U n i t 1 0 705
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT—
Southeast Asia is a vital crossroads
of trade and commerce.The region is
rich in natural resources such as tin,
petroleum, rubber, tea, spices, and
valuable woods. In recent years,
many Southeast Asians have migrat-
ed to the United States, bringing
their own religions and cultures
with them.You are probably familiar
with the flavors of many Southeast
Asian dishes, available now in restau-
rants in the United States.
To learn more about
Southeast Asia and its impact on
your world, view the World Regions
video “Southeast Asia.”
Terraced rice fields on the island of Bali, Indonesia
World Regions Video
NGS ONLINEwww.nationalgeographic.com/education
Lying east of India and south of China, Southeast Asia juts out fromthe rest of the Asian continent and then fragments into a jumble of islands that straddle the Equator. Two peninsulas form the main-land—the bulbous Indochina Peninsula and the narrow Malay
Peninsula, which extends southward from the other like a long, gnarledfinger. Millions of years ago, tectonic plates collided to form parallelmountain ranges that span the mainland from north to south. Great
rivers, such as the Irrawaddy, Mekong, Chao Phraya, andRed, course through the valleys between these rangesand create fertile deltas where they meet the sea.
Most of the region’s islands are mountainous, too,but their peaks were spawned by ancient volcaniceruptions. Active volcanoes remain a threat on theseislands, which lie along the Pacific Ring of Fire.
Rain forests cover parts of Southeast Asia.Wateredby monsoon rains, these forests—valued for their tim-ber and wildlife—are decreasing because of extensivelogging.
What Makes SoutheastAsia a Region?
1 Ankle-deep in muddy water,a Philippine farmer plants riceseedlings in a flooded paddy.Southeast Asia’s fertile soilsand warm, wet climate areideal for growing rice. Mostfarmers in Southeast Asia plant and harvest their cropsby hand.
3
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U N I TREGIONAL ATLAS10
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Using trunk and tusks, an Asianelephant piles up teak logsalong a river in Myanmar. Thelush forests of this country sup-ply more than three-fourths ofthe world’s teak, a beautiful,durable wood often used forfurniture. Some SoutheastAsian loggers use tractors, butelephants are cheaper anddon’t require roads.
Like a fountain of fire, Krakatauhurls lava into the night sky.One of Indonesia’s many active volcanoes, Krakatau lies between the islands ofSumatra and Java. In 1883,36,000 people died whenKrakatau erupted violently,generating huge tidal wavesthat swept over the nearbyislands.
Steering with slender paddles,a Vietnamese woman guidesher boat through a shallowwaterway on the delta of theMekong River. From its sourcein China, the Mekong flows2,600 miles (4,180 km) to theSouth China Sea. Like riversthroughout this region, theMekong is a vital transportationroute for people and goods.
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4
4
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Ethnic Mosaic
A white scarf covers the headof a Muslim girl in Malaysia.Arab and Indian tradersbrought the faith of Islam toSoutheast Asia in the 1300sand 1400s. Today, Islam is thedominant religion on the MalayPeninsula and in Indonesia. In fact, Indonesia has moreMuslims than any other coun-try in the world.
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Rugged mountains and rolling seas could not hold backthe outsiders that have been drawn to Southeast Asiathroughout its history. Some came to trade, some to settle,and others to forge empires. Beginning in the 1500s,Europeans laid claim to various parts of the region.
Eventually, every Southeast Asian countryexcept Thailand was a European colony.
Colonial rule ended in the mid-1900s,but the region was left fragmented and inturmoil. Struggles among ethnic groups andbetween Communist and non-Communistpowers claimed thousands of lives.
Today, more than 500 million peoplelive in this culturally diverse region.Theyspeak hundreds of languages and dialectsand practice several major religions.Despite rapid urbanization and industrial-ization in some places, most SoutheastAsians still make their living traditionally,as farmers.
1
Beneath gilded towers,Buddhist monks descend thesteps of a temple in Vientiane,the capital and largest city ofLaos. After Islam, Buddhism isthe second most widespreadreligion in Southeast Asia.It is the primary religion in Laos and on the rest of theIndochina Peninsula.
Fruit vendors on bicycles offerbounty from the fields to buy-ers on the streets of Hanoi,Vietnam. Most Vietnamese, likeother Southeast Asians, arefarmers who raise rice, fruit,and other crops on small plotsof land. Only a small percent-age of Vietnamese people workin industry.
Southeast Asia’s busiest port,Singapore lies at the tip of theMalay Peninsula, along theStrait of Malacca, the mainshipping route between theIndian Ocean and the SouthChina Sea. From this strategiclocation, the city handles muchof the flow of goods into andout of Southeast Asia.
2 3 4
4
F.P.O
U N I TREGIONAL ATLAS10 Southeast Asia
PHYSICAL
N
Isthmusof
Kra
MalayPeninsula
S u ma t r a
BorneoMoluccas
NewGuinea
Mindanao
Luzon
Java
Bali
Celebes(Sulawesi)
KHORATPLATEAU
G R E A T E R
S U N D A I S L A N D S
ShanPlateau
MekongRiver Delta
Spratly
Islands
NatunaIs.
Paracel
Islands
Palawan
Mindoro
Negros
Samar
Leyte
Ceram
Aru Is.
BilauktaungBar i san
M
ts .
L e s s e r S u n d a I s l a n d s
Range
Naga
Hills
Tanen Ra.
Dangrek Ra.
Arakan
Yoma
Ann am
Cordi l lera
Irra w
ad
dy
R.
Salw
een R.
M
ekong
R.
RedR .
ChaoPhraya R.
TonleSap
Indian
Ocean
Pacific
Ocean
Gulf ofTonkin
J a v a S e a
P h i l i p p i n e
S e a
SuluSea
CelebesSea
Banda Sea
Ceram Sea
Flores Sea
SavuSea
TimorSea
AndamanSea Gulf
ofThailand
A r a f u r a S e a
Maka
ssar
Str
ait
Molu
cca
Sea
Luzon Stra
it
Balabac Str.
Great Channel
Karim
ataStr.
S o u
t hC
hi n
aS
ea
Strait of Malacca
Bay of Bengal
TROPIC OF CANCER
EQUATOR
120°E 130°E 140°E110°E100°E
30°N
10°N
20°N
0°
10°S
M Y A N M A R
LAOS
THAILAND
CAMBODIAVIETNAM
M A L A Y S I A
SINGAPORE
PHILIPPINES
BRUNEI
I N D O N E S I A
EAST TIMOR
E A S T
A S I A
A U S T R A L I A
Jaya Peak16,500 ft.(5,029 m)
Miller Cylindrical projection400
0
0
400
km
mi.
