Southeast AsiaMyanmarThailandLaosCambodiaVietnam

IndonesiaPhilippinesMalaysiaBruneiSingapore

Physical Geography

Southeast Asia is… Two “peninsulas” extending out of

the continent of Asia Surrounded on 3 sides by water Indochinese and Malay Peninsulas

Series of “archipelagos” A chain of closely grouped islands Philippines and Indonesia

Malaysia is on the peninsula and an archipelago

Peninsulas

Archipelagos

Malaysia

Physical Geography Volcanoes formed most of the islands in the archipelagos

“Ring of Fire” An area that surrounds or “rings” the Pacific Ocean

Earthquakes and volcanoes are common because of tectonic plate boundaries

Mount Pinatubo Located on the Island of Luzon in the Philippines Volcano that last erupted in June of 1991

Second largest volcanic eruption of the twentieth century Eruption lasted 9 hours 800 people were killed and 100,000 became homeless

Accompanied by a 7.8 earthquake Forced thousands of Filipinos from their homes

Aetna tribe lived on the side of the mountain and have never been able to return to their homes

100 feet of ash buries their villages

Physical Geography

2004 Asian Tsunami A 9.0 earthquake occurred on the ocean floor

100 miles off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra Lifted a piece of the ocean floor 900 miles long and moved it

65 feet in a matter of minutes Lifted the ocean and sent it racing towards land in all directions in a

series of enormous waves Some waves reached 50 feet

Devastated much of Southeast Asia

Physical Geography

Sumatra

Physical Geography

Climate of Southeast Asia Most of the region is a tropical wet environment

Average temperature is 82 degrees Average rainfall is 100- 200 inches a year

Rainforests cover most of the land Great diversity in plants and animals

Mekong River Begins in the high mountains and travels through

Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam Collects the massive amounts of water that falls as rain

The Ring of Fire has made Southeast Asia mountainous Makes daily life here very challenging

People have become creative in the way they deal with the land and their resources

“Terrace farming” is used Carve flat spots or steps into the side of the mountain

People depend heavily on the Mekong River Fishing

Mekong River catfish and stingrays

Irrigation for crops Rice, sugar, tea, rubber, and coffee

Human Environmental Interaction

Historical Geography Southeast Asia has had a rough last 1000 years

Has been constantly taken over by other countries China and France for most of the time

Largely because of those tropical resources Rubber, sugar, rice, tea, and coffee

Other resources Gem stones and oil

Ground zero for the Vietnam War Fought for two major reasons

Control of important resources Communism and dictatorship vs. Capitalism and democracy

Most people in Southeast Asia depend on farming and manufacturing for income

“Subsistence agriculture” Produce only enough food for the family to survive

Nothing extra to sell at the market for money

America/ Japan produce many of their products here Working in factories does not make people a lot of money “Sweat Shops” dominate

Long hours, low wages, and poor working conditions

Economic Geography

Buddhism, Islam are the main religions Hinduism is present, but not in great numbers of followers

Religion determines people’s values and influences art and architecture

Temples are very unique and important in here

Angkor Wat World’s largest religious temple and complex

Located in Cambodia

Important to Buddhists and Hindus Known for its Temple, Gardens, and Moat

Cultural Geography

Cultural Geography Big contrast in how people live

in this region Many people live in primitive huts

out in the jungle Hunters, gatherers, and farmers

Others live in very large cities Kuala Lumpur- Capital of Malaysia

Financial capital of Southeast Asia Home to one of the world’s tallest

building “Petronas Towers”