Introducing the Region: Physical Geography
Monsoon Asia is made up of the regions from India’s west border throughout the islands in the Pacific Ocean. There are three subregions: South Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia.
Physical Features:
The most prominent physical feature in Monsoon Asia are the mountains such as the Himalayas. In this mountain range lies the highest- Mount Everest. These were created by Earth’s plates that continue to crash into each other which elevates the peaks. Mount Everest’s height continues to increase.
South Asia
This subregion basically refers to the country of India. There are major rivers that exist in the Himalayas: the Indus, the Ganges, and Brahmaputra. There is also the Ghats mountains in this region. In the middle of the Eastern and Western Ghats is the Deccan Plateau which stretches across southern India.
East Asia
There are a variety of features around the subregion of East Asia. Around the Plateau of Tibet lies mountain ranges and the Huang He and Yangtze lies in this physical feature. The rivers eventually flow into the Pacific Ocean.
The Taklamakan and Gobi Desert can be found in the northern area of this region. The two Koreas and the islands of Japan are also part of East Asia.
Southeast Asia
This subregion is not made up of a huge continuous land area. Many islands exist in Southeast Asia. There are islands of many different sizes in this region.
Climate:
Derived from the region’s name, this region is hugely affected by monsoon season. Especially during the summer months, these areas receive huge amounts of rainfall.
Most of the regions that do have this climate have rainy summers with dry winters.
South Asia
This subregion’s climate varies in certain areas. Since the Himalayas are mountain ranges, this area has a highlands climate where the temperature lowers as elevation goes higher. The highest areas of the Himalayas also receive snow.
Apart from the Himalayas, South Asia is fairly tropical. Other areas receive rain all year round while others only do during the summer. There is also a humid subtropical climate with humid summers and moderate winters.
East Asia
The same highlands climate is experienced in the Plateau of Tibet while arid climate is experienced in the desert regions of East Asia.
The Koreas face hot summers with cool winters while China and Japan also have hot summer but with more moderate winters.
Southeast Asia
This subregion has a tropical climate. Many of the islands experience hot temperatures with rain occurring all throughout the year. There are regions that have rainy and dry months.
Vegetation:
Just like the different climate areas, vegetation also varies. In the desert areas, only desert scrubs can survive. Tropical regions have huge rainforest. Mountain vegetation can change depending on the height since areas with snow will have little to no surviving plants.
South Asia
Apart from dry areas, tropical grassland grows in much of this subregion. There are also mixed rainforests and broadleaf evergreen rainforest that are quite frequent.
East Asia
Mountain ranges have highlands vegetation while the deserts have desert scrubs. Areas too dry for trees can grow grasses. Other regions that are wetter have rainforests. Deciduous forests stretch from parts of China, the Koreas, and Japan.
Southeast Asia
Tropical grasslands and rainforests stretch throughout this subregion because of the abundant rain that it experiences. Many trees have been cut down in rainforests in order to use the land for farming crops like rice.
Bamboo is a type of grass that is grown in this region. This grass has many uses for everyday life since it is sturdy. Bamboos grow to very tall heights.
Introducing the Region: Human Geography
The region of Monsoon Asia is made up of 23 countries. This region is extremely populated with China leading the world with more than one billion people. The second most populous country, which is also in Monsoon Asia, is India.
Many of the most crowded and biggest cities worldwide can be found in the region of Monsoon Asia.
History:
A couple of the oldest civilizations started in Monsoon Asia. The region has had empires, colonizations, and independent countries.
Early Times
China was once divided into many kingdoms. The Qin Kingdom (221 B.C.E.), in East Asia, was ruled by Emperor Qin. Successors usually came from the same family. China’s name was derived from this kingdom.
South Asia’s civilization was placed by the Indus River Valley (2500 B.C.E.). Less than half a hundred thousand people populated this civilization. People from this area was exposed to technology very exceptional during those times. In 1700 B.C.E., the civilization suddenly disappeared without any known documentations.
The Mauryas family took over most of these kingdoms and unified India (320 B.C.E.).
Conquests and Colonies
India fell apart after the Mauryan Empire. Then, the Mughals took over India to unite it, once again.
European colonization started in the 1400s in many countries of this region. The Philippines was colonized by Spain while Indonesia while colonized by the Dutch. India was ruled by the British, where they started business. France ruled Southeast Asian countries (Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam).
The Modern Era
Much of the countries have gained independence from control by European countries. Many countries have also developed and are industrialized. But, not all of Monsoon Asia are rich. Many areas are still very poor although others are very prosperous.
Population:
More than 50% of the world’s population live in Monsoon Asia. This region is still mostly rural although urban areas continue to grow. These areas suffer because of overcrowding.
The region of Monsoon Asia exercises many different traditions and have varied beliefs. Hinduism is big in India and Nepal. Islam is also widely exercised by many in this region. Southeast Asia’s prominent religion is Buddhism. There are also Christians in this region, mostly in the Philippines.
Economic Activity:
This region has modern and ancient economy. Farming and fishing is still done by many for themselves and their families. However, modern businesses has also developed greatly in this region.
Commercial fishing is big in this region because of the close proximity to the ocean. Many of what is caught is exported to the rest of the world.
Resources
Because of the huge amount of coal in China, coal production usually comes from this country. There is also an abundance of tin and petroleum in this region. Rivers are also used for hydroelectric power.
Land Use
Many people from this region continue to grow their own crops for their own benefit. Rice is the most common crop. There are also commercial farmers in Monsoon Asia.
Nearly all of Earth’s rubber is made in Southeast Asia. Rubber is made from rubber trees’ sap. Commercial fishing, especially in China, is the world’s largest.
Trade and manufacturing has also become an incredibly important economy to many countries like China, South Korea, and many others.
SPICE Summary
Monsoon Asia is a world region with an extreme amount of population- leading the world at 3.7 billion people. Religions are divided into quite the same percentage, especially the major religions such as Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, and Christianity. Much of the countries in these region were in huge kingdoms or were once colonized by Europeans and Americans. These colonies hugely influenced present day countries; most countries have freed themselves from these colonizations. Population continues to increase in this region. China has the biggest population worldwide and is known for their birth laws, that has recently been changed in order to help their slowing economy. Although much of the population continue to farm and fish in order to feed themselves, commercial farming and fishing is a huge contribution to this region’s economy. There are also many countries in this region who lead industries that are related to modern technology.