World Cultures

Unit III: S.E. Asia

Name: ___________________________
Date: ___________________

Physical Geography of South East Asia, Oceania, and Antarctica

pgs. 689-692

1.
What is an archipelago and identify an example?
An archipelago is a group of islands and an example of this is the Philippines and Indonesia.
2. What rivers and resources exist in South East Asia? Why is this important?
The rivers an coastlines provide farming and fishing for the locals to have a produce to sell and
earn a profit for themselves.
3. What is Oceania? About how many islands exist in Oceania?
Oceania is the pacific islands as a group which includes the Philippines, Indonesia, and islands
close to mainland.
4. What are high islands? What are low islands?
High islands are created by volcanoes and low islands are made by coral reefs and poor soil.
5. What resource problem exists in Oceania?
A resource problem is that they are not rich in resources which causes them to have to import
rather than export.
6. Describe the difference in the North and South Islands of New Zealand. Even though it
has limited natural resources, what has allowed New Zealand to thrive?
The north islands are volcanic (fertile farmland and timber industry) while the south islands are
the south alps (16 peaks and 360+glaciers). There are few mineral resources and the rivers are
hydroelectricity.
7. How is Australia different from New Zealand? (Be specific. What is found here that is
not found in New Zealand?)
Where New Zealand has a lot of mountains, Australia is the flattest, smallest continent. IT has
very few rivers but is rich in minerals where New Zealand is not. It has smaller mountains and is
home to the great barrier reef.
8. The 5th largest continent is Antarctica. Compare East and West Antarctica (underneath
the ice).
East Antarctica is a plateau surrounded by mounts and valleys while west Antarctica is a group
of separate islands linked by ice.

9. What is interesting about Antarctica's ice sheet? What resources may lie beneath?
Its the largest fresh water supple in the world
Climate and Vegetation
pgs. 694-701
1.
What sort of climate exists in most of South East Asia and Oceania?
Tropic climates cover most of southeast Asia and Oceania.
2. What are the two categories that exist in the climate of South East Asia and Oceania?
The two categories are the year round rains and the wet and dry seasons.
3. Describe a monsoon.
Monsoons are winds that cause wet and dry seasons and they cause disastrous weather.
4. How does the climate affect the tropical plants and vegetation that exists in South East
Asia and Oceania?
Southeast Asia has the most diverse vegetation of any region where Oceania does not have a
diverse vegetation.
5. Look at the 5 Themes Box (Human-Environment Interaction). What is Terraced
Farming? Why would this be interesting to historians?
Terraced farming is when farmers build terraces, or ledges, on the sides of hills. This would be
interesting to historians probably because its a different way to farming and it alters the
landscape for farming.

6. Describe the climate in Australia and New Zealand. How is Australias climate similar to
South East Asia and also New Zealand?
Australia and New Zealand have generally moderate climates. New Zealand and the southern
part of Australias east coast share a marine west coast climate. Seasons have mild
temperatures because of ocean breezes warm the land in the winter and cool it in the summer.

7. Why is of Australia a dry desert? What is the outback?

One third of Australia is a dry desert because the region only gets less than 10 inches of rain a
year and is too dry for agriculture or for grazing. The outback is an unpopulated inland region

8. What is the White Desert? What sorts of life lives in it?

The White Desert is the land located around the South Pole which is the world coldest and
driest continent, Antarctica.