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

http://www3.uakron.edu/majuro/Maps/RMI-USGS2005_map.pdf

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