Elevation Profile
Sea level
2,000 m
4,000 m
6,000 m
8,000 m
6,562 ft
13,123 ft
19,685 ft
26,247 ft
ANNAMCORDILLERA
Yangon(Rangoon)
0 mi.
0 km 500
500
GULF OFTONKIN
BAYOFBENGAL
IRRAWADDYRIVER
MEKONGRIVER
POLITICAL120°E 130°E 140°E110°E100°E
30°N
10°N
20°N
0°
TROPIC OF CANCER
EQUATOR
Pacific
Ocean
Indian
Ocean
L. Toba
Gulf ofMartaban
Gulf ofTonkin
Andaman
Sea
Gulf ofThailand
Great
Channel
Karim
ataStrait
J a v a S e a
P h i l i p p i n e
S e a
S o u t h
C h i n a
S e a
Luzon Strait
Sulu Sea
CelebesSea
Balabac Strait
Ceram Sea
Savu Sea
Timor Sea
Banda Sea
Flores Sea
A r a f u r a S e a
MoluccaSea
Mak
assa
rS
trai
t
Irra w
ad
dy
R.
Salw
een R.
Mek
ong R
.
KapuasR.
ANNAMCO
RDILLE
RA
Isthmusof
Kra
MALAYPENINSULA
SUMATRA BORNEO
MOLUCCAS
N E W G U I N E A
MINDANAO
LUZON
JAVA
CELEBES
Yangon(Rangoon)
Vientiane
Bangkok
PhnomPenh
KualaLumpur
Dili
Jakarta
Bandung Surabaya
Manila
Ho Chi Minh City
Bandar SeriBegawan
Hanoi
EAST TIMOR
M Y A N M A R
L A O S
THAILAND
CAMBODIAVIETNAM
M A L A Y S I A
SINGAPORE
P H I L I P P I N E S
BRUNEI
I N D O N E S I A
E A S T
A S I A
A U S T R A L I A
Miller Cylindrical projection400
0
0
400
km
mi.
N
1. What are the capitals of the continentalcountries in Southeast Asia?
2. To what country does the island ofMindanao belong?
StudyMAP
National capitalTerritorial capitalMajor city
U n i t 1 0 711
U N I TREGIONAL ATLAS10 Southeast Asia
POPULATION DENSITY120°E 140°E110°E100°E
30°N
10°N
20°N
0°
10°S
TROPIC OF CANCERTROPIC OF CANCER
EQUATOR
Pacific
Ocean
Indian
Ocean
Philippine
Sea
LuzonStrait
Andaman
SeaGulf
of
Thailand
Gulfof
Tonkin
J a v a S e a
CelebesSea
MoluccaSea
TimorSea
SuluSeaBalabac Strait
Banda Sea
Ceram Sea
Savu Sea
Flores Sea
Arafura Sea
Karimata
Strait
Great Channel
So
ut
h
C
hi
na
Se
a
Yangon(Rangoon)
Bangkok
PhnomPenh
MedanKualaLumpur
Jakarta
Bandung Surabaya
MataramDili
Kendari
Ho Chi Minh City
Singapore
Hanoi
Sittwe
Mandalay
Vientiane
Haiphong
Da Nang
Manila
Quezon City
Cebu
Davao
Cagayan de Oro
ChiangMai
Bandar SeriBegawan
Padang
Palembang
Semarang
Pontianak
Kuching
Samarinda
Banjarmasin
Makassar
Jayapura
E A S T
A S I A
A U S T R A L I AMiller Cylindrical projection400
0
0
400
km
mi.
N
Cities(Statistics reflect metropolitan areas.)
Per sq. mi.Per sq. kmOver 100
50–100
25–50
1–25
Under 1
Uninhabited
Over 250
125–250
60–125
2–60
Under 2
Uninhabited
Over 5,000,000
2,000,000–5,000,000
1,000,000–2,000,000
250,000–1,000,000
Under 250,000
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ECONOMIC ACTIVITY
120°E 130°E 140°E110°E100°E
30°N
10°N
20°N
0°
10°S
TROPIC OF CANCER
EQUATOR
Pacific
Ocean
Indian
Ocean
Andaman
Sea
J a v a S e a
P h i l i p p i n e
S e a
S o u t h
C h i n a
S e a
CelebesSea
A r a f u r a S e a
Sulu Sea
Karim
ataStrait
Gulf of
Thailand
Gulf ofTonkin
Luzon Strait
Banda Sea
SUMATRA BORNEO
N E W G U I N E A
JAVA
CELEBES
Yangon(Rangoon)
Bangkok
KualaLumpur
Jakarta
Palembang
Surabaya
Manila
Ho Chi Minh City
Hanoi
PhnomPenh
Medan
Bandung
Teak Teak
RiceRice
RiceRice
Rice
Sugarcane
AbacaCoconuts
Coconuts
Coconuts
Coconuts
Corn
Rice
Tea
Coffee
Rice
Cassava
SpicesRubber
Rubber
Spices
Rubber
Rubber
Pearls
Pearls
Spices
Spices
Coconuts
EAST TIMOR
M Y A N M A R
L A O S
THAILAND
CAMBODIAVIETNAM
M A L A Y S I A
SINGAPORE
P H I L I P P I N E S
BRUNEI
I N D O N E S I A
E A S T
A S I A
A U S T R A L I A
N
N
N
N
Miller Cylindrical projection400
0
0
400
km
mi.
