Southeast Asia as a region East of India, south of China Peninsula that juts out of Asian continent, straddles the

equator and fragments into a jumble of islands Large rivers Irrawaddy, Mekong create fertile river valleys,

rain forests Mountainous islands, ancient volcanic region (part of the

ring of fire)

The Land Land of peninsulas and

islands formed when tectonic plates collided millions of years ago

Half of region is an archipelago (group of islands)

Half of countries located on mainland

Indochina and Malay Peninsulas make up mainland Southeast Asia

Laos only country without a coastline

The Land

Indonesia largest island country

6,000 islands about 1,000 permanently settled

Singapore collection of islands

Philippines 7,000 islands about 900 settled

11 islands are 90% of country

Physical Features Mountains dominate

southeast Asian landscape

Create geographic and physical boundaries

Separate region from India and China

Mountains on islands part of Pacific Ring of Fire

Volcanoes have left region with fertile soil, highly productive agricultural areas

Physical FeaturesRivers People rely on rivers for

transportation, communication and food

River silt deposits create fertile agricultural regions

Most rivers originate in highlands of China, SE Asia and flow toward Gulf of Thailand, South China Sea

Major rivers Mekong, Irrawaddy, Chao Phraya, Hong

Sediment deposited by Mekong increases shoreline around delta by 50 feet per year

Island rivers shorter, flow in various directions

Energy Sources Plentiful supply of

fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas)

Malaysia- leader in oil, natural gas production

Oil and natural gas off coast of Borneo has made sultan of Brunei one of world’s richest people

Indonesia leading producer of oil, member of OPEC

Minerals and GemsVolcanic activity has made region

mineral richNickel, iron, copper found across

islands, Large deposits of tin found on the

mainlandGems (sapphires, rubies) found

across mainlandPearls found in island regions Gem and mineral industry

underdeveloped in many countries

Flora and Fauna Rich diversity of plant and

animal life Worlds largest flower

found in SE Asia Forests are source of

income for many countries Thailand cultivates orchids

for sale on international market

Trees used for lumber and rubber production

Home to animal species found nowhere else in the world

Climates of Southeast Asia

Tropical climates found across most of region

Region straddles equator Most of region hot and

rainy, effected by monsoon rain patterns

Tropical Wet Climate supports diverse ecosystems

Tropical Dry Climate affected by monsoon rain patterns

Highland climate found in mountainous regions on mainland and islands