1. Chapter 2
Sections 2.1; 2.2; 2.3
SOUTH, SOUTHWEST AND
CENTRAL ASIA: PHYSICAL
GEOGRAPHY
Book Name: Prentice Hall World Studies Asia & the Pacific
ISBN: 0-13-204154-5

2. Vocabulary 2.1 South Asia Physical Geography
Subcontinent Large land mass
that is part of a
continent
Alluvial Made of soil
deposits by rivers
Cash Crop Crop that is raised
to be sold at
markets

3. Vocabulary 2.2 Southwest Asia Physical
Geography
Oasis Area in desert region where
fresh water is available
from underground spring
Petroleum Oily liquid formed from the
remains of ancient plants
Non Renewable Resource Natural resource that
cannot be replaced (Oil)
Standard of Living Measurement of persons
education, housing, health
& nutrition

4. Vocabulary 2.3 Central Asia: Physical Geography
Steppe Vast, treeless
plains covered in
grass

5. I. South Asia
 A. Major Landforms of South Asia
 1.A Natural Barrier: Himalayas form a
natural barrier between South Asia and the
rest of Asia. Himalayas stretch for 1,550
miles. Mount Everest is the tallest
mountain in the world 29,035 ft.

6.  2.Rivers of Life: Two rivers in South Asia
are the Ganges and the Indus. They both
begin in the mountains of the Himalayas.

7.  3.Plains and Plateaus: Huge plains cover
the north of the Indian subcontinent. The
plains are alluvial meaning the soil is rich
and fertile from the river deposits. In the
south of the subcontinent lies the Deccan
plain.

8.  B. The Climates of South Asia
 1. The Summer Monsoons: from June to
October the wind blows from the
southwest . It carries moisture from the
Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. The air
is very humid.
 2. The Winter Monsoons: from November
to April the wind blows from the Northeast
bringing cooler drier air.

9.  C. Land Use in South Asia
 1. Cash Crops: Crops that are sold for money
include, tea, cotton, coffee, and sugar cane.
 2. Mineral Resources: Although there is rich
supplies of iron ore and coal, there is not
much oil. Hydroelectricity and nuclear power
supply energy needs.
 3. Population and Land Use: Most people
live in coastal areas that have lots of rain.

10. 2.2 Southwest Asia
 A. Dry Region Bordered by Water
 1. Two Historic Rivers: Tigris and Euphrates Rivers provide
some of the most fertile land in the world.
 2. Mountains and Plateaus: The Zargos Mountains extend
along the western part of Iran. The Elburz Mountains extend
along the northern coast of Iran.
 Seas and Gulfs: This area is surrounded by water. Red
Sea, Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Caspian Sea and the
Persian Gulf separate this area into regions.
 Hot, Dry, Climate: 2/3 of area is desert. This area has very
little rainfall. Areas around the Mediterranean Sea are more
mild.

11.  B. Southwest Asia’s Major Natural
Resources
 Petroleum: Southwest Asia has more than
half the world’s oil.
 Water: Irrigation must be used because
there is so little water in this area. Water is
also found by digging deep wells.

12. 1. What is the topic of the map?
2. What symbol represents petroleum?
What symbol represents coal?
3. How do the natural resources found in
the western part of this region differ
from those found in the eastern part?
Which natural resource is most
common overall?

13.  B. Southwest Asia’s Major Natural
Resources
 Petroleum: Southwest Asia has more than
half the world’s oil.
 Water: Irrigation must be used because
there is so little water in this area. Water is
also found by digging deep wells.

14.  C. Using the Land in Southwest Asia: People use the
land for three different reasons.
 1. Agriculture: Mostly grown in the northern part of the
region, the Mediterranean climate is ideal for growing/
 2. Nomadic Herding: Bedouins who live in the desert herd
animals, moving over large areas of land.
 3. Producing Oil: Lots of oil found here.

15. Online Activity
 http://phschool.com
 Web Code: lcd-6202
 Examine this chart from the CIA World Factbook
which shows how much oil different countries have.
 Look through the top 25 countries. How many of
them are in Southwest Asia?
 Find the countries Jordan and Armenia on the list.
Do these countries have a large amount of oil
compared to other countries? What do you think this
might mean for their standard of living?

16. III. Central Asia
 A. Central Asia’s Main Physical Features
 1. Highlands: Tian Shan and Pamir Mountains
 2. Deserts: Kara Kum Desert
 3. Steppes: Kirghiz Steppe
 4. Climate: Most of Central Asia has a dry climate
 5. Sea: Caspian Sea and the Aral Sea (dried up)

17.  B. Natural Resources in Central Asia
 Kazakhstan has large oil and gas reserves.
 This areas has rich deposits of
coal, gold, copper, iron, ore, lead and
uranium.