The location of Asia in all climatic zones led to the formation on its territory of all zonal types of climate: from arctic to equatorial.
The northern outskirts of Asia are located in the subarctic and arctic climatic zones, which in the east go south of 60 ° N.
The large size of Asia and its surroundings on three sides by oceanic expanses have led to the emergence of different types of climate in most climatic zones. Continental prevails among them.
Continental types of climate are determined by the influence of air masses, which are formed in the depths of the continent in the territory from the Red to the Yellow Seas and from the Arctic Circle to the south of the Arabian Peninsula.
General indicators of a continental climate are a significant range of annual temperatures and little rainfall. But territories with a continental climate, located in different zones, differ significantly in moisture conditions and temperature. Therefore, there are areas with continental, sharply continental types of climate of the temperate zone, tropical desert, subtropical continental types of climate.
The most extensive territory in Asia is occupied by the region of the continental type of climate of the temperate zone, which is very heterogeneous. With distance from the oceans, the amplitude of winter and summer temperatures increases, and the annual amount of precipitation decreases.
The interior regions of Asia (Central Siberia, Mongolia) are located in an area with a sharply continental type of climate. Indeed, the annual temperature range here is so great that there is no similar one anywhere in the world. For average monthly it is 50–65 ° С, for extreme ones it reaches 102 ° С. This huge amplitude is due to extremely low winter temperatures. It is no coincidence that the name of one of the cold poles of the Northern Hemisphere - the city of Oymyakon - is translated from the Yakut language as "violent cold", "severe frost". Since precipitation falls here mainly in summer, the snow cover is insignificant and the surface freezes to a great depth. But, oddly enough, the local population tolerates low winter temperatures relatively easily due to the extremely dry air and calm weather.
In summer, these places experience heat, close to tropical. Therefore, even watermelons ripen in Yakutia. Very fast and sharp changes in temperature during the day, strong snowstorms in winter and storms in the spring greatly complicate people's lives.
Most of Southwest Asia, as well as part of Western Asia, are in the continental tropical desert type of climate, which is similar to that of the Sahara. In summer, when the sun is at its zenith, its rays illuminate the bottom of the deepest wells. Sand during these hours can heat up to 80 ° C, and the air in the shade sometimes heats up to 50 ° C and higher. In winter, average temperatures do not drop below 15 ° C, with the exception of elevated areas of the earth's surface, where frosts are observed in some places.
Trade winds blow all year round in the deserts of Western Asia. Since they originate over land, they are dry and hot most of the year. As a result, there are more than 200 cloudless days a year in deserts, and the annual precipitation does not exceed 100 mm.
There is often a sandstorm - samum, translated from Arabic means "heat". When the samum is raging, the clouds of sand raised by the hurricane wind cover the Sun, its light barely breaks through the dust curtain, and in the afternoon crimson twilight sets in.
The region of the subtropical continental type occupies the north of the Iranian Highlands and some regions of Central Asia. This type of climate is almost indistinguishable from the tropical summer heat. However, the winter is much colder here. For example, in the Central Asian Taklamakan Desert, the average temperature during the cold period drops to –8 ° C and even lower. Certain areas with a subtropical continental climate are distinguished by exceptional dryness. So, in the desert depression of Tsaidam, there is a 34 km long highway built from layers of rock salt. In our conditions, it would have "dissolved" long ago under the influence of atmospheric moisture.
Monsoon types of climate are typical for South and East Asia, where the influence of powerful streams of summer and winter monsoons is felt. There are areas of temperate and subtropical monsoon climate.
The temperate monsoon climate is characterized by large seasonal contrasts of temperature and precipitation: significant frosts and low precipitation in winter; in summer it is hot and there is a lot of rainfall (about 3/4 of the annual amount).
The region of the subtropical monsoon climate is characterized by significant differences in humidity over the seasons. The winter monsoon moves from the central regions of Asia towards the ocean. With it comes dry continental air, as a result of which the temperature drops sharply, sometimes even to 0 ° C, and even a drop of rain may not fall for 3-4 months. At the end of May, there is a sharp change in the direction of the winds, the so-called "monsoon explosion". Air masses move from the ocean to land, causing heavy rainfall on the coast.
