World Geography

Asia

Africa

Australia

Europe

North America

South America

World Geography

China Japan

Russia SE Asia

West Asia

ASIA

Plain regions of China

Altai Shan

Tien Shan

Kunlun Shan Altun Shan Qilian Shan

Qinling Shan

Tai hang Shan

Great

Khi

ngan

Dzungarian

Tarim

Qiadam

Sichuan

Takla makan Gobi desert

Ordos

Manchurian Plain

Tibetan plateau

Shandong peninsula

Yunan plateau

North China Plain

Southern Hills

G. Of Tongking

Loess plt.

1/3th of China is mountainous

90% of population live on east coast

Climate of China

Laurentian type

China type

Important rivers of China

Grand canal

G. Of Bo Hai Rivers –

west to east flowing

•10-15% of China is arable• Intensive agriculture•Rice cultivation – largest rice production•Largest producer of rice, wheat, cotton, ground nut, rapeseed, silk

Agriculture in China

Coal (3th largest)

Iron (4th largest)

Tin

Petroleum

Rare Earth (monopoly)

Important Minerals of China

Industrial regions of China

Mukden triangle

Bo Hai region

Yangtze river basin

Guangzhou-Macau region

China Japan

Russia SE Asia

West Asia

ASIA

Hokkaido

Honshu

ShikokuKyushu

Ryuku

Islands of Japan

• Japan at the junction of 3 plates•Ocean-ocean collision – volcanic mountains in Japan•Frequent earthquake and possibilities of Tsunami

Geology of Japan

•Only 20% of land suitable for agriculture•Wet paddy and terraced paddy•Wheat, Barley, Soya bean, potatoes, Sweet potatoes

Agriculture in Japan

Japan is world’s largest importer of coal and Natural gas

2nd largest importer of oilBut it has converted itself into knowledge economy

Mineral resources in Japan

Industrial regions of Japan

Kwanto Plains

Nagoya Plains

Kinki Plains

Kyushu Plains

China Japan

Russia SE Asia

West Asia

ASIA

Water-bodies around Russia

Barents sea

Kara sea

Leptev sea

East Siberiansea

Chukchi sea

Bering strait

white sea

Bering sea

Sea of Okhotsk

Baltic sea

Black sea

Caspian sea

sea of Japan

Access to Sea

Important rivers of Russia

Ob

Yeni

sei Lena

Pechora basin

Irtysh

Volga

Lake Baykal

Don

Sea of Azov

Amur

•Limited growing period•40% pastures and meadows•Wheat, Oil-seeds, cotton - important•Oat, mustard, corn, sugar beet, flax•Potato – very important

Agriculture in Russia

Coal Reserve of Russia

Magnitogorsk

Krasnoyarsk

Irkutsk

Chernogorsk

Kemerovo Chelyabinsk

Novo Kuznetsk

Pechora Basin

One of the

largest coal

reserve in the world

Iron ore Reserve of Russia

Magnitogorsk

Orsk

Kursk

Tomsk

Belgorod

Voronezh

One of the largest Iron production in the world

Nickel reserve

World’s 40% of nickel –Norilsk mine

Norlisk

Kola Peninsula

Amur region

Tymr peninsula

Natural Gas Reserve of Russia

Orenburg

Pechhora Basin

Yamburg

UrnegoyMamontovskoye

Salymskoye

Medvezhye West Siberia

Largest Natural Gas reserve in the world

Industrial regions of Russia

Central region

Volga region Urals

KuzbasBaykal region

St. Petersburg

China Japan

Russia SE Asia

West Asia

ASIA

SE Asia

Hills and islands

Shan PlateauKhorat plateauArankan YomaPegu yomaIslands: Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Singapore

SalweenChindwin riverIrrawaddy riverMekong riverChao PhrayaRed river

Rivers

Physical geography of SE Asia

Monsoon pattern in SE Asia

South West winds

North East winds

Equatorial Rainfall

•Rubber and palm oil are significant in Malaysia, Indonesia, and southern Thailand•Coconut and sugarcane in Philippines •Cocoa in Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam

Rubber and Palm oil

Petroleum reserve in SE Asia

Tin reserve in SE Asia

Kinta ValleyKelang Valley

Singkep is.Bangka Is.

Belitung Is.

