Spatial and social relations in Asia.

Goals:

1. Know and use coordinates, conventions and scales to work with

maps and representation plans.

2. Identify spatial and social relationships in Asia.

Explanation

Asia is not only the largest continent, it also has extreme geographic shapes, for
example: Join with lines as appropriate.

The highest mountain China and India.

The biggest depression in the world Gobi, 1. 040. 000 km².
The longest river Caspian Sea, 371,000 km².
The largest lake Yang-Tsé-Chiang, with 5,552 km. Dead
One of the largest deserts in the world Also Sea, at -397 meters.
two of the most populated countries in the Everest, with 8,848 meters
world

Conceptualization

Asia Location

Latitudinally, Asia extends from Cape Cheliuskin at 77°40 north latitude, to Cape
Burn at 1°16 north latitude on the Malay Peninsula. That is, most of the continent's
territory is in the northern hemisphere, and only some Indonesian islands are in the
southern hemisphere. As a consequence, in Asia the lands are located in high and
mid-latitude areas. In mid-latitude areas, seasons occur, while in high latitude
areas, low temperatures occur throughout the year.

Longitudinally, the lands of Asia are in the eastern hemisphere running from
Cape Dezhneva at 169°40 east longitude, to Cape Baba in Turkey at 26° east
longitude. As a consequence, the distance between its extreme points corresponds
to eight time zones.

Geographically, Asia is bordered to the north by the glacial Arctic Ocean; to the
east, with the Pacific Ocean; To the west it is separated from the European
continent by the Ural Mountains, the Caspian Sea, the Black Sea, the Red Sea and
the Caucasus Mountains and to the south by the Indian Ocean. The Asian continent
is also made up of a large number of archipelagos that surround the continent.
Asia physical map

Asia relief

On the Asian continent you can see three large sets of relief structures:

The ancient massifs, among which are:

• Siberian Shield: located in the north of the continent between the Lena and
Yenisei rivers. This section is rich in coal, making it one of the richest in the world.
• Tibet: is the highest and largest massif in the world, with average heights of 4,500
meters above sea level, from which numerous mountain systems and water basins
emerge, such as the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Hoang Ho or Yellow River.
• Arabian Peninsula: in which there is a desert to the south, the elevations in the
peniplains with elevations of up to 3,000 meters above sea level. Lands rich in oil
deposits.
• The great Gobi steppe: the average height of this formation is 1,000 meters above
sea level, it corresponds to the desert zone of the continent.

The mountains formed in the Tertiary .

In this geological period, the Taurus and Turkish mountain ranges, the Caucasus,
the Zagros Mountains, the Elbruz (surrounding the Central Plateau of Iran), the
Kuen Lun mountain range, the Karakorum, the Trans-Himalaya, the Ural
Mountains and the Himalayas were formed. . In this group there are some
depressions in which important cultures have developed, such as India in the
depression of the Indus and Ganges rivers or that of the Tigris and Euphrates for
Mesopotamia.

Recent formations. This group corresponds to the set of islands in the east of the
continent, which maintain significant seismic activity. Japan is one of them. In its
territory there are 58 active volcanoes, among which Fujiyama stands out. The
Malay archipelago and the Philippines also correspond to this group, made up of
more than 7,000 islands, among which the islands of Java, Sumatra and Borneo
stand out. There are depths of more than 7,000 meters above sea level and
elevations that reach 4,000 meters above sea level.

Hydrography

Asia is surrounded by the Arctic glacial oceans to the north, the Pacific to the east,
the Indian Ocean to the south and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Most of the
continent's rivers are long and mighty, originating in mountainous areas and
running across the plains in search of the ocean. Some of the rivers are reservoirs
for lakes or inland seas.

Slope of the Arctic Glacial Ocean. It has few rivers. For much of the year its
waters remain frozen, making navigation difficult. The rivers: Lena, Obi and Yenisei
correspond to this slope.

