SEA - Physical Geography Lesson

Physical Geography

Physical Geography

Southeast Asia: The Mainland Region and the Insular Region (the Islands)

The region between China, India, Australia, and the Pacific Ocean is known as Southeast Asia. Southeast Asia can be divided into two geographic regions. The mainland portion, which is connected to India and China, extends south into what has been called the Indochina Peninsula or Indochina, a name given to the region by France. This mainland region consists of the countries of Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and Myanmar (Burma). The islands or insular regions to the south and east consist of nations surrounded by water. The countries in this region include Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, East Timor, and the Philippines.

Climate

The islands and the mainland of Southeast Asia include a wide array of physical and cultural landscapes. The entire region is in the tropics except for the northernmost region of Burma (Myanmar), which extends north of the Tropic of Cancer. A tropical Type A climate dominates the region and rainfall is abundant. Although the area is tropical, high elevations may differ. The high-elevation ranges of New Guinea, which are along the equator, have glaciers, ice, and snow that remain year-round.

Rivers

The three longest rivers of Southeastern Asia are the Mekong, Red, and Irrawaddy. They are located on the mainland and have their headwaters in the high elevations of the Himalayan ranges of China. The Mekong River makes its way from the high Himalayas in China and helps form the political borders of Laos and Thailand on its way through Cambodia to Vietnam where it creates a giant delta near Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The Red River flows out of China and through Hanoi to the Red River delta on the Gulf of Tonkin. The Irrawaddy River flows through the length of Burma providing the core area of the country.

Another major mainland river is the Chao Phraya of Thailand. With its many tributaries, the Chao Phraya creates a favorable core area that is home to the largest population in the country. Many other rivers can be found on both the mainland and the insular region. The rivers transport water and sediments from the interior to the coasts, often creating large deltas with rich soils that are major agricultural areas. Multiple crops of rice and food products can be grown in the fertile river valleys and deltas.

Plate Tectonics

Tectonic plate activity has been responsible for the existence of the many islands and mountainous terrain of the countries in Southeastern Asia. Mountains and highlands stretch across the northern border of the region providing natural borders with India and China. Like the countries of South Asia, tectonic activity makes the region vulnerable to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions which can and often do cause tsunamis.

Mainland Countries 

Myanmar (formerly called Burma)

The northernmost country of Southeastern Asia is Myanmar. Cool temperatures are found in the north and warmer annual temperatures are found in the south. Rugged mountains surround the northern regions of Myanmar. Between the mountains are two major rivers: the Irrawaddy and the Salween. To the west of the Irrawaddy River and north of Mandalay the land cover is deciduous forests. The eastern region from Mandalay to the Laos border is scrub forests and grasslands. This area is considered the dry zone, with an annual rainfall of about forty inches. The more tropical south and coastal areas receive higher levels of precipitation. Wetland rice is a major crop of the southern Irrawaddy basin. The southwest and the southern protrusion are tropical evergreen forests.

Laos

Laos is the only landlocked country in Southeastern Asia. Vietnam shields it from the South China Sea to the east and Cambodia to the south. The Type A climate provides a rainy season, between May and November, and a dry season for the remainder of the year. The Mekong River flows through the land and provides fresh water, irrigation, and transportation. The country's capital and largest city, Vientiane, is located on the Mekong River.

Thailand

The physical regions that make up Thailand include the mountainous north, where peaks reach up to 8,415 feet; the large southeastern plateau bordering the Mekong River; and the flat valley that dominates the center of the country. The southern part of the country includes the narrow isthmus that broadens out to create the Malay Peninsula.

As the geography differs between the northern and southern parts of Thailand, so do the weather patterns. The mainland part of Thailand, north of the Malay Peninsula, has three seasons. The main rainy season lasts between June and October when the southwest monsoon arrives with heavy rain clouds from over the Indian Ocean. After the rainy season, the land cools off and starts to receive the northeast monsoon, which is a cool dry wind that blows from November to February. Considered the dry season, its characteristics are lower humidity and cooler temperatures. From March to May, the temperatures rise and the land heats up. Then the cycle starts over again with the introduction of the rainy season. The weather pattern in the southern part of Thailand in the Malay Peninsula receives more rain throughout the year, with two rainy seasons that peak from April through May and then again from October through December.

Cambodia

Cambodia lies between Thailand and Vietnam and shares its northern border with Laos. The country would be landlocked if it were not for its western coast that runs along the Gulf of Thailand. Cambodia has pressing environmental problems. In 1970, rainforests covered about 70 percent of the country. Today there is only about 3 percent of the rainforest left. A rise in the need for resources, along with illegal timber activities, has devastated the forests, resulting in an elevated level of soil erosion and loss of habitat for indigenous species. The loss of natural resources is likely to hinder the country's economic growth.

Vietnam

The elongated state of Vietnam is slightly larger than Italy and has two main urban core areas: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) in the south and the capital, Hanoi, in the north. The middle region of Vietnam is narrow, with higher elevation. Each core area is located along a major river delta. The Red River delta is located east of Hanoi in the north, and the mighty Mekong River delta is located next to Ho Chi Minh in the south. These river deltas deposit silt from upstream and provide excellent farmland for growing multiple crops of rice and food grains per year. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is the largest city in Vietnam and has a port that can accommodate oceangoing vessels. Hanoi, the capital, is not a port city and is located inland from the nearest port of Haiphong on the coast of the Gulf of Tonkin.

 

RESOURCES IN THIS MODULE ARE OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES (OER) OR CREATED BY GAVS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. SOME IMAGES USED UNDER SUBSCRIPTION.