First, let's check the location of Southeast Asia. It is located in the southwest of Japan, just below the equator and around it.
This time, I will summarize the geographical features and climate of Southeast Asia.
Let's take a look at the geographical characteristics of Southeast Asia
The region that makes up Southeast Asia consists of the Indochina Peninsula surrounded by the pink dotted line, the Malay Peninsula that extends to the south, and many islands.
Alps Himalayan orogenic belt And Ring of Fire There are a lot of mountains in the area along the orogenic belt, and earthquakes and volcanic activity are likely to occur frequently due to crustal movements . is.
Sometimes there were volcanic eruptions that affected the entire world history .. Indonesia's "Toba Volcano" and "Tambora Volcano" and "Krakatau Volcano" between Java and Sumatra are famous.
After the eruption, it became a "volcanic winter" worldwide, and it seems that there were many cases that led to a political revolution by causing various plagues and famines.
It is said that Sulawesi Island has a strange shape like K because it is located between two orogenic belts and a strange force is applied.
Since the archipelago is an area with active mountain building activities, there are several high mountains with a height of around 3000-4000m . (The highest peak of the Annamite Range, which belongs to the ancient orogenic belt in the continental area, does not reach 3000 m).
The highest peak in Southeast Asia is Mt. Hkakabo Razi, which belongs to the Himalayas and is 5881m (not visible on the map because it is located in the northern part of Myanmar).
Geographical characteristics of the continental area
The longest Mekong River in Southeast Asia In the continental area, the mountains further north of the map ( Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau ) ) There are multiple long rivers that form a delta doing.
Geographical characteristics of the islands
Since the archipelago has many places with a lot of rainfall and a lot of mountains, the terrain is such that rivers flow out from the highlands and cross the flat land (however, depending on the island and the season, the rivers are very dry and the rivers are in the dry season. It seems that there are places where it dries up).
Due to its warmth and abundance of water, rice is also produced in archipelago areas such as the Philippines and Indonesia. Since there are many mountains on Luzon Island, you can see the scenery of rice terraces as in Japan.
What kind of climate is Southeast Asia?
Southeast Asia is located just below and around the equator doing. The area around the equator is a place that is susceptible to energy from the sun throughout the year.
So, all regions tend to be hot throughout the year It is in. Basically Southeast Asia
- Rainforest climate with heavy rainfall all year round
- Tropical monsoon climate with weak dry and rainy seasons
- The rainy season and the dry season are clearly separated. " Savanna climate
It is divided into.
It's easy to understand if you look at the diagram you learned in the science class, but the sun shines around the equator regardless of the season and the seawater evaporates. As a result, areas near the equator are prone to updrafts throughout the year, creating more clouds and more rain . Become.
On the other hand, in areas located slightly north and south of the equator, there is a difference in temperature because the sun shines differently in summer and winter, so rainy season / dry season comes out . .. It rains when the sun is shining and it is hot rainy season On the other hand, it is difficult to make rain clouds when the sun is hard to hit dry season . It becomes.
Also, rain clouds can be created by the air currents hitting mountains and rising, and the rain clouds themselves are monsoon . It may also be affected by (monsoon).
Due to this environment, Southeast Asia is not limited to hot and humid places, but it seems that there are places where it is very dry with little rain in the dry season.
Indochina Peninsula and Malay Peninsula
Most of the Indochina Peninsula has a clear " savanna climate in the rainy and dry seasons. , And a part of the Indochina Peninsula and north of the central Malay Peninsula is "a tropical monsoon climate divided into a mild dry season and a rainy season. ].
Most of the Indochina Peninsula has a " savanna climate The reason is that the monsoon that blows from October to March comes from a dry continent . So it's easy to understand.
In addition, the westernmost part of the map of the Köppen climate classification is " Tropical monsoon climate . However, it just overlaps with the mountains west of the Irrawaddy River . .. This seems to be due to the fact that updrafts are likely to occur in some mountain ranges. It's a warm area even in winter.
On the other hand, except for the southern part of the Malay Peninsula, " Tropical monsoon climate 』It is easy to understand by looking at the map. Monsoon blowing in winter However, as it passes through a part of the Indochina Peninsula, it becomes a dry wind.
After a little hydration as we passed through the Gulf of Thailand, we arrived at a part of the Malay Peninsula. Therefore, even if it does not rain as much as in the rainy season, a climate with a weak dry season It has become.
Islands
Next, let's take a look at the Southeast Asian Islands.
In the case of the Filipino Islands, because it is a mountainous island, each region has a " rainforest climate . " Tropical Monsoon Region " Savanna Climate 』And a variety of climates.
Since it is located in the northern hemisphere, in places where the rainy season is divided into dry seasons, the rainy season is from June to October, and the dry season is from November to February . It will be.
Java Island has a " rainforest climate " Tropical monsoon climate " Savanna Climate Is a mixed climate category, but the islands east of Java have a savanna climate . ].
Since this is the Southern Hemisphere, the season opposite to the Philippine Islands is the rainy season / dry season . is.
Agriculture in Southeast Asia
Since there are many areas that are basically warm and surrounded by the sea, Southeast Asia has many places with abundant water.
Especially in the continental area, a large amount of earth and sand carried by large rivers such as the Mekong River fertilizes the land, and there is abundant water and there are no steep mountains, so the paddy field has expanded.
Rice production is up to 12th place in 2014, but Southeast Asian countries are included in the ranking in a considerable proportion.
Aside from Japan, it is no coincidence that China, India, Brazil, the United States, and other countries with large areas are lined up in the top of the rice production ranking. Since Southeast Asia is warm, there is a place where double cropping is possible, which is one of the reasons why it is ranked.
Of course, in the old days, the countryside was not wide enough to be harvested (full-scale agricultural development was after the 19th century), but at least it is a corner of my mind that there is an environment where large quantities of grains such as rice can be cultivated. I think it's a good idea to put it in.
On the other hand, narrow islands tend to be mountainous and have abundant rain, so fertile soil tends to flow easily due to floods. Of course, not all.
For that reason, there are many places to farm in the rainforest. It seems that the ash from the rainforest promotes soil improvement and is a reasonable way to quickly farm, and a kind of yam and taro are grown.
Cassava, which is famous for tapioca, is also harvested, but since it is native to Brazil, it is cultivated after a long time.
And one of Southeast Asian agriculture that must not be forgotten is spice cultivation . is. The land where this spice can be obtained also contributed to the Age of Discovery.
Characteristics and summary of Southeast Asia
That is all for the geographical features of Southeast Asia. What you should remember when learning history is
- Because it rains a lot, there are many rivers and there is no problem with water transportation
- There is soil with abundant grains
- Abundant spices
That part.
Hi to interact with the old powers (China, India, and even the Arabian Peninsula in the west) in the neighborhood of Southeast Asia It is more efficient to use maritime transportation more reliably than to pass through the Malaya Mountains because it can carry a large amount of goods .. There are many towns that can be used as ports.
Some merchants demand abundant spices, and a route that could be called the Maritime Silk Road was already established in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD.
The fact that the shipping lanes have been established and many people have gathered together leads to the fact that foreign cultures and civilizations can easily enter and trade can easily enrich the economy. You can get a lot of grains, so you can eat it even if people gather to some extent.
Due to such an environment, a unique civilization influenced by India, China, and Islam has been built in Southeast Asia since ancient times.
In addition, the map is processed by a blank map specialty store. Thank you very much.