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I) Widespread Tropics
A) Year-Round Rains
a) much of Southeast Asia and Oceania has a Tropical Wet climate
(i) average temperature is 80oF and it rains almost every day
(ii) some areas are more comfortable due to elevation or ocean currents
B) Wet and Dry Seasons
a) parts of Southeast Asia, Australia, and some areas of Oceania have wet and dry
seasons caused by monsoon winds
b) temperatures are consistently hot, and rainfall is affected by the presence of
mountains
c) these areas are also subject to typhoons (basically hurricanes)
C) Tropical Plants
a) Southeast Asia has diverse plant life, especially trees
(i) some types of tropical evergreens are unique to the area, and the forests also
contain large amounts of incredibly valuable teak
b) Oceania has little in the way of vegetation
(i) most of the soil is poor, but in areas with good soil and consistent rain, the islands
have abundant flowers and trees, like coconut palms
II) Bands of Moderate Climate
A) Hot Summers, Mild Winters
a) along the northeastern part of Australia, the region has a humid subtropical climate
with hot summers, mild winters, and heavy rainfall
(i) the area gets an average of 126 inches of rain per year
b) parts of Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar also have this climate
B) Mild Summers, Cool Winters
a) southeastern Australia and New Zealand have a marine west coast climate, with mild
summers and cool winters
(i) rainfall is affected by the mountain chain in New Zealand, where some parts get
lots of rain and others can be much dryer
(ii) mountains also affect the climate- the higher you are, the colder it is
b) in Australia, the slight elevation prevents the cooler, wetter climate of the East from
moving further West
(i) this area therefore is more comfortable, and has the highest population
III) Hot and Cold Deserts
A) Australia
a) the western third of Australia is desert
(i) it receives less than 10 inches of rain per year
b) surrounding the desert is an area of semiarid land that gets about 20 inches of rain
(i) this area can support small amounts of life if irrigated properly
c) the entire region has a very low population and is commonly called the outback
B) The White Desert
a) since cold air doesn’t hold moisture very well, Antarctica gets very little precipitation,
so technically it is a desert
b) the only plants that can survive are lichens and mosses, and animal life is restricted to
sea life and birds, including penguins
3- Human-Environment Interaction