CONTINENT OF ASIA

CONTINENT

 Is a large continuous mass of land.

 North America, Europe and Asia are both in the Northern Hemisphere.
 South America, Australia and Antarctica belong in the Southern Hemisphere.
 Africa spreads both in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

ASIA

 The world's largest continent.

 Asia covers about 1/3 of the Earth's land surface. The entire region lies mostly in the Northern
Hemisphere and is separated from Europe by the Ural Mountains lying to the northwest.
 The Southwest borders are Caucasus Mountains and the highlands of Turkey on the south are
the Red Sea and Indian Ocian; on the east is the Pacific Ocian; and on the north is the Arctic
Region.
 Mounth Everest - the highest point of the earth. Soars about 8,848
meters in Himalayan Range
 Dead Sea- the lowest point of the earth. About 400 meters below sea levels.
 Asia is not only the largest, but also the most populous landmass on Earth.

Asia Countries and Regions

Asia can be divided into five geographical subregions.

1. Central Asia (Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan)

 Central Asia is west of China, south of Russia, and north of Afghanistan. The western border of
this region runs along the Caspian Sea. Central Asia is politically divided into five countries:
Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Given that the name of each
of these countries ends in "-stan," Central Asia is sometimes informally referred to as "The
Stans." The region covers a total area of 1,545,741 square miles and has a population size of just
over 69.78 million individuals. Central Asia played an important role in the transportation of
goods between China and Europe during the Silk Road trading era.

2. East Asia (China, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan)

 East Asia is located east of Central Asia, with its eastern border running along the East China
Sea. East Asia is politically divided into 6 countries and regions: China, Mongolia, North Korea,
South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. This region covers a total area of 4,571,092 square miles and
has a population size of more than 1.641 billion, which represents 22% of the global population
and 38% of Asia's total population. Many residents of East Asia are concentrated in major
metropolitan areas such as Beijing and Tokyo.
 The geography of East Asia is varied depending on the zone. The inner continental area
experiences a temperate climate, while Mongolia is covered by the arid Gobi desert. China, the
largest country in the region, is home to both mountains and plateaus, while Japan is
characterized by thousands of islands and coastlines. Today, East Asia is believed to have some
of the most advanced technologies in the world, which fosters economic development.
3. South Asia (Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal, the Maldives)

 South Asia has a peninsula-like shape that is bordered by three bodies of water: the Indian
Ocean to the south, the Bay of Bengal to the east, and the Arabian Sea to the west. The region
includes Indian subcontinent and surrounding countries. South Asia is politically divided into 8
autonomous countries: Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal, and
the Maldives. The region covers a total area of roughly two million square miles and has a
population size of more than 1.74 billion, which is nearly a quarter of the global population.
Additionally, South Asia has the distinction of being the most densely populated area in the
world.

4. Southeast Asia (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore,
Thailand, Timor Lester, Vietnam,)

 Southeast Asia is located north of Australia, south of East Asia, west of the Pacific Ocean, and
east of the Bay of Bengal. It encompasses several island and archipelago nations that stretch
between the northern and southern hemispheres, making it the only Asian region located on
both sides of the equator. Southeast Asia is politically divided into 11 countries and territories:
Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor
Leste,and Vietnam.
 Southeast Asia covers a total area of 1,735,121 square miles and has a population size of more
than 641 million individuals. The geography of Southeast Asia is characterized by a large number
of archipelagos. The Indonesian Archipelago is the biggest in the world and is home to the
largest number of active volcanoes in the world.

5. Western Asia (Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Iraq,
Iran, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Yemen)

 West Asia is located in the area between Central Asia and Africa, south of Eastern Europe. The
majority of the region is often referred to as the Middle East, although it geographically excludes
the mainland of Egypt (which is culturally considered a Middle Eastern country). West Asia is
politically divided into 18 states: Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon,
Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Oman, and
Yemen. It also includes the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. The region covers a total area of around
2.415 million square miles and has a population size of 313.428 million.

WATERFORMS IN ASIA

The Oceans and Seas in Asia

1. The Arctic Ocean- is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five ocean. It is located in the
Northern Polar region of the earth.
2. The Black Sea- is an inland sea located between far-southeastern Europe and the far-western
edges of the continent of Asia and the country of Turkey.It's bordered by Turkey, and by
Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Russia and Georgia.
3. The Mediterranean Sea- is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the
Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Southern Europe
and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa and on the east by the Levant.
 4. The Caspian Sea- is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the
world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea.
5. The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The
connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden.
To the north lie the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez.
6. Persian Gulf (also known as Arabian Gulf) is a mediterranean sea in Western Asia. The body of
water is an extension of the Indian Ocean through the Strait of Hormuz and lies between Iran to
the northeast and the Arabian Peninsula to the southwest.
7. The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceans, covering approximately 20% of the
water on the Earth's surface.It is bounded on the north by the Indian subcontinent; on the west
by East Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and Australia; and in the far-south by
the Southern Ocean.
8. The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceans. It extends from the Arctic in the north to
the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas
in the east.
9. Bering Sea is the northernmost part of the Pacific Ocean that comprises a deep water basin (the
Aleutian Basin) that rises up through a narrow slope into the shallower water above the
continental shelves. Although the Cossack, Semyon Dezhnev, sailed the Sea in 1648, both the
Sea and the Strait are named for Vitus Bering, a Danish-born Russian explorer who sailed the Sea
in 1728.

