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.

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.

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

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.

 

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

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

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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