Pacific Ocean slope. The rivers on this slope are mighty and have waterfalls and
rapids along their paths, as their course passes through the plateaus of central Asia.
The rivers on this slope present large floods due to the effects of the monsoons.
The Yang Tsé Kiang, the Amur, Hoang Ho, the Mekong and the Sikian stand out.
Mediterranean Sea slope. The rivers on this slope are short and not very
navigable. Among these stand out: Sakarya, Seyhan, Kizil Irmat. These are born in
Türkiye, in the Akdag mountain range.

Slope of inland seas and lakes. On the Asian continent there are lakes of great
importance such as TsingHai and Lob Nor in China and Baikal, considered the
deepest lake in the world.

It also has internal seas such as:

• Caspian, which divides the continent of Asia and Europe. The Ural River deposits
its waters there. • Aral: the waters of the Sir Daria and Amu Daria rivers are
deposited there.
• The Balkhash, which in its western part has fresh waters, while in the eastern part
its waters are salty.

• Issyk-kulque is classified as a slightly saline lake. It is the second highest lake in

the world, after Titicaca, in South America.

Indian Ocean slope. The rivers on this slope are mighty. They come from the
Himalayas and along their journey they drag a large amount of sediments, which
have given rise to the alluvial plains.

The Tigris, the Indus, the Ganges and the Euphrates stand out. Other smaller ones
are the Brahmaputra and the Irawadi. The Jordan River also stands out for its
historical and biblical content.

Rivers have been used throughout the history of Asia as a means of transporting
passengers and goods. Rivers not only have material importance but also cultural
importance, since some such as the Narbada, Godovari or Ganges in India are
considered sacred.

I apply my knowledge

1. Remember what the latitudinal location of a place refers to. According to this, what is
the latitudinal location of Asia? What consequences does this location generate?
2. Some say that Asia and Europe constitute a single continent, since they are not
physically separated. What do you think of this concept? Why do you think Europe and
Asia are talked about as separate continents?
3. Check out the importance of the Ganges River. In Colombia, does any river have the
same meaning for its population?

Asian climates
Due to the size of the Asian continent, it has a great climatic variety. According to
Köppen, the following predominate:

• Equatorial climate (Af). This climate has high temperatures and humidity and
rainfall all year round; Temperatures are above 18°C and can reach 27°C. It
corresponds to the areas between 5° north and south latitude. that is, the island area
of Southeast Asia, Indonesia and the Malaysian peninsula.

• Monsoon Climate (Am). It is hot, humid and with abundant rain in summer.
It is the most humid climate on the planet. This phenomenon affects much of the
south and east, from India to China and Japan. It has two moments: winter
monsoon and summer monsoon.

• The winter monsoon. It is a current of winds that goes from the center of the
continent to the south. It produces a dry season, because the low temperatures in
the center and north of the continent generate high pressure systems, while in the
south there are low pressure areas. As winds move from high to low pressure areas,
air masses move southward.

• Summer season. In the summer the situation is reversed, the wind direction
changes, as the center of the continent warms and the winds move towards the
continent. The air masses of the Indian Ocean are loaded with humidity and when
they enter the continent they deposit the waters in torrential rains.

• Continental climate (D). This type of climate occurs between 40° and 60°, in
the mid-latitude area, where the seasons occur. A cold and dry winter is opposed by
a warm and rainy summer; rainfall is regular, but not abundant. The temperature
oscillation is very strong.

• High mountain climate (H). This occurs in high mountain areas such as the
Himalayas, the Tibet Plateau, the Caucasus and some mountains in Japan. In the
Himalayan mountains they range from the Monsoon at their base to the glacial at
the
• cusp. As these mountains serve as a barrier for the Monsoon that heads towards
the center of the country, the rainiest area is located there.
• Polar climate (ET). This climate is characterized by extremely long winters and
short summers, the average temperature in winter is -29°C, while in summer it is
9°C, rainfall is scarce, the ground remains frozen. It corresponds to the northern
Siberian area.

Asian regions

Asia is divided into five geographical regions: Northern, Central, Southeastern,

Southern and Western.

These are some of its peculiarities.