N
Land UseCommercial farmingSubsistence farmingHunting and gatheringManufacturing and tradeCommercial fishing
Resources
Petroleum
Natural gas
Coal
Nickel
Tungsten
Copper
Tin
Gemstones
Gold
N
1. Which Southeast Asian countries havedeposits of gold? Gemstones?
2. Which Southeast Asian island countriesare the most densely populated?
StudyMAP
U n i t 1 0 713
BruneiDollar
Riel
Rupiah
Kip
Ringgit
Republic
CommunistState
ConstitutionalMonarchy
ConstitutionalMonarchy
ConstitutionalMonarchy
ConstructionMaterials
ManufacturedGoods
300,000156 per sq. mi.60 per sq. km
2,228 sq. mi.5,771 sq. km
13,100,000187 per sq. mi.72 per sq. km
206,100,000280 per sq. mi.108 per sq. km
5,400,00059 per sq. mi.23 per sq. km
22,700,000178 per sq. mi.69 per sq. km
69,900 sq. mi.181,041 sq. km
735,355 sq. mi.1,904,569 sq. km
91,429 sq. mi.236,800 sq. km
127,317 sq. mi.329,749 sq. km
Malay,English, Chinese
Khmer, French
Bahasa Indonesia,Javanese
Lao, French
Malay, English, Chinese
Machinery
Machinery
MachineryElectronicEquipment
Timber
Kyat
PhilippinePeso
SingaporeDollar
Baht
Dong
Republic
Republic
CommunistState
MilitaryDictatorship
ConstitutionalMonarchy
47,800,000183 per sq. mi.71 per sq. km
77,200,000666 per sq. mi.257 per sq. km
4,100,00017,320 per sq. mi.6,687 per sq. km
62,400,000315 per sq. mi.122 per sq. km
78,700,000623 per sq. mi.241 per sq. km
261,228 sq. mi.676,581 sq. km
115,830 sq. mi.300,000 sq. km
239 sq. mi.619 sq. km
198,116 sq. mi.513,120 sq. km
128,066 sq. mi.331,691 sq. km
Burmese,Local Languages
Tagalog, English
Thai, Local Languages
Vietnamese,Local Languages
Chinese, Malay,Tamil, English Aircraft
Raw Materials
ManufacturedGoods
Beans
Computer Equipment
Machinery
Machinery
Machinery
ElectronicEquipment
BRUNEI
Bandar SeriBegawan
INDONESIA
Jakarta
MALAYSIA
KualaLumpur
PhnomPenh
Vientiane
CAMBODIA
LAOS
MYANMAR
Yangon(Rangoon)
PHILIPPINES
Manila
SINGAPORE
Singapore
Bangkok
VIETNAMHanoi
THAILAND
WoodProducts
Crude Oil
Crude Oil
EAST TIMOR
Tetun, Javanese, Portuguese
800,000134 per sq. mi.52 per sq. km
5,741 sq. mi.14,869 sq. km
ManufacturedGoods
Indonesian Rupiah Republic
CoconutProducts
Crude Oil
Dili
COUNTRY *
AND CAPITAL
FLAG AND
LANGUAGE
POPULATION
AND DENSITYLANDMASS
MAJOR
EXPORT
MAJOR
IMPORTCURRENCY GOVERNMENT
COUNTRY PROFILES
* COUNTRIES AND FLAGS NOT DRAWN TO SCALE
FOR AN ONLINE UPDATE OF THIS INFORMATION, VISIT GEOGRAPHY.GLENCOE.COM AND CLICK ON “TEXTBOOK UPDATES.”
U N I TREGIONAL ATLAS10 Southeast Asia
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�GLOBAL
CONNECTIONSOUTHEAST ASIA AND THE UNITED STATES
CUISINE
U N I TREGIONAL ATLAS10
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What’s for dinner? Twenty or thirty years ago, the answer probably would have been “steak,”“meatloaf,”or “hamburgers.”But now, you might hear “lemon grass chicken”or “laab moo”!Americans have developed a taste for foods from other lands.
And the cuisines of two Southeast Asian countries—Thailand and Vietnam—have become especially popular in the United States.
Thai and Vietnamese cooks themselves have borrowed foods, flavors, and prepa-ration methods from several of their neighbors, especially China and India. For example, many Thai and Vietnamese dishes are stir-fried, as is much Chinese food.Coconut milk is an ingredient picked up from India. Nevertheless,Thai andVietnamese cuisines have their own distinctive flavors and characteristics.
Some of the common ingredients in Thai food are lemon grass, shrimp paste,Siamese ginger, and chilies—very hot chilies! These and other ingredients are com-bined to create complex and tantalizing tastes. Laab moo, for example, is a dish ofminced pork seasoned with lemon juice,fish sauce, fresh mint, and green chilies. In asingle forkful of a Thai dish, you might tastesweet, sour, salty, and hot flavors all at once.
Vietnamese food is often described asbeing similar to Thai food, but less intense,
Enjoying a meal in Hanoi, Vietnam▲
▲ Floating produce market in Thailand
with more subtle flavors. Some Vietnamese dishes might seem more like salads thanmain dishes to most Americans. Bits of cooked meat or fish are typically served with a platter of fresh lettuce, herbs, and vegetables. One ingredient found in almost allVietnamese dishes is nuoc mam, a salty fish sauce. What salt is to American food and soy sauce is to Chinese dishes, nuoc mam is to Vietnamese cuisine.
How did Thai and Vietnamese foods get to the United States? In the 1970s, after theVietnam War,Vietnamese refugees flocked to America. Many opened small restaurants.Thais had been coming to the United States as students since the 1960s. Many of theThais settled in Los Angeles, where the climate may have reminded them of home. By1990, there were more Thais living in greater Los Angeles than any other place outsideThailand—and the city had at least 200 Thai restaurants.
Now Thai and Vietnamese restaurants can be found in cities all across the UnitedStates. From the fiery flavors of Thailand to the more delicate tastes of Vietnam,Southeast Asian cuisines have found a home in America.
U n i t 1 0 717
GeoJournalAs you read the chapter, visualize places inSoutheast Asia that are discussed in thechapter. Write entries in your journal thatdescribe the region’s prominent physical features. Use vivid images and details in your entries.
Chapter Overview Visit the Glencoe WorldGeography Web site at tx.geography.glencoe.comand click on Chapter Overviews—Chapter 29 to preview information about the physicalgeography of the region.
The Land
A Geographic ViewJourney to the InteriorAt dawn the next day I set off upriverin a hollowed-out tree trunk withmy guide. . . . [He] poles the dugoutthrough the tea-colored waterwhile I watch birds—kingfishersdarting from the riverbanks, flocksof hornbills skimming above thetreetops, their wings soundinglike runners panting for breath.
The banks sprout wild bread-fruits, bananas, and a host ofpalm trees, all tangled up withhanging vines. As the heat ofthe day intensifies, the river’sgreen walls vibrate with theringing of cicadas. Then the river growsshallower, forcing us to push the dugout over rocks. It isthe dry season, something hard to fathom in a place drenched with more than 200 inches of rain a year.
—Thomas O’Neill, “Irian Jaya, Indonesia’s Wild Side,”National Geographic, February 1996
Lush rain forests, tangled swamps, and rugged mountainscharacterize the province of Irian Jaya in the Southeast Asian countryof Indonesia. In this section you will explore the physical geographyof Southeast Asia: its beginnings, its natural barriers of mountainsand water, its tempestuous volcanoes, and its abundant naturalresources.
Peninsulas and IslandsWhen the Eurasian, Philippine, and Indo-Australian tectonic plates
collided millions of years ago, they formed the landmasses that areknown today as Southeast Asia. The upheaval formed cordilleras,
Guide to ReadingConsider What You KnowYou have learned how the physicalgeography of a region affects itseconomy. Southeast Asia is rich in tropical rain forests and waterresources. What products do youknow about that come from thisregion?
Read to Find Out• How did tectonic plate movement,
volcanic activity, and earthquakesform Southeast Asia?
• Why are the region’s waterwaysimportant to its peoples?
• How do rich natural resourcesaffect Southeast Asia’s economy?
Terms to Know• cordillera
• archipelago
• insular
• flora
• fauna
Places to Locate• Indochina Peninsula
• Malay Peninsula
• Annam Cordillera
• Irrawaddy River
• Chao Phraya River
• Red River
• Mekong River
C h a p t e r 2 9 719
Pura (temple) Ulun Danu,Bali, Indonesia
Stilt houses in Irian Jaya
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or parallel mountain ranges andplateaus, that extend into theIndochina Peninsula. Activity from related volca-noes and earthquakes created a series of archipela-gos in the South Pacific. An archipelago is a groupof islands.
Straddling the Equator, the peninsulas andislands of Southeast Asia combine mountainousterrain with a predominantly tropical climate. Theregion stretches from the Asian mainland almostto Australia and covers 1,570,000 square miles(4,066,300 sq. km). Two large land areas, theIndochina Peninsula and the Malay Peninsula,make up mainland Southeast Asia. South andeast of this area lies the vast Malay Archipelago,
sometimes called the East Indies. The MalayArchipelago, containing 20,000 islands, stretchesfrom the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.
Mainland Southeast AsiaAbout half of Southeast Asia’s 11 countries are
located on the mainland. The rest are island coun-tries, except for Malaysia, which is both a main-land and an island country. Laos is the region’sonly country without a coastline. The four main-land countries of Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, andMyanmar (formerly called Burma) lie entirely onthe Indochina Peninsula. Most of Thailand also islocated there, but part of that country trails south-ward to the Malay Peninsula. Malaysia shares theMalay Peninsula with Thailand, while the rest ofMalaysia is located on Borneo, an island east of theMalay Peninsula.
Island Southeast AsiaThe insular, or island, countries of Southeast Asia
include Brunei, East Timor, Indonesia, Singapore,and the Philippines. Brunei, almost surrounded byMalaysia, is a small country on the northern coastof Borneo. Indonesia is the largest island country
Southeast Asia is about half thesize of the conti-nental UnitedStates.
Hue, Vietnam Farmerstend their fields near Hue, a historic city in central Vietnam.
Place What countries lie on the Indochina Peninsula?
C h a p t e r 2 9 721
in the region. Its 13,677 islands span 3,000 miles(4,827 km) and two oceans, the Indian and thePacific. Only about 6,000 islands are named, andfewer than 1,000 are permanently settled. EastTimor, formerly a part of Indonesia, voted to becomeindependent in 1999. Two years later, East Timoreseheld elections for a new national assembly.
The country of Singapore, a collection of one largeisland and more than 50 smaller ones, sits just off thesouthern tip of the Malay Peninsula. The coun-try’s capital is on the large island, and both the
island and the capital city are called Singapore. Thesize of the islands varies greatly. The total area of theisland of Singapore is 221 square miles (572 sq. km),and the total area of all the other islands is about 18square miles (47 sq. km). Half of those islands areuninhabited.
Although more than 7,000 islands make up thePhilippines, only around 900 are settled, and 11islands account for over 95 percent of the country’sarea. As in Indonesia and Singapore, many of thePhilippine islands have not been named.
Mt. Pinatubo5,248 ft.(1,600 m)
Jaya Peak16,500 ft.(5,029 m)
MYANMAR LAOS
THAILAND
CAMBODIA
VIETNAM
M A L A Y S I A
SINGAPORE
PHILIPPINES
BRUNEI
I N D O N E S I A
EAST TIMOR
Pacific
Ocean
Indian
Ocean
Gulfof
Thailand
South
China
Sea
Philippine
Sea
Irra
wad
dyR
.Red R.
Mekon
gR
.
Chao
Ph
raya
R.
Luzon
Isthmus of Kra
MalayPeninsula
Mindanao
New Guinea
Borneo
CelebesSumatra
Java
INDOCH
INA
Krakatau(Krakatoa)
10°N
10°S
0°
20°N
110°E90°E 130°E
TROPIC OF CANCER
EQUATOR
Miller Cylindrical projection400
4000 mi.
0 km
N
MAP STUDY
Southeast Asia: Physical-Political
Find NGS online map resources @ www.nationalgeographic.com/maps
2. Applying Geography Skills What challengemight Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippinesface as island countries?
National boundaryMountain peak
Feet10,0005,0002,0001,000
0
MetersElevations
3,0001,500
600300
0
1. Interpreting Maps What is the only land-locked country in Southeast Asia?
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Physical FeaturesCordilleras loom above fertile fields. Rivers cre-
ate transportation routes through lush vegetation.Majestic volcanoes add to the scenery. These phys-ical features create Southeast Asia’s colorful andvaried landscapes.
MountainsMountains dominate Southeast Asian landscapes,
although most peaks crest below 10,000 feet(3,048 m). Throughout the region these mountainscreate geographic and political boundaries. TheIndochina Peninsula’s western and northern high-lands separate the region from India and China. Tothe south and east, three cordilleras run mainlynorth to south, forming natural barriers betweenand within mainland Southeast Asian countries.These parallel mountain ranges include theArakan Yoma Range in western Myanmar; theBilauktaung Range, which runs along the borderbetween Myanmar and Thailand; and the AnnamCordillera, the mountain range that separatesVietnam from Laos and Cambodia.
