Basic Geography

ASIA – largest of the continents/cradle of civilization

Mount Everest – world’s highest peak and world’s lowest land region

World’s principal religion began in Asia:

a. Hinduism d. Christianity

b. Confucianism e. Judaism

c. Islam f. Judaism

The Middle East or the South Muslim Asia is also, sometimes known as Near East

1. Anatolia – often called Asia Minor

2. Arabian Peninsula

4 Tigers of the Orient

1. South Korea 3. Taiwan

2. Singapore 4. Japan

Himalayas – World’s largest and most rugged mountain range and known as the “roof of the world”

The world is really one geographic…divided the world into two parts

1. The East-Orient – said to be the region of the Asian world, region of the “rising sun”

2. The West-Occident – Is Europe and North America, said to be the region of the “setting sun”

Numerous rivers that serve as highways of commerce and communication

Three of the rivers drain into the Indian Ocean:

1. Indus River

2. Ganges River

3. Brahmaputra River

Four rivers that drain into the Pacific Ocean

1. Amur River

2. Yangtze River
3. Huang-Ho (Yellow River)

4. Si-Kiang River

Three of Asia’s “Rice Bowls”

1. Burma

2. Thailand

3. Vietnam

Kara-kum Desert – one of the driest desertson Earth in Turkmenistan

Natural Wonders of Asia:

Mt. Everest – world’s highest peak along the the Himalayan Range

Philippine Deep – the world’s deepest ocean depth.

Indonesia – world’s longest archipelago consisting of 3, 100 islands

Caspian Sea – in Siberia, is the largest lake.

Lake Baikal – also in Siberia, world’s deepest lake.

India’s Bengal Bay – largest bay in the world

Malacca Strait – between Malaysia and Indonesia, world’s longest strait which extends to 485 miles

Great Wall of China – the most colossal edifice ever constructed by human hand - built by Emperor Shih
Huang Ti (220-221 BC).

Taj Mahal (Crown of the Palace)– a magnificent marble tomb in India. Most beautiful and most perfect
of all buildings in the world.

Borobudur in Java – a massive masterpiece of Indonesia’s Buddhist architects

Angkor Wat in Cambodia -largest religious monument in the world

AFRICA – referred to as the “Black Continent”/Second largest continent

Sahara Desert – largest desert on Earth

The Great Rift Valley – is an active plate tectonic zone

Victoria – is one of the largest lakes in the world with an area of 26, 828 sq. miles

The Nile River – world’s longest river

The highest mountains of Africa and towering volcanic peaks lie in the Rift Valley

1. Mt. Kilimanjaru – in Tanzania, highest mountain in Africa

2. Mt. Kenya – in Kenya

Africa has a number of long rivers besides the Nile:

1. Congo 3. Orange

2. Niger 4. Zambezi

Victoria Falls – world’s longest falls

Between the desert regions and rainforest are Savannas, home to wild beasts, giraffes, zebras, lion and
other exotic animals.

Madagascar – largest island found in Africa

Camel – ships of the desert

Geographical Regions of Africa

1. West Africa 3. East Africa

2. Equatorial Africa 4. Southern Africa

Zaire – former Belgian Congo is the giant of Equatorial Africa.

East Asia is centered in three countries

1. Kenya

2. Tanzania

3. Uganda

Zaire – Africa’s largest producer of rough diamonds

Tanzania –oldest inhabitant areas on Earth.

Uganda – Kampal, a landlocked country

NORTH AMERICA – third largest continent in the world

Greenland – world’s largest island which is a province of Denmark

Canada – largest North American country in land area.

United States – second largest and one of the richest country

Mexico – third largest country

Mt. Mc Kinley – highest peak in North America in Alaska

Mt. Rocky Mountain – is a mountain range in Western North America

Several outlying dependencies:

1. Puerto Rico

2. Virgin Islands – west indies

3. Guam – in Mariana’s island

New York City – one of the largest cities in the world. Also known as the “City that never sleeps”

The first settlers in the US:

1. British 4. Spanish

2. Irish 5. German

3. French 6. Italian

CANADA – the first inhabitants of Canada were the Indians and Eskimos. French were the first European
settlers.

Quebec – largest city and largest French speaking city

St. Lawrence River – largest river in Canada

SOUTH AMERICA – fourth largest continent

Andes Mountain – is the longest mountain range in the world.

Angel Falls – world’s highest water fall

Amazon – largest river system in the world

Brazil – world’s second largest producer of iron ore in the continent

Venezuela – world’s seventh largest producer of oil.

