WBBSE Chapter 9 Continent Of Asia Introduction
The great undivided landmass, comprising of Europe and Asia together is known as Eurasia (Europe + Asia). A continent in which there are high mountain ranges, vast plateaus, vast plains, fertile rivers, valleys, etc. and have some distinctive features, which are not found in any other continent is known as the ‘Continent of Extremes’. For example, Asia. The highland from which numerous mountain ranges radiate in different directions or the highland on which numerous mountain ranges meet, is known as the mountain knot. For example, the Pamir Plateau, the largest mountain knot of the world, is located in the middle of Asia.
The height of the Pamir Plateau in Central Asia is about 4873 metres. Being the highest plateau of the world, it is known as the ‘Roof of the World’. The vast plains to the north of the central mountains of Asia are known as the Northern Plains of Asia. This is the largest plain in the world. There are three subdivisions of this plain-the lowland of Turan, the Siberian Plain and the East Shield Plain. The combined flow of the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers, which originate from the Kurdistan Mountains of the Armenian Plateau is known as the Sat- El-Arab.
Yangtze River is commonly known as the Gold Sanded River as sand particles which are golden yellow in colour are found with the water flow. The Hwang Ho River carries a large amount of silt which is yellow in colour. Thus this river is also known as the Yellow River.
Read And Learn Also WBBSE Class 7 Geography Notes
The coniferous forest in Siberia of Russia is known as the Taiga. This forest is the largest coniferous forest in the world. The basin formed by the deposition brought down by four tributaries of the River Yangtze at the source area is called the Sichuan Basin or Szechwan Basin. This basin is composed of red sandstones. That is why it is also known as the Red Basin.
The central basin of the Yangtze River in China for its fertile soil produces large quantities of grains (rice, wheat, cotton, sugarcane, oilseeds). That is why the middle or central basin from Ichang to Hunan is called the ‘Granary of China’. The delta region of the River Yangtze extends from Hunan to the China Sea. Like Holland in Europe, this delta region of the Yangtze River is called the Holland of China or Holland of Asia, as it contains many polder lands or lands recovered from sea, wetlands and canals. Manchester is the largest textile weaving centre in England and a famous textile industrial hub in the world. Similarly, Shanghai is the largest textile centre in China. For such similarities, Shanghai is often called as the ‘Manchester of China’.
To the east of Honshu, the largest island in Japan, lies the Kanto Plain. It is a densely populated plain land, centred on the Gulf of Tokyo, covering seven regions namely Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba and Kanagawa. The best industrial area in Japan is located in the Kanto Plain centred around the ports of Tokyo, Yokohama, Kawasaki, and Chiba near the Gulf of Tokyo and east of Honshu Island. This area is known as the Kihin Industrial Region or the Tokyo-Yokohama Industrial Region. The nine countries (Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, UAE and Yemen) of southwest Asia form the largest petroleum-rich (both in production and reserve) region in the world. Ghawar and Safaniya, both of Saudi Arabia, are the world’s largest on-shore and off-shore petroleum-producing fields respectively.