World Cultures

Name:
___________________________
Unit III: S.E. Asia
Date:
___________________
Physical Geography of South East Asia, Oceania, and Antarctica
pgs. 689-692
1.
What is an archipelago and identify anexample?
An archipelago is a set of closely grouped islands. An example of this would be the
Philippines and the islands of Indonesia.
2.
What rivers and resources exist in South East Asia? Why is this important?
The Mekong is one of the most important rivers that flows from China through
many nations and ends on Vietnams coast. This is so important because many people
rely on this for farming and fishing. Fertile soil is one of the most valuable
resources because it is full of nutrients.
3.
What is Oceania? About how many islands exist in Oceania?
Oceania is the group of pacific islands. Nobody knows how many islands exist in the
Pacific Ocean but they are grouped together with that name. They estimate more
20,000 islands are out there.
4.
What are high islands? What are low islands?
Pacific islands are categorized into two types. High islands are ones created by
volcanoes and low islands are created by coral reefs.
5.
What resource problem exists in Oceania?
The most common problem is the lack of minerals on these islands. The low islands
also have poor soil.
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?
The north has hilly ranges and a volcanic plateau but its a lot less mountainous then
the South. The north has a lot more fertile farmland and forests.
7.
How is Australia different from New Zealand? (Be specific. What is found
here that is
not found in New Zealand?)

There are a few differences like Australia is very flat and doesnt have many rivers
but the biggest difference is Australia has the worlds biggest coral reef; the
Great Barrier Reef.
8.
The 5th largest continent is Antarctica. Compare East and West Antarctica
(underneath
the ice).
East is a plateau surrounded by mountains and valleys while the west is a group of
separate islands linked only by the ice that covers them.
9.
What is interesting about Antarctica's ice sheet? What resources may lie
beneath?
The ice sheet is the largest supply of fresh water in the world. However many
people believe that underneath are resources like coal, minerals, and even
petroleum.
Climate and Vegetation
pgs. 694-701
1.
What sort of climate exists in most of South East Asia and Oceania?
They have a tropical climate with a ton of rain. Some areas having bad rains all
year.
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
3.
Describe a monsoon.
Monsoons are winds that cause wet and dry seasons found in parts of Myanmar,
Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
4.
How does the climate affect the tropical plants and vegetation that exists in
South East Asia and Oceania?
Southeast Asia has such a wide range. They have some beautiful tropical evergreen
trees and then deciduous forests are more common in the wet and dry climates.
5.
Look at the 5 Themes Box (Human-Environment Interaction). What is
Terraced
Farming? Why would this be interesting to historians?

Terraced farming is making pretty much taking land that normally cant be used for
farming, able to plant on. They also prevent dirt from washing down the slope. This
would interest historians because it was an ancient way of altering landscape.
6.
Describe the climate in Australia and New Zealand. How is Australias climate
similar to
South East Asia and also New Zealand?
They both have a pretty similar moderate climates. They are similar because they
both have parts of the year with heavy rains and a lot of countries in common.
7.
Why is of Australia a dry desert? What is the outback?
This is because they lay in an oval in the center of the continent and receives little
rain. The outback is the dry, unpopulated inland.

8.
What is the White Desert? What sorts of life lives in it?
A desert that doesnt receive much precipitation but the snow and ice that does
fall, doesnt really melt. Plants like lichens and mosses and animals like penguins are
in this area.