World Geography

World Geography
Asia

Africa

Australia

Europe

North America

South America
 ASIA

China Japan

Russia SE Asia

West Asia
 Plain regions of China

n
Al

ga
ta
iS

hin
ha
1/3th of

tK
n

ea
Dzungarian Manchurian
China is

Gr
Plain
Tien Shan e s ert
Takla makan Tarim
n S han Qilia G o bid
han Shandong
mountainous
Kunlun S u n S
han Alt Sh Loess plt. hang
Qiadam an peninsula
Ordos Tai

Tibetan
Qinling Shan
North China
90% of
Sichuan
plateau
Plain population
Southern
Hills
live on east
Yunan
plateau coast
G. Of
Tongking
Climate of China

Laurentian type

China type
Important rivers of China

G. Of Bo
Hai Rivers –
Grand west to
canal
east
flowing
Agriculture in China
• 10-15% of China is
arable
• Intensive agriculture
• Rice cultivation –
largest rice
production
• Largest producer of
rice, wheat, cotton,
ground nut,
rapeseed, silk
 Important Minerals of China
Coal (3th largest)

Iron (4th largest)

Tin

Petroleum

Rare Earth (monopoly)

Industrial regions of China

Mukden
triangle

Bo Hai
region

Yangtze river
basin

Guangzhou-
Macau region
 ASIA

China Japan

Russia SE Asia

West Asia
 Hokkaido

Honshu

Islands of
Japan
Kyushu Shikoku

Ryuku
Geology of Japan
• Japan at the junction of 3
plates
• Ocean-ocean collision –
volcanic mountains in
Japan
• Frequent earthquake and
possibilities of Tsunami
Agriculture in Japan
• Only 20% of land
suitable for agriculture
• Wet paddy and terraced
paddy
• Wheat, Barley, Soya
bean, potatoes, Sweet
potatoes
 Mineral resources in Japan
Japan is world’s largest importer of coal and
Natural gas
 2nd largest importer of oil
But it has converted itself into knowledge
economy
Industrial regions of Japan

Kwanto
Plains
Kinki
Plains
Kyushu
Plains Nagoya
Plains
 ASIA

China Japan

Russia SE Asia

West Asia
 Water-bodies around Russia

ChukchiBerin
East sea g st
rait
Siberian
Baltic Barents Leptev sea Bering
sea sea sea sea
white ra se a
K a
sea

Sea of
Black Okhotsk
sea

Caspian
sea
sea of
Japan
Access to Sea
 Important rivers of Russia

Pechora
basin
Ob
n Lena

i
o

e
D

Yenis
Sea of
Volga
ys h
Azov
Irt

Lake Amur
Baykal
Agriculture in Russia
• Limited growing period
• 40% pastures and
meadows
• Wheat, Oil-seeds, cotton
- important
• Oat, mustard, corn, sugar
beet, flax
• Potato – very important
 Coal Reserve of Russia

One of
the
largest
Pechora Basin
coal
reserve in
Novo Kuznetsk Krasnoyarsk the world
Magnitogorsk
Chelyabinsk
Kemerovo
Irkutsk
Chernogorsk
 Iron ore Reserve of Russia

One of the
largest Iron
production
Belgorod in the world
Kursk
Tomsk
Magnitogorsk
Voronezh
Orsk
 Nickel reserve

World’s
Kola Peninsula
Tymr peninsula 40% of
Norlisk nickel –
Norilsk
Amur region mine
Natural Gas Reserve of Russia

Largest
Medvezhye West Siberia
Urnegoy
Natural Gas
Pechhora Mamontovskoye reserve in
Basin Salymskoye
the world
Yamburg

Orenburg
 Industrial regions of Russia

St. Petersburg

Volga
region Urals
Central
region
Baykal region
Kuzbas
 ASIA

China Japan

Russia SE Asia

West Asia
SE Asia
 Physical geography of SE Asia
Hills and islands Rivers

Shan Plateau  Salween

Khorat plateau  Chindwin river
Arankan Yoma  Irrawaddy river
Pegu yoma  Mekong river
Islands: Java, Sumatra,  Chao Phraya
Borneo, Singapore  Red river
Monsoon pattern in SE Asia
North East
winds

Equatorial
Rainfall

South West
winds
Rubber and Palm oil
• Rubber and palm oil are
significant in Malaysia,
Indonesia, and southern
Thailand
• Coconut and sugarcane in
Philippines
• Cocoa in Indonesia,
Philippines and Vietnam
Petroleum reserve in SE Asia
 Tin reserve in SE Asia

Thailand,
Malaysia,
Phangan Is.
and
Samui Is. Indonesia -
Kinta Valley
Kelang Valley more than
Singkep is.
Bangka Is.
half of world
Belitung Is.
Tin
production
 ASIA

China Japan

Russia SE Asia

West Asia
West Asia
Physiography of west Asia: Mt.
Pontus Mt.