Due to the influence of monsoons, the south of Asia is the only place on Earth where two transitional climatic zones - subtropical and subequatorial - border. There is no tropical belt here. The subequatorial belt occupies the Indian subcontinent, the western and central part of the Indochina peninsula. The climate is monsoon. The trade winds of the Southern Hemisphere, passing over the ocean, are saturated with moisture. Thanks to this flow of equatorial air in summer, about 90% of the annual precipitation falls on the territory of the region. For one summer month alone, their number is more than 1000 mm. Due to increased cloudiness and heat loss due to evaporation, the air temperature decreases slightly in summer.
Some areas in the south of Asia belong to some of the wettest places on Earth. For example, in the area of the settlement of Cherrapunji (India), on average, about 12,000 mm falls annually, and in some years - more than 20,000 mm.
The summer monsoon is associated with the activation of cyclones in Southeast Asia. Typhoons occur - Asian hurricanes that cause great damage to people. Typhoon is powerful storm streams, it is a wind whose force reaches 120 m / s, it is huge waves on the sea 15 m high, it is multi-ton objects lifted into the air, whirling above the ground. It is known that up to half of the annual precipitation can fall within three days of the outrage of the storm. That is why catastrophic floods occur during typhoons.
The equatorial type of climate is typical for the islands of the Malay Archipelago, the south of the Malay Peninsula and the Philippine Islands. Its main features are high temperatures with insignificant annual and daily amplitudes, abundant and uniform precipitation throughout the year.
Areas with a high-mountain type of climate are widespread in Asia. Here climatic indicators change with altitude.
Particularly unusual is the climate of the world's highest plateau - Tibet. The enormous height and isolation of Tibet cause low rainfall. In conditions of rarefied air, there are sharp fluctuations in temperature during the day (up to 37 ° C). It so happens that during the day in the sun it is 30-degree heat, and nearby in the shade - frost. Frost forms at night and streams freeze. In Tibet, the air is extremely dry. It leads to the fact that some plants completely dry out and crumble into powder when touched. Dry air, combined in winter with severe frosts, thin atmosphere are very poorly tolerated by humans. With a high degree of ultraviolet radiation, the air here is almost sterile.
Conclusions:
In Asia, continental types of climate prevail, among which the continental climate of the temperate zone is the most common.
The climate of the southern and eastern outskirts of the continent is formed under the influence of the monsoon circulation of air masses.
Only in Asia, the tropical climatic zone does not form a continuous strip and, interrupting, gives way to the subequatorial one.
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A varied climate, complex orography determine the richness of natural areas. On its territory there are landscape zones of temperate, subtropical, tropical, subequatorial and equatorial belts.
MODERATE BELT is limited in area, occupies partly Central Asia, East and North-East China, the island of Hokkaido. The climatic conditions in the continental and coastal sectors are different. The contrasts in moisture are especially great: more than 1000 mm of precipitation falls on the coast, while inland, their amount decreases to 100 mm. The landscape features are correspondingly varied. Zones of taiga, mixed and deciduous forests are characteristic of the oceanic sector; inland is occupied by zones of deserts, semi-deserts, steppes and forest-steppes.
The TAIGA ZONE is found in Northeastern China, where Daurian larch and Scots pine dominate. More extensive tracts of coniferous forests on the island of Hokkaido. Hokkaida spruce and Sakhalin fir predominate here, mixed with Ayan spruce, Japanese pine, Far Eastern yew, bamboo and herbs in the undergrowth. The soils are podzolic, peat-boggy in the lowlands.
AREA OF MIXED FOREST, mainly in Northeast China. There was no glaciation, so representatives of the Arctic Tertiary flora found refuge here. Mixed forests abound in endemics and relics. This is the so-called MANCHZHUR FLORA, which is very rich in species. The forests include Korean cedar, white fir, Olgin larch, Ayan spruce, Mongolian oak, Manchurian walnut, green-barked and bearded maple. In the undergrowth, Amur lilac, Ussuri buckthorn, Manchurian currant, black chokeberry, aralia, rhododendrons. From vines: Amur grapes, lemongrass, hops. The soils are dominated by dark-colored to varying degrees podzolized forest burozems and serozem soils.
The ZONE OF WIDE-LEAVED FORESTS adjoins mixed forests from the south. Forests are mostly cut down, the remaining tracts consist of maple, linden, elm, ash, walnut. Forests in Japan are better preserved, where beech and oak prevail, maple (up to 20 species), Manchurian ash, a local species of walnut, as well as chestnuts, lindens, cherries, birches, and magnolias are widely represented. The zonal type of soils is forest burozems.
