GEOG 2RW3 Lecture 5: Test 5 review - Southeast Asia & Oceania
18 Mar 2019
School
Department
Course
Professor
Test 5 review
Southeast I
Readings: chapter 10
Geographical Extent
• The southeastern corner of the Eurasian continent
• Countries (& Terr.): 11
• Total Area: ~4 m km2
o smallest
• Population: 633 m
o 5th largest
▪ Indonesia: 258 m
▪ Philippines: 101 m
▪ Vietnam: 93 m
▪ Thailand: 68 m
▪ Burma: 54 m
▪ Malaysia: 30 m
• Urbanization: 42%
o 8th highest
Physical Geographic Patterns
• Climate
o Tropical (1A = wet all year, 1B = wet and dry seasons)
o Humid Subtropical
• Recall:
o Monsoons
• Climate: Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)
o An area near the equator where northern and southern hemisphere ‘trade winds’ converge; as
a result of daytime (solar) heating, tropical thunderstorms develop
▪ Keys: differential air pressure, rotation of the earth, etc.
• Climate Issues: Tropical Cyclones/Typhoons
o Particularly warm ocean waters in the Aug.-Oct. months results in the development of tropical
cyclones/typhoons (hurricanes); all the same, just regional variants of name
▪ Hurricane (Atlantic, north-east Pacific), Typhoon (western Pacific), Cyclone (Indian
Occean)
• Climate: The role of water in Southeastern Asia
o Heavy (daily) rains, plus tropical heat (sunshine) results in lush vegetation; tropical rainforests
o Ecosystem also supports thriving agriculture (through low-tech/low productivity)
o Monsoons are welcome in regions with dry periods, but can cause flooding
• Physiography: very active tectonic region
o Natural Disasters: volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, etc.
o More shortly
• Tectonic Effects:
o Mainland:
▪ Mountain building
o Maritime:
▪ Island building
• Physiography: Mainland Southeast Asia
o A southeastern extension of the mountainous region of south Asia and East Asia (Himalayas,
etc.)
o Coastal Influence:
▪ Indian Ocean
• Andaman Sea
• Straits of Malacca
▪ Pacific Ocean
• South China Sea
• Gulf of Thailand
▪ Malaysian Peninsula
▪ Rivers:
• Mekong
• Irrawaddy
▪ Oceans & Seas, etc.
• Indian, Pacific, South China, Philippine, etc.
▪ Islands & Archipelagoes:
• Philippines
• Indonesia
o Borneo
o Sumatra
o Java
o New Guinea
• Physiographic Issues: Natural Disasters
o Tectonic Activity
o Volcanic Eruptions:
▪ Pinatubo
▪ Krakatoa
▪ Tambora
o Earthquakes:
▪ Banda acech
o Typhoons:
o Volcano: Mt. Pinatubo (Philippines,), June 15, 1991
▪ 2nd largest volcanic eruption of this century
o Earthquake: Banda Aceh (Indonesia), December 26, 2004
▪ Off-shore earthquake, and resulting tsunami
▪ ~250,000 deaths around the coastal areas of the India, Ocean, especially Indonesia,
Thailand
• Among the deadliest natural disasters ever
• Physical Geographic (Ecological) Landscapes
o Climate and physiography combine to produce a region that is uniform in its dense lush forest
cover
▪ However, some variation exists:
• Tropical evergreen forests (rainforests, etc.)
• Tropical deciduous (monsoon) forests
• Coastal mangrove forests
• Case Study: Biodiversity & Wallace’s Line
o Last ice age: (lower sea levels) ‘land bridges’ connected the areas (now Islands) into two groups
– separated by a deep oceanic trench: Wallace’s Line
o Land pieces migration: two distinct ecoregions
Southeast Asia II
Human Geographic Patterns
• Ancient Civilizations & Kingdoms:
o Local indigenous tribes, headed by ‘chiefs’
o c.2000 ya, trade
▪ Brought new forms of social structure, religion, agriculture and technology
o Consolidation of local tribes into organized Empires
o Two dominant civilizations in the region
▪ Mainland: Khmer Empire - c.800-1400 AD
• Angkor Wat (c.12th C.)
o City and Centre of Empire
o Religious centre
▪ Maritime: Srivijaya - c.600-1400 AD
• Little physical evidence remains
• Borobudur (Java): c.9th C.
o Temple
o Buddhist Kingdoms & Muslim Sultans
o Thai, Burmese and other Buddhist (& Hindu) kingdoms succeeded the Khmer Empire
o Maritime Southeast Asia fell under the control of sultans
▪ Sultan (leader of Islamic countries like Malacca & Brunei)
• Disseminated Islamic beliefs and ins throughout different parts of Southeast Asia
▪ Sultanates in a largely Muslim Indonesia
• European Colonialism: two distinct phases:
o The mercantile (trade) period 1500 – 1800 C.E.
o The industrial (export-oriented) period 1800 – 1945 C.E.
• Key Players:
o Portugal & Spain
o The Netherlands
o Britain
o France
o US
• Japanese Imperialism: World War II
o Japan: war with China (1930s) and WWII (1940s)
o Japanese occupation
▪
• Decolonization & Independence:
o Independence: quickly vs. later
▪ Post-WWII period
o Independence: peaceful vs. conflict
▪ Burma (‘48)
▪ Malaysia (‘63)
▪ Singapore (‘65)
▪ Brunei (‘83)
Document Summary
Geographical extent: the southeastern corner of the eurasian continent, countries (& terr. ): 11: total area: ~4 m km2, smallest, population: 633 m, 5th largest. Indonesia: 258 m: philippines: 101 m, vietnam: 93 m, thailand: 68 m, burma: 54 m, malaysia: 30 m, urbanization: 42, 8th highest. Island building: physiography: mainland southeast asia, a southeastern extension of the mountainous region of south asia and east asia (himalayas, etc. , coastal influence: Indian ocean: andaman sea, straits of malacca, pacific ocean, south china sea, gulf of thailand, malaysian peninsula, rivers, mekong. Indonesia: borneo, sumatra, java, new guinea, physiographic issues: natural disasters, tectonic activity, volcanic eruptions, pinatubo, krakatoa, tambora, earthquakes, banda acech, typhoons, volcano: mt. Pinatubo (philippines,), june 15, 1991: 2nd largest volcanic eruption of this century, earthquake: banda aceh (indonesia), december 26, 2004, off-shore earthquake, and resulting tsunami, ~250,000 deaths around the coastal areas of the india, ocean, especially indonesia,
