Central Asia is a vast region with no access to the ocean. All sources include here countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Many here include Mongolia, part of China, Punjab, Kashmir and the north. A specific feature of the Central Asia region is the inland location with mountains along the outskirts protecting it along the perimeter.

Central Asia includes desert and semi-desert plains, highlands and plateaus. Limited by:

• in the East, the southern part of Greater Khingan and the Taihanshan Range,
• in the South - the longitudinal tectonic basin of the upper Indus and Brahmaputra (Tsangpo),
• in the West and North, the border of Central Asia corresponds to the mountain ranges of East Kazakhstan, Altai, West and East Sayan.

The area of \u200b\u200bCentral Asia, according to various estimates, is from 5 to 6 million square kilometers. The population of Central Asia is composed of Mongolian peoples, Chinese, Uyghurs, Tibetans, and others. The relief of Central Asia is notable for significant elevations, and there are two main tiers. In the lower tier (500-1500 m relative to sea level ) the Gobi, Alashan, Ordos, Dzungarian and Tarim plains are located . The upper tier is the Tibetan plateau, the average height of which increases to 4-4.5 thousand m . And the highest points of the Tien Shan, Karakoram, Kunlun mountains reach 6-7 thousand meters.

Central Asia is unevenly populated. People have mainly mastered river valleys and intermountain gorges where there is water. In the north, regions with a favorable climate have a large area, and there is more habitable land (Kazakhstan virgin land). But in general, within the region, large territories do not have a permanent population at all. The reason for all the lack of water.

Scientists believe that the first state of the nomads in this region created the Scythians. Although who these Scythians were is still arguing. According to scientists, the Scythian tribes lived in a state of fragmentation. They created a power called Hunnu (209 BC - 93 BC), which was the first empire of the nomadic peoples of the world.

Central Asia. Climate

In winter, anticyclones prevail in Central Asia, and in summer, lowered atmospheric pressure with a predominance of arid air masses that come from the ocean but lose moisture on such a long path. The climate is sharply continental, dry, temperature fluctuations are significant both during the season and during the day. The average January temperatures on the plains are -10 to -25 ° C, July from 20 to 25 ° C). The annual precipitation on the plains in some places is sometimes less than evaporation. Most precipitation falls in the summer. There is more precipitation in the mountain ranges than on the plains. Central Asia is characterized by strong winds and sunny days (240-270 a year).

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Vegetation

On the for the most part plains of Central Asia sparse vegetation, desert and semi-desert vegetation, its species composition is poor. Shrubs prevail. Significant areas of takyrs, salt marshes, loose sand are generally or almost devoid of vegetation cover.

In the Tibetan Highlands, vegetation is often represented by creeping shrubs of teresken, and in hollows that are sheltered from cold winds, by sedges, cobresias, reamuria, bluegrass, and fescue.

In the North, semi-deserts and deserts pass into the steppes. Plots appear on the northern slopes of the mountains coniferous forests from spruce, fir, larch. In the valleys of many transit rivers (Tarim, Khotan, Aksu, Konchedarya), in deserts and in foothill oases, there are strips of tugai forests with a predominance of variegated poplar, sucker and sea buckthorn. On the banks of reservoirs - reed and reed thickets.

Animal world . The most common of the large animals of Central Asia are ungulates, i.e. horses, camels, rams, etc. There are also many rodents. In the deserts of Northwestern China and Mongolia, there are a kulan, Przhevalsky's horse, gazelles, hare, woodchucks, jerboas, pikas, gerbils, mole rats, and others. In the Tibetan Plateau, there are wild yak, kulans, orongo antelopes and hell, mountain goats and rams, pikes , marmots, voles, etc. Of the predators, the wolf, fox, corsac, etc. are widespread.

Southeast Asia consists of the Indochina Peninsula and the Malay Archipelago. The states of Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, the Malay Federation, Indonesia, the Philippines, as well as the possessions of Great Britain (Singapore, Sarawak, Brunei, North Borneo) and Portugal (on the island of Timor) with a total with a population of over 175 million people (Vietnamese, Burmese, Thai, Indonesian, Malay and other nationalities).

