The Malay Peninsula holds part of Malaysia, a country in Southeast Asia. The Malay Peninsula is connected to the mainland by an isthmus. An isthmus is a narrow piece of land that runs through a body of water.
The Indochina Peninsula holds Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos. The Indochina Peninsula juts out from southeastern China into the South China Sea. The term Indochina comes from the mixing of Indian and Chinese culture in this region.
The Korean Peninsula juts out from northeastern China. It borders the Sea of Japan on the East and the Yellow Sea on the west. It holds North Korea and South Korea.
Islands
Singapore
Singapore
Some countries in South and East Asia are made up only of islands. One example is the island of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is located in the Indian Ocean, south of India.
Singapore is an island nation that lies just off the Malay Peninsula. It is only 247 square miles in size. It is the most densely populated country in South Asia. Singapore also includes dozens of small islands that lie nearby.
To the east lies New Guinea, the second-largest island in the world. (Greenland is the largest.) The eastern half of New Guinea is an independent country called Papua New Guinea. The western half is part of Indonesia.
Other nations in South Asia and East Asia are archipelagos. (As you have learned, an archipelago is a chain, or group, of islands.) Indonesia is one example. Indonesia has the largest landmass of any archipelago in the world. It includes more than 13,000 islands. Some of the islands in Indonesia are Borneo, Sumatra, and Java.
The Maldives is another archipelago. It is located southwest of Sri Lanka. North of Indonesia lies a third major archipelago, the Philippines. The Philippines has 7,100 islands. They stretch for 1,150 miles from north to south.
Most of the islands in East Asia are part of Japan’s archipelago. These islands stretch 1,744 miles from northeast to southwest. The largest and most important island in Japan is Honshu. Honshu is the seventh-largest island in the world. Tokyo, the capital of Japan, is on Honshu.
Taiwan is the other island nation of East Asia. It is made up of the main Island of Taiwan plus a few very small offshore islands.
Bodies of Water
As you have just learned, the Indian Peninsula juts out from South Asia into the Indian Ocean. The Bay of Bengal, to the east of India, is an inlet of this ocean.
Seas are usually “arms” of an ocean. To the west of the Indian Subcontinent is the Arabian Sea. To the east, the Java Sea lies between the Indonesian islands of Sumatra, Java, and Borneo. The Philippines are surrounded by several arms of the Pacific Ocean. These include the South China Sea, the Celebes Sea, and the Philippine Sea.
East Asia has a long coastline on the Pacific Ocean. Along that coast are several seas. The Sea of Japan lies off the eastern coast of the Korean Peninsula, between China and Japan.
On the other side of the Korean Peninsula lies the Yellow Sea. It gets its name from the Yellow River, which flows into it. (The Yellow River is the English name for the Huang River.)
The China seas are other arms of the Pacific Ocean. The island of Taiwan divides the China seas. The East China Sea is north of Taiwan, and the South China Sea is to the south.
Think About ItThree of the countries on the Indochina Peninsula are Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Each has its own language. The peninsula lies very close to China. So you might think that the second most commonly spoken language in this region would be Chinese. But it is actually French, the language of France. France is in Western Europe. That is half a world away from Indochina.
Why do you think so many people in the region speak French?
Practice 4: Peninsulas, Islands, and Bodies of Water
Match each description with a place from the list below.
This sea lies off the eastern coast of the Korean Peninsula.
Sea of Japan
Yellow Sea
Honshu
Taiwan
Indonesia
Malay
This nation is an archipelago.
Sea of Japan
Yellow Sea
Honshu
Taiwan
Indonesia
Malay
This island divides the China seas into the East and South China Seas.
Sea of Japan
Yellow Sea
Honshu
Taiwan
Indonesia
Malay
This is a peninsula of South Asia.
Sea of Japan
Yellow Sea
Honshu
Taiwan
Indonesia
Malay
This sea lies off the western coast of the Korean Peninsula.
Sea of Japan
Yellow Sea
Honshu
Taiwan
Indonesia
Malay
This is the largest island in Japan.
Sea of Japan
Yellow Sea
Honshu
Taiwan
Indonesia
Malay
1 answer
Here are the matches for each description with the corresponding place:
This sea lies off the eastern coast of the Korean Peninsula.
Answer: Sea of Japan
This nation is an archipelago.
Answer: Indonesia
This island divides the China seas into the East and South China Seas.
Answer: Taiwan
This is a peninsula of South Asia.
Answer: Malay
This sea lies off the western coast of the Korean Peninsula.
Answer: Yellow Sea
This is the largest island in Japan.
Answer: Honshu
18 answers
17 answers
9 answers
2 answers