World Cultures

Unit III: S.E. Asia

Name: Casey Marshall

Date: 1/13/15

Physical Geography of South East Asia, Oceania, and Antarctica

pgs. 689-692

1.

What is an archipelago and identify an example?

An archipelago is a set of closely grouped islands, which sometimes contain a curved arc. An example
of one would be a Southeast Asian island that is called Borneo.

2. What rivers and resources exist in South East Asia? Why is this important?
Many large rivers, such as the Mekong River, exist in South East Asia. Millions of people in the population
of the area rely heavily on the river for farming and fish/food supply.

3. What is Oceania? About how many islands exist in Oceania?

Oceania is a group of Pacific Islands. Nobody is completely sure how many islands are actually
apart of Oceania, but some would estimate its somewhere around 20,000.
4. What are high islands? What are low islands?
These are the two categories that the Pacific Islands fall into. The high islands are made up by
volcanoes, while low islands are made up of coral reefs.
5. What resource problem exists in Oceania?

The area doesnt have many resources. The low islands typically dont have a lot of minerals, and the soil
is poor as well. With resources that they do have, they have been made so sacred that its hard to
develop an industry with what they have.

6. Describe the difference in the North and South Islands of New Zealand. Even though it
has limited natural resources, what has allowed New Zealand to thrive?
In the North Islands, the geography contains hilly ranges and volcanic plateau, but has less mountains
than the South Islands. The North has fertile farmland and forest which has contributed to support the
lumber industry. Also, there are natural harbors that are used for seaports. These Islands have made it
so that New Zealand is capable of building dams that generate electricity.

7. How is Australia different from New Zealand? (Be specific. What is found here that is
not found in New Zealand?)

Australia is much flatter than New Zealand. The area has mountains, but unlike New Zealand,
only few of these peaks rise any higher than 5,000 feet. Australia also only has few rivers, and
it contains the worlds largest coral reef.

8. The 5th largest continent is Antarctica. Compare East and West Antarctica (underneath
the ice).
East Antarctica is a plateau that is surrounded but mountains and valleys, while the West is
group of separate islands that are linked only by the ice that covers them.

9. What is interesting about Antarctica's ice sheet? What resources may lie beneath?
The ice sheet is interesting because many believe below it lie many resources such as coal,
minerals, and petroleum. But in the year 1991, 26 nations decided that they would not mine in
the area for the next fifty years, so we will never know what lies below until then.

Climate and Vegetation

pgs. 694-701
1.
What sort of climate exists in most of South East Asia and Oceania?
One part is the Northern part of the strip and contains humid subtropical climate, hot summers,
mild winters and heavy rainfall. The other
2. What are the two categories that exist in the climate of South East Asia and Oceania?
In chain of mountains runs parallel to the east coast of Australia, where there is a strip
between the mountains, and there the ocean is divided into the two different climate zones in
South East Asia and Oceania.
3. Describe a monsoon.
A monsoon is a wind system that influences large climatic regions and reverses direction every
season; a wind from the southwest or south that brings heavy rainfall to southern Asia during
the summer time.

4. How does the climate affect the tropical plants and vegetation that exists in South East
Asia and Oceania?
The diversity of the region is at some of the highest in the world, and contains things such as
high numbers of tree species. In Oceania, there is not much diversity in vegetation at all, and
because the low islands have poor soil and small amounts of rain, plants dont grow very well here.
The islands have a large amount of flowers and coconut palm, but thats about it.

5. Look at the 5 Themes Box (Human-Environment Interaction). What is Terraced

Farming? Why would this be interesting to historians?

Terraced Farming is an ancient method of altering landscapes for farming purposes. Farmers will build
terraces or ledges on the sides of hills in order to grow rice paddies. This would be interesting to
historians because it shows them how to grow on a hill, and get past the problems of what they dont
have, even back in ancient days.

6. Describe the climate in Australia and New Zealand. How is Australias climate similar to
South East Asia and also New Zealand?
Australia happens to be the only continent that lies souly in the Southern Hemisphere, where
New Zealand is farther south. They both generally have moderate climates.

7. Why is of Australia a dry desert? What is the outback?

1/3 is a dry desert because its in the middle of the continent, and receives less than ten inches
of rain each year. The unpopulated inland region of Australia is called the outback, only few
people live there, and they receive special medical care from the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

8. What is the White Desert? What sorts of life lives in it?

The White Desert has large located around the South Pole, and it has icecap climate. The only
type of life that lives here in minimum, and is plants such as lichens and mosses, animals of
mostly sea life and birds, which includes penguins.