Exploring the Diverse Geographic Qualities of Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia is characterized by its fragmented landforms consisting of numerous peninsulas and islands, alongside significant cultural diversity marked by linguistic and religious differences. The region faces powerful foreign influences and political instability, while populations are densely clustered, even in rural areas. The region has poor intraregional communications and relies on agriculture as an economic backbone. Home to newly industrialized nations like Singapore, Southeast Asia also grapples with the legacies of colonial domination, shaped by complex physical and cultural geographic features.
Exploring the Diverse Geographic Qualities of Southeast Asia
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Presentation Transcript
World Regional Geography Southeast Asia C.J. Cox Instructor Week #10
Southeast Asia • Ten Geographic Qualities • Physical Geography • Cultural Geography • Regions & States
Ten Geographic Qualities • 1. Land is fragmented into numerous peninsulas & islands • 2. Cultural Fragmentation (linguistic & religious geographies)
Ten Geographic Qualities • 3. Powerful Foreign Influences • 4. Political instability & conflict • 5. Population strongly clustered even in rural areas
Ten Geographic Qualities • 6. Poor Intraregional communications • 7. Agricultural mainstay of the econonmies • 8. No dominant state although China & India have exerted powerful influence
Ten Geographic Qualities • 9. Emergence of Newly Industrialized Countries of Singapore • 10. Former Colonial Domination of this region
Relative Location of Southeast Asia • Centrally located between South Asia, and the Pacific Ocean • North of Oceania Asia and south of China & Japan
Southeast Asia • Ten Geographic Qualities • Physical Geography • Cultural Geography • Regions & States
Physical Geography of Southeast Asia • Plate Tectonics • Plateaus • Deserts • Mountains • Rivers • Lakes • Climates
Physical Geography • Plate Tectonics • Subduction of the Eurasian, Indian and Philippine Plates have created the Philippine & Indonesian archipelago
Physical Geography of Southeast Asia • Rivers • Mekong River • Irriwaddy • Landforms • Volcanic Archipelagos - Volcanic Islands • Himalayan foothills extend into Myanmar & Thailand
Physical Geography of Southeast Asia • Climates • Tropical Rainforest Climate dominates Malaysia & Indonesia • Tropical Savanna Climate dominates the northern portion of SE Asia including Thailand, Cambodia & the southern part of Vietnam
Southeast Asia • Ten Geographic Qualities • Physical Geography • Cultural Geography • Regions & States
Cultural Geography of Southeast Asia • Population • Languages • Religion • Agriculture • Economics • Historical Geography
Cultural Geography of Southeast Asia • Population • 1/2 billion • concentrations on coasts & rivers • large concentration on the island of Java
Southeast Asia • Population Characteristics • Birth rates 24/1000 • Death rates 8/1000 • Natural Increase 1.6. % • Infant Mortality 55/1000 • Doubling Time 42yrs • Pop <15 35% • Pop > 65 4%
Cultural Geography of Southeast Asia • Languages • Sino-Tibetan Languages of Thai, Burmese and Vietnamese dominate in the north • Malayo Polynesian Language Family dominates in the southern portion of SE Asia
Cultural Geography of Southeast Asia • Religion • Buddhism dominates northern SE Asia • Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia • Islam dominates Malaysia & Indonesia • Christianity in the Philippines
Cultural Geography of Southeast Asia • Religion • Religious landscapes
Cultural Geography of Southeast Asia • Agriculture • subsistence farming • intensive rice farming
Agriculture in Southeast Asia
Thrashing the grains from the shafts in Northern Thailand
Cultural Geography of Southeast Asia • Economy • primary industries dominate • resource rich • oil in Indonesia & Brunei • manufacturing & labor source for the developed world
Cultural Geography of Southeast Asia • Economic Contrasts • Extreme poverty in Laos, Myranmar & Cambodia • Relative prosperity in Thailand and Malaysia • Wealthy Singapore & Brunei