Mountains on Southeast Asia’s islands form partof the Ring of Fire, an area of volcanic and earth-quake activity roughly surrounding the Pacific
Ocean. These mountains are actually volcanoes,many of which are still active. Some islands ofIndonesia and the Philippines are marked withcraters formed by these volcanoes. Mineral-richvolcanic material that has broken down over the centuries has left rich, fertile soil, makingSoutheast Asia’s islands highly productive agri-cultural areas.
History
Volcanoes of Indonesia and the Philippines
Three hundred twenty-seven volcanoes stretchacross Indonesia. Java, an Indonesian island, is oneof the Ring of Fire’s most active areas. This geologichot spot is home to 17 of Indonesia’s 100 active vol-canoes. In 1883, the eruption of Krakatau (Krakatoa)in Indonesia caused massive destruction and greatloss of life. To avoid a repeat of such disastrous con-sequences, observers in Java monitor volcanic activ-ity, prepared to alert the population when aneruption threatens.
Some scientists believe that the 1991 eruptionof Mount Pinatubo was the twentieth century’smost powerful eruption. Located 55 miles (89 km) north of the Philippine capital of Manila,Mount Pinatubo churned out lava that severely
Pinatubo Eruption Heavymudflows from the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo forced thousands of people to evacuate the area (inset) and caused the deaths of more than 700 people.
Region What countries in Southeast Asia are likely to experience volcaniceruption?
C h a p t e r 2 9 723
damaged the town of Angeles. The volcano alsoblanketed the United States’s Clark Air ForceBase with volcanic ash nearly a foot deep.
RiversSoutheast Asia’s people rely on waterways for
transportation, communication, and food. Therivers’ silt and deposits of sediment also create fer-tile agricultural regions. Mainland rivers originatein the northern highlands of Southeast Asia and insouthern China. Most of these rivers flow south-ward toward the Gulf of Thailand.
Major mainland rivers include the Irrawaddy inMyanmar, the Chao Phraya (chow PRY•uh) inThailand, and the Red (Hong) in Vietnam. TheMekong, which begins its 2,600-mile (4,184-km)journey in China, forms the border between Thai-land and Laos and then meanders through Cam-bodia and southern Vietnam before emptying intothe South China Sea. Sediment deposited by theMekong increases the shoreline around the deltaby as much as 50 feet (15 m) per year.
Generally shorter than their mainland counter-parts, rivers on Southeast Asia’s islands flow invarious directions. Most rivers in Indonesia runsouth to north, cutting vertically across the nar-row islands. Borneo’s rivers tend to start near theisland’s center, running outward toward the sealike spokes on a wheel. As one writer notes, trav-eling on Borneo’s rivers reveals a dense, vibrantecosystem:
“ Poling our way along the inky greenwaterway, we glided upstream throughquiet still -water bends in the river,where mats of fragrant white flowershad gathered, closing behind the sternof our 24-inch-wide dugout and con-cealing any sign of our passage.”Eric Hansen, Stranger in
the Forest: On Foot AcrossBorneo, 1988
Natural ResourcesIn addition to the remarkable features found in
the landscape, Southeast Asia also has rich naturalresources. Fossil fuels, natural steam, minerals,
and gems can be found in the region. The floraand fauna, or plants and animals, of SoutheastAsia are among the most diverse on the earth andalso a valuable natural resource of the region.
Energy SourcesThe region has a plentiful supply of fossil
fuels—coal, oil, and natural gas. Malaysia’s sec-ond major export is petroleum, and the country’sproduction of oil and natural gas has increasedsince the 1970s. Indonesia, Vietnam, and thePhilippines mine coal, and Vietnam also has richoil reserves offshore. Oil and natural gas depositsoff Borneo’s northern coast have made the sultan,or ruler, of Brunei one of the world’s richest peo-ple. Indonesia also has large petroleum reserves.The island of Sumatra supplies two-thirds ofIndonesia’s oil, and oil and gas are the country’smain exports. One of the leading producers of oilin the Far East, Indonesia is a member of OPEC(Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries).
Minerals and GemsSoutheast Asia has an abundance of miner-
als. Indonesia mines nickel and iron, and the
River Highway Two tugboats pull a chain of logsto a sawmill on the island of Borneo.
Place What are some important rivers in the region?
Checking for Understanding1. Define cordillera, archipelago,
insular, flora, fauna.
2. Main Ideas Re-create the tablebelow, and fill in five SoutheastAsian countries and examples oftheir physical features and naturalresources.
Critical Thinking3. Identifying Cause and Effect Rich
soil makes Southeast Asia a pro-ductive agricultural region. Whatmakes this soil so fertile?
4. Drawing Conclusions SoutheastAsia has a diversity of peoplesand cultures. How might physicalgeography have shaped thisdiversity?
5. Making Generalizations Whatspecial challenges does the loca-tion of Laos, the only country inthe region without a coastline,present?
Analyzing Maps6. Location Review the text and ana-
lyze the physical-political map onpage 721. Note the geographicfeatures found on Southeast Asiaislands. What geographic featuresdo the islands of Borneo, Celebes,and New Guinea share?
7. Effects of Water Write aparagraph explaining whythe abundance of water inSoutheast Asia can be bothan asset and a challenge forthe region’s population.
Applying Geography Physical NaturalCountry Features Resources
Malaysia
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Philippines mines copper. Thailand, Laos, Indonesia,and Malaysia mine tin. Indonesia and Malaysiaare among the world’s leading producers of tin.
Gems also are plentiful in the region. Sapphiresand rubies can be found in Myanmar, Thailand,Cambodia, and Vietnam. In the Philippines pearlsare harvested in the province of Sulu and on theisland of Palawan. A giant pearl found off Palawanin 1934 weighed about 14 pounds (6.4 kg), makingit the largest natural pearl ever harvested.Although most countries take advantage of thewealth provided by nature, some countries’resources remain underdeveloped. Myanmar, forexample, has substantial deposits of tin, zinc, andother minerals, as well as jade, rubies, and sap-phires, but mining employs less than 1 percent ofMyanmar’s workers.
Flora and FaunaSoutheast Asia’s plant life is exotic and diverse.
The region boasts the world’s largest flower, the Rafflesia arnoldii, a spectacular plant with ablossom three feet wide. Southeast Asian flora,however, is more than just beautiful—it also con-tributes to the region’s economy. For example,Thailand cultivates over 1,000 species of orchids,a valuable trade commodity. Workers tap rubbertrees from Malaysia and process woods for exportsuch as mahogany from the Phillippines and teakfrom Myanmar. Indonesia is the world’s largestsupplier of plywood.
