Geography of Africa, South Asia, North America in Physical Side - Term Paper Example

Geography Physical Geography of Africa Africa is located in all four hemispheres: Eastern, Northern, Western, and Southern and its absolute location affects its climate (National Geographic, p.4). Equator is passing through the centre of the African continent which made the climate almost similar both in northern part and in the southern part. For example, Kalahari Desert is located at the south whereas Sahara desert is located at the north. Africa has a narrow coastal area compared to other continents. Thick forests are one of the characteristics of Africa compared to other regions. African continent is made up of very old crystalline rocks of great hardness. Africa doesn’t have many mountains; the Atlas Mountains in the North and the Drakensburg mountains in the South are exceptions. African climate is mixed with extreme temperature, moisture, winds, etc. Humidity is extreme at some particular seasons. Africa is the most tropical of all continents and some of the biggest deserts of the world are located in Africa. Africans contributed heavily to the human civilization. Pythagoras, the greatest mathematician has introduced many mathematical concepts made by the Egyptians to the Europeans. Bargblor (2003) mentioned that the Egyptians developed the concept of the right angle, which is the basis of the Pythagorean Theorem. He also mentioned that the Egyptians were the one who initiated the concept of monotheism-the belief in one God (Bargblor). Africa’s other contributions to human civilization are the calendar, dating system and the concepts against murder. African geography was a powerful force in shaping the African culture, including clothing and their traditions and customs. Hunting was the initial way of finding food in Africa. But as the civilization advanced, the hunting has given way for agriculture which has affected the African geography also. Thick forests became agricultural lands as the civilization progressed. The industrial revolution has revolutionised most of the regions in the 19 th century, but Africa has not affected much. Slave trade and gun violence spread in Africa during the 19 th century. Corruption, political instability, battle between ethnic groups, lack of democracy, lack of regional integration etc are some of the major challenges which retard the economic progress of Africa today. Globalization was a concept which was aimed at helping the poor countries by helping them to mobilize their resources. Africa is a continent which lacks technology, infrastructure and skilled manpower and hence they failed to utilize globalization for their economic progress. Africa has contributed heavily to the human culture, religious beliefs, human relationships, development of mathematics etc. Physical Geography of Modern North America Physical geography of North America is characterized by clear and well-defined divisions into ten physically homogenous regions called physiographic provinces: Coastal Plains, Piedmont, Appalachian Highlands, Interior Lowlands, Interior Highlands, Canadian Shield, Great Plains, Rocky Mountains, Intermontain Basins and Plateaus and Pacific Mountains and Valleys (North America: Physical Geography). North America is situated in the northern and western hemisphere. It is surrounded by Arctic Ocean at the north, North Atlantic Ocean at the east, Caribbean Sea at the south and North Pacific Ocean at the west. North American climate is a mixed bag from tropical rain forest and savanna on the lowlands of Central America to areas of permanent ice cap in central Greenland. Subarctic and tundra climates prevail in N Canada and N Alaska, and desert and semiarid conditions are found in interior regions cut off by high mountains from rain-bearing westerly winds (What is the climate of North America like?). North American climate is generally assumed as a favorable climate for agriculture and human life. North Americans contributed heavily to the development of human culture. Apart from the scientific and technological contributions, spiritual thinking, moral principles, artistic, philosophic, literary, and legal contributions, are some of the other contributions of the North Americans. The right of revolution, principles of federalism, freedom of thought and worship etc like human right issues also taught to the external world by the North Americans. The North American geography has changed drastically when the human civilization started to advance. Industrial and agricultural growth created lot of changes in the geography of North America. Canada and United States are the prominent countries in North America. Even though North America is one of the wealthiest regions in the world, currently it is undergoing severe financial crisis because of global recession. The downfall of former Soviet Union helped United Sates to become the only superpower in the world today. At the same time the rapid progress of China as another superpower may bring the cold war again in the global politics. Globalization, even though visualized as the brain child of the capitalist countries like United States, China and India like countries exploited it more than any other countries. North Americans are probably the most significant contributors to the global community. They are the ones who contributed heavily to the progress of science and technology. Moreover, the theory of democracy, value of human rights, freedom, liberty, equality etc are taught to the external world by the North Americans. It was Abraham Lincoln, and American, who defined democracy clearly. The modern concept of globalization, liberalization and privatization are also the brain Childs of the North Americans. Physical Geography of South Asia Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives etc are the prominent countries in South Asia. South Asia is made up of three topographic regions: the Himalaya, Karakorum, and Hindu Kush mountain ranges and their southern slopes, the Indo-Gangetic plain, and the Deccan plateau. The combined area of these seven nations is approximately 1.7 million square miles, and it contains 1.3 billion people. South Asias climate ranges from arctic temperatures in the high mountains to a temperate environment in the foothills and on the Indo-Gangetic plain to tropical conditions on the Deccan plateau. (South Asia) South Asia is probably one of the hottest regions in Asia. The world’s highest peak Mount Everest is situated in South Asia. Winter, summer and monsoon seasons along with windy, moisture and humidity filled climate are the characteristics of South Asia. Like many other regions, advancements in human civilization have affected the geography of this region also. India is one of the prominent countries in this region. Pakistan and Bangladesh were part of India earlier and the agreement reached between the Britain and the Indian freedom fighters in 1947, allowed India to become free from the British colonial rule. However, Britain divided India into two different countries; India and Pakistan. Later Pakistan was again divided into Pakistan and Bangladesh. The claim over Indian state Kashmir by Pakistan has made this region politically agitated since the second half of the 20 th century. India and Pakistan fought two wars over the Kashmir issue so far. Globalization has brought many changes in this region especially in India. India is a country which is following mixed economy (public and private) principles which helped them to escape without many injuries from the current recession. On the other hand, same thing cannot be said about the other nations in this region. Pakistan is facing severe internal problems along with Sri Lanka and Nepal which retards their progress. Countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan in this region are believed to be the core of terrorism and terrorist groups. The war on terror is currently going on in the Pakistan - Afghan borders. Terrorism and political instability slow down the economic progress of these courtiers. India on the other hand is rapidly progressing to become an economic superpower by 2020. The new government, which came to power in June 1991, launched Indias first comprehensive economic policy reform program, which the World Bank supported with a $500 million structural adjustment operation (SAL), approved in December 1991 and closed in December 1993 (Structural Adjustment in India). India is a country which believed to be utilizing the World Bank and IMF supports judiciously. Under the guidance of current prime minister and the renowned economist Dr. Man Mohan Singh, India is rapidly progressing to become a superpower. India’s major contribution to the world is the principle of nonviolence. It is India which taught the rest of the world that freedom can be obtained without bloody fights. Moreover, India is the largest secular democratic country in the world as far as population is concerned. After independence, India is moving ahead in the democratic path and they never deviated from there. On the other hand same thing cannot be said about the other nations in this region. Works Cited 1. Bargblor, Edmund Zar-Zar. 2003. “Africas Contribution to Contemporarily Western Civilization”. 12 April 2010. 2. National Geographic. “Africa”. 12 April 2010. 3. North America: Physical Geography. 12 April 2010. 4. “South Asia”. 12 April 2010. 5. “Structural Adjustment in India”. 12 April 2010. 6. “What is the climate of North America like?”. 12 April 2010. Read More