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PENNSVALLEY
Lesson 67:
Physical Features of Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia stretches several thousand miles, mostly though the tropical region. Only the
northern part of Myanmar (Burma) is located outside the tropical zone.What does the landscape look
like?Overall, the entire region hasmountains, fertile plains, and thick, tropical rain forests.
Mainland Southeast Asia has a different look than the insular (islands and archipelagoes) part of
the region. A group of spine-like, forestedmountain chains runs north and south through this part of
the region.
Where there are mountains, there are valleys. Many rivers flow through the valleys draining the
highlands.Themajor rivers of the regionhave their sources in the foothills of theHimalayaMountains.
Four of the largest rivers are the Irrawaddy, Salween, Mekong, and Red.The river plains and valleys
have fertile soil. Deltas have formed where the rivers empty into the sea. Themajority of people live
and farm along the river plains and deltas.
Maritime, or insular, Southeast Asia is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. As such, this region has
many earthquakes and volcanoes. Indonesia alone has about 220 active volcanoes andmanymore
extinct ones. The northern part of Indonesia is where the massive 2004 earthquake triggered a
disastrous tsunami.
As in South Asia, many low level places in Southeast Asia are subjected to flooding from the
summer monsoon winds. Maritime Southeast Asia is affected by storms known as typhoons. These
storms are similar to the hurricanes experienced in theWesternHemisphere.
ACTIVITY:
Let’s learnmoreabout themainphysical featuresof Southeast Asia.Use your classroomatlasand the
regional map on the next page to complete this labeling activity.Trace the rivers with a blue pencil or
crayon.
Landforms
AnnamiteMountains at D,2/3
Isthmus of Kra at C,3
MekongDelta at D,3
Waterforms
Oceans
Seas
IndianOcean at B/C,6
Celebes Sea at G,4
PacificOcean at I/J,4
JavaSea at E,5/6
Rivers
PhilippineSea at G/H,2/3
R =RedRiver
SouthChinaSea at E/F,2
M =MekongRiver
I = Irrawaddy River
Gulfs
S =SalweenRiver
Gulf of Tonkin at D/E,2
Gulf of Thailand at C,3
OtherWater Forms
Strait of Malacca at C,4
Bay of Bengal at A,2
Southeast Asia
