A look at the huge continent of Asia reveals considerable geographic diversity.
If you glance at a map of Asia, the first thing you might notice is the sheer size of the continent, ranging from the archipelagos of Japan and the Philippines to the mountains in South Asia and the vast deserts and plains. This variety makes Asian geography an intriguing field of study for historians.
Deserts
The largest Asian deserts are found in China -- the Gobi and the Takla Makan deserts. However, the Middle East also teems with deserts. India contains desert land as well.
Islands and Peninsulas
The countries of Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines consist only of islands -- and so they are called archipelago nations. Indonesia alone has more than 13,000 islands. Peninsulas are outcroppings of land into a body of water, such as the state of Florida. The major peninsulas in Asia are found in Malaysia, India, Saudi Arabia and Indochina (Vietnam and Cambodia).
Volcanoes and Mountain Ranges
Just in Japan, there are 165 volcanoes -- including 54 active ones. The highest volcano in Japan is Mount Fuji, which (fortunately) is inactive.
The most well-known mountain range in Asia is the Himalayas, which contain K2 and Mount Everest. This range is about 1,500 miles long, reaching from the Black Sea all the way to the Tibetan plateau, serving as part of the barrier that keeps India walled off from the rest of the continent.
Other mountain ranges include the Caucasus and the Kush, in South Asia and extending westward. The Pamir Knot, sometimes called the "Rooftop of the World," is the highest peak in this area.
Valleys and Plains
Northern India features the Ganges Plains. In China, the major rivers Yangtze, Amur and Huang Ho run through a valley that runs almost 1,600 miles in length. Vietnam's Mekong River and the Salween and Irrawaddy Rivers in Myanmar also travel through major valleys.
Tags: Japan Philippines, South Asia
