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Physical Geography of Southeast Asia, Oceania, and Antarctica:
A Region of Extremes
This wide and varied region includes the South Pole icescape, volcanic Pacific islands, Southeast Asian tropics, and Australian deserts.
Australia’s Simpson Desert.
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SECTION 1 Landforms and Resources
SECTION 2 Climate and Vegetation
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SECTION 3 Human-Environment Interaction
Physical Geography of Southeast Asia, Oceania, and Antarctica:
A Region of Extremes
Unit Atlas: PoliticalUnit Atlas: Physical
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Section 1
Landforms and Resources • This region includes two peninsulas of Asia,
two continents, and more than 20,000 islands.
• Its landforms include mountains, plateaus, and major river systems.
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Southeast Asia: Mainland and Islands
Peninsulas and Islands • Mainland Southeast Asia lies on two peninsulas
- rectangular Indochinese Peninsula is south ofChina
- Malay Peninsula is 700-mile strip south frommainland
• 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
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continued Southeast Asia: Mainland and Islands
Mountains and Volcanoes • Mainland mountain ranges, like Annamese
Cordillera, run north-south- fan out from northern mountainous area
• Island mountains are volcanic in origin, part of Pacific Ring of Fire- volcanic eruptions, earthquakes are common in
region
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Rivers and Coastlines • Several large mainland rivers run south through
mountain valleys- spread out into fertile deltas near coast
•Mekong River starts in China, ends in wide delta on Vietnam coast- farming, fishing along river support millions of
people
continued Southeast Asia: Mainland and Islands
Resources • Volcanic activity, flooding rivers create nutrient-rich,
fertile soil •Rivers, seas provide fish; some areas have
petroleum, tin, gems
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Lands of the Pacific and Antarctica
No Exact Number • 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)
- doesn’t include Philippines, Indonesia—culturallyAsian
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Oceania’s Many Islands • Some islands vanish due to erosion, new ones are
created •Volcanoes create high islands, coral reefs make up
low islands- most islands are small; total land area is smaller
than Alaska •In general, islands lack minerals but:
- New Caledonia has nickel, chromium, iron- New Guinea has copper, gold, oil- Nauru has phosphate
continued Lands of the Pacific and Antarctica
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Majestic 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
continued Lands of the Pacific and Antarctica
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Flat 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 • Murray River is largest of continent’s few rivers • Little forestry, but rich in bauxite, diamonds, opals,
lead, coal • Great Barrier Reef—1,250-mile chain of 2,500
reefs, islands
continued Lands of the Pacific and Antarctica
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Icy Antarctica • Fifth-largest continent is circular in shape, centered
on South Pole • Thick ice sheet covers landscape—world’s largest
fresh-water supply • Transantarctic Mountains divide continent
- East Antarctica is plateau surrounded bymountains, valleys
- West Antarctica is group of separate islands linked by ice
• There could be coal, minerals, petroleum under ice- in 1991, 26 nations agreed not to mine region for
50 years
continued Lands of the Pacific and Antarctica
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Section 2
Climate and Vegetation • This region’s climates range from tropical
to desert to polar icecap.
• There is a great diversity of plant and animal life, including some species found nowhere else in the world.
