that is located between Laos and Thailand and passes through Vietnam and Cambodia. The rivers have affected the region by promoting agriculture as a result of fertile deposits of sediments. The islands have not be left behind as they also boast of rivers such as the Borneo and the Indonesian rivers. Extensive lowland is also another feature that is evident in the region and is separated by the mountain ranges and the forested hills. As a resulted of the physical conditions in the region, the people are taking part in rice planting on the fertile plains. This is seen in places such as Burma and Vietnam. Long coastlines have formed an important physical aspect of the region that promotes trade among the people and movement from one region to another. Another evident physical feature in the region is the presence of the seas that are marked by shallow ends and few deep underground trenches. As a result, they are warm throughout the year and are not saline. These conditions are favorable for the growth and prevalence of sea fish, coral and seaweeds. The region’s landscape is dominated by mountains whose peaks are below ten thousand feet. The mountains form a very integral part in the region as they seem to create political and geographical boundaries. Indian and China are separated by the Northern and Western highlands thus forming a major factor that separates the two regions. Cordilleras in the region are three and seem to run north to south (Ooi, 2004). The cordilleras include Bilauktaung range that lies between Thailand and Myanmar, the Arakan Yoma range that is located in western part of Myanmar and the Annam Cordillera that marks the boundary between Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. The Island Mountains form part of the ring of fire in the region. The parts of Philippines and Indonesia islands are made up of craters. Some of the mountains in the region consist of several volcanoes that include the 327 volcanoes that stretch over Indonesia and the Java volcanoes. The region is richly endowed with diverse natural resources that include energy, gems and minerals sources. Some of the energy sources include oil, natural gas and coal in Indonesia and the Philippines. Indonesia is ranked among the largest oil producers in the world and they are part of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Mineral deposits include nickel and iron in Indonesia, copper deposits in Philippines, sapphires and rubies in Malaysia, Vietnam, Myanmar and Thailand (Hobbs & Dolan, 2013). Tin is found in Laos, Indonesia and Thailand. Another mineral is pearls that have been found in Philippines. The natural plants and animals in the region is so diverse owing to the fact that region has some of the highest portions of untouched lands. Some of the animals that are not found on any other part of the world are found in this region and they include the Komodo dragon which is regarded as the largest lizard in the world. Malaysia has several species of rubber trees that grows naturally in the region forming a major source of income for the people. Most of the countries in the region border the ocean and as a result, the region has several gulfs, deltas and straights. Examples include the Straight of Singapore, Straight of Malacca as well as the Gulf of Thailand. The islands that were mention above are over twenty five thousand and are mainly located in the Malaysian Archipelago that are made up of smaller island chains. The smaller archipelagos include the Philippines Island, Indonesia, New Guinea and the Maluku islands. The Malay Peninsula which is part of the South and East Asia is composed of countries such as Singapore, Thailand and some parts of Myanmar and Malaysia. The longest river in the Malay Peninsula is the Pahang River that covers a total of 270 miles. Conclusion The people have greatly transformed the physical environmental conditions of the region through agriculture and human settlement. Rice cultivation forms a major use of agricultural land. Wet rice agriculture is undertaken on the tropical lowland areas where farmers get their harvest in two seasons. The natural conditions in the region such as the mountains and rivers are a great tourist attraction and people from other parts of the world travel yearly into the region. Most of the natural environments have been cleared so that the people can find settlement locations. The upland areas are marked by low population densities and vibrant cultural activities. If rapid environmental conservation measures are not undertaken, the region is likely to loose some of its current physical environment attributes. References Hobbs, J. J., & Dolan, A. (2013). Fundamentals of world regional geography. Pacific Grove, Calif.: Brooks/Cole. James, D. L., & Merchant, R. (2013). The new Asia: Business strategies for the economic region that is shaking up the world. Santa Barbara, California: Praeger, an imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC. Ooi, K. G. (2004). Southeast Asia: A historical encyclopedia from Angkor Wat to Timor. Santa Barbara, Calif: ABC-CLIO. Read More