On the plains of northeastern China, the PRAYER ZONE stands out. Unlike the North American prairies, the Asiatic ones receive less precipitation (500-600 mm). However, the presence of permafrost spots that thaw in summer additionally moisten the soil. The FORMATIONS of the HIGH-GRASSWAL PRAYER are developing, often interspersed with OAK RARE WHEELS. Currently, natural vegetation has been completely destroyed. Fertile meadow chernozem-like soils (up to 9% humus) are plowed up and are used for crops of millet (gaoliang), legumes, corn, rice, vegetables, and watermelons.
In the continental sector of the temperate zone, features of aridity are pronounced: the inner parts of Central Asia are especially arid, where DESERT AND SEMI-DESERT ZONES dominate. Large areas are devoid of life and represent an ideal desert. Where there is vegetation, it is sparse and is represented by psammophytes (sand lovers) and halophytes (salt lovers).
These are various types of saltwort, wormwood, tamarisk shrubs, juzgun, ephedra, saxaul. In deserts, gray soils are developed, in semi-deserts - burozems (less than 1% of humus).
Ungulates and rodents. Among the ungulates are the two-humped camel, the kulan, antelopes (gazelle, gazelle, Przewalski), in the mountains there are goats and rams. From rodents - gophers, jerboas, voles.
The STEPPE ZONE occupies the basins of western Dzungaria, northern parts of Mongolia (up to 41-42 ° N) and the foothills of the Big Khingan. Precipitation up to 250 mm. Low-grass dry steppes prevail, in which there is no continuous vegetation cover - undersized feather grass, vostrets, thin-legged, caragana, wormwood. Chestnut soils; subdivided into dark and light chestnut. Under artificial irrigation, dark chestnuts give high yields of wheat, beans, corn, and kaolyan. Light chestnuts are not used for agriculture, distant pasture cattle breeding is developed on them.
SUBTROPICAL BELT stretches from Asia Minor to the Japanese islands. It is characterized by the sectoral nature of landscapes. In the largest continental sector, zones of deserts, semi-deserts and steppes are distinguished. In the west, in the Mediterranean climate, a zone of evergreen stiff-leaved forests and shrubs is developed, in the Pacific sector - a zone of monsoon mixed forests. Natural zoning is complicated by vertical zoning.
The zone of evergreen hardwood forests and shrubs in Asia extends in a narrow strip along the Mediterranean coast of Asia Minor and Arabia. The climate here is more continental, the annual temperature ranges are greater, and there is less precipitation. The vegetation has pronounced xerophytic features. Almost no forests have survived; they were replaced by formations of shrubs. The predominant maquis, species-depleted in comparison with the European. The dominant feature is the Kermes shrub oak. In the Levant, carob, Palestinian pistachio are mixed with it, and in Asia Minor - red juniper, myrtle, heather, wild olive. On the arid coastal slopes, maquis gives way to freegane and shiblyak, as well as deciduous shrubs - derhidere, wild rose, euonymus, jasmine. Brown soils are being replaced by chestnut soils.
Shrub formations rise in the mountains up to 600-800 m, coniferous-deciduous forests grow higher (black pine, Cilician fir, cypress, oak, maple). From 2000 m, xerophytic vegetation prevails, often having a pillow-like shape (spurge, Cretan barberry, sticky rose).
In the continental sector of the subtropical belt, occupying the Central Asian highlands, the DESERT AND SEMI-DESERT ZONE prevails. The hollow structure of the uplands is the reason that LANDSCAPE ZONES HAVE THE FORM OF CONCENTRIC CIRCUITS. Deserts are located in the central part of the highlands. They are framed by semi-deserts, then mountain steppes and shrub woodlands.
The largest areas of deserts and semi-deserts are in the Iranian Highlands. More than 30% of its territory is covered with salt marshes, devoid of vegetation, a significant place is occupied by rocky and sandy deserts. Zonal soils are desert gray soils and burozems.
The fauna is quite diverse. From ungulates - bezoar goat, mouflon, wild ass onager, from predators - caracal, striped hyena. Rodents - ground squirrels, jerboas, marmots.
The foothill areas are associated with the STEPPE ZONE, in which wormwood and feather-grass formations alternate. In the spring, ephemerals and some cereals develop, which burn out by summer. On the slopes of the mountains, the steppes are replaced by shrub woodlands. The Central Asian highlands are the NATIVE OF THE FRIGANOID FORMATION OF THE MOUNTAIN XEROPHITES - pillow-shaped thorny shrubs less than 1 m high. The most typical species are acantholimon, astragalus, and juniper.