The bioclimatic components of the landscapes of Southeast Asia have much in common with Hindustan, which simplifies the task of characterizing them. The same trade wind-monsoon circulation, a somewhat longer wet period, which in the conditions of equatorial circulation over Indonesia stretches for the whole year. Due to the significant dissection of the territory, the northeast trade wind (winter monsoon) is more humid than in India. Therefore, the contrasts in humidification between the summer and winter seasons in Southeast Asia are less sharp, although here the southwest monsoon brings more precipitation.

The western part of Southeast Asia is moistened more strongly than the eastern. In morphostructural terms, Southeast Asia is much more complicated than Hindustan. It is characterized by an extreme dissection of the relief created by the Hercynian, Yanshan, and Alpine foldings. The alternation of ridges and depressions closely pressed to each other creates a diversity of landscapes: the windward slopes are densely forested, and depressions are occupied by savannahs. The mountainous terrain complicates the manifestation of latitudinal zonality and emphasizes altitudinal zonation, which is better expressed on the outer steeper slopes. Since only a few massifs exceed 3,000 m, high mountain belts (nival and alpine meadows) are practically absent.

The natural division of Southeast Asia into two natural countries - continental and island - is enhanced by the geographical position of the archipelago (with the exception of the northern part of the Philippines), as well as the south of the Malay Peninsula in the equatorial belt, while the rest of the territory lies in the subequatorial belt. The landscape of the south of Malacca is more inclined towards the archipelago than to Indochina. Southwest Asia unites the Arabian Peninsula, the Mesopotamian Plain and the narrow belt of the Syrian-Palestinian mountains along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.

In the south of the peninsula, tropical landscapes dominate, in the north, subtropical deserts and semi-deserts. Only on the windward slopes of the mountains of Lebanon and Antilivan under the influence of humid Mediterranean air, as well as in the mountains of Yemen and Oman in the southwest and southeast of the Arabian Peninsula, sparse forests grow heavily cut down where they still exist.

Description of presentation Slides and physical-geographical zoning of Foreign Asia according to slides

Geographical zones and zones In Asia, natural zones are represented: - Equatorial - Subequatorial - Tropical - Subtropical - Temperate zones. The latitudinal orientation of the zones is preserved only in the continental sector of the temperate zone (in Central Asia). In the near-ocean sectors and in the sub-equatorial zone, latitudinal zonality disturbances are associated with the peculiarities of the atmospheric circulation and the relief structure, which creates a distinct “barrier relief”: it is especially pronounced in Asia Minor, on the east coast The Mediterranean Sea, in NE China, on the Hindustan and Indochina peninsulas. SEE THE MAP !!!:

The equatorial belt occupies almost the entire Malay archipelago, the south of the Philippine Islands, the Malay Peninsula and the south-west of Sri Lanka. Constantly high temperatures, plentiful and uniform humidification (over 3000 mm), constantly high humidity (80 -85%). The radiation balance is lower than in the tropics - 60 -65 kcal / cm 2 per year, which is associated with high cloud cover. The zone of equatorial forests (giley) dominates. Floristically, these are the richest forests on the globe (over 45 thousand species). The species composition of tree species reaches 5 thousand (in Europe, only 200 species). Forests are multi-tiered, creepers and epiphytes are abundantly represented. There are about 300 species of palm trees: palmyra, sugar, areca, sago, karyota, palm liana rattan. There are many tree ferns, bamboos, and pandanuses. On the coast, mangroves from aviation, rhizophora, palm nipa. Zonal soils are leached and podzolized laterites. Mountains are characterized by vertical zones. A typical gilea at altitudes of 1000 -1200 m is replaced by a mountain gilea, less high, but more humid and thick. Above are deciduous formations. At the peaks, low-growing shrubs alternate with spots of meadow vegetation. The animal world is rich and diverse. Survived: orangutan, as well as monkeys gibbon, macaques. Among the predators - tiger, leopard, sun bear, wild elephant. There were tapirs, tupai, woolly wings, from reptiles - flying dragons, lizards, a giant Komodor monitor lizard (3-4 m). Of the snakes - pythons (netted up to 8 -10 m), vipers, tree snakes. In the rivers crocodile gavial. Hellenic forests are preserved on the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan. Hevea, spices, tea, mango, breadfruit are grown on cleared lands.

