Physical Geography of South East Asia, Oceania, and Antarctica

pgs. 689-692

1.

What is an archipelago and identify an example?

A set of closely grouped islands, which sometimes form a curved arc. An example
would be the Philippians and the islands of Indonesia are a part of the Malaya
Archipelago.
2.

What rivers and resources exist in South East Asia? Why is this important?

The Mekong River starts in China and then crosses a good amount of Southeast
Asian nations before it becomes a good amount on the Vietnams coast. Fertile soil
is a popular resource used and volcanic activities and flooding rivers add nutrients
to the soil. Also, there is rivers and seas nearby which gives them an opportunity to
get fish for food. They also have mineral resources such as petroleum, tin, and
gems.
3. What is Oceania? About how many islands exist in Oceania?
Oceania is the Pacific Islands but the Philippians, Indonesia, and other islands near
the mainland are not considered Oceania because the people that live there have
cultural ties. No one knows the exact number on how many islands there are in
Oceania but geographers said that there is more than 20,000 islands.
4. What are high islands? What are low islands?
High islands is an island that is a volcanic origin since they are created by volcanos.
Low islands is an island that is made up of coral origin since it is made up of coral
reefs.
5. What resource problem exists in Oceania?
A resource problem that exists in Oceania is they are not rich in resources. Low
islands have poor soil while most of the islands lack minerals.

6. Describe the difference in the North and South Islands of New Zealand. Even
though it has limited natural resources, what has allowed New Zealand to thrive?

In the North Islands, they have hilly ranges and a volcanic plateau, while in the
South Islands there is much less mountainous. In the North Islands, they have
fertile farmland and forest that helps support the lumber industry. Also, they have
much more rivers running from the mountains to the seas unlike the South Islands.
The swift flowing rivers allow people to build dams that generate electricity for
those people in New Zealand.
7.

How is Australia different from New Zealand? (Be specific. What is found

here that is not found in New Zealand?)

Australia is different from New Zealand because Australia is the flattest
continent on earth and while in New Zealand they have mountains that have peaks
that go up to be higher than 5,000 feet. But in the west, there is wide range of
plains and plateaus but only a few mountains. Also, Australia has few rivers and
they are rich in minerals. They are the worlds leading supplier for bauxite,
diamonds, opals, lead, and coal.
8.

The 5th largest continent is Antarctica. Compare East and West Antarctica

(underneath the ice).

East Antarctica is a plateau that is surrounded by mountains and valleys while
West Antarctica is a group of separate islands that are linked only by the ice that
covers them.
9. What is interesting about Antarctica's ice sheet? What resources may lie
beneath?
It is the largest supply of fresh water in the world and resources such as coal,
minerals, and maybe even petroleum may lie beneath the ice say geologists.
Climate and Vegetation
pgs. 694-701
1.

What sort of climate exists in most of South East Asia and Oceania?

Tropical wet climate takes place in coastal parts such as Myanmar, Thailand,
Vietnam, and Oceania and in most of Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippians.

2.

What are the two categories that exist in the climate of South East Asia and

Oceania?
Year-Round Rains and wet and dry seasons are the two categories that exist in
South East Asia and Oceania.
3.

Describe a monsoon.

A monsoon is seasonal prevailing winds that cause wet and dry seasons and they
occur in the region of South and Southeast Asia.
4. How does the climate affect the tropical plants and vegetation that exists in
South East Asia and Oceania?
The low islands have poor soil and small amounts of rain which makes the plants not
grow well and that is not good. But in Oceania, they dont have a diverse vegetation
which makes them not have a wide variety of different kinds of plants.
5.

Look at the 5 Themes Box (Human-Environment Interaction). What is

Terraced Farming? Why would this be interesting to historians?

Terraced Farming lets people plant on slopes which allows them to use otherwise
unproductive land. It makes irrigation easier since the gravity causes water to flow
from high terraces to low ones. It would be interesting to historians because it
allowed to show what farming was like back then
6. Describe the climate in Australia and New Zealand. How is Australias climate
similar to South East Asia and also New Zealand?
In Australia, there is a strip between the mountains and ocean that is divided
mostly into two climate zones. The northern part of the strip has a humid
subtropical climate with hot summers, mild winters, and heavy rainfall. In New
Zealand, they receive rainfalls year round but the mountains in this country change
the climate and makes it cooler than the coastal areas. Australias climate is similar
to South East Asia because they are both humid and have some kind of desert that
lies in their region. While for New Zealand there is a lot of rainfall that occurs
each year making it not have a very hot place to stay.
7. Why is of Australia a dry desert? What is the outback?

Mountains and uplands force winds from the oceans to rise and shed their rain on
the coast instead of the interior of the land. Outback is the unpopulated inland
region.

8.

What is the White Desert? What sorts of life lives in it?

White Desert is a region that receives little precipitation and it has heavy snow
and ice that covers it since the snow that does fall rarely melts. Lichens and
mosses can be able to survive and also animals such as sea life and birds including
several types of penguins can live there.