The Tibetan Plateau, due to its enormous relative heights (over 4000 m), is characterized by the vegetation of HIGH MOUNTAIN STEPPES, SEMI-DESERT AND DESERT.
For the Pacific sector of the subtropical belt, the ZONE OF MUSSON ETERNAL GREEN MIXED FORESTS is typical. It covers the southern regions of East China and the Japanese Islands. Natural vegetation gave way to tea, citrus, cotton and rice plantations. Forests retreated into gorges, steep cliffs, mountains. The forest stand is dominated by laurels, myrtles, camellias, podocarpuses, and cunningamias. Forests are better preserved in Japan. Evergreen oak species, camphor laurel, Japanese pine, cypresses, cryptomeria, and thuja dominate. In the rich undergrowth bamboo, gardenia, magnolia, azalea.
Red and yellow soils prevail (from 5 to 10% of humus). But fertility is low, since the soils are poor in calcium, magnesium, nitrogen.
The fauna survived only in the mountains. Among the rare animals are lemurs (fat loris), a small predator, the Asiatic civet, and among ungulates, the tapir. The avifauna is rich: pheasants, one species of parrots, geese, ducks, cranes, herons, pelicans.
The TROPICAL BELT occupies the southern part of Arabia, the south of the Iranian Highlands, the Thar Desert. The radiation balance is 70-75 kcal / cm 2 per year. Trade wind circulation, high temperatures, large daily fluctuations throughout the year. Precipitation is less than 100 mm with an evaporation rate of 3000 mm. In such conditions, DESERT AND SEMI-DESERT ZONES are formed. Large areas are occupied by loose sands and barren rocky deserts (hammads). The vegetation consists of ephemerals, hard shrubs and grasses (wormwood, astragalus, aloe, spurge, ephedra). There is an edible lichen "manna from heaven" (edible linacora). The date palm grows in the oases. The soil cover is poorly developed; it is absent in large areas.
In mountainous areas on the windward slopes, dragon trees, gum acacias, incense trees (myrrh, boswellia) grow. juniper.
The fauna is diverse: wolf, jackal, fennec fox, striped hyena, from ungulates - sand gazelle, mountain goat. Rodents - jerboas, gerbils. Birds - eagles, vultures, kites.
SUBEQUATORIAL BELT covers the Indian subcontinent, Indochina, the north of the Philippine Islands. The radiation balance is from 65 to 80 kcal / cm 2 per year. Differences in moisture have led to the formation of several natural zones here: subequatorial forests, seasonally humid monsoon forests, shrub woodlands and savannas.
ZONE OF SUBEQUATORIAL FORESTS - along the western coasts of Hindustan, Indochina, the northern extremities of the Philippine archipelago and the lower reaches of the Ganges-Brahmaputra, where more than 2000 mm of precipitation falls. Forests are distinguished by a variety of species composition, multi-tiered, and difficult to pass. Typical for them are dipterocarpuses, streculia, albitsia, ficuses, palms, bamboos. Most have softwood. Trees provide valuable by-products: tannins, resin, rosin, rubber.
Zonal soils are red-yellow ferralite with low fertility. Plantations of tea, coffee tree, rubber plants, spices, bananas, mangoes, citrus fruits.
ZONE OF SEASONALLY WET MUSSON FOREST is confined to the eastern outskirts of Hindustan and Indochina, where precipitation is not more than 1000 mm. Deciduous-evergreen forests are multi-tiered, shady there are many vines and epiphytes. Valuable breeds grow: teak, sal, sandalwood, dalbergia. Monsoon forests have been severely affected by deforestation. In India, they occupy 10-15% of the area.
With a decrease in precipitation to 800-600 mm, the monsoon forests are replaced by the ZONE OF RARE SHRUBS AND SAVANNES, the largest areas of which are confined to the Deccan Plateau and the inner parts of the Indochina Peninsula. Woody vegetation gives way to formations of tall grasses: bearded vulture, alang-alang, wild sugar cane. Savannah turns green in summer, yellow in winter. Solitary palms, banyans and acacias diversify the landscape.
The soils are dominated by red varieties: red, red-brown, red-brown soils. They are poor in humus, prone to erosion, but are widely used in agriculture. Stable yields only with irrigation. Rice, cotton, millet crops are cultivated.
