Physical Features. The Asian landscape is full of extremes. It has the world’s tallest and deepest areas, the wettest and driest places, some most productive regions, some most barren. Asia has towering snow-capped mountains, Prometheus cool plateaus, verdant valleys, rugged passes, arid deserts, extensive forests, cascading historic rivers, lakes and seas. waterfalls, ‘Mount Ararat in Turkey, believed as the landing site of Noah’s ark From Asia’s heartland radiate mountain ranges in nearly all directions. Among these mountains are the mighty Himalayas, the Ural Mountains, and the Caucasus Range. ‘The Caucasus is famous in song and story, for it was on these rocks, according to Greek mythology, where Prometheus was chained By the irate god Zeus for giving to mortal men, the fire of the gods. The Himalayas (abode of snow”) hug the tallest peaks in the world, and evoke legends of Shangri-la ‘and the abominable snowman. Mt, Ararat in Turkey is believed to be the site of Noah’s ‘ek after the Great Flood. Asia has many peninsulas which stretch ext like octopus arms, including India, Physical Environment Indochina, Malaya, Korea, and Kamchatka. These peninsulas contain historic harbors and bays Asia has numerous rivers — that serve as highways of commerce and communications. Three of these rivers drain into the Indian Ocean ~ the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra. Four rivers drain into the Pacific Ocean — the Amur, Huang Ho (Yellow River), Yangtze, and Si Kiang. The Mekong, a mighty river, runs through three of Asia’s “rice bowls” (Burma, Thailand, and Vietnam), before it joins the South China Sea. The historic twin rivers, Tigris and Euphrates, flow into the Persian Gulf. Painting of the Garden of Eden In the north polar Arctic zone is the tundra, the icy frozen land covered by snow most of the year and stretching across North Asia. Life is cold and harsh here, for the aboriginal Eskimos and other tribes. But as the polar ice melts due to global warming, the tundra hides what many believe to be future resources for our planet. Below that extends the raiga region of the vast Siberian forests, rich in timber and wildlife, good for those who like to dress up in fur and mink coats. In Central Asia, the forests give way to semi-desert areas known as steppes, which stretch from Arabia to Mongolia. Here the lack of rain and vegetation encourages a nomadic lifestyle and spawned fierée tribes