Elbur
Taurus Mt. z Mt .

Za
gro
s M
t.

J eb
el
Al
Ak
hd
ar
Physiography of west Asia: Uplands
Pontus Mt.
Anatolia
Plateau
Elbur
Taurus Mt. z Mt .

Plateau of
Za Iran
gro
sM
t.

Arabian
Peninsula
g e st
Lar nsula
i
pen the
in ld
r
wo
 Difference between Plateau and peninsula
Peninsula plateau

Land surrounded by  Relatively higher upland

water from 3 sides and than surrounding regions
attached to mainland  Ex. Deccan plateau
from a side (raised platform located
Ex. Indian Peninsula on Indian peninsula)
(Mainland India flanked
by oceans on 3 sides)
Physiography of west Asia: Deserts

Salt
rt
Dasht-e-Kavir de s e
Syrian desert

Dasht-e-Lut
An Nafud
(the desert)

n dy
S a l -K hali
e s ert Rub - a
ua rter)
d y q
(empt
 Euphrates-Tigris Rivers
Mt. Ararat • Origin:
• Euphrates – Armenian
Highlands
• Tigris – Lake Hazar
• Combined stream at lower
course at Al-Qurnah = Shatt –
Shatt-al-Arab
al- Arab
• Famous for date palm
cultivation
• Ancient Mesopotamia
civilization
 Cities on Euphrates and Tigris
• Tigris: Mosul and
Bagdad of Iraq
Mosul
• Euphrates: Ar Ramadi,
An Nasiriah
Baghdad
• Shatt-al-Arab – Basra
Ar Ramadi

Basra
An-Nasiriah
River Karun
• River Karun, tributary of
Shatt-al-Arab
• Largest river of Iran
• Ahvaz – city located on it
River
Karun
• worst air pollution in the
world (WHO 2011)
Ahvaz
• Oil wells near Ahvaz
River Jordan

Mt. Hermon

Sea of
Galilee

Dead Sea
Dead Sea part of Rift Valley
Dead Sea
• Dead sea is located on An arm
of Great African rift valley –
Jordan rift valley
• Dead sea = lowest point on
land surface
• Second most saline lake in the
world after lake Van
Importance of River Jordan
• Origin: Mt. Hermon
• Flows through a rift valley
• Jordan: on east bank –
canal irrigation – good
agriculture
• Jordan river drains Hula
valley (north of sea of
Galilee) of Israel
• Israel canal from Sea of
Galilee to central and south
Israel
 Importance of river Jordan
Navigation not possible – highly meandering,
shallow and seasonal flow
Christians, Jews, and Muslims alike revere the
Jordan
 Palestine- Israel conflict
Before WWI, west Asia was under Ottoman
empire
Most of Jews lived in eastern and central
Europe
At the end of 19th century, beginning of Arab
nationalism and Zionism
Zionism (return to Zion) – re-establish Jewish
nation of Israel in Palestine (historic homeland,
described in their scriptures)
 Palestine- Israel conflict
1859- 1880s widespread persecution of Jews in
Europe and Russia
Zionist movement turned into political
movement in 1897
Jewish people, wealthy trading community in
Europe
Jewish National fund was created – started
buying lands in Palestine
 Palestine- Israel conflict
WWI Jews supported UK, France and Russia
After WWI Ottoman empire came under British rule
1916- Sykes- Picot agreement Jordan, Israel, Palestine
territory to British
1917- British occupied Palestine region
1917- Balfour declaration- establishment of Israel as
homeland for Jews – not implemented
But Jews immigration grew under British mandate +
Nazi rule in Germany
Arab attacks increased with Jews settlements
 Palestine- Israel conflict
By 1948 British mandate expired
State of Israel established in 1948
After end of British mandate Egypt, Jordan Syria
and Iraq started evading territories
Egypt occupied Gaza strip and Jordan west bank
Egypt supported Palestinian volunteers for fidayeen
attacks against Israel in Gaza strip
1967, Israel occupied West bank from Jordan and
Gaza strip from Egypt
 Palestine- Israel conflict
Golan heights- part of French mandate of Syria
after WWII
After 1944, became part of independent Syria
1967 –conflict between Syria and Israel
Golan Heights – internationally recognized as
Syrian territory but occupied by Israel since 1967
 Turkey Iran