The fauna was rich, now it is heavily exterminated: rhinos, bulls (gayal), antelopes, deer, hyenas, red wolves, jackals, leopards. There are many monkeys and semi-monkeys (lorises) in the forests. Peacocks, wild chickens, parrots, blackbirds, pheasants, starlings.
The EQUATORIAL BELT covers almost the entire Malay Archipelago, the south of the Philippine Islands, the Malacca Peninsula and the southwest of Sri Lanka. Constantly high temperatures, abundant and uniform humidification (over 3000 mm), constantly high humidity (80-85%). The radiation balance is lower than in the tropics - 60-65 kcal / cm 2 per year, which is associated with large cloud cover.
The ZONE OF EQUATORIAL FORESTS (gili) dominates. Floristically, these are the richest forests in the world (over 45 thousand species). The species composition of tree species reaches 5 thousand (in Europe there are 200 species). The forests are multi-tiered; vines and epiphytes are abundantly represented. There are about 300 types of palm trees: palmyra, sugar palms, areca palms, sago palms, karyota palms, rattan liana palms. There are numerous tree ferns, bamboos, pandanuses. On the coast there are mangroves from avicenia, rhizophora, nipa palms. Zonal soils are leached and podzolized laterites. The mountains are characterized by vertical belts. Typical gilea at altitudes of 1000-1200 m is replaced by mountain gilea, less in height, but more humid and dense. Above are deciduous formations. On the tops, low-growing shrubs alternate with patches of meadow vegetation.
The fauna is rich and varied. Preserved: orangutan, as well as gibbon monkeys, macaques. Among the predators - tiger, leopard, sun bear, wild elephant. Remained tapirs, tupai, wool-wings, from reptiles - flying dragons, lizards, a giant Komodo dragon (3-4 m). From snakes - pythons (reticulated up to 8-10 m), vipers, tree snakes. In the rivers crocodile gavial.
Giley forests have survived on the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan. Hevea, spices, tea, mango, breadfruit are grown on the cleared lands.
The ancient Greeks called Asia the land over which the sun rises. This part of the world occupies 30% of the planet's land mass. Developed and poor states coexist on a vast territory. Asia is characterized by versatility in everything from living standards to cultural customs.
Basic geographic information
The area of Asia with adjacent islands is 43.4 million km². It is located in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres of the Earth and covers almost all climatic zones. The land border with Europe runs along the Urals, and with Africa along the Suez Canal. Most of the land is surrounded by oceans and seas. Extreme points of the Asian part of the world:
- in the north - Cape Chelyuskin;
- in the south - Cape Piai;
- in the west - Cape Baba;
- in the east - Cape Dezhnev.
The major islands are Sakhalin, Severnaya Zemlya, Honshu and Taiwan. A piece of land called Sri Lanka is located in the Indian Ocean. Most of the islands are in the southeast. The Malay Archipelago, which includes the Philippine, Moluccan, Greater Sunda and Lesser Sunda Islands, settled there. Cyprus is located in the Mediterranean Sea. North Asia is known for the New Siberian Islands.
The shores are washed on all sides by four oceans and nineteen seas. The coastal line is heavily indented. In the north, there are the Chukotsky and Taimyr peninsulas. In the eastern part, the Korean Peninsula and Kamchatka settled. The peninsulas of the southern regions - Indochina, Hindustan and Arabian - are separated by the Bengal Sea and the Arabian Gulf.
Asia is deservedly considered a thriving part of the world. 48 countries are located on its territory. The population of 3 billion people is almost half of the total population of our planet. Population growth rates are high. A significant part of the people live on the coast of Hindustan, in the southern part of Korea and Central Asia. This land region is diverse in ethnic composition: all the races of the world are represented here.
Relief
Mount Chomolungma (Everest)
The eastern part of Eurasia is located on the Caspian, Siberian, Hindustan and Arabian lithospheric plates. They are characterized by mobility, in contrast to European ones. Plains such as the Siberian Plateau are characterized by uplands due to tectonic movements. Smooth surfaces are represented by the West Siberian, Indo-Gangetic and Great Chinese Plains.
The mountains of Asia are higher than in the European part. The most significant of them:
- Himalayas: the highest mountain range in the world. Mount Chomolungma, located in Nepal, is 8848 meters high.
- Ural: the length of the mountain range is 2640 km. It forms a natural border with Europe.
- Altai: the highest region of Siberia. Due to several periods, education combines all possible types.
- Kunlun: the longest mountain system on the mainland, with a length of 2,700 km. The chain originates in Tajikistan, passes through China and borders Tibet. It is characterized by vast depressions and volcanic formations.