Like the region’s flora, Southeast Asian fauna isvaried and distinctive. Elephants, tigers, rhinocer-oses, and orangutans roam the region’s wildlifesanctuaries and national parks. Southeast Asia ishome to animals found nowhere else in the world,including Borneo’s bearded pig, the Malaysianlacewing butterfly, and the Komodo dragon, anIndonesian native and the world’s largest lizard.
Economics
FishingMore than 2,500 species of fish swim the tropical
waters of Southeast Asia. Fish thrive in the main-land rivers and in seas near the Philippines, Indone-sia, and Myanmar. Fish farming is an importantpart of the region’s economy. Southeast Asians con-sume seafood at almost twice the world’s averagerate. The region’s fishers, who have traditionallymaintained small operations, now compete withlarge fleets of trawlers. This competition has pro-duced an increased fish yield that helps meetdemand, and so overfishing is a concern. Luckily,demand for exported seafood has started to leveloff, which may ease the pressure to fish excessively.
As in other parts of the world, Southeast Asia’sdiverse landforms shape the climate and vegeta-tion of the region. The next section will examinethese features—the lush tropical vegetation of theregion’s rain forest, the seasonal grasslands of itssavannas, and its highlands.
Guide to ReadingConsider What You KnowYou have learned that much ofSoutheast Asia lies near the Equator.Based on this knowledge, what typesof climate and vegetation do you suppose dominate the region?
Read to Find Out• What weather pattern influences
the region’s climate?
• What are the region’s main climate types?
• What is the main type of naturalvegetation found in the region?
Terms to Know• endemic
• deciduous
Places to Locate• Shan Plateau
• Myanmar
• New Guinea
• Borneo
Climate andVegetation
A Geographic ViewWorld in BalanceThis is the forest primeval. . . . Thedappled splotches of sun and shadefiltering through the leafy canopy200 feet above wash over a rainforest that has been here sincebefore humans appeared onearth. . . . It is a world in suchcareful balance that the mix ofvegetation in these undisturbedjungle tracts has been essen-tially the same . . . for mil-lions and millions of years.
—T. R. Reid, “Malaysia: RisingStar,” National Geographic, August 1997
The rain forests of Southeast Asia owe much oftheir ancient beauty to an equally ancient climate pattern—monsoons, orseasonal winds that blow over the northern part of the Indian Ocean andthe land nearby. In summer, moist monsoons blow in from the cooler seain the south and west toward the warmer land and bring abundant rain,enough to support the region’s tropical rain forests. The ample rain fallson lush tropical plants whose exotic flowers perfume the air. In winter,air over the land is cooler than that over the sea, so the wind blows outto sea from the northeast as a dry monsoon. The rain forests themselvesare aptly named. They are generally wet all year long.
Tropical Climate RegionsTropical rain forest climate dominates Southeast Asia. Parts of the
mainland and some of the islands have a tropical savanna or humidsubtropical climate. These climate regions are characterized by grass-lands and tropical forests that support a diverse ecosystem.
C h a p t e r 2 9 725
Malaysian rain forest
90°E
20°N
10°N
10°S
0°
100°E 110°E 120°E 130°E 140°E
TROPIC OF CANCER
EQUATOR
P a C I F I C
O C E a N
I N D I a N
O C E a N
Yangon(Rangoon)
Hanoi
Bangkok
PhnomPenh
Ho Chi Minh City
Davao
Jayapura
Kupang
Makassar
Banjarmasin
Manila
Medan KualaLumpur
Singapore
SurabayaBandung
Jakarta
AndamanSea
J a v a S e a
S o u t h
C h i n a
S e a
PhilippineSea
ArafuraSea
Timor Sea
Banda Sea
CelebesSea
SuluSea
N
Miller Cylindrical projection400
4000 mi.
0 km
MAP STUDY
Southeast Asia: Climate Regions
Find NGS online map resources @ www.nationalgeographic.com/maps
2. Applying Geography Skills How does the climate of the mainland countries differ from thatof the island countries?
Tropical rain forestTropical savanna
Humid subtropical
Highlands (climatevaries with elevation)
Tropical
Mid-Latitude
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Tropical Rain Forest Climate Most of the region, including the islands and
coastal areas, has a tropical rain forest climate.This climate is characterized by little variation intemperature and mostly wet conditions almostyear-round. The 79°F (26°C) average daily temper-ature creates hot, humid, and rainy conditions.Rainfall averages between 79 and 188 inches (201and 478 cm) per year, and the humidity hoversbetween 80 and 90 percent. Even more rain fallsnear the summit of Mount Isarog in the Philippines,described here by journalist Virginia Morell:
“ Thick mats of spongy mosses coverevery rock , tree trunk , and branch,forming an emerald carpet for theorchids and ferns that drape the limbsoverhead—a lush testament to the 35feet [420 inches, or 1,067 cm] of rainthat can annually drench this moun-tain’s summit.” Virginia Morell, “In Search of
Solutions,” National Geographic,February 1999
1. Interpreting Maps Where are highlands climateslocated in Southeast Asia?
PhnomPenh
Bandung
Bangkok
KualaLumpur
Jakarta
Manila
Makassar
Medan
Surabaya
Jayapura
Davao
Hanoi
Yangon(Rangoon)
Banjarmasin
Ho Chi Minh City
Kupang
20°N
10°N
10°S
0°
90°E 110°E 130°E
TROPIC OF CANCER
EQUATOR
P a c i f i c
O c e a n
I n d i a n
O c e a n
AndamanSea
J a v a S e a
S o u t h
C h i n a
S e a
PhilippineSea
ArafuraSea
Timor Sea
CelebesSea
SuluSea
Banda Sea
Singapore
N
Miller Cylindrical projection400
4000
0
mi.
km
MAP STUDY
Southeast Asia: Natural Vegetation
Find NGS online map resources @ www.nationalgeographic.com/maps
2. Applying Geography Skills What type of cli-mate produces tropical grasslands on Indonesia’seastern islands?
Tropical forest
Tropical grassland
Deciduous and mixeddeciduous-coniferous forest
C h a p t e r 2 9 727
The tropical rain forest climate supports a diverseecosystem. More than 145,000 species of floweringplants blossom in Malaysia alone. The Malaysianrain forest, where vegetation types mix, may be theregion’s oldest forest, dating back many millions ofyears. Here there are several layers of vegetationbetween river valleys and higher elevations. Peatswamp forests thrive in the river valleys. Sandycoastal soil supports various shrubs, and mangroveswamp forests cover the tidal mud flats. Lowlandareas with poor or shallow soil support forests of talltrees with leathery, evergreen leaves. Some of these
Student Web Activity Visit the Glencoe World GeographyWeb site at tx.geography.glencoe.com and click on Student WebActivities—Chapter 29 for an activity about writing a visi-tor’s journal about the physical features of Southeast Asia.
trees produce aromatic resins, or organic com-pounds. Such resins are used to make medicinesand varnishes, or chemicals that protect wood fromwater damage.
