Natural Regions of the

world
 EQUATORIAL  LOCATION - 5°N, 5°S
 AREAS - AMAZON RIVER BASIN,GUINEA
REGION COAST, INDONESIA, MALAYSIA,THE CONGO
RIVER BASIN
 TEMPERATURE - ABOVE 18°
 PRESSURE & WINDS - LOW
 PRECIPITATION
 CHARACTERISTICS
 VEGETATION
 HUMAN ADAPTATION
 LIFE IN MALAYSIA

3
  LOCATION - 10° TO 20° N & S
 TROPICAL  AREAS - SOUTH AMERICA, CENTRAL
AMERICA, AFRICA,AUSTRALIA
GRASSLANDS  TEMPERATURE - DRY SEASON = 22° &
37°, RAINY SEASON = 21 °& 26°
 PRECIPITATION
 NATURAL VEGETATION
 HUMAN ADAPTATION

4
  LOCATION - 15° TO 30° N & S
 TROPICAL DESERTS  AREAS - SAHARA DESERT,
ARABIAN, THAR DESERT, KALAHARI,
NAMBIA DESERT
 TEMPERATURE - 17.22° C
 PRECIPITATION
 NATURAL VEGETATION
 HUMAN ADAPTATION

5
  LOCATION - TROPICAL REGIONS
 AREAS - 10°N TO 30°N
 TROPICAL  TEMPERATURE - 27°C TO 32° C
MONSOON CLIMATE  PRECIPITATION
 CHARACTERISTICS
 NATURAL VEGETATION
 HUMAN ADAPTATION

6
  LOCATION - 30° & 40°N & S
 MEDITERRANEAN  AREA - MEDITERRANEAN SEA,
CENTRAL CALIFORNIA, CENTRAL,
TYPE OF CLIMATE SOUTHERN AUSTRALIA
 CHARACTERISTICS
 NATURAL VEGETATION
 HUMAN ADAPTATION

7
  LOCATION - 35° TO 55°N/S
 AREAS - NORTH AMERICA, EUROPE,
 TEMPERATE
MIDDLE LATITUDES
GRASSLANDS  TEMPERATURE - 30°C TO -40°C
 PRECIPITATION
 CHARACTERISTICS
 NATURAL VEGETATION
 HUMAN ADAPTATION

8
  LOCATION - 55°N TO 70°N
 AREAS - ASIA, EUROPE, NORTH
 SIBERIAN TYPE AMERICA
 TEMPERATURE - -30°C/ LESS
 PRECIPITATION
 NATURAL VEGETATION
 HUMAN ADAPTATION

9
  LOCATION - 66°30’N
 AREAS - NORTH AMERICA, EUROPE,
 COLD DESERT ASIA
- TUNDRA  TEMPERATURE - -40°C
 PRECIPITATION
 NATURAL VEGETATION
 HUMAN ADAPTATION

10
NATURAL REGIONS OF THE
WORLD
 Natural Regions classified mainly by climatic
conditions
DIVISION OF WORLD IN DIFFERENT
REGIONS  Tropical Region
 Equatorial regions
 Tropical grasslands
 Tropical monsoon regions
 Tropical deserts

 Sub-Tropical Regions
 Mediterranean region
 China Type region

 Temperate Regions
 Temperate Grasslands
 Temperate Deserts

 Polar Regions
 Taiga Region
 Tundra Region
 Equatorial Region
 Between 10°N & 10°S latitudes
 Amazon Lowlands
 Congo Basin
 Guinea Coast
 South-East Asia
 Caribbean Islands
Climatic Conditions in Equatorial Region
 Uniformly high temperatures

 Average annual temperature 27°C

 Annual Range of Temperature- 3°C

 Heavy rainfall, well distributed- Average

rainfall-250 cm, No dry season, Convectional
rain mostly

 Absence of well-marked seasons

 Belt of Doldrums

 High Humidity- harmful for Health

Vegetation and Human Life

 Dense rainforests
 Broad-leaved, tall, hardwood, evergreen trees with thick canopy
 Mahogany, ebony, rosewood etc
 Making of costly furniture
 Highly inaccessible areas
 Less fertile soil
 Widespread diseases like malaria, yellow fever
 Small scattered human settlements
 Mostly tribal population
The tropical grasslands
 5 ° to 20 ° N & S latitudes
 Interiors parts of continents between
equatorial and desert regions
 South America, Africa & Australia
 Grasslands known as Gran Chaco in
South America, Savannas in Africa
CLIMATIC CONDITIONS IN TROPICAL
GRASSLANDS
 Distinct wet and dry seasons
 Mean temperatures high between 24 ° and 32 ° C
 Low humidity, hot, dry and dusty air
 Cold season
 Warm season
 Warm wet season
 Average rainfall- 30 cm to 120 cm
Vegetation and Human Life