The subequatorial belt covers the Hindustan Peninsula, Indo China, and the north of the Philippine Islands. The radiation balance is from 65 to 80 kcal / cm 2 per year. Differences in moisture led to the formation of several natural zones: subequatorial forests, seasonally wet monsoon forests, shrubby light forests and savannahs. The zone of subequatorial forests is along the western coasts of Hindustan, Indochina, the northern extremities of the Philippine archipelago and the lower Ganges-Brahmaputra, where more than 2000 mm of precipitation falls. Forests are distinguished by a diversity of species composition; they are multilevel and difficult to pass. Typical for them are dipterocarpus, strekulia, albitsii, ficus, palm, bamboo. Most have softwoods on. Trees provide valuable by-products: tannins, resin, rosin, rubber. Zonal soils are red-yellow ferrallite with low fertility. Plantations of tea, coffee tree, rubber plants, spices, bananas, mangoes, citrus fruits. The zone of seasonal-moist monsoon forests is confined to the eastern outskirts of Hindustan and Indochina, where the precipitation is not more than 1000 mm. Deciduous-evergreen forests are multi-tiered, shady in them are many vines and epiphytes. Valuable breeds grow: teak, sal, sandalwood, dalbergia. Monsoon forests have been hit hard by deforestation. With a decrease in rainfall to 800-600 mm, monsoon forests are replaced by a zone of shrubby light forests and savannahs, the largest areas of which are confined to the Deccan Plateau and the interior of the Indochina Peninsula. Woody vegetation gives way to formations of tall grasses: bearded man, Alang alang, wild sugarcane. In summer, the savannah turns green, in winter it turns yellow. Single palm trees, banyan trees and acacias diversify the landscape. Red-colored varieties prevail in the soils: red, red-brown, red-brown soils. They are poor in humus, subject to erosion, but are widely used in agriculture. Stable yields only with irrigation. Rice, cotton, millet crops are cultivated. The animal world was rich, now heavily exterminated: rhinos, bulls (guayed), antelopes, deer, hyenas, red wolves, jackals, leo pards. There are many monkeys and semi-monkeys (loris) in the forests. Peacocks, wild hens, parrots, blackbirds, pheasants, starlings.

The tropical belt occupies southern part Arabia, south of the Iranian highlands, Thar desert. The radiation balance is 70 -75 kcal / cm 2 per year. Passat circulation, high temperatures, and large diurnal fluctuations throughout the year. Precipitation is less than 100 mm with an evaporation of 3,000 mm. In such conditions, desert and semi-desert zones are formed. Loose sands and barren rocky deserts (hammads) occupy large spaces. The vegetation consists of ephemera, hard shrubs and cereals (wormwood, astragalus, aloe, euphorbia, ephedra). There is an edible lichen "manna from heaven" (edible linacore). In oases, a date palm grows. The soil cover is poorly developed; it is absent in large areas. In mountainous areas on the windward slopes, dragon trees, gum acacias, and palm trees (myrrh, boswellia) grow. juniper. The fauna is diverse: a wolf, a jackal, a fennec fox, a striped guinea fowl, from ungulates - a sand gazelle, a mountain goat. Rodents - carcasses of small canches, gerbils. Birds - eagles, vultures, kites

The subtropical belt stretches from Asia Minor to the Japanese islands. The radiation balance is 55 -70 kcal / cm 2 per year. It is characterized by sectorial landscapes. In the largest continental sector, zones of deserts, semi-deserts and steppes stand out. In the west, in the Mediterranean climate, a zone of evergreen hard-leaved forests and shrubs is developed; in the Pacific sector, a zone of monsoon mixed forests. Natural zoning is complicated by vertical zonality. Continental sector Deserts, semi-deserts Steppes Mediterranean sector Evergreen forests and shrubs Pacific sector Monsoon evergreen mixed forests