REGION LOCATION ECONOMY

It is the northernmost region of This region is rich in minerals such

the continent, bordered to the as: nickel, lead, gold,
Northern north by the Arctic Ocean, to the molybdenum, diamonds, silver and
south by the central region, to zinc, as well as extensive untapped
the east by the Pacific Ocean and resources of oil and natural gas.
to the west by the European Agriculturally it produces: wheat,
continent to the limit of the Ural rice, cotton, beets, flax and rye. In
Mountains. some arid sectors, vines are grown
with high yields. At the livestock
level, fishing for tuna, herring and
hake stands out.
Central The central region borders to the
north with the Northern region, Central Asia is of varied landscapes
to the south with the Southern high mountains, vast desert and
and Southeastern regions, to the grassy steppes. In the alluvial
east with the Pacific Ocean and valleys, the cultivation of rice,
to the west with the Black Sea, wheat, millet and corn stands out.
the natural boundary between Cattle and horse farming takes
the European and Asian place in the steppe regions, while
continents. This region includes sheep and pig farming takes place
China, Mongolia, North Korea in agricultural areas. This is one of
and South Korea and the island the most populated regions in the
part made up of Japan. world, the population density is
1,200 h/km squared, the
population HE ha settled
especially on the island of Japan
and coastal cities.
Southeast Southeast Asia belongs to the Its economy is characterized by the
region of Indochina (continental production of rice, legumes, coffee,
part) and the Malay Archipelago sugar cane, rubber, tea and
(island part). It borders to the tobacco. Agriculture is the basis of
north with the central region, to the economy of this region.
the
 South, east and west borders the In the industrial sector, nickel,
Indian Ocean. copper, lead, coal and bauxite are
extracted. The industry HE
concentrate in Singapore
and
Thailand where the
European multinationals have
established their centers of
operations, guaranteeing on the
one hand cheap labor, and on the
other the raw materials necessary
Southern for itsregion
The industry.
produces rice, cotton,
South Asia to the north is jute, sugar cane and cocoa, tea and
delimited by the Himalayan spices, all of which is produced
mountain range, to the south the intensively thanks to the fertility of
presence of the Indus and the soils of the Indo-Gangetic
Ganges rivers give rise to the plain. Cattle breeding is abundant,
Indo-Gangetic plain where but due to religious beliefs it is not
agricultural activity takes place. used in the diet. Sheep produce
wool for the
manufactures.

Western Economic activities are governed

The Western Asia region is by weather conditions. It is
washed by the Caspian and cultivated: cereals, vines, olive
Black, Mediterranean, Red and trees, citrus fruits, sugar cane and
Arabian seas. It corresponds to corn. The breeding of sheep, goats
what is known as the Arabian and camelids stands out in the
Peninsula. livestock sector. In the mining
sector HE extract Petroleum
mostly in it that
corresponds to the Persian Gulf.

Economic production in Asia

From an economic point of view, Asia is also a continent of contrasts: some

countries have very low production conditions and can be classified within Third
World countries, such as Mongolia or Bangladesh. Other countries have a dynamic
economy with high growth rates such as Japan, Israel, South Korea or Singapore.

In the eastern part of the continent, rice cultivation predominates, presenting high
productivity, which is due, among others, to the presence of highly fertile alluvial
plains, which is complemented by good irrigation systems and the use of fertilizers.
If agricultural production is reviewed by region, the following panorama is
obtained:

• The monsoon area, which has large favorable areas for this activity, in which there
are highly developed countries that have managed to include technology to have
commercial agriculture and poor countries that must dedicate agriculture to
subsistence.
• The Siberian region, which is notable for the production of wheat, rye, barley and
cotton. Russia is located in this region, which is the largest producer of sunflowers
in the world.
• The central region, which generally practices subsistence agriculture. Tea
plantation.

The Agriculture

As a continent, Asia is one of the world's largest producers of some foods. For
example, it produces about 90% of rice if the production of China, India, Indonesia,
Bangladesh and Japan is combined; It is also the largest producer of tea, which is
produced in India, China, Japan, Sri Lanka and Indonesia; Likewise, it occupies
first place in rubber production. Other highly produced agricultural products are
sugar cane, tobacco and wheat.