The Rivers, Lakes, and Bays in Asia

1. The Yangtze or Yangzi is the longest river in Asia, the third-longest in the world and the longest
in the world to flow entirely within one country. It rises in the northern part of the Tibetan
Plateau and flows 6,300 km in a generally easterly direction to the East China Sea.
2. The Ganges, or Ganga, is a trans-boundary river of Asia which flows through India and
Bangladesh. The 2,525 km river rises in the western Himalayas in the Indian state of
Uttarakhand, and flows south and east through the Gangetic Plain of India and Bangladesh,
eventually emptying into the Bay of Bengal.
3. The Yellow River or Huang He is the second longest river in China, after the Yangtze River, and
the sixth longest river system in the world at the estimated length of 5,464 km.
4. The Mekong is a trans-boundary river in Southeast Asia. It is the world's twelfth longest river
and the seventh longest in Asia. Its estimated length is 4,350 km, and it drains an area of
795,000 km², discharging 475 km³ of water annually.
5. The Indus River is one of the longest rivers in Asia. Originating in the Tibetan Plateau in the
vicinity of Lake Manasarovar, the river runs a course through the Ladakh, a union territory of
India.
6. The Brahmaputra is one of the major rivers of Asia, a trans-boundary river which flows through
China, India and Bangladesh.
7. Tigris-Euphrates river, great river system of southwestern Asia. It comprises the Tigris and
Euphrates rivers, which follow roughly parallel courses through the heart of the Middle East. The
lower portion of the region that they define, known as Mesopotamia.
8. Lake Baikal is the largest freshwater lake by volume in the world, containing 22–23% of the
world's fresh surface water.
 9. Lake Balkhash is one of the largest lakes in Asia and 15th largest in the world. It is located in
Central Asia in southeastern Kazakhstan and belongs to an endorheic basin shared by
Kazakhstan and China, with a small portion in Kyrgyzstan.
10. The Aral Sea was an endorheic lake lying between Kazakhstan (Aktobe and Kyzylorda Regions in
the north) and Uzbekistan (Karakalpakstan autonomous region in the south.)
11. The Bay of Bengal (largest bay in the world,) forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. It
is bordered mostly by the Eastern Coast of India, southern coast of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to
the west and Burma (Myanmar) and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (part of India) to the
east.
12. Brunei Bay is located on the north side of Borneo Island in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by the
South China Sea, the country of Malaysia and both sections of the country of Brunei.

LANDFORMS IN ASIA

The mountains, Plateaus, and Deserts in Asia

1. Mount Everest- is Earth's highest mountain above sea level, located in the Mahalangur Himal
sub-range of the Himalayas. The international border between Nepal and China runs across its
summit point.
2. K2, also known as Mount Godwin-Austen or Chhogori, at 8,611 metres (28,251 ft) above sea
level, is the second highest mountain in the world, after Mount Everest at 8,848 metres (29,029
ft). It is located on the China–Pakistan border between Baltistan in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of
northern Pakistan, and the Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County of Xinjiang, China. K2 is the
highest point of the Karakoram range and the highest point in both Pakistan and Xinjiang.
3. The Himalayas, or Himalaya, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian
subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has many of the Earth's highest peaks,
including the highest, Mount Everest, Nepal.
4. The Ural Mountains, or simply the Urals, are a mountain range that runs approximately from
north to south through western Russia, from the coast of the Arctic Ocean to the Ural River and
northwestern Kazakhstan. The mountain range forms part of the conventional boundary
between the continents of Europe and Asia.
5. The Alay or Alai Mountains constitute a mountain range that extends from the Tien Shan
mountain range in Kyrgyzstan west into Tajikistan. It is part of the Pamir-Alai mountain system.
The range runs approximately east to west. Its highest summit is Pik Tandykul.
6. The Zagros Mountains are a long mountain range in Iran, Iraq and southeastern Turkey. This
mountain range has a total length of 1,600 km (990 mi). The Zagros mountain range begins in
northwestern Iran and roughly follows Iran's western border, while covering much of
southeastern Turkey and northeastern Iraq.
7. Mount Ararat is a snow-capped and dormant compound volcano in the extreme east of Turkey.
It consists of two major volcanic cones: Greater Ararat and Little Ararat. Greater Ararat is the
highest peak in Turkey and the Armenian plateau.
8. Tebitan Plateau the largest and highest plateau in the world. Sometimes metaphorically
described as the "Roof of the World", which is still being formed by the collisions of the Indo-
Australian and Eurasian tectonic plates.
9. The Deccan Plateau is a large plateau in western and southern India. It rises to 100 metres (330
ft) in the north, and to more than 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) in the south, forming a raised triangle
within the south-pointing triangle of the Indian subcontinent's coastline.
 10. The Iranian Plateau or the Persian Plateau is a geological feature in Western Asia and Central
Asia. It is the part of the Eurasian Plate wedged between the Arabian and Indian plates, situated
between the Zagros Mountains to the west, the Caspian Sea and the Kopet Dag to the north, the
Armenian Highlands and the Caucasus Mountains in the northwest, the Strait of Hormuz and
Persian Gulf to the south and the Indus River to the east in Pakistan.
11. The Arabian Desert is a vast desert wilderness stretching from Yemen to the Persian Gulf and
from Oman to Jordan and Iraq. It is the largest desert in Asia at 900,000 square miles and
occupies most of the Arabian Peninsula.
12. The Gobi Desert is the 2nd largest desert in Asia, covering 500,000 square miles. Extending
from northern China into Mongolia, the Gobi Desert receives an average of 7 inches of rainfall
each year because the Himalaya mountains block rain clouds from reaching the region.
13. Takla Makan Desert. China's largest desert extends over 123,550 square miles. Composed
primarily of shifting crescent sand dunes, the Takla Makan is one of the largest sandy deserts in
the world.
14. Thar Desert. Covering 77,000 square miles in India and Pakistan, the Thar Desert is Asia's only
subtropical desert. Primarily occupying the Indian state Rajasthan, the Thar has a high
population density for a desert.