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Widespread Tropics
Year-Round Rains • 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
• Some variations—high elevations in Indonesia have glaciers
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Wet and Dry Seasons • Tropical wet and dry climate borders the wet climate
- weather is shaped by monsoons- found in parts of Myanmar, Thailand, Laos,
Cambodia, Vietnam • Temperatures are consistently hot, but rainfall varies • Monsoon areas often have disastrous weather
- typhoons can occur in region during the wet season
continued Widespread Tropics
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Tropical Plants • Southeast Asia has great vegetation diversity
- tropical evergreen forests near equator- deciduous forests in wet and dry zone- teak is harvested commercially
• Oceania doesn’t have diverse vegetation- low islands have poor soil, little rain (few plants)- high islands have rich volcanic soil, rain (flowers,
coconut palms)
continued Widespread Tropics
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Bands of Moderate Climate
Hot Summers, Mild Winters • Australia and New Zealand have generally mild
climates • Mountain chain runs parallel to east coast of
Australia • Strip between mountains and coast divides into two
climate zones- northern part is humid subtropical—hot summers,
mild winters- heavy rainfall—gets 126 inches of rain annually- also climate of northern Vietnam, Laos, Thailand,
Myanmar
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Mild Summers, Cool Winters • Marine west coast climate on Australian southeast
coast, New Zealand- ocean breezes warm the land in winter, cool it in
summer- New Zealand’s forests are primarily evergreens,
tree ferns • New Zealand gets rain all year; regional amounts
vary dramatically - South Island mountains bring rain down on
western slopes • Australia’s Great Dividing Range keeps rain on
populous east coast
continued Bands of Moderate Climate
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Hot and Cold Deserts
Arid Australia • One-third of Australia is desert, located in the
continent’s center- under 10 inches of rain annually; too dry for
agriculture • Band of semiarid climate encircles desert
- 20 inches of rain annually; crops need irrigation • Dryness caused by tropical, subtropical heat that
evaporates rain • Few live in dry inland region called the outback
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The White Desert • Antarctica is earth’s coldest, driest continent
- icecap climate: temperatures can drop to –70 degrees
• Cold air doesn’t hold moisture well- has 1/10 the water vapor of temperate zones
• Area receives little precipitation; called a polar desert
• Plants are lichens, mosses; animals are sea life, birds (penguins)
continued Hot and Cold Deserts
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Section 3
Human-Environment Interaction • Pacific Islanders developed technology that
enabled them to travel the Pacific Ocean.
• This region has been damaged by nuclear testing and the introduction of European animals.
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Traveling the Pacific
Navigation Charts • It’s believed Pacific Island settlers came from
Southeast Asia- use land bridges, small rafts, canoes to reach
nearest islands • Later venture further out, use stars and charts to
navigate- on charts, sticks show wave patterns, shells show
islands• Islanders keep secrets of charts until late 1800s
- then begin using European navigation methods
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Special Canoes • To sail ocean, islanders develop special voyaging
canoes - double hulls stabilize canoe, allow it to carry lots of
weight- canoes use sails, sometimes have cabin on top for
shelter- carry plants to be grown at destination
• Large voyaging canoes are awkward in island lagoons- use outrigger canoe—float attached on one side
for balance
continued Traveling the Pacific
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Invasion of the Rabbits
The Rabbit Problem • European colonizers bring animals to Australia,
including rabbits • In 1859, Thomas Austin releases 24 rabbits into
Australia to hunt- one pair can have 184 descendents in 18 months- Australia has over one billion rabbits by 1900
• Rabbits strip sparse vegetation, ruin sheep pastures, cause erosion- resulting lack of food endangers native animals
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Control Measures • Efforts are made to control number of rabbits
- import foxes to prey on them, but foxes alsoendanger native wildlife
• In 1950s, they’re 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
continued Invasion of the Rabbits
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Nuclear Testing
Tests in Bikini Atoll • Nuclear arms race between U.S., USSR begins in
the 1940s - U.S. conducts 66 nuclear bomb tests on Bikini,
Enewetak atolls- atoll—ringlike coral island, or islands, surrounding
a lagoon • Marshall Islands’ Bikini Atoll is far from shipping, air
routes • “Bravo” hydrogen bomb test vaporizes several
islands- radiation contamination injures or sickens many
islanders
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Long-Term Effects • Bikini Islanders moved to the island of Kili in 1948
- conditions there don’t allow them to fish or grow enough food
• U.S. declares Bikini safe in late 1960s, some islanders return - in 1978, doctors find dangerous radiation levels in
islanders- islanders leave again
• Cleanup of Bikini Atoll begins in 1988- still unknown when Bikini will be suitable for
humans again
continued Nuclear Testing
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