Europe – 5th largest continent (2nd smallest after Australia among the seven continents) and is
composed of 43 nations

-Scandinavian Nations
1. Sweden 4. Finland

2. Denmark 5. Ireland

3. Norway

-Benelux Nations in Europe

1. Belgium

2. The Netherlands, Amsterdam

3. Luxembourg

4. France

Hague, Netherlands – is the seat of the Dutch government and house of the World Court (also known as
the International Court of Justice)

Carrauntoohil – highest peak in Republic of Ireland

Holland – is used interchangeably with Netherlands

The Kingdom of Netherlands has 11 provinces, two of which are named North and South Holland

Austria – is a remnant of the Autrio-Hungarian Empire that fell during World War I

Zurich, Switzerland –is the largest and functions as the International Banking center

Geneva, Switzerland – is the famous site of International organizations and conferences

Four Mediterranean Countries

1. Greece 3. Spain

2. Italy 4. Portugal

The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy with the kingdoms of England and Scotland, the
municipality of Wales and the province of Northern Ireland

Great Britain – composed of Scotland, Wales and England

United Kingdom – composed of Scotland, Wales and England and Northern Ireland

Russia has big rivers one of which is:

Volga – is the longest river in Europe

French, German, English and Russian are the mostly used language in Europe
Latin – the language of Ancient Rome, used as a universal language for 400 years by scholars and by the
Catholic Church until 1970s

Mt. Vesuvius - is a stratovolcano in the Gulf of Naples, Italy/ an active volcano

Mt. Etna – in Sicily, Italy

Alps – Europe’s most famous mountain range Europe, located north of Po river basin; “playground of
the world”

Ireland – is divided into two countries

1. Northern Ireland

2. Republic of Ireland (in the South) – Europe’s youngest independent state

Northern Ireland – is the smallest of the four (4) units constituting the United Kingdom

Belfast -Capital of Northern Ireland and is the center of ship building and aircraft construction

Lough Neagh /Northern Ireland- is considered the largest lake in the British Isles in Northern Ireland

Shannon river – is the longest river in the British Isles located in Ireland

Denmark - is the smallest country in Northern Europe

Copenhagen – Denmark’s capital and Europe’s largest metropolis

Sweden – is the largest country in the Scandinavian Peninsula

Iceland -an island republic in the North Atlantic and the westernmost in Northern Europe

Hungary – can be considered a key figure in the breakdown of the Berlin Wall and ramification of East
and West Germany

Albania – is a republic in the Balkan Peninsula, also known as the “Land of the Eagle”

Romania – called the “breakbasket” of the former Soviet Union in the Balkan Peninsula

Ukraine – is located in the east European Plain. The 2nd largest European country after Russia

According to Hitler, the main problem of Germany are the Jews

The Jews were kept in the ghettoes/ghettos. Approximately 6m Jews were killed and other 6.7m
Muslim men were killed.

Vatican -is the smallest state in the world

Largest lake: Ladoga, Russian Federation 7,100 sq miles (18,390 sq km)

Highest point: El’brus, Caucasus Mountains, Russian Federation 18,510 ft (5,642 m)

Australia, New Zealand and Oceania

Australia – world’s largest wool producer; “land of Living Fossils and also known as the “land down
under”. Considered as world’s smallest continent and 6th largest country.

Canberra – Australia’s capital city

Mainland States of Australia

1. New South Wales 5. Northern Territory

2. Queensland 6. Western Australia

3. South Australia 7. Tasmania

4. Victoria

Sydney and Melbourne - are the largest cities

Sydney -is the oldest city in Australia and a major cultural center

Queensland – is an ideal base for visiting the Great Barrier Reef, the largest coral reef of the world

New Zealand -capital is Wellington; world’s largest and efficient exports of dairy products

Dutch - were the first European to arrive in 1642 in New Zealand

Ruapehu – New Zealand’s tallest mountain/highest point and an active volcano

Mount Cook – is the highest peak in New Zealand

Oceania – comprises tens of thousands of islands scattered over the largest and deepest ocean in the
world, the Pacific Ocean, and sometimes includes Australia and New Zealand

New Zealand, Tahiti and Hawaii are examples of high islands in Oceania

3 Main groups of Islands in Oceania:

1. Polynesia – (poly – many; nesos – island)This means many islands

2. Melanesia – The “Black Islands”

3. Micronesia – The “Little Islands”

Polynesia – the largest island group in the center of the Pacific. Most of the islands are volcanic.

1. Tahiti 5. Tuvalu
2. Tonga 6. French Polynesia

3. Samoa 7. Hawaii

4. Cook Island

Micronesia - comprising thousands of small islands in the western Pacific Ocean, north of the Equator

1. Mariana Island 5. Marshall Island

2. Caroline Island 6. Kiribati

3. Nauru 7. Palau (Belau)

4. Guam 8. Tuvalu

Melanesia - is an area of islands that spread southeast from New Guinea. This group includes islands
that are mostly mountainous and forested

1. Solomon Island

2. Fiji 4. Vanuatu

3. New Caledonia

United States Territory

A handful of territories belong to the United States

1. Midway Island in the North

2. American Samoa in the South

3. Guam in the West

4. Palmyra atoll in the East

West Indies in the Caribbean Islands

Group of Island has two major dimensions

1. Greater Antilles: Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico

2. Lesser Antilles: Puerto Rico to Trinidad, West to Aruba, Leeward Island and Windward Island

Cuba – was known as the “Pearl of the Antilles”; favorite tourist spot in the West Indies

Fidel Castro – Dictator of Cuba

Antarctica – 5th largest continent in the ice locked landmass around the South Piles; on average, is the
coldest, driest, and windiest continent, and has the highest average elevation of all the continents; is the
Earth’s coldest, remotest and most unspoiled continent

Arctic – is commonly defined as the region around the North Pole lying north of the Arctic Circle.