Asia Pacific Region

1. Asia Pacific Region Basic Geography Largest continent and largest ocean Tallest mountain to deepest ocean trench Largest country to smallest island nation Tundra to hot desert to tropical rainforest Most densely populated to least densely populated Huge language groups to small threatened languages Economic/political power to economic/political irrelevance Ancient cultures to recent colonisations Diversity of landform, flora, fauna, peoples and cultures

2. Asia – 30% of earths land surface and 60% or the population - arctic to the equator, mainland, subcontinent and archipelago

3. Diversity of LandformsHighest mountains, cold high plateaux, huge river valleys, plains and deltas, cold dry inland deserts

4. Himalayas,Tibetan plateau, Hindu Kush –high altitudes, harsh winters, glaciers, river source, climate control (monsoon)

5. Mountains, snow, glaciers, waterfalls, lakes, fast flowing rivers and inhabited valleys

6. Many large rivers and plains that flood often resulting in damage but also new fertile soil for the intensive farming

7. Hot and cold deserts – sand, rock and tundra

8. Volcanoes both active and dormant – fertile soils and occasional natural disasters

9. Intensive agriculture, both commercial and subsistence. Rice the main food crop, commercial crops such as tea.

10. Megacities – dual economies, crowding, shortage of land

11. Many cultures, ethnic groups, languages, customs, traditions, religions, food styles, architectural styles, histories

12. Pacific – 30% of the world surface, an ocean of small islands, less than 1% of world’s population

13. Thousands of small islands and a few large – low coral atolls, higher volcanic and continental islands

14. Movements of people into and across the Pacific

15. Language and cultural groupings