Southeast Asia Geography Notes PDF

The Geography of Southeast Asia Physical Geography of Southeast Asia Notes no. 2.1 – The Location of Southeast Asia ❖ Definition of Terms 1. tectonic plates – are gigantic pieces of the Earth’s crust and uppermost mantle 2. fault line – an area on the earth's surface that seems weak and likely...

The Geography of Southeast Asia Physical Geography of Southeast Asia Notes no. 2.1 – The Location of Southeast Asia ❖ Definition of Terms 1. tectonic plates – are gigantic pieces of the Earth’s crust and uppermost mantle 2. fault line – an area on the earth's surface that seems weak and likely to cause problems 3. isthmus – a narrow pathway connecting a land to a larger landmass 4. Pacific Ring of Fire – a volcanic zone around the Pacific Ocean 5. Circum-seismic Belt – a volcanic belt where a large number of earthquakes have been witnessed 6. insular – referring to an island as being surrounded by a body of water 7. relative location - refers to the location of a specific place according to its neighboring places 8. absolute location - refers to the exact location of a particular place using the latitude and longitude lines ❖ Parts of the Globe or Map 1. Latitude – imaginary lines that determine the north and the south. 2. Equator – special 0° latitude line that divides the earth between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. 3. Longitude – imaginary lines that determine the east and the west. 4. Prime Meridian – special 0° longitude line that divides the earth between the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. 5. Tropic of Cancer – special 23.5° N latitude 6. Tropic of Capricorn – special 23.5° S latitude ❖ Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia comprises 4.43 million km2 or almost 10 percent of the entire Asian lands. o The region is located on the southern part of mainland China, eastern side of South Asia and Bay of Bengal, and the western part of the Pacific Ocean. o On the continental side, its countries include Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam – this is the subregion called Mainland Southeast Asia. o The Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Singapore, and Timor- Leste make up the island parts – this is the subregion called Insular Southeast Asia o Southeast Asian countries are located in the middle of Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn, and along the equatorial line. - The climate among these tropical countries is generally warm all year, with an abundant annual precipitation. The total land area of Southeast Asia is located in the middle of three major continental plates – Eurasia, Indian-Australian, and Pacific plates. o This is the reason why the region is also a part of the Pacific Ring of Fire and Circum- seismic Belt. o A lot of fault lines can be found in the region. - The 1200 km Philippines Fault Zone (PFZ) is an example of a fault line. It stretches from the north-west of Luzon down to the south-east of Mindanao. ❖ The Absolute Location of the Southeast Asian Countries 1. Hanoi, Vietnam – 21° N, 105.8° E 2. Naypyidaw, Myanmar – 19.8° N, 96° E 3. Bangkok, Thailand – 13.8° N, 100.5° E 4. Phnom Penh, Cambodia – 12.6° N, 105° E 5. Vientiane, Laos - 18° N, 103° E  6. Jakarta, Indonesia – 6° S, 106.8° E 7. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - 3° N, 101° E 8. Manila, Philippines - 15° N, 121° E 9. Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam – 4.9° N, 115° E 10. Singapore – 1.4° N, 103.8° E 11. Dili, East Timor – 8.6°S, 125.6° E ❖ The Relative Location of the Southeast Asian Countries Two Kinds of Relative Location 1. Vicinal Location refers to the nearby or adjacent areas. Example, the vicinal location of Thailand: East: Laos West: Myanmar Southwest: Cambodia South: Malaysia 2. Insular Location refers to the bodies of water surrounding a specific area. Example, the insular location of the Philippines: North: Bashi Channel, Luzon Strait East: Pacific Ocean, Philippine Sea West: West Philippine Sea South: Celebes Sea Prepared by: Mr. James Imman Ilao