Australia in Asia and the Pacific

Australia in Asia and the PacificPhysical Geography

Definitions

Relief

Landform

Topography

Plains Areas of lowlands with gentle slopes and

low hills Sometimes associated with river

systems Alluvial soil deposited during flooding of

rivers over centuries produces rich, fertile soil

Majority of people live here Support intensive agriculture

ExamplesIndo-Gangetic Plain Kanto Plain

Structural PlainsExample: Inner China No deposits of alluvial soil Severe climate No potential for agriculture

Hill Lands/Uplands Moderate elevation India and China hill lands are plateaus Most productive agricultural land

consists of pockets of alluvium along the valley floors

China south of Yangtze River mainly hill lands

ExampleIndia

Mountains and Plateaus Main areas are around Pakistan and

India Ranges radiate from Pamir Mountains in

northern Pakistan and Afghanistan Continue south easterly direction

through SE Asia, Indonesia and PNG World’s highest mountain: Everest

8848m, 93 other mountains over 7300m

Mountains and Plateaus Soil is shallow and will not grow enough

crops to support a lot of people Scattered, isolated villages Broken by deep river valleys Mountains act as a barrier to movement

and communication, divide countries from each other and form a natural line of defence

Examples

Rivers Focus of human settlement Deposits of alluvium created favourable

conditions for intensive agriculture Outside of main rivers catchments are

generally too small to create extensive flood plains

Rivers act as international boundaries, transport routes, irrigation water

ExamplesMekong Cambodia

Deltas Triangular shaped area of land at the

mouth of a river with large deposits of alluvium

ExamplesGanges River Delta - Bangladesh

Islands Many countries that consist solely of

islands, eg: Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, New Zealand, Pacific islands

Travelling between islands difficult Goods and people transported by boat Isolation

Examples

Pacific IslandsMelanesiao Islands lie along edge of Australian

tectonic plateo Made from fragments of land that were

once part of GondwanaPolynesiao Islands are result of volcanoes that have

risen from a hot spot on the sea flooro Surrounded by coral reefs

ExampleBora BoraFrench Polynesia