Chapter 7: Asia (Climate, Natural Vegetation, and Wildlife) Flashcards
(13 cards)
Describe Asia.
Asia is a very large landmass that extends for more than 8000 km from north to south. It has the hottest, coldest, and wettest places on Earth.
What are the factors that influence Asia’s climatic conditions?
latitudinal extent, distance from the sea, mountain barriers, monsoon winds, and ocean currents
Describe the latitudinal extent of Asia.
Asia extends from 80°N to 10°S latitudes. The Arctic Circle, Tropic of Cancer, and the Equator pass through Asia. Asia has all 3 heat zones: tropic, temperate, and frigid. Therefore, the climate in Asia ranges from very hot(Equatorial) to very cold(Tundra) type of climate.
Describe Asia’s distance from the sea.
The places near the coast have moderate type of climate with low range of temperature. Due to the large east-west and north-south extent of Asia, those away from the sea (in the interior) have extreme type of climate.
Describe the mountain barriers’ impact on Asia’s climate.
Most of the mountain ranges in Asia run in the east-west direction. They do not permit the colds winds coming from the north to enter the southern part, especially in the Indo-Gangetic Plains. The monsoon winds are also obstructed by the mountains and hence provide rain only in the souther part of Asia.
Describe the monsoon winds and their impact on Asia’s climate.
The moisture-laden monsoon winds play an important role in the climatic conditions of Asia, especially southern Asia. The summer monsoon wins are on-shore and provide heavy rainfall, while the winter monsoon winds are off-shore and provide dry weather conditions.
Describe the ocean currents’ impact on Asia’s climate.
The warm and cool ocean currents largely affect the climatic conditions of Asia. For example, the climatic conditions in Japan are greatly influenced by the Oyashio cold water current and the Kuroshio warm water current.
What are the five types of climates in Asia?
tundra, temperate, tropical, desert, equatorial
Explain the tundra climate.
This climate is found mostly in the extreme northern parts of Asia above the Arctic Circle. The main features of the tundra climate are very cold and long winter seasons and very short and cool summer seasons. The entire area remains under snow for almost throughout the year. Precipitation is mostly in the form of snow or sleet.
Explain the temperate type of climate.
This is found mostly in those areas which lie between the Arctic Circle and Tropic of Cancer. The main features are the very cold winters and warm summers. The range of temperature is generally high. The temperature type includes Mediterranean type, the Steppe type, and the China type of climates.
Explain the tropical type of climate.
This climate, also known as monsoon type of climate, is found in the Indian subcontinent, parts of southeast Asia, and southern China. The monsoon winds blow from the south-west to the north-east (sea to land) in the summer season and cause heavy rainfall in the Indian subcontinent. During the winter season, these winds reverse their direction and go from the land to sea. Thus, the summer season is hot and wet, while the winter season is cool and dry.
Explain the desert type of climate.
This type of climate is found mostly in the western part of the continent, especially in the hot deserts of Saudi Arabia and the Thar desert in India and Pakistan. The central Asia (around Mongolia) is a region of cool desert. This is called the Gobi desert which is a large desert region covering parts of northern, northwestern China, and southern Mongolia. In the hot desert, the summers are very hot in the winters are cool. The rainfall is scanty and some regions may not have it for a few years. The nights are particularly cooler, thus, the range of temperature is high. In cold desert, the winters are very cold and summers are very warm.
Explain the equatorial type of climate.
This is found mostly between 10° N and 10° S latitudes, i.e. around the equator. It includes Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and the southern part of the Philippines. The temperature remains high almost throughout the year. There is no distinct winter season. Rain occurs almost every day and mostly occurs in the afternoon. There’s hardly any seasonal variation.