- Tien Shan: Eia mountain system is located in Central Asia. It crosses the borders of Kazakhstan, China and Kyrgyzstan. The peak is considered to be the Pobeda Peak Mountain. Its height is 7439 m. The section located in Kyrgyzstan is of value for travelers, because the climate here is favorable.
The most powerful volcanoes are located in the Pacific rim: the Kuriles, Kamchatka, Japan and the Philippine Islands. Earthquakes are devastating here.
Deserts
Gobi Desert
The Asian deserts were formed due to the lack of rainfall. Unlike other continents, most of them are located in the temperate climatic zone. The territories are protected from the winds by mountain ranges. Of the many desert territories, the following are distinguished:
- Gobi: the landmark of Mongolia is located on 1.5 million km². The surface is represented by salt marshes and sand. There are landscapes of stone and clay. Camels, bears and saigas live here. The territory is poorly populated by people.
- Arabian Desert: occupies almost the entire peninsula of the same name. Its area is 2.33 million km². In addition to dry air, strong evaporation is felt on the surface, so there are practically no animals and plants.
- Karakum: total area is 350 thousand km². Very hot air is saturated with dust. Because of this, the land is unsuitable for agriculture. Animals adapted to the climate of the desert are nocturnal.
Inland waters
Glaciers of Central Asia play an important role in the nutrition of water bodies. Almost all rivers in Asia belong to the ocean basins. The longest river, the Yangtze, flows in China. Its length is about 6300 km. Ob, Lena, Yenisei and Yellow River are dangerous in summer floods. Rivers overflow the banks for several kilometers and destroy coastal settlements. The reservoirs of the Indian Ocean basin, Indus, Brahmaputra and Ganges, are flooded in summer. They often dry up for the winter. The Tigris and Euphrates originate from the Armenian Highlands. They feed on melt water.
Most of the residual lakes, the Caspian, Aral, Balkhash, are concentrated in arid zones. In the humid era, they were huge bodies of water. Baikal, the largest lake in the world, fills a tectonic depression. There is as much water in it as in the Baltic Sea. Van, Issyk-Kul and Tuz also belong to tectonic lakes. In mountainous areas, reservoirs are of glacial origin.
Climate
Köppen climate map of Asia
The weather conditions are very varied. The climate in the north is extremely cold, in the central regions it is arid. The south and east are characterized by high humidity and heat. Due to the location of Asia in all climatic zones, solar radiation arrives unevenly.
In winter, a high pressure area forms to the south of Lake Baikal. Air masses diverge in all directions. Especially powerful streams go towards the Pacific Ocean. This is how the winter monsoon is formed. In summer, hot weather sets in throughout the territory, which forms an area of low pressure. The oceans are warming up less, forming a high pressure area. Air travels to the continent and creates the summer monsoon.
The change in air currents in the off-season is not felt only in southwestern Asia. Dry trade winds blow from the mainland in this area. On most of the land, seasonal changes in the directions of air masses are observed.
Flora and fauna:
Vegetable world
Asia is located in the temperate, subtropical, tropical and equatorial zones. The contrasts in the flora and fauna are stunning. Conifers and larch trees grow in. The soil here is peat-boggy. The mixed forest area escaped the ice age. Here you can see Manchu walnut, bearded maple, aralia and buckthorn. Deciduous forests have undergone massive felling. The remaining territories are represented by linden, elm, and walnuts. Sod grasses also grow in deserts, meadows have formed on the slopes. The foothills of the Hindustan mountains are covered with palm trees, acacias, sandalwood and teak. The fertile fields cultivate corn, cotton and peanuts.
Animal world
The relief, rainfall and climatic zones of Asia affect the diversity of animals and birds. There are many predators in this part of the world: tigers, wolves and leopards. Ungulates are represented by saigas, red deer, horned goats, buffaloes and yaks. Reptiles live in the hot countries of the south: monitor lizards, dangerous snakes, all kinds of lizards and frogs. The world of birds amazes with its diversity: from eagles and pheasants in the east to parrots and nectarines in the southwest. Unique animals live in
The Southeast supplies tungsten, iron, copper and bauxite. The Persian Gulf Basin lies in southwestern Asia. This region contains a huge amount of oil and gas. Phosphorites are mined in Jordan. The central region develops the extraction of fuel and energy resources. The bay of Kora-Bogaz-Gae has huge reserves of minerals.
