Chapter 7: Asia

• Asia: the largest continent for both population and land area, with 60% of the world's population (4.6 billion people)
• Countries: 49 countries
• Ocean Borders: Indian Ocean and Pacifiic Ocean
• Asia's borders with Europe: 


  Around 2500 years ago, Asian Greeks didn't know much about the world to the east of Greece. So they called it "Asia", from a word that means "east".
• Asia's borders with Europe:

  Around 2500 years ago, Asian Greeks didn't know much about the world to the east of Greece. So they called it "Asia", from a word that means "east".

  A) Russia

  B) Russia

  C) Ural mountains

  
• Asia's borders with Oceania:


  • The borders mostly wiggle between islands.
  • New Guinea:-Half of it belongs to Indonesia in Asia. The other half is known as "Papua New Guinea" in Oceania.
• Europe border: between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle
• Oceania Border: between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Equator
• Land Area: 44.6 km2
• Eurasia: The landmass that is located between Europe and Asia.
• The world's two most populus countries:

  China & India --> overall 2.8 billion people
• Thousands of different ethnic groups.

  e.g. India --> has more than 2000 ethnic groups
• Multilingual country: e.g. Arabic, Chinese
• Top three religions practices in Asia:

  1. Islam
  2. Hinduism
  3. Buddhism
• 53% of Asia's population lives in rural areas as farmers
• 8 of the world's 10 largest cities are Asian.

  e.g. Shanghai, in China
• 10% of Asia's population lives in poverty, on less than £2.50 a day
• Central Asian countries

  • Kazakhstan
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Tajikistan
  • Turkmenistan
  • Uzbekistan
• East Asian countries

  • Mongolia
  • China
  • Japan
  • Korea (North and South)
  • Taiwan
• South Asian countries

  • Bangladesh
  • India
  • Nepal
  • Pakistan
  • Sri Lanka
  • Maldives
  • Bhutan
• South-east Asian countries

  • Myanmar
  • Laos
  • Thailand
  • Malaysia
  • Brunei
  • Cambodia
  • East Timor
  • The Philippines
  • Singapore
  • Indonesia
• The Middle East countries

  • Iran
  • Iraq
  • Israel
  • Jordan
  • Kuwait
  • Lebanon
  • Oman
  • Qatar
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Syria
  • Turkey
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Yemen
• Country in North Asia: Russia
• The Himalayas are growing taller by 6 cm a year.
• Only ten Asian countries have more people than the UK (not counting Russia)
• Palm oil is used in bread, biscuits, ice cream, shampoo
• Much of Indonesia's rainforest has been cleared to grow oil palm trees
• Population density: The number of people per square kilometer of land.
• Population distribution: How the people in a country are spread around
• In a map, the deeper the shade, the more people live in that area.
• Indonesia: Asia's third most populous country
• Singapore: Asia's second smallest country by area; an island; 90% covered by the city; a global city/hub
• A biome: a large area of land that has a similar climate and ecosystem.
• The climate dictates what a biome is like
• Tundra biome


  • A cold region where the ground is deeply frozen.
  • Ony the surface thaws in summer, allowing small plants to grow.

  
• Steppes [biome]


  • A large flat area of treeless grassland.
  • Summers are hot
  • Winters are very cold
  • Is in the middle of the continent

  
• Temperate forest biome


  • In between the steppes and the coast.
  • There are deciduous trees (trees which lose their leaves in winter)
  • The biome is much wetter
  • Summers are hot.
  • Winters are cold, and very cold in some places.

  
• Cold desert biome


  • Vegetation is sparse because their's so little rain.
  • South of the steppes.
  • Summers are hot.
  • Cloudless skies mean cold nights.
  • Winters are brutally cold (-40 degrees or <)

  
• Hot desert biome


  • Further south form the steppes.
  • Usually very hot during the day, and cold at night.

  
• Mountain biome


  • The higher you go, the colder it is.
  • Up high, there are glaciers.
  • After a certain point, it's too cold and dry for trees.