Samui Is.Phangan Is.

Thailand, Malaysia,

and Indonesia - more than

half of world Tin

production

China Japan

Russia SE Asia

West Asia

ASIA

West Asia

Physiography of west Asia: Mt.

Elburz Mt.

Zagros Mt.

Pontus Mt.

Taurus Mt.

Jebel Al Akhdar

Physiography of west Asia: Uplands

Elburz Mt.

Zagros Mt.

Pontus Mt.

Taurus Mt.

Anatolia Plateau

Plateau of Iran

Arabian Peninsula

Largest

peninsula

in the

world

Peninsula

Land surrounded by water from 3 sides and attached to mainland from a side

Ex. Indian Peninsula (Mainland India flanked by oceans on 3 sides)

Relatively higher upland than surrounding regions

Ex. Deccan plateau (raised platform located on Indian peninsula)

plateau

Difference between Plateau and peninsula

Physiography of west Asia: Deserts

An Nafud(the desert)

Rub-al-Khali

(empty quarter)

Dasht-e-Kavir

Dasht-e-Lut

Salt

desert

Sandy

desert

Syrian desert

•Origin: • Euphrates – Armenian Highlands• Tigris – Lake Hazar•Combined stream at lower course at Al-Qurnah = Shatt –al- Arab• Famous for date palm cultivation•Ancient Mesopotamia civilization

Euphrates-Tigris Rivers

Shatt-al-Arab

Mt. Ararat

•Tigris: Mosul and Bagdad of Iraq•Euphrates: Ar Ramadi, An Nasiriah •Shatt-al-Arab – Basra

Cities on Euphrates and Tigris

Mosul

BaghdadAr Ramadi

An-NasiriahBasra

•River Karun, tributary of Shatt-al-Arab •Largest river of Iran•Ahvaz – city located on it• worst air pollution in the world (WHO 2011)•Oil wells near Ahvaz

River Karun

River Karun

Ahvaz

River Jordan

Sea of Galilee

Dead Sea

Mt. Hermon

Dead Sea part of Rift Valley

•Dead sea is located on An arm of Great African rift valley – Jordan rift valley•Dead sea = lowest point on land surface•Second most saline lake in the world after lake Van

Dead Sea

•Origin: Mt. Hermon• Flows through a rift valley• Jordan: on east bank – canal irrigation – good agriculture• Jordan river drains Hula valley (north of sea of Galilee) of Israel• Israel canal from Sea of Galilee to central and south Israel

Importance of River Jordan

Navigation not possible – highly meandering, shallow and seasonal flow

Christians, Jews, and Muslims alike revere the Jordan

Importance of river Jordan

Before WWI, west Asia was under Ottoman empire

Most of Jews lived in eastern and central Europe

At the end of 19th century, beginning of Arab nationalism and Zionism

Zionism (return to Zion) – re-establish Jewish nation of Israel in Palestine (historic homeland, described in their scriptures)

Palestine- Israel conflict

1859- 1880s widespread persecution of Jews in Europe and Russia

Zionist movement turned into political movement in 1897

Jewish people, wealthy trading community in Europe

Jewish National fund was created – started buying lands in Palestine

Palestine- Israel conflict

WWI Jews supported UK, France and RussiaAfter WWI Ottoman empire came under British rule

1916- Sykes- Picot agreement Jordan, Israel, Palestine territory to British

1917- British occupied Palestine region1917- Balfour declaration- establishment of Israel as homeland for Jews – not implemented

But Jews immigration grew under British mandate + Nazi rule in Germany

Arab attacks increased with Jews settlements

Palestine- Israel conflict

By 1948 British mandate expiredState of Israel established in 1948After end of British mandate Egypt, Jordan Syria and Iraq started evading territories

Egypt occupied Gaza strip and Jordan west bank

Egypt supported Palestinian volunteers for fidayeen attacks against Israel in Gaza strip

1967, Israel occupied West bank from Jordan and Gaza strip from Egypt

Palestine- Israel conflict

Golan heights- part of French mandate of Syria after WWII

After 1944, became part of independent Syria

1967 –conflict between Syria and Israel

Golan Heights – internationally recognized as Syrian territory but occupied by Israel since 1967