Ecological situation
The main problem in Asia is the high population growth in poor countries. Hence the shortage, uncontrolled plowing of land for agricultural land and the lack of treatment facilities.
Deforestation is another scourge. Two thirds of the territory is under the threat of deforestation. The soil is contaminated with toxic fertilizers. Uncontrolled fishing is threatening the extinction of many species. Industrial development leads to air pollution.
The region, and the planet as a whole, will be saved only by an integrated approach to problems. It can be achieved on the basis of a global partnership between the countries of the world.
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summaries of other presentations“New industrial countries of foreign Asia” - NN Moiseev figuratively called Japan “the trigger”. Japanese development model. Results of the New Economic Policy in Vietnam. Foreign economic priorities. Features of modern socio-economic development. Republic of Korea and Singapore. Correspondence trip to NIS Asia. NIS Asia. It can be shown on the example of South Korea. NIS Asia in the modern world. Leap from underdevelopment to prosperity.
"States of Overseas Asia" - Members of the Commonwealth. Developed state. Developing countries with a high level of economic development include India and Indonesia. Foreign Asia is one of the centers of the origin of mankind. Arab oil-producing countries of the Persian Gulf. Subregions of Overseas Asia. Problems of political life in Asia. The collapse of the colonial system. Colonial possessions. The PRC is a socialist state. Overseas Asia.
"Foreign Asia" geography "- Natural conditions and resources of the region. Geopolitical position of the region. Political map of Asia. Geographical and geopolitical location. Practical work in groups. Classification of Asian countries by socio-economic indicators. General characteristics of Foreign Asia. Educational purposes. Inland waters. Forest resources of Foreign Asia. Agriculture in Asia. Geopolitical conflicts.
"General characteristics of Asia" - Heat zones. A giant field. Subregions of Asia. Gray-haired old man. Economic development of Asian countries. Resources of Asia. Rice sowing. Population of Asia. Earthquakes. General characteristics of Asia. Rapid population growth. Features of EGP. Time. The Dead Sea. Benefits and challenges. The role of Asia in the world economy. EGP of the region. Asian countries. Colonies. Asia.
"Countries of foreign Asia" - Mongolia is inhabited by various peoples. Kawasaki. Capital of China. Flag. Geographical position of Overseas Asia. Kyoto. The main cities of Mongolia. Major cities in China. People's Republic of China. Mongolia. Population. China. General characteristics of Foreign Asia. Population and Ethnic Composition in Beijing. Japan. Capital of Mongolia. There are more than 800 million people in China. Hong Kong. East and Central Asia.
"Part of the World Asia" - The ethnic composition of the population of Asia is very diverse. State of Asia. The area (including the islands) is about 43.4 million km2. The back of the land area is 143.1. Southwest Asia is a tropical desert, the hottest in Asia. East Asia is a region of active volcanism. At the descent of the border with Israel, at the entrance - with Sudan, at the entrance - with Livin. Asia is rich in various minerals (especially fuel and energy raw materials).
Foreign Asia is located within 5 climatic zones. A significant part of it is located in the subtropical belt, the extreme south enters the equatorial, the north - in the temperate, the western part is located in the tropical belt, which wedges out in South Asia (a consequence of the monsoon circulation) and here the subtropical climatic belt is directly adjacent to the subequatorial. The pinching out of the tropical climatic (geographic too) belt in South Asia is the only and remarkable feature of the course of the belts on Earth.
The equatorial climate zone encompasses the Malay Archipelago (excluding East Java and the Lesser Sunda Islands), the Malacca Peninsula, southwestern Sri Lanka, and the southern Philippines. Sea equatorial air masses, formed from tropical trade winds, dominate throughout the year. Abundant precipitation (up to 4000 mm) and constantly high temperatures (+25 - + 23 ° C) are characteristic.
The subequatorial belt includes Hindustan, Indochina, Indo-Gangetic Plain, Southeast China, Sri Lanka and the Philippines. A seasonal change in air masses is characteristic: in summer, humid equatorial air brought in by the monsoon, in winter - a relatively dry tropical trade wind of the northern hemisphere. Precipitation in summer, dry and warm winters. The hottest time of the year is spring (up to + 40 ° С). Precipitation increases on the windward slopes and decreases on the leeward slopes of the mountains. So, on the windward slopes of the Assam Mountains, an average of 12,000 mm per year, on the leeward slopes - about 1700 mm. Southeastern Hindustan and Indochina, northeastern Sri Lanka and the Philippines receive winter precipitation with a northeastern monsoon that is enriched with moisture over the ocean.
The western part of Asia (the south of the Arabian Peninsula, the south of Mesopotamia, the Iranian Highlands and the Thar Desert) belongs to the tropical belt. Continental tropical air masses dominate throughout the year. Clear, dry weather. Average July temperatures are about + 30 ° С, January + 12 ° - + 16 ° С. Precipitation everywhere is less than 100 mm, which falls in the winter in the north and in the summer in the south.
The subtropical zone is characterized by the dominance of moderate air masses in winter, and tropical ones in summer. There are several types of climate in the belt.
In the west - the southern and western coasts of Asia Minor, the Levant and northern Mesopotamia - a subtropical Mediterranean climate (dry hot summers, warm humid winters). The average January temperature is from + 4 ° С in the north to + 12 ° С in the south. Precipitation on the plains is 500-600 mm, in mountainous areas up to 3000 mm.
The South Caspian Lowland is the only region in Foreign Asia with a climate of humid subtropics.
The Central Asian highlands and the south of Central Asia are characterized by a subtropical continental climate with hot summers and relatively cold winters. In summer, the air acquires the properties of continental tropical air masses. Annual amplitudes are large. Precipitation is less than 300 mm. In the western part, they are associated with the passage of the Iranian branch of the polar front in the spring. In the eastern part of the Iranian Highlands, precipitation is brought by the southwestern monsoon.
The high-altitude regions of Asia (above 3000 m above sea level) in subtropical latitudes have one common characteristic climatic feature: the extremely strong influence of processes developing in the middle troposphere, and therefore there is no transformation of the air of temperate latitudes into tropical air, while over the adjacent In the plains, the air that came from temperate latitudes warms up intensively, acquiring the properties of a tropical air mass. Hence the low summer air temperatures - twice as low as at the same latitudes in the lowlands (in July, on average, below 150C).
The second feature is the great dryness of the air: the moisture content of the air masses here is about four times less. A sharp shortage of water vapor in the air is the cause of large daily temperature fluctuations, which are the third feature of the climate of the high-mountainous regions of Asia.
As for the amount of precipitation, the orientation of the slopes of the mountain ranges relative to the winds carrying moisture from the oceans plays a decisive role. Thus, the influence of the Atlantic is felt in the Hindu Kush, Pamir and Western Tibet mountains; the main precipitation falls in winter, although in summer there is enough of it in some places (for example, on the Pamir plateau). In the mountains of Eastern Tibet, under the influence of the monsoons of the Pacific and Indian oceans, precipitation falls in the summer, and there is enough of them to feed the largest rivers of East and Southeast Asia - the Yellow River, Yangtze and Mekong. In Lhasa (Tibet), at an altitude of 3700 m above sea level, 1600 mm of precipitation falls per year, of which less than 20 mm falls in the winter months.
The climate of the low (1000-2000 m above sea level) subtropical highlands of Asia is somewhat different. The highlands are beyond the reach of the summer monsoons, so the climate on them is arid, with hot summers and cold winters - subtropical, sharply continental. A typical example is Xinjiang (PRC), where in Kashgar at an altitude of 1230 m the average temperature in July is 280C, in January –60C, the annual precipitation is less than 100 mm; in Urumqi, at an altitude of 880 m, the average temperature in July is 240C, in the East of January –190C, precipitation is about 100 mm per year. These are conditions typical for deserts, where agriculture is possible only with artificial irrigation, but in places with water sources there are flowering oases with rich vegetation.
In the eastern sector of the subtropical belt, there are the Japanese Islands (without Hokkaido), Eastern China, and the south of the Korean Peninsula. The subtropical monsoon climate is characteristic: cold humid air masses of the Siberian anticyclone prevail in winter. The summer monsoon brings much more rainfall than the winter. On the windward slopes of the mountains, up to 2000 mm of precipitation falls, on the plains - 700-900 mm.
There are also two types of climate in the temperate zone: monsoon and continental. Mongolia and Northwest China (Dzungaria) have a temperate continental climate. Average January temperatures range from -16 to -24 ° C. Summers are hot, precipitation falls mainly in the warm season, their amount is small (up to 200 mm).
Hokkaido, northeastern China and northern Korea are characterized by a mild monsoon climate. In winter, cold continental air masses dominate (spurs of the Siberian anticyclone), in summer - the southeastern monsoon, bringing up to 70% of precipitation.
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