1. The zone of evergreen hard-leaved forests and shrubs in the territory of Asia enters a narrow strip along the Mediterranean coast of Asia Minor and Arabia. The climate here is more continental than in Europe, the annual temperature amplitudes are greater, and the precipitation is less. Vegetation has pronounced xerophytic features. Almost no forests have survived; shrub formations have come to replace them. The prevailing maquis is species-depleted compared to European. The dominant feature is shrub oak kermes. In the Levant, a carob, a Palestinian pistachio are mixed with it, and in Asia Minor the red juniper, myrtle, heather, wild olive. On the arid coastal slopes, maquis gives way to frigans and shiblyak, as well as deciduous shrubs - der jaderev, dogrose, spindle tree, jasmine. Brown soils are replaced by chestnut soils. Altitude zone: Shrub formations rise up to 600-800 m in the mountains, coniferous-deciduous forests grow higher (black pine, Cilician fir. Cypress, oak, maple). Since 2000 m, xerophytic vegetation has prevailed, which often has a pillow-like shape (spurge, Cretan barba rice, sticky rose). 2. In the continental sector of the subtropical zone occupying the Near-Asian highlands, the desert and semi-desert zones prevail. The hollow structure of the uplands is the reason that the natural zones are in the form of concentric circles. Deserts are located in the central part of the highlands. They are framed by semi-deserts, then by mountain steppes and shrubby woodlands. The largest areas of deserts and semi-deserts are in the Iranian Highlands. More than 30% of its territory is covered by salt marshes deprived of vegetation; stony and sandy deserts occupy a significant place. Zonal soils are desert serozems and burozems. The animal world is quite diverse. Of the ungulates - the white-browed goat, mouflon, the wild donkey onager (kulan), of the predators - caracal, striped hyena. Rodents - gophers, jerboas, groundhogs.

A zone of steppes is confined to the foothill areas, in which wormwood and feather grass formations alternate. In the spring, ephemera and some cereals that burn out by summer develop. On the slopes of the mountains, the steppes are replaced by shrubby woodlands. The Near-Asian highlands are the birthplace of the friganoid formation of upland xerophytes - thorny shrubs of a pillow-shaped form less than 1 m high. Acantolimon, astragalus, and juniper species are most typical. The Tibetan Plateau, due to its enormous relative heights (more than 4000 m), is characterized by vegetation of alpine steppes, semi-deserts and deserts. 3. The zone of monsoon evergreen mixed forests is typical of the Pacific sector of the subtropical zone. It covers the southern regions of East China and the Japanese islands. Natural vegetation has given way to tea, citrus, cotton, and rice plantations. Forests retreated into gorges, on steep cliffs, into mountains. The forest stands are dominated by laurels, myrtle, camellia, podocarpus, cunningamy. Better preserved forests in Japan. Evergreen oak species, camphor laurel, Japanese pine, cypress, cryptomeria, thuja dominate. In a rich undergrowth of bamboo, gardenia, magnolia, azalea. Red earth and yellow earth prevail (from 5 to 10% humus). But fertility is low, because the soil is poor in calcium, magnesium, nitrogen. The fauna was preserved only in the mountains. Among the rare animals are lemurs (fat loris), a small predator of the Asian civet, and from tapered ones - tapir. Rich in avifauna: pheasants, one species of parrots, hu si, ducks, cranes, herons, pelicans.

The temperate zone is limited in area, partially occupies Central Asia, East and North-East China, and Hokkaido Island. The radiation balance is 30 -55 kcal / cm 2 per year. The climatic conditions in the continental and oceanic sectors are different. The contrasts in humidification are especially great: more than 1000 mm of precipitation falls on the coast, and in the interior of the continent their amount decreases to 100 mm. Accordingly, landscape features are diverse. Zones of taiga, mixed and broad-leaved forests are characteristic of the oceanic sector; intracontinental is occupied by zones of deserts, semi-deserts, steppes and forest-steppes. Intracontinental sector Deserts, semi-deserts Steppes, forest-steppes Near-ocean sector Taiga Mixed and broad-leaved forests

