SEA - Physical Geography - Island Nations Lesson

Physical Geography - Island Nations

The insular region of Southeast Asia includes the countries of Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, East Timor, Indonesia, and the Philippines. The physical geography varies from island to island; some have high mountain relief and others are low-lying and flat. Active tectonic plate action in the region causes earthquakes and volcanic activity, resulting in the destruction of infrastructure and loss of life; both acutely impact human activities.

Malaysia

Malaysia has two mainland areas separated by the South China Sea. The regions of Sarawak and Sabah, on the island of Borneo, are called East Malaysia; the mainland on the Malay Peninsula is called West Malaysia. These regions have similar physical landscapes, which include coastal plains with nearby densely forested foothills and mountains. The highest mountains, rising 13,436 feet, are in East Malaysia on the island of Borneo. Located near the equator, Malaysia has a tropical Type A climate with monsoons regularly occurring from October to February.

Map of Malaysia - provinces in east and west Malaysia

Singapore 

Singapore is a group of islands off the coast of the Malay Peninsula. Originally, the islands were swampy places with no natural resources. While the country still does not have natural resources, it is no longer swampy. Instead, it is a modern country that imports all production components, food goods, construction materials, and energy.

Indonesia 

The country of Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago state, consisting of more than 17,500 islands, about one-third of which are inhabited. The country's location on both sides of the equator provides a tropical Type A climate, complete with a monsoon season. Average rainfall can vary from seventy to two hundred forty inches per year. Although the country consists of islands, it shares borders with three other island nations: Malaysia, Timor-Leste (East Timor), and Papa New Guinea. It shares land borders with Malaysia on the island of Borneo, Timor-Leste on the island of Timor, and Papua New Guinea on the island of New Guinea.

Tectonic plate activity is responsible for earthquakes and volcanic activity. Home to over one hundred fifty active volcanoes, Indonesia is home to two of the most famous volcanoes: Krakatoa and Tambora. Krakatoa, which is located between the islands of Java and Sumatra, produced one of the most violent volcanic explosions ever recorded. Krakatoa remains active and has a volcanic peak that continues to grow.

Map of Indonesia - Major islands and the thirty-three national provinces of Indonesia

The tropical climate and the archipelago nature of the country provide enormous biodiversity. Host to an enormous number of unique plants and animals, the remote islands have escaped some of the habitat devastation caused by human activity. Slash and burn agriculture and the commercial and illegal timber industry are both threats to the native plant and animal life. The demand for palm oil has increasingly been a threat as more lands are cleared for the creation of palm oil plantations. Indonesia's island of Sumatra is home to endangered indigenous animals such as tigers, elephants, rhinos, and orangutans. It is said to be the only place in the world where these creatures live together. Unfortunately, many of these sub-species of animals may become extinct because of the poaching and deforestation taking place. In recent years, efforts have increased to conserve and protect the island's biodiversity.

Brunei 

The small country or sultanate of Brunei sits on the northwestern edge of the island of Borneo. It is called a sultanate because the kingdom has been ruled by sultans (rulers) from the same family for the past six centuries. Bordered by Malaysia, the sultanate is split into two small separate regions along the coast of the South China Sea. As a major oil and natural gas exporter, the country can provide a high standard of living for its small population.

Timor-Leste (East Timor) 

Timor is an island of southern Indonesia near Australia. The United Nations (UN) recognized East Timor as a sovereign independent country in 2002. The official name of the country is listed as Timor-Leste. Like Australia, the island is ringed by coral reefs teeming with marine life. Poor and impoverished due to the civil war over independence, Timor-Leste has been working to gain control of its maritime boundaries so that it may benefit from its offshore natural resources.

Like Brunei, the country does have a large natural gas field in the vicinity.

The Philippines 

Photograph of Mount Pinatubos eruption - Ash Plume from Mt. Pinatubo during the 1991 eruptionLocated on the eastern side of the Southeast Asian community is the archipelago state of the Philippines. Volcanic in origin, the islands of the Philippines are mountainous and covered in tropical rainforest. There are thirty-seven volcanoes in the Philippines, of which eighteen are still active. The Pacific tectonic plate reaches the southern edge of the Philippine plate where it meets up with the Eurasian Plate. The juncture of tectonic plates creates a seismically active area which results in many earthquakes. Unfortunately, earthquakes and volcanoes are not the only serious natural concerns of the Philippine Islands; they are also directly in the center of the Western Pacific's major typhoon belt. As many as twenty typhoons occur yearly here, and as many as half hit the islands directly.

Mt. Pinatubo's 1991 eruption forced billions of tons of magma, ash, sulfur dioxide, minerals, and particulates into the atmosphere and onto the earth's surface. The sun was blocked out, temperatures dropped, and ash piled up in nearby areas, causing extensive damage to roofs, roadways, and agricultural lands. The damage from the eruption was amplified by the fact that a full-scale typhoon hit the country on the same date, bringing torrential rainfall and wind that mixed with the ash in the air to create extremely dangerous environmental conditions. The damage had a massive impact on the entire economy of the Philippines.

Complete the review below.

 

Map Activity IconSoutheastern Asia Map Activity

Identify the following key places on a map:

Countries:

Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar (Burma), West Malaysia,

Indonesia, East Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, East Timor, Brunei, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and Christmas Island.

  • Mainland: Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar (Burma), and West Malaysia
  • Insular: Indonesia, East Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, East Timor (Timor-Leste), Brunei, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and Christmas Island.
  • Landlocked: Laos

Other Physical Locations to locate:

Bodies of Water:

  • Andaman Sea
  • Bay of Bengal
  • Celebes Sea
  • Gulf of Tonkin
  • Indian Ocean
  • Java Sea
  • Pacific Ocean
  • Philippine Sea
  • South China Sea
  • Strait of Malacca

Cities:

  • Bangkok
  • Hanoi
  • Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
  • Kuala Lumpur
  • Jakarta
  • Manila
  • Mandalay
  • Vientiane

Famous Temple:

  • Angkor Wat in Cambodia

Mountains:

  • Arakan
  • Himalayan (The rivers begin in the Himalaya section of China).

Peninsula:

  • Malay Peninsula (Thailand)

Rivers:

  • Irrawaddy
  • Salween
  • Chao Phraya
  • Mekong
  • Red Rivers

Be sure to track the flow of the rivers through major cities. List the cities through which the rivers flow.

 

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