THE VOLCANOES IN ASIA

 Sakurajima, Kyushu, Japan. Sakurajima, which means “Cherry Blossom Island”, used to be an
island but is now connected to Osumi Peninsula after an eruption. This volatile volcano with a
pretty name still spews large quantities of volcanic ash into the air.

 Mount Aso, Japan. Japan’s largest active volcano, Mount Aso. This volcano, located on the
island of Kyushu, has the world’s largest caldera – so big that it even has a little hill called
Komezuka within it. The biggest draw is a steaming cyan crater lake in one of its five peaks.
Mount Aso is one of the best active volcanoes for travellers to visit, as it is well-developed and
home to many comfortable hot spring resorts.

 Mount Kelimutu, Indonesia. It’s seriously earth porn! Volcanic substances cause the colour-
changing lakes to shift from blue to green to black…and sometimes even red.

 Mount Fuji, Japan. This international icon of Japan has been worshipped as a sacred mountain
and has inspired countless artists and people throughout centuries. It’s famed for being almost
perfectly shaped.

 Mount Bromo, Java, Indonesia. The majestic giant known as Mount Bromo is the most hiked
mountain in Indonesia. Its last eruption was in 2011, and white sulphurous smoke still billows
out of its crater everyday. The sunrise from the peak is spectacular and it also has many vantage
points for great photographs.

 Guishan Island, Taiwan. Guishan Island, also known as Turtle Island, earned its name for its
uncanny resemblance to a large turtle. Active volcanic activity has created a hot spring under
the island in the sea, which is rumoured to cause the tail of the island to “swing”.
PHILIPPINES
 The 7,107 islands and more than 90 million people in the Philippines are subdivided into three
geographical divisions namely Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. In fact the name Luzviminda,
popular among Filipino women, is a portmanteau of the three island groups.

LOCATION

 Located in Southeastern Asia

 Archipelago (large group of islands) made up of 7,107 islands.

 Part of a Western pacific arc systems that is characterized by active volcanoes.

SHAPE

 Elongated and Archipelago

SURROUNDING BODIES OF WATER

 North- Luzon Strait

 East- Philippine Sea
 South- Celebes Sea
 West- South China Sea

TERRAIN AND POINTS

 mostly mountainous
 all islands are prone to earthquakes

Lowest Point - Philippine Sea

Highest Point - Mount Apo (9,691 feet)

ACTIVE VOLCANOES

Iraya in Batanes Bulosan in Sorsogon

Pinatubo in Zambales Kanlaon in Negros

Taal in Batangas Hibok Hibok in Camiguin

Banahaw in Quezon Makaturing in Lanao

Mayon in Albay Apo in Davao

CLIMATE

 The climate in the Philippines is tropical and monsoonal. The country has an average yearly
temperature of 26.5 C (79.7 F); May is the warmest month, while January is the coolest.
 The monsoon rains, called habagat, hit from May to October, bringing torrential rain which is
abetted by frequent typhoons. An average of 6 or 7 typhoons per year strikes the Philippines.
 November to April is the dry season, with December through February also being the coldest
part of the year.

Prepared by: Myra Cordero