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Asia & the Pacific, Chapters 2 and 5 –
South, Southwest, and Central Asia: Physical Geography
& Cultures and History
Key Words/Terms
*subcontinent *alluvial *oasis *petroleum *nonrenewable
resource *steppe
*standard of living *caste
*colony
*boycott *partition *muezzin *monotheism *collective farm
*Holocaust
Chapter 2, Section 1: South Asia, Physical
Geography
What is a subcontinent?
Major Landforms of South Asia
*The largest nation in South Asia is India.
*Know the locations of the nations that make up South Asia.
*The Himalayas form a barrier between South Asia and the rest of
Asia.
*Mount Everest, at more than 29,000 feet, is the world’s tallest
mountain.
*The Ganges and Indus, both of which rise in Turkey, are the two
major rivers of South Asia.
*South Asian rivers carry water and minerals that support farming.
*The plains around the rivers are fertile and heavily populated.
*The plains that cover the northern part of the Indian subcontinent
are alluvial, which means they are made of soil deposited by
rivers.
*South of the India’s plains lies the Deccan Plateau.
The Climates of South Asia
*Monsoons have a large impact on the climate of South Asia.
*Monsoons are winds that change direction with the change of
seasons.
*Winter winds from the northeast are blocked by the Himalayas,
providing South Asia with dry, moderate temperatures, around 70
degrees Fahrenheit.
Land Use in South Asia
*About 70% of the population of South Asia lives in rural areas.
*Most people live in fertile river valleys where farming is
widespread.
*India has little oil, relying mainly on nuclear and hydroelectric
power to satisfy its energy needs.
*South Asia is a very densely populated region, with most people
living in areas that feature ample rainfall. Bangladesh is especially
densely populated.
Section 2: Southwest Asia, Physical
Geography
*The Rub’ al-Khali, or “Empty Quarter,” is the world’s largest allsand desert. It’s located on the Arabian Peninsula.
A Dry Region Bordered by Water
*What is an oasis?
*Sometimes an oasis can support a community of people. Farmers
can grow crops. Nomadic shepherds can raise livestock.
*Two important rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates, provide for some
of the most fertile soil in the world. Both rivers rise in Turkey and
flow trough Iraq.
*In ancient times, the land between the Tigris and Euphrates was
the basis for the civilization known as Mesopotamia.
*Much of the land of Southwest Asia borders bodies of water that
separate countries within the region. Among the bodies of water
are the Caspian and Black Seas and the Persian Gulf.
*Most of Southwest Asia has an arid or semi-arid climate. In fact,
about two-thirds of the region is desert.
Southwest Asia’s Major Natural Resources
*Two key resources of the region are petroleum and water.
*What is petroleum and why is it so important?
*What makes petroleum a non-renewable resource?
*Oil wealth allows many Southwest Asian countries to enjoy a
high standard of living. What is meant by this?
*What are the limitations of irrigation?
Using the Land in Southwest Asia
*Land is used in three major ways: farming, nomadic herding, and
for producing oil.
*Who are the Bedouin?
Section 3: Central Asia, Physical Geography
*Kazakhstan is the largest and northernmost country in Central
Asia.
*Except for Afghanistan, the countries of Central Asia
were once part of the former Soviet Union.
Central Asia’s Main Physical Features
*The region’s physical features are highlands, deserts, and steppes.
*Most of Central Asia has a dry climate.
*Two major bodies of water in the region are the Caspian and Aral
Seas. The Caspian is the largest lake in the world. It is actually a
salt lake, with some of the world’s largest oil reserves.
Natural Resources in Central Asia
*Petroleum is a major natural resource in this region. Another
major resource is natural gas, with Turkmenistan having the fifth
largest reserve of natural gas in the world.
Land Use in Central Asia
*Land is mostly used for agriculture, especially for raising
livestock and commercial farming.
*Agriculture in Central Asia depends on irrigation.
*How was the Aral Sea affected by the Soviet Union’s efforts to
increase cotton production in Central Asia?
Chapter 5, Section 1 – South Asia: Cultures
and History
New Religions
*the Aryan culture and the caste system
* Hinduism and Buddhism
From Empires to Nations
*the Mughal Empire and the introduction of Islam
*the Taj Mahal *the British in India *Gandhi and Indian
independence *Why did Muslims seek partition following
independence? *Kashmir
*the creation of Bangladesh
South Asian Cultures Today
*What is Jainism?
*the language of Hindi
Section 2: Southwest Asia: Cultures and
History
*Hammurabi’s Code: punishing people for wrongdoing, yet also
offering justice to people who had been hurt through no fault of
their own.
Birthplace of Three Religions
*What is monotheism? *the role of the muezzin in Islam
*the significance of the Torah *Christianity and the teachings of
Jesus
Diverse Cultures in Southwest Asia
*Arabic-speaking Arabs are the largest ethnic group in the region.
*Non-Arab people live mainly in Israel, Turkey, and Iran.
*Muslims are divided into two main groups – Sunnis and Shi’as.
Southwest Asia: Recent History
*the formation of Israel *the Holocaust *the Arab-Israeli conflict
*the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) *efforts towards
peace
*war with Iraq
Section 3: Central Asia: Cultures and
History
Meeting Place of Empires
*Genghis Khan
*the Silk Road
*Muslims’ impact on C. Asian culture *Russian rule in the 19th
century *the Soviet Union
*collective farms
*Russia invades Afghanistan
After Independence
*breakup of the Soviet Union and the formation of new states
*the challenges of independence
Southeast Asia
chapter 3, section 1 – Southeast Asia’s Physical Geography
The Land: *the mainland and the islands
* the Ring of Fire
Climate and Vegetation: *2 different summer monsoons, 1 from
the west, 1 from the east
* winter monsoon, as well, though it
occurs south of the equator in parts of Indonesia where it’s summer
Using the land and resources: *subsistence and commercial
farming
* cash crops include coffee, tea, rubber * other crops
include soybeans, sugar cane, fruit, rice * rice paddies
* balancing economic growth and conservation of rain forests
* importance of bamboo * oil and natural gas reserves
chapter 6, section 1 – Southeast Asia’s Cultures and History
Diversity: * influence of India and China * major religions
Colonial Rule: * construction and improved schools
* the
independence movement
* nationalist
* the countries of
French Indochina (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos) * Vietnam War
* Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot