World Geography and Cultures © 2008Chapter 29:
Physical Geography of Southeast AsiaChapter Overviews
Southeast Asia is a region of tropical beauty, with mountains ranges, volcanoes,
and rainforests dominating the landscape. The region consists of the
mainland the Indochina Peninsula, and the Malay Peninsula—and the Malay Archipelago—20,000 islands stretching from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.
The Land Southeast Asia was created by the collision of three tectonic
plates and related volcanic activity and earthquakes. The mainland is dominated
by mountain ranges, which create both geographic and political boundaries. The
mountains on the islands are volcanoes, many of which are still active. Rivers
provide transportation and food, and their silt and deposits of sediment create
fertile agricultural areas. The region has rich natural resources. Fossil fuels
are abundant, and Indonesia is a member or OPEC. Minerals and gems are also
plentiful in the region. In some countries, however, these resources remain
underdeveloped. Southeast Asia's plant and animal life is diverse, with many
species unique to the region. Some of which such as orchids and rubber trees, are important to economic activity Climate and Vegetation Southeast Asia owes much of its beauty to the
monsoons, which bring abundant rains. Tropical rain forest climate dominates
the region and is found on the islands and in coastal regions. Tropical savanna
with tropical grasslands is found along the southeastern parts of Indonesia
and across the Indochina Peninsula. Some parts of the region's mainland have
a humid subtropical climate, and the northern areas of Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam
have lower temperatures. Temperatures are even cooler in the highlands climate
of the mountainous areas of Myanmar, New Guinea, and Borneo, where deciduous
trees and evergreens grow. |