ASIA-THE LARGEST CONTINENT

Asia is the largest continent of the world. It

covers one-third of the land area. It is called
as continent of extremes because it has
highest mountains, plateaus, largest stretch
of lowland, coldest and hottest place,
wettest and driest place and highly
populated regions.
Asia is also called as “Cradles of civilization”
because Indus valley, Chinese and
Mesopotamian civilizations originated here.
Location:- Asia has Indian ocean in the
south, Pacific ocean in the east and Arctic
ocean in the north. Europe lies towards the
west. Asia is in the northern hemisphere.
Isthumus of Suez and Red sea connects Asia
and Africa
Extent: The latitudinal extent is 100 south
to 800north. The longitudinal extent is 2404’
east to 169040’ west.

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Political divisions: The largest country of
Asia is Russia and the smallest country is
Maldives.
East Asian Countries: It is also called as
Far East. It includes Japan, North Korea,
South Korea, China, Mongolia.
South –East Asian Countries: It includes
Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia,
Phillipines, Hong kong
South Asian countries: India, Pakistan, Sri
lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, etc.
South-west Asia: It is also called as Middle
east. It includes Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq,
UAE etc.
Central Asia: Kazakhistan, Uzbekistan,
Tajikistan etc.
Physical features:
1) Central highlands:- a.It is a chain of
mountains and plateaus
b. Pamir knot which is towards north of
India is connected with Himalayas,
Karakoram Range, Hindukush Range,
Kunlun range and Tien-shan Range.

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 c. The highest mountain peaks
exceeds 8000 meters are present in
central highlands.
d. Plateau of Tibet which is called as
‘Roof of the world’ is present here.
e. Intermontane plateaus such as
plateau of Turkey and plateau of Iran
are located in Central highlands

2) Northern lowlands:- a. It lies

towards north of Central mountain
belt.
b. Northern lowlands has two divisions
namely Great Siberian Plain and
Lowlands of Central Asia.
c. Siberian Plain has Ob, Yenisey, Lena
rivers which joins Arctic ocean
d. Aral sea is connected with two
rivers i.e. Amudarya and Syrdarya
which forms lowlands of Central Asia.

3) Plateaus:- a. Plateaus are relatively

old and stable rocks.
b. Asia has three plateaus namely
Arabian Plateau, Deccan plateau of

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India, Yunnan-Guizhou plateau of
China.
c. These plateaus are rich in mineral
deposits.
4. River basins:- a. They are rich in
fertile alluvial soils.
b. The large river valleys are-
Euphrates and Tigris rivers in Iraq,
Indo-Gangetic Plain of India, Ganga
and Brahmaputra in India, Pakistan
and Bangladesh, Irrawaddy in
Myanmar, Mekong river in Indo-China,
Hwang ho, Yangtze and Sikiang rivers
in China.
c. These rivers are used for irrigation,
hydro electricity and navigation.
5. Islands:- 1. Japan, Philippines and
Indonesia are the countries which have
islands.
b. They have many volcanic cones of
great heights
c. They are frequently affected by
earthquakes.
Climate:1. Hottest place:- Jacobabad
in Sind province of Pakistan

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 2.Coldest place:- Verkhoyansk in
Siberia
3. Wettest place:- Cheerapunji and
Mawsynram
4. Driest place:- Arabia, Tibet, Mongolia
Factors affecting climate:
1. Latitudinal extent
2. Continentality
3. Relief features
4. Presence of low pressure
5. Jet streams
Types of Climate
1. Tundra climate
2. Temperate climate
a. Mediterranean
b. Steppes
c. Cool temperate continental
3. Tropical monsoon
4. Tropical hot desert
5. Equatorial climate
Vegetation
1. Tundra
2. Taiga
3. Tropical Decidious

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 4. Thorny desert
5. Equatorial rain forest
Distinguish between
1. Northern Lowlands and Indo
Gangetic Plain
Northern Indo Gangetic
Lowlands plain

1. It lies 1. It covers
towards parts of India,
north of Pakistan and
Central Bangladesh
mountain
belt
2. It consists of 2.It is drained by
Great Indus, Ganga
Siberian and
Plain and Brahmaputra
Lowlands of rivers.
Central Asia

2.Tropical deciduous forest and

Tropical rain forest
Tropical Tropical rain
deciduous forest
forest

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 1. Most parts of 1. Equatorial
India and regions of
South East Malaysia and
Asia Indonesia
2. Trees shed 2.Tall evergreen
their leaves trees with thick
once in a canopy
year
3. Forests are 3.Trees include
less dense rosewood, ebony
and mahagony
4. Extremely 4.Plantations of
valuable tree rubber, cocoa,
like teak, sal coffee also found
and rose in some areas.
wood
5. Elephant, 5.Wide variety of
rhino, tiger birds, butterflies
and lion and insects,
reptiles and
monkeys.
3.Deccan plateau and Tibetian
plateau
Deccan Tibetian plateau
plateau
1. It is made 1. It is known as
of old and roof of the
stable world and is
blocks of an
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 earth intermontane
plateau
2. It has steep 2.It lies between
sloe Himalayas and
towards Kunlun range.
the west
and gentle
slope
towards
the east.
4.Great Siberian Plain and
Lowlands of Central Asia.
Great Siberian Lowlands of
Plain Central Asia
1. It is towards 1. It is towards
northern southern
parts of part of
northern northern
lowlands lowlands.
2. It is drained 2.The Caspian
by Ob, sea and Aral sea
Yenisey and are the 2 inland
Lena rivers lakes.
3. These rivers 3. Amu darya
flow north and syr darya
wards and are the two
enter Arctic rivers that reach
ocean. Aral sea.

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QUESTION AND ANSWERS WILL BE
MARKED IN TEXT BOOK.