However, in general, Asia does not have good soils to develop agriculture: they are
arid in the west and center, frozen and not very fertile in the north, although the
alluvial plains formed by some rivers in India and China stand out, which
correspond to highly populated areas, so their destiny is subsistence with crops,
mainly cereals such as rice, which is the food base of eastern and southeastern Asia.

In some countries, such as Pakistan, agricultural activity supported by irrigation

systems stands out, in the midst of adverse climatic conditions, which has helped
increase harvests and become an exporter of some products such as rice. In the
same sense, other countries such as Japan have resorted to the development of
genetics with which they have obtained improved seeds, which allow better
products and greater productivity. This is accompanied by the development of
efficient fertilizers and irrigation systems.

Regarding production systems and land ownership, in Asia smallholding systems,

dedicated to agricultural production for family subsistence, coexist with the
existence of large plantations dedicated to commercial production for export. There
are plantations located towards the south of the continent that produce, among
others, rubber, tea and palm oil.

Cattle raising

When reviewing livestock production by region, the following characteristics can be

raised:

• Cattle farming predominates in the monsoon region. Particularly, the country that
has the highest number of heads is India; However, it is not marketed or consumed,
due to religious reasons.
• The western region produces sheep and goats for wool and milk. In this region,
Japan stands out for its fishing potential that is enhanced thanks to technological
development. China, South Korea, Thailand and the Philippines also stand out in
this activity.
• In the northern region, cattle and sheep farming stands out, particularly for
obtaining milk, meat and wool. Salmon fishing in rivers stands out in this region.
• In the central region, livestock farming is poorly developed, that is, subsistence
activity with species of sheep, goats and jak prevails.
• In the western region, camel and horse breeding is common, as is sheep and goat
breeding. In this region, fishing in the Persian Gulf and the Red and Caspian Seas
has a special place. The sturgeon is extracted from there, which is key, since caviar
is prepared with the eggs of this species.

Mining

Asia has great mineral wealth, especially iron and manganese, produced in ancient
massifs, such as in the Indian region; while in the young mountain ranges tin is
found as in Thailand and Malaysia. The oil reserves are in Kuwait, Iran, Iraq,
Arabia, where a large part of the world's reserve of this product is located. The
Persian Gulf, meanwhile, is located as one of the most prominent places in energy
production.

Gold and silver is also mined in some areas of Japan and India. For its part, the
northern region intensively exploits the subsoil with resources such as coal and oil,
to such an extent that Russia is the world's leading producer of these energy
resources.

The central region has deposits of iron, coal, chrome and oil, which have hardly
been exploited.

Industry

Asia's industrialization also presents enormous contrasts. In general, it is very

scarce in most regions, mainly those of central, northern and western Asia, which
are mainly dedicated to agriculture and, in some cases, to the exploitation of mining
resources.

This panorama is radically opposite to that of Japan, Korea and China, which have
developed an important industrial career.

Imagines…

Most of the agricultural area in India is monoculture, this means that only one product is
produced and no crop rotation occurs. Among the products produced are African palm,
coffee, tobacco and rubber.

I apply my knowledge

1. How do you think latitude, altitude and continentality influence the determination of
Asian climates?
2. What criteria do you think were taken into account to determine the regions of Asia,
mentioned above.

The case of Japan is one of the examples of rapid development in the industry in a
short time. This town, at the beginning of the 20th century, was mainly dedicated to
agriculture; It had only 20% arable land.

However, after the Second World War, an industrialization process began that, in
the absence of natural resources and energy sources, resorted to the importation of
raw materials: for example, it acquired copper from Peru and Chile. In this process,
they realized the importance of contact with the West, which already had a well-
developed industrial process, and they sent people to Europe and North America to
learn from their technology and hire foreign technicians to work in their territory.

