CONTENTS ALL ACROSS ASIA 4 DISCOVERING EAST ASIA 6 JOURNEY TO SOUTHEAST ASIA 8 THE DESERTS OF EAST ASIA 10 RIVERS AND SOCIETIES 12 14 LIFE ALONG THE COAST THE MOUNTAINS OF ASIA 16 JAPAN A SHIMAGUNI 18 ENTERING SOUTHEAST ASIA 20 WORKING WITH THE WATER 22 MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE 24 PACIFIC ISLANDS 26 DIVERSE AND BEAUTIFUL LANDS 28 GLOSSARY 30 FOR MORE INFORMATION 31 INDEX 32
ALL ACROSS ASIA Asia is the world’s largest continent Covering more than 17 million square miles 44 million sq km Asia includes about a third of the entire surface of the planet It is part of the larger supercontinent of Eurasia which includes Asia and Europe In addition to being the largest continent Asia is also the most populated Its people have adapted to the diverse geography and extreme climates over time especially in east and Southeast Asia The natural beauty and rocky landscape of east and Southeast Asia have inspired exploration and settlement for thousands of years Early civilizations in this region saw the forces of nature as godlike or spiritual beings Today modern societies with major urban centers flourish alongside major rivers and in the shadows of the mountains of east and Southeast Asia BORDERS AND BOUNDARIES Asia’s borders and boundaries are defined by land sea and culture It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Indian Ocean to the south To the west it shares a border with Europe part of which includes the Caucasus and Ural mountain ranges However this border is mostly determined by cultural differences and there is some argument over where one continent ends and the other begins 4
THINK LIKE GEOGRAPHER Throughout east and Southeast Asia societies developed according to the limitations and opportunities the geography provided This photograph shows homes built along a river and between hills in Guilin China A WUHAN IS THE CAPITAL CITY OF THE HUBEI PROVINCE IN CENTRAL CHINA IN 2019 AN OUTBREAK OF THE DEADLY COVID-19 VIRUS WAS FIRST REPORTED IN WUHAN BECAUSE OF GLOBAL TRAVEL AND TRADE THE VIRUS QUICKLY BECAME A GLOBAL PANDEMIC THAT GREATLY AFFECTED CHINA AS WELL AS THE REST OF THE REGION OF EAST ASIA AND THE WIDER WORLD 5