 Coarse, tall grass- upto 3 m, No tall trees found

 Mostly woodlands, trees, shrubs and grasses
 Baobab, acacia, eucalyptus
 Some natives live settled life
 Cattle rearing, hunting, agriculture and trading main activities
 Commercial agriculture is less developed
Tropical desert regions
 Western margins of continents
 Between 15 ° and 30 ° latitudes
 Some of the driest areas on earth
 Afro-Asian deserts
 Californian Desert in North America
 Atacama Desert in South America
 Great Australian Desert
Climatic Conditions
 High amounts of Insolation
 Less rainfall
 Trade winds give rainfall to eastern parts of continents
 Become dry by the time they reach western margins
 Temperatures are high so increased evaporation of raindrops before reaching
surface
 Influence of cold currents along the western margins of continents
 Two seasons- summer and winter
 Summers-Average temperatures-30 ° to 40 ° C
 Winters- Average Temperatures- 15 ° to 25 ° C
 Very high daily range of temperatures
Vegetation and Human Life
 Scanty vegetation
 Mostly no vegetation, sparse or bushy vegetation
 Adaptations by plant like long roots, thick barks, waxy leaves, thorns and small
leaves
 Acacia, date palm, kikar and babul trees
 Agriculturally unproductive, mostly in oases
 Permanent settlements in few areas
 Mostly hunting , food gathering and cattle rearing done
 Bushmen in Kalahari desert, Aborigines of Australia and Bedouins of Arabia
Tropical monsoon regions
 Eastern margins of continents
 Between 10 ° and 30 ° N & S latitudes
 Indian Sub-continent
 South-east Asia, East Asia
 Western Guinea coast of Africa
 North and Northern Australia
 East Africa
 Eastern Brazil
 Central America
 Climatic Conditions

 Mostly under Trade Winds

 Reversal of Wind Directions with change in seasons
 Three distinct seasons
 Summers- dry from March to June
 Humid Summer- July to October
 Dry Winters- December to February
 Winter- Trade Winds
 Summer- direction is completely reversed, winds known as the Monsoons
 South West Monsoons- Deflected SE Trades-
 North West Monsoons- Deflected NE Trades-
Vegetation and Human Life
 Favourable temperatures and rainfall- growth of
forests
 Mostly deciduous trees
 Teak, Sal, Deodar
 Economically more important- durable timber
 Lowlands have fertile soil- agriculture main
occupation
 Pastoral industry less significant
 Cattle rearing mostly for farming
 The mediterranean region
 Western margins of continents
 Between 30° and 40 ° N & S Latitudes
 Located mostly around Mediterranean
Sea
 Central California
 Central Chile
 Around Cape Town
 South Western & South Australia
 New Zealand
Climatic Conditions

 Abundant Sunshine throughout the year

 Warm and hot summers, cold wet winters
 Under influence of trade winds in summer and
westerlies in winter
 Rain in winter due to southward shift in STHP Belt
Natural Vegetation and Human Life

 Adapted to heavy rain during winter and dry

summer
 Forests found in wetter parts and higher altitudes
 Cork, Olives, Mulberry, pine cedar trees
 Soil not very fertile due to burning and mass
clearance of forests
 Agriculture during winter, Olives & Vine grown on
commercial scale
 Citrus fruits like oranges, lemons and limes grown
due to frost free climate
 Rearing of silkworms
The temperate grasslands
 Steppes – Black Sea to Russian
plains
 Prairies in USA & Canada
 Pampas in South America
 Velds of Africa
 Downs in Australia
Climatic Conditions

 Extremes of temperatures in Steppes and Prairies, hot summers, cold winters

 Moderate conditions in southern hemisphere
 Mean annual precipitation-25 to 75 cm
 No month is completely dry, maximum rain in summers
Natural Vegetation and Human Life

 Conditions not suitable for trees. Main vegetation is grass

 Most land has been cleared for wheat cultivation
 Nomadic herding in remote and isolated areas
 USA and Russia, extensive agriculture practised
 Wheat is main crop, maize, barley, oats are also grown
 Cattle rearing in warmer areas, sheep rearing in colder regions
 Granaries of the world.
 Meat and dairy products are exported on a large scale
 The taiga region
 Broad belt across Europe, Asia
and North America
 Extends from 50- 55° to 65-70°
North Latitudes
 Between temperate grassland and
tundra regions
 No such region in southern
hemisphere as there no
landmasses
Climatic Conditions

 Bitterly cold winters for eight to nine months

 Cool short summer
 Temperatures below freezing point mostly, Verkhoyansk in Russia recorded -
68°C
 July is the warmest month with an average temperature of 15°C
 Well distributed low annual precipitation- between 35 to 60 cm
Natural Vegetation and Human Life

 Mostly taiga virgin forests

 Evergreen coniferous trees
 Pine, spruce, fir,maple and cedar trees
 Adaptation in form of needle shaped leaves
 Softwood trees- used for making paper, matchsticks, plywood, furniture
 Unfavourable for agriculture- barley, oats and potatoes grown
 Lumbering major occupation
 Hunting of fur-bearing animals & Fishing
The tundra region
 Vast lowland along the
shores of the Arctic Ocean
 Beyond Arctic Circle
 Extreme northern parts of
North America, Europe and
Asia
Climatic Conditions

 Average annual temperature- (-12°C)

 Long and bitterly cold winters, short and cool summers
 Quite high annual range of temperature
 Ground covered in snow most of the year
Natural Vegetation and Human Life

 Limited plant cover, sparse vegetation

 Moss and Lichens found mostly
 Evergreen flowering plants grow in summer
 Inuits of North America, Lapps of Scandinavia, Samoyeds and Yakuts of Russia
lead nomadic lives
 Hunting and fishing main occupations
 Reindeer farms are established in Russia. Permanent settlements are found
here in present times
 Glass houses built for vegetables cultivation