Question

outh and East Asia cover a large landmass. So this area has a variety of climate regions. Look at the climate map below. You can refer to this map as you read the following section.

Map of Climate of South Asia and East Asia

Climate of South Asia and East Asia

The map shows many areas with warm tropical climates. This includes Sri Lanka, parts of India, much of Bangladesh, east central Vietnam, and the west coast of Myanmar (Burma). Most of Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines are also warm and tropical. These regions are hot and humid all year round. This is because they lie within the tropics, near the equator, between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. These areas have many rain forests. Many important rivers flow through these rain forests.

Monsoons affect much of South Asia, especially along the eastern coasts. Monsoons are winds that blow from land to sea during the winter. During the summer, they blow from sea to land. The winter monsoons are dry. The summer monsoons carry moisture from the sea. This brings heavy rain. Between June and September, rain may fall almost every day. In India, an average of 67 inches of rain falls during this period every year. During the rest of the year, only about 4 inches of rain falls.

As you can see from the map, the northern regions of East Asia are cooler. The highland regions are also cool. This agrees with what you already know about how latitude and altitude affect climate.

In East Asia, the coastal areas and islands have the wettest climates. They get the most rainfall. The Gobi Desert, however, lies far inland. Rains from the coast cannot reach this area, leaving it very dry. China’s most comfortable climates are in its eastern and southeastern areas. Not surprisingly, these are also the most heavily populated areas.

Although Japan is in the northern part of East Asia, most of it has a temperate climate. That is because warm ocean currents from the south flow around the islands. These currents keep Japan’s temperatures from falling too low.

Typhoons affect most of East and South Asia. A typhoon is a severe tropical storm. Like hurricanes, typhoons are most common between the middle of summer and the middle of autumn. Typhoons bring very strong winds and heavy flooding rains.

Coastal flooding may also be caused by tsunamis. A tsunami is an unusually high wave. Tsunamis can be caused by earthquakes or volcanic eruptions. These huge waves have been known to cause great damage to the islands of South and East Asia.

In Real LifeOn December 26, 2004, an undersea earthquake generated a huge tsunami—a series of giant ocean waves. The earthquake occurred in the Indian Ocean off the western coast of Sumatra. The resulting tsunami engulfed the coasts of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, South India, Thailand, and other nations in the region. Waves were as high as 50 feet. The tsunami killed as many as 300,000 people.

Practice 7: Climate

Check each statement that is true.
No parts of South Asia have warm tropical climates.
East Asia has a variety of climate regions.
Japan is warmed by ocean currents.
Winter monsoons bring heavy rains.
China’s most comfortable climates are in its eastern and southeastern regions.
A typhoon is similar to an earthquake.

Answer 1

True statements (check these):

- East Asia has a variety of climate regions. — True (the region covers many climates due to its large area).
- Japan is warmed by ocean currents. — True (warm southern ocean currents moderate Japan’s temperatures).
- China’s most comfortable climates are in its eastern and southeastern regions. — True (those areas have milder, wetter climates and higher population density).

False statements (do not check):

- No parts of South Asia have warm tropical climates. — False (many parts—Sri Lanka, parts of India, Bangladesh, etc.—are tropical).
- Winter monsoons bring heavy rains. — False (winter monsoons blow from land to sea and are dry; summer monsoons bring heavy rain).
- A typhoon is similar to an earthquake. — False (a typhoon is a tropical storm; an earthquake is ground shaking from tectonic activity).