1. Interpreting Maps What is the dominant naturalvegetation in Southeast Asia?
Monsoon Rains Commutersin Thailand travel by boat, using a plastic sheet to protect themselves againstthe torrential rains of the summer monsoons.
Region How do the summer monsoons differ from winter monsoons?
History
SingaporeOnce an island covered by dense rain forest and
surrounded by mangrove trees, Singapore devel-oped into an urban area containing one of theworld’s highest population densities, more than16,732 people per square mile (6,471 per sq. km).Towering apartment buildings now house Singa-pore’s population of nearly 4,000,000 people.
As Singapore grew, an urbanized settingreplaced much of its natural habitat. Manyendemic species—those native to a particulararea—are gone. Nearly 80 percent of the trees andshrubs now growing in Singapore are imported,some originating from such distant places as Cen-tral and South America. Singapore’s vegetationmakes it exceptional in another way. Singapore isone of only two cities in the world that have areasof tropical rain forests within their boundaries.(The other is Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.)
Tropical Savanna ClimateThe second most prominent climate zone, the
tropical savanna, sweeps southeastward across theIndochina Peninsula and along the southeasternparts of Indonesia. Unlike the steady, wet climateof the tropical rain forest, alternate wet and dryseasons characterize this climate, which supportstropical grasslands with scattered trees and someforests. On the Indochina Peninsula, the dry sea-son may last from four to eight months each year.
On the mainland from around May through Sep-tember, summer monsoon winds bring rain. Thewinter dry season extends from October to April.The first few months of this period are generallycooler, but the last few months become hot. In southern Indonesia, south of the Equator, thewet and dry cycles are reversed. From May toSeptember, South Pacific tradewinds bring the hot,dry season. From October to April, the monsoonsbring rain.
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Checking for Understanding1. Define endemic, deciduous.
2. Main Ideas Create a web like theone below. In the boxes, list eachSoutheast Asian climate region,its location, the kinds of vegeta-tion found there and any iden-tifying traits.
Critical Thinking3. Analyzing Information How
do monsoon winds impact climates and seasonal changes in Southeast Asia?
4. Identifying Cause and Effect Whyare wet and dry seasons in South-east Asia reversed on differentsides of the Equator?
5. Analyzing Information How does a humid subtropical climate differ from a tropical rain forest climate?
Analyzing Maps6. Climate Regions Study the map
of climate regions on page 726.Which of the countries in South-east Asia has the most varied climate?
Southeast Asian Climates
Humid Subtropical ClimateParts of Southeast Asia’s mainland,
including most of Laos, a small part ofThailand, and northern Myanmar andVietnam, have a humid subtropical cli-mate. The northern reaches of Laos,Thailand, and Vietnam provide relieffrom the hot, humid temperatures.From November to April, the cool, drytemperatures there average around61°F (16°C). In Myanmar the elevatedShan Plateau has lower temperaturesthan the rest of the country. The cli-mate there resembles cooler climateselsewhere, and the plateau is some-times called “tropical Scotland.”
Highlands ClimateIn mountainous areas of Myanmar,
New Guinea, and Borneo, highlandsclimates predominate. The muchcooler temperatures of these areasset them apart from surrounding cli-mate regions. Deciduous forests withmoss-covered tree trunks are found on lowerslopes. Deciduous trees are broad-leafed and losetheir leaves in autumn. Evergreen forests appear athigher elevations. In Myanmar’s highlands climate,forests of rhododendrons grow.
C h a p t e r 2 9 729
Highlands Forest Tropical deciduousforests are found in some highlands areas of Borneo (shown), Myanmar, and New Guinea.
Place What other kind of vegetation is found inthe highlands areas of Myanmar?
7. Climate and VegetationReview Southeast Asia’s cli-mate regions and naturalvegetation. How mightthese features influence theregion’s economic activities?
Applying Geography
Learning the SkillThe writing process has sev-
eral steps: prewriting, writing,revising, proofreading, and pub-lishing. Following this processallows you to organize yourideas and complete the writingtask in a logical manner. Use thefollowing steps to help youwrite about geography:
• Prewriting is the research,writing, and organizationyou do before you beginyour essay or report. Select a topic, and define your pur-pose for writing about it.Identify the audience whowill read your final product.Then do research to gatherinformation. Organize yourideas using a graphic orga-nizer such as a chart, a webdiagram, or an outline.
• Write your first draft. As you write, follow the planyou created during the pre-writing step. Do not worryabout grammatically correctsentences in this stage. Focuson getting your main ideasand supporting details downon paper.
• Revise your draft. Look for places where you can add transitions betweenideas, combine or rearrangeparagraphs or sentences, orcut repetitive or unnecessarysections.
• Proofread your draft. Checkyour draft for grammar, spell-ing, and punctuation errors.
• Publish your draft. Create aclean draft, and present it toyour audience.
Practicing the SkillYou have been assigned to
write a travel brochure for aSoutheast Asian country for anadvertising agency. Answer thefollowing questions about thewriting process.
1. What will you need to dobefore you begin writing thefirst draft of your brochure?
2. Why might it be a good ideato let a day pass betweenwriting and revising yourbrochure?
3. What are two resources youmight use while proofread-ing your brochure?
Writing About GeographyWriting well is an essential skill. In school you write research
papers and answers to essay questions. Beyond the class-room you may have to write business letters or reports. The writ-ing process can help you put your thoughts on paper.
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Prewrite and then create a draftof a brief guide for someone whohas just moved to the UnitedStates from Southeast Asia.Include information about thegeography and life in the UnitedStates. Read your first draft care-fully, and mark places that need tobe revised. After revising, proof-read and publish your writing.
The Glencoe Skillbuilder Interactive Workbook,
Level 2 provides instruction andpractice in key social studies skills.
