Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
Province of Laguna
The Topography of Asia
The Topography of Asia
Objectives:
1.To discuss the topography of Asia.
2.To enumerate the topographic features of Asia.
3. To give value on the natural resources of Asia.
Content
Location
Asia occupies a large portion of the world. Its boundaries are as follows:
North- Arctic Ocean
East- Bering Strait and the Pacific Ocean
South- Indian Ocean
Southwest- Red Sea and Mediterranean Sea
West- Ural Mountain Range that divides Asia and Europe
1.Land Area
Asia is the largest of the world’s seven continents.
It measures approximately 45 million square kilometers comprising about a third
of the world’s land mass,
From east to west, Asia covers a distance of 8,500 kilometers.
2.Weather and Climate
Asia has varying climates: it rains in some areas and snows in others. When the
wind blows from the Arctic region to the Pacific Ocean, longer winters and
shorter summers occur.
Asia has generally warm weather because of the deserts in the central portion of
the continent.
In the southern and eastern parts, the monsoon or wet season prevails.
Countries in the eastern part often experience typhoons while the southwestern
parts are always warm and dry.
3. Natural Resources
Asia is surrounded by water, high mountain ranges, low valleys, and plains, and
enveloped by a municipality of climates.
The highest point can be found in the Himalayan mountain range followed by the
plateaus of Tibet, Siberia, Eastern China, Southern India, and the Arabian
Peninsula.
Asia has a variety of plants and animals because of its diverse climates and land
terrains.
Some of the animals are unique to this part of the world such as the orangutan,
anteater, tiger, and elephant.
Asia is also rich minerals such as coal, oil, natural gas, chromium, iron,
manganese, and gold.
4.Major Topographic Features
Mountain Ranges
Himalayas, Karakorum, Hindu Kush, Elburz, Caucasus, Pamirs, Taurus, Kunlun,
Tian Shan, Alatais, and Urals
Highest Mountain
Everest (8,846 meters); K2 (8,607 meters); Kanchenjunga (8,598 meters);
Lhotse (8,511 meters); and Makalu (8,841 meters)
Largest Lakes
Aral Sea (41,100 square kilometers); Baikal (31,494 sq.km); Balkhash (18,900
sq.km); Caspian Sea (370,000 sq.km); and Dead Sea (1,020 sq.km)
Major Rivers
Amu Darya, Amur, Brahmaputra, Chao Phraya, Euphrates, Ganges, Huang Ho
(Yellow), Indus, Irrwaddy, Irtysh, Jhelum, Jordan, Lena, Mekong, Ob’ Salween, Shinano,
Tigris, Yalu, Yamuna (Jumna), Yangtze, and Yenisey
Lowest Area
Dead Sea Coast (395 meters below sea level)
Environmental Issues in Asia
Some of the major environmental issues in Asia are as follows:
Soil exhaustion owing to the depletion of nutrients as a result of the economic
activities of people. This includes land that has turned into deserts.
Deforestation due to overpopulation and indiscriminate logging.
Air pollution due to industrialization in many cities
4. Human Resources
Asia has the world’s most concentrated population density. There are 3.5 billion
people distributed at a ratio of 77 people to a square kilometer of the continent’s
total land area.
Singapore is the most crowded country in the world with more than 4,000 people
per square kilometer. Mongolia is the least crowded country.
More than half of Asia’s 3.5 billion live in cities and urban centers.
Reference:
Fornier,J.N.Banasihan.M. et’al (2006): ASIA: History, Civilization and Culture. Anvil
Publishing Inc.
The Topography of Asia
Exercise 1
Direction: Identify the word needed in each number. Write your answer in the space
provided.
_________________1. North boundary of Asia.
_________________2. West boundary of Asia.
_________________3. Refers to the area of volcanoes and seismic activity along the
basin of the Pacific Ocean.
_________________4. Measure of Asia comprising about a third of the world’s land
mass.
_________________5. The most crowded country in the world.
_________________6. Least crowded country.
_________________7. Environmental issue due to overpopulation and indiscriminate
logging.
_________________8. Environmental issue due to industrialization in many cities.
_________________9. Environmental issue owing to the depletion of nutrients as a
result of the economic activities of people.
_________________10. Has the world’s most concentrated population density.
Exercise 2
Direction: Enumerate the following.
Mountain Ranges
1.
2.
3.
Highest Mountains
4.
5.
Largest lake
6.
7.
Major Rivers
8.
9.
Lowest Area
10.
Exercise 3
Essay
1.Prove or refute: a country may be rich in natural resources but it can still be considered
poor.
2. As a student, what are the ways to protect and to preserve our natural resources.
The Topography of Asia
Answer Key
Exercise 1
1. Arctic Ocean
2. Ural Mountain Range
3. Pacific Ring of Fire
4. 45 million square kilometers
5. Singapore
6. Mongolia
7. Deforestation
8. Air pollution
9. Soil exhaustion
10. Asia
Exercise 2
1-3. Mountain Ranges
Himalayas, Karakorum, Hindu Kush, Elburz, Caucasus, Pamirs, Taurus, Kunlun,
Tian Shan, Alatais, and Urals
4-5. Highest Mountain
Everest; K2; Kanchenjunga; Lhotse; and Makalu
6-7. Largest Lakes
Aral Sea ; Baikal; Balkhash; Caspian Sea; and Dead Sea
8-9. Major Rivers
Amu Darya, Amur, Brahmaputra, Chao Phraya, Euphrates, Ganges, Huang Ho
(Yellow), Indus, Irrwaddy, Irtysh, Jhelum, Jordan, Lena, Mekong, Ob’ Salween, Shinano,
Tigris, Yalu, Yamuna (Jumna), Yangtze, and Yenisey
10. Lowest Area
Dead Sea Coast (395 meters below sea level)