Imagines…

Today Japan is the third industrial power in the world and stands out for its precision
machinery and devices. Its industry is located mainly in port cities, where raw materials
enter and products leave. The industrial zones are now the most densely populated, so their
spatial organization is based on the population close to the industry, which, although it has
grown at an accelerated rate, has not prevented agricultural work from continuing to be
carried out, now with modern and high-performance techniques. Furthermore, its cult for
nature has not weakened and despite its small territory, 65% of it has forests that are still
intact and well cared for. Japanese activity is very large and varied. Japan's main industries
are steel, automotive (the world's leading producer), electronics, plastics, chemicals
(medicine, fertilizers, food, beer, sugar, canned fish) and cement. Due to its ancient
traditions, the silk, cotton and wool industries have been successfully developed, as well as
artisan workshops for toys, wooden objects, bamboo, paper, bronze and porcelain.

The Japanese model has been copied by other countries in the region such as South
Korea, Taiwan and Singapore. This phenomenon is explained by Japanese and
North American investment that, attracted by the existence of a moderately
qualified workforce with low wages, has supported these territories from the
construction of communication routes to the installation of factories. These
countries are relatively poor in terms of raw materials, and their industry is oriented
towards maquila or manufacturing of products without their own technology, so
that the success of their exports is in textiles, clothing, footwear and electronic
items.

Industrial development attracts the population, which is why strong migratory

movements have occurred, especially from the countryside to the city.

We understand by…
Maquila: multinational company that produces with the resources and labor of a
country, without the benefits going to it.
Trade in Asia

In Asia, trade has developed with great obstacles over time, due to the difficulties
involved in the construction of communication routes in a continent that is
characterized by great extension, rugged relief and extreme weather conditions in
some regions. Today many of these barriers have been overcome thanks to the
technologies under construction, which have allowed communication networks to
expand.

Complement your knowledge

Commercial fishing and shrimp farming occupy an important position in the Asian
economy, with Japan, China, Korea and Russia standing out, producing 30% of world
consumption. However, sea pollution has decreased fishing production, forcing
multinationals to fish on countries' marine platforms and in international waters. This has
led to the danger of extinction of some species such as whales.

In general, there is a great relationship between the advancement of roads and ports
with the development of economic activities. For example, countries such as Saudi
Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Indonesia are
distinguished by exporting oil; To do this, they require modern ports and adequate
technology to receive the tankers that transport oil to countries in Western Europe,
the United States and Japan; In exchange, these countries import manufactured
electronic products, automobiles, machinery and others.

On the other hand, countries like China are characterized by foreign trade in tea,
rice, silk and cotton fabrics, minerals, textiles and other finished products that are
exported mainly to Hong Kong, the United States and Japan; In turn, they import
machinery for industries and fertilizers. Due to the above, trade route networks
have been expanded and streamlined to respond to demand, to which science and
technology have contributed significantly. In this sense, Japanese trains stand out,
for example, as they are the fastest in the world. Likewise, international flights have
become more technical, they have had to overcome the rigors of climate and space
to offer passengers and goods constant and safe flights.

Just as routes and land and air means have developed, maritime means have also
developed. Important ports have been found in Asia since ancient times. Let us
remember that ships traveled from the Philippines to the American continent and
from there to Europe.

In the same way that ships changed in size and capacity, ports also modernized. In
Asia, large ports are found in Hong Kong, India, Singapore and Taiwan. From there,
goods are shipped to all the most important ports on the planet and the raw
materials necessary for their production are received.
Application

1. Why is it stated that, from a physical and economic point of view, Asia is a continent
of contrasts? Do you think that, in some way, this adjective can be applied to the
characteristics of the regions of Colombia? Support your answer.

2. Prepare a diagram in which you identify the characteristics and difference between
subsistence agriculture and technical agriculture. Based on this, explain whether the
agricultural practices in your region can be classified as subsistence or technical.

3. Evaluate the characteristics and conditions of the communication and

transportation routes in your region. From this description, deduce the influence of this
factor on the development of the activities of the people of the region, in particular on trade.