The newsroom of the Chicago Defender
SUMMARY & STUDY GUIDE
C h a p t e r 2 9 731
Key Points• Southeast Asia’s mountains were formed when
the Indo-Australian, Philippine, and Eurasiantectonic plates collided.
• Straddling the Equator, Southeast Asia includesthe Indochina and Malay Peninsulas as well asthe 20,000 islands of the Malay Archipelago.
• About half of Southeast Asia’s 11 countries arelocated on the mainland. The rest are islandcountries, except for Malaysia, which is both amainland and an island country.
• Mountains and rivers dominate the region’slandscape. The island mountains are part of the Pacific Ring of Fire.
• Rivers on the mainland of Southeast Asia areimportant for agriculture, communication, andtransportation.
• Southeast Asia contains abundant naturalresources, including fossil fuels, natural steam,minerals, and gems.
Organizing Your NotesUse a web diagram like the onebelow to organize your notesabout the islands and peninsulas,physical features, and naturalresources of Southeast Asia.
Terms To Know• endemic• deciduous
Key Points• Monsoons cause two main seasons in Southeast
Asia, one wet and one dry.
• Southeast Asia’s major climate is tropical rainforest, although parts of the mainland andsome of the islands have other types of climate.
• Humid subtropical climates predominate inLaos and in northern areas of Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.
• Highlands climates are found in the mountainsof Myanmar, Borneo, and New Guinea.
• Southeast Asia’s lush vegetation is characteristicof tropical rain forest and tropical savanna climate regions.
Organizing Your NotesCreate an outline like the onebelow to help you organizeyour notes for this section.Copy the boldface headingsand subheadings that appear in Section 2, and then listimportant points under each head.
Terms To Know• cordillera• archipelago • insular• flora• fauna
SECTION 1 The Land (pp. 719–724)
SECTION 2 The Climate and Vegetation (pp. 725–729)
I. Tropical Climate RegionsA. Tropical rain forest climate
1. steady rain and humidity2. average daily temperature of 79°F
(26°C)B.
Climate and Vegetation
Physical Features of Southeast Asia
Critical Thinking1. Drawing Conclusions What geographic
factors explain the large number of islands inSoutheast Asia?
2. Making Inferences How might volcanoesaffect the region’s economy?
3. Identifying Cause-and-Effect Copy theweb diagram below onto a sheet of paper.Complete the diagram to show how the trop-ical climate affects human activities in South-east Asia. Then choose one effect, and write aparagraph explaining its impact on the peo-ple of Southeast Asia.
Reviewing Key TermsWrite the letter of the key term that best matcheseach definition below.
a. cordillera d. insularb. archipelago e. deciduousc. flora and fauna f. endemic
1. group of islands
2. system of parallel mountain ranges
3. island
4. native to a particular area
5. trees that lose leaves in autumn
6. plants and animals
Reviewing FactsSECTION 1
1. Which Southeast Asian countrieslie partially or entirely on theIndochina Peninsula?
2. Name the five insular countries.
3. What geologic activities createdSoutheast Asia?
4. Explain why waterways areimportant to Southeast Asia’speople.
5. Name a Southeast Asian resourcefound underground, anotherresource found underwater, anda third resource found in a tropi-cal rain forest.
SECTION 26. What are the four main climate
regions of Southeast Asia?
7. Where are the region’s oldestforests found?
8. Where can highlands climates befound?
9. How is weather north of theEquator different from weathersouth of the Equator?
10. What is unusual about most ofSingapore’s vegetation?
Locating PlacesSoutheast Asia: Physical-Political Geography
Match the letters on the map with the places and physical features ofSoutheast Asia. Write your answers on a sheet of paper.
1. Singapore2. Irrawaddy River3. Thailand4. Malay Peninsula
5. Mekong River6. Vietnam7. Philippines8. Java
9. Sumatra10. Borneo
N30°N
20°N
10°N
0°
100°E 110°E 120°E 130°E 140°E
TROPIC OF CANCER
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A
B
H
I
J
C
D
E
F
G
Mercator projection
1,000
1,0000
0
mi.
km
ASSESSMENT & ACTIVITIES
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Tropical Climate
Self-Check Quiz Visit the Glencoe WorldGeography Web site at tx.geography.glencoe.comand click on Self-Check Quizzes—Chapter 29 toprepare for the Chapter Test.
Using the Regional AtlasRefer to the Regional Atlas on pages 710–713.
1. Movement What river provides Laos withits chief means of transportation?
2. Place Study the physical, economic activity,and population maps of the region. Whatthree generalizations could you make aboutBorneo, given the information on these maps?
Thinking Like a GeographerThink about the physical geography of SoutheastAsia. Why do you suppose the capital cities of the region are located on or near water? As ageographer, would you encourage people to relo-cate to other areas in order to avoid overcrowdingthese cities? Explain.
Problem-Solving ActivityGroup Research Project Working in agroup of four, plan a trip through SoutheastAsia. Decide what areas to visit, noting the kindsof landforms you would see in each place. Deter-mine how to get from one place to another, andwork together to create a map that shows yourtravel routes. Prepare a written itinerary, andpresent your travel plans to the class.
GeoJournalDescriptive Writing Using the informationyou wrote in your GeoJournal as you read thischapter, write a newspaper story about the land-scape of the region. You may wish to focus on arecent event, such as a volcanic eruption, flood, orother natural disaster.
Technology ActivityUsing E-mail Use library or Internet
resources to locate a postal or e-mail address forthe United States Embassy in Manila, the Philip-pines. Compose and send a letter requesting infor-mation about the February 2000 eruption of theMayon Volcano. Use the information you receiveto create a bulletin board about the eruption.
C h a p t e r 2 9 733
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Choose the best answer for the following multiple-choice question. If you have troubleanswering the question, use the process ofelimination to narrow your choices.
1. About how much tin does Indonesia produce each year?
A 55,900 metric tonsB 55,000,900 metric tonsC 55.9 million metric tonsD 55.9 billion metric tons
In order to understand any type ofgraph, look carefully around the graphfor keys that show how it is orga-
nized. On this bar graph, the numbers along the leftside represent the exact number shown. You do nothave to multiply by millions or billions to find thenumber of metric tons.
Top Tin Producers
Met
ric
Ton
s
China
75,000
60,000
45,000
30,000
15,000
0
70,000
Indonesia
55,900
Peru
25,700
Brazil
14,600
Bolivia
10,500
Source: The Economist Pocket World in Figures, 2001
Country