Palestine- Israel conflict

Turkey Iran

Anatolia Plateau – Radial drainage

Important lakes

Lake Van

Lake Urmia

Darya-i-namak

Turkey

Lake Van =Most saline lake of the world (330)

Located at foothills of Mt. Ararat in Turkey

It does not freeze even during harsh winter due to high salinity

Lake Urmia = Largest fresh water lake of Iran

Lake Darya –i- namak = salty lake – salinity 200

Iran

•Lake Urmia shrunk by 90%•Lake attracts migratory birds•Droughts + Irrigation projects•Salt storm – increase salinity of surrounding soil

Lake Urmia

•Used to be 4th largest lake in the world•Feed by Amu Darya and Syr Darya• Irrigation for Soviet cotton industry•Uzbekistan – top cotton producer – irrigation from Amu Darya

Aral Sea

•Amu Darya ceased to reach Aral sea•Volume of water of Syr Darya declined to Aral sea•Due to concentration of pesticides and fertilizers – saltier – death of fishes

Aral sea

Important Straights

Bab-al-Mandeb

Strait of HormuzGulf of

Aqaba

Gulf of Suez

Straights around Turkey

Countries bordering Black SeaCountries bordering Caspian Sea

Tropic of cancer passing which of the countries in West Asia

TO be noted down

Facts

Climate of West Asia

Mediterranean climate

Tropical climate

Mediterranean Arid/desert climate

Arid to semi-arid climateWater shortage – Saudi Arabia and other countries of Arabian Peninsula, Iran depend upon desalination of sea water

Shortage of agriculture landProblems of Desertification of soilImporters of food grains

Climate of West Asia

Tropical agriculture in West Asia

Rice

Cotton

Cotton

Pistachio, Raisin and Saffron

Coffee

Mocha

Temperate fruits

Cotton, sugar beet, Tobacco

•Fruit orchards: oranges, grapes, cherries etc.•Turkey – Olives•Lebanon – Fruits and Olives • Israel -Jaffa oranges, tomatoes and Lime•organic farming

Mediterranean agriculture

•Ancient irrigation practice of Iran and Afghanistan•Underground irrigation technique•Taps underground mountain water source•Series of tunnels from the source to places of irrigation

Qanat system of Irrigation

Drip irrigation sprinklers

Irrigation in Israel in modern times

•Called Tal-Ya technology•Plastic trays Collects Dew – and funnel it to the plants•Saves water required for irrigation

Tal-Ya Irrigation in Israel

India- Israel cooperation in agriculture agreement 2008

Israel has set up Center for excellence in India

Indian farmers learn Techniques like, vertical farming, soil solarisation, protective farming (use of green house and poly houses)

India and Israel agro-cooperation

Vertical farming Soil solarisation

Mineral reserve in West Asia

More than half of the world’s oil

reserve and 40% of natural gas

reserve

•Saudi has about 100 major oil fields•Ghawar oil field – largest oil field in the world

Oil reserve of Saudi Arabia

Ras Tannurah

AL Qatif

Ad Dammam

Al Zulof

Khuraus

•Majnoon field•Halfaya field•West Qurna field•Rumaylah field•East Baghdad field 

Oil reserve of Iraq

Majnoon

Halfaya

West Qurna Rumaylah

East Baghdad

Kirkuk

•Azadegan•Yadavaran•Ahvaz•Marun•Gach Saran•Agha Jari•Ramin•South Pars

Oil reserve of Iran

Azadegan Yadavaran

Ahavaz Marun

Gach Saran

Oil reserves of Arabian Peninsula

India – 4th largest energy consumer Following China, US and RussiaIndia started import of LNG in 20044th largest LNG importer: after Japan, South Korea and China

India’s energy imports

Top sources of Crude Oil

Saudi ArabiaIraqIranKuwaitUAENigeriaVenezuelaAngola

QatarEgyptOmanAustraliaSaudi Arabia

Top sources of Natural gas

India’s energy import

1) Saudi Arabia2) Iraq3) Venezuela4) Qatar5) Kuwait6) UAE

7) Nigeria8) Iran9) Angola

India’s import of Petroleum (2012-13)

From Data.gov.in

Important Ports of West Asia

Jeddah

Ad Dammam

Bandar Abbas

Beirut

AqabaElat

Port Haifa

Latakia

Basra

Aden

Muscat