Anatolia Plateau – Radial drainage

 Important lakes

Lake Lake
Van Urmia
Darya-i-
namak
 Turkey Iran

Lake Van =  Lake Urmia = Largest

Most saline lake of the fresh water lake of Iran
world (330)  Lake Darya –i- namak =
Located at foothills of salty lake – salinity 200
Mt. Ararat in Turkey
It does not freeze even
during harsh winter due
to high salinity
Lake Urmia
• Lake Urmia shrunk by
90%
• Lake attracts migratory
birds
• Droughts + Irrigation
projects
• Salt storm – increase
salinity of surrounding
soil
Aral Sea
• Used to be 4th largest lake
in the world
• Feed by Amu Darya and
Syr Darya
• Irrigation for Soviet
cotton industry
• Uzbekistan – top cotton
producer – irrigation
from Amu Darya
Aral sea
• Amu Darya ceased to
reach Aral sea
• Volume of water of Syr
Darya declined to Aral
sea
• Due to concentration of
pesticides and fertilizers
– saltier – death of fishes
 Important Straights

Gulf of
Suez
Strait of
Gulf of Hormuz
Aqaba

Bab-al-Mandeb
Straights around Turkey
 Facts
Countries bordering Black Sea
Countries bordering Caspian Sea TO be noted
Tropic of cancer passing which of the down
countries in West Asia
 Climate of West Asia

Mediterrane
an climate
Tropical
climate
Mediterranean Arid/desert climate
 Climate of West Asia
Arid to semi-arid climate
Water shortage – Saudi Arabia and other
countries of Arabian Peninsula, Iran depend upon
desalination of sea water
Shortage of agriculture land
Problems of Desertification of soil
Importers of food grains
Tropical agriculture in West Asia

Cotton,
sugar beet,
Tobacco Pistachio,
Raisin and
Cotton Rice
Saffron
Cotton

Temperate
fruits

Coffee
Mocha
Mediterranean agriculture
• Fruit orchards: oranges,
grapes, cherries etc.
• Turkey – Olives
• Lebanon – Fruits and
Olives
• Israel -Jaffa oranges,
tomatoes and Lime
• organic farming
Qanat system of Irrigation
• Ancient irrigation practice
of Iran and Afghanistan
• Underground irrigation
technique
• Taps underground
mountain water source
• Series of tunnels from the
source to places of
irrigation
 Irrigation in Israel in modern times
Drip irrigation sprinklers
Tal-Ya Irrigation in Israel
• Called Tal-Ya technology
• Plastic trays Collects
Dew – and funnel it to
the plants
• Saves water required for
irrigation
 India and Israel agro-cooperation
India- Israel cooperation in agriculture
agreement 2008
Israel has set up Center for excellence in India
Indian farmers learn Techniques like, vertical
farming, soil solarisation, protective farming (use
of green house and poly houses)
Vertical farming Soil solarisation
Mineral reserve in West Asia

More than half of

the world’s oil
reserve and 40%
of natural gas
reserve
 Oil reserve of Saudi Arabia
• Saudi has about 100
Al Zulof
major oil fields
AL Qatif
• Ghawar oil field – largest
Ras Tannurah oil field in the world
Ad Dammam
Khuraus
Oil reserve of Iraq
• Majnoon field
Kirkuk • Halfaya field
• West Qurna field
• Rumaylah field
East Baghdad
• East Baghdad field
Halfaya

Majnoon
West Qurna
Rumaylah
 Oil reserve of Iran
• Azadegan
• Yadavaran
• Ahvaz
Ahavaz
• Marun
Azadegan
Yadavaran
Marun
Gach Saran
• Gach Saran
• Agha Jari
• Ramin
• South Pars
Oil reserves of Arabian Peninsula
 India’s energy imports
India – 4th largest energy consumer
Following China, US and Russia
India started import of LNG in 2004
4th largest LNG importer: after Japan, South
Korea and China
 India’s energy import
Top sources of Natural
Top sources of Crude Oil
gas
Saudi Arabia  Qatar
Iraq  Egypt
Iran  Oman
Kuwait
 Australia
UAE
 Saudi Arabia
Nigeria
Venezuela
Angola
 India’s import of Petroleum (2012-13)
1) Saudi Arabia 7) Nigeria
2) Iraq 8) Iran
3) Venezuela 9) Angola
4) Qatar
5) Kuwait
6) UAE

From Data.gov.in
Important Ports of West Asia

Latakia
Beirut
Port
Haifa Basra
Elat Aqaba
Bandar
Ad
Abbas
Dammam

Jeddah Muscat

Aden