NEAR OCEANIC SECTOR 1. The taiga zone is found in Northeast China, where Daurian larch and Scots pine dominate. Arrays of coniferous forests on Hokkaido Island are more extensive. Hokkaido spruce and Sakhalin fir prevail here, Ayanska spruce, Japanese pine, Far Eastern yew, with bamboo and grass undergrowth. The soil is podzolic, peat-bog in the lowlands. 2. The zone of mixed forests mainly in the territory of Northeast China. There was no icing in the Chretnik period, so representatives of the arctotretic flora found refuge here. Mixed forests abound in endemic and relict species. This is the so-called Manchu flora, very rich in species terms. The forests include Korean cedar, white fir, Olginsky larch, Ayansky spruce, Mongolian oak, Manchurian walnut, green-barked and bearded maple. Amur lilac, Ussuri buckthorn, Manchurian currant, mountain ash, Aralia, rhododendrons are in the understory. From lianas: Amur grapes, whether monnik, hops. In the soils, podzolized forest burozems and serozems predominantly dark colored to varying degrees prevail. The zone of deciduous forests adjoins from the south to mixed ones. Forests are mostly cut down, the remaining massifs consist of maple, linden, elm, ash, and walnut. Forests in Japan are better preserved, where beech and oak predominate, maple (up to 20 species), Manchurian ash, a local type of walnut, as well as chestnuts, linden, cherries, birch, magnolia are widely represented. The zonal type of soil is forest brown soil.

Intracontinental sector 1. The prairie zone stands out on the plains of Northeast China. Unlike the North American prairies, the Asiatic prairies receive less rainfall (500-600 mm). However, the presence of permafrost spots that thaw in the summer, additionally moisten the soil. Formations of tall grass prairie, often interspersed with oak light forests, develop. Currently, natural vegetation is completely destroyed. Fertile meadow chernozem-like soils (up to 9% humus) are plowed and occupied by crops of millet (kaolin), legumes, corn, rice, vegetables, watermelons. 2. The features of aridity are pronounced in the continental sector of the temperate zone: the inner parts of Central Asia, where desert and semi-desert zones dominate, are especially arid. Large plots are lifeless and represent an ideal desert. Where there is vegetation, it is sparse and is represented by psammophytes (sand gulls) and halophytes (salt-loving). These are various types of hodgepodge, wormwood, shrubs of tamarix, juzgun, ephedra, saxaul. In deserts, serozems are developed; in semi-deserts, burozems (less than 1% humus) are developed. Ungulates and rodents. Among ungulates there is a two-humped camel, a kulan, antelopes (dzeren, gazelles, Przhevalsky), goats and rams in the mountains. From rodents - gophers, jerboas, field voles. 3. The steppe zone occupies the basins of western Dzungaria, the northern parts of Mongolia (up to 41 -42 ° N) and the foothills of Greater Khingan. Precipitation up to 250 mm. Low grass dry steppes prevail, in which there is no continuous vegetation cover - undersized feather grass, deer, thin-legged, caragana, and wormwood. The soil is chestnut; are subdivided into dark and light chestnut. With artificial irrigation, dark chestnut yields high yields of wheat, beans, corn, and kaolin. Light chestnut trees are not used for farming; distant cattle breeding is developed on them.

Physical-geographical zoning Physical-geographical regions of Foreign Asia Regions: 1. Southwest Asia 2. Near-Asian highlands 3. South Asia 4. South-East Asia 5. Central Asia 6. East Asia

Regions or physical-geographical countries: SW Asia Asia-Asia Highlands South Asia SE East Asia Central Asia East Asia Asia Minor Highlands, Armenian Highlands, Iranian Highlands. Asian Mediterranean Sea (Levant), Mesopotamia, Arabian Peninsula Northeast China and Peninsula Korea, Central China, South China, Japan Islands. Himalayas, Indo-Gangetic Lowlands, Hindustan Peninsula, Ceylon Island Indochina, Malay Archipelago, Philippine Islands of Northern Mongolia, plains and plateaus of South Mongolia and Northern China, mountains and depressions of Northwest China, Hindu Kush and Karakoram, Kunlun-Alantynta system Tibetan Plateau Physical-geographical areas

D / D: Prepare a presentation on the Central Asia plan: Central Kazakhstan, the Turan lowland and the Balkhash region, the mountains of the southeast and east of Central Asia

Physico-geographical countries mainly correspond to the main morphostructural regions. They have territorial integrity, isolation, have an independent history of the development of the relief, hydro-network, organic world, and are characterized by a specific landscape structure. 1. Central Asia - high plains, highest mountains and highlands on heterogeneous structures dominated by dry steppe, semi-desert and desert landscapes; 2. East Asia - with a strongly dissected relief, an alternation of medium-high and low mountains, extensive alluvial lowlands, with dissected sea coasts and island chains along them, a monsoon climate (from temperate to tropical), forest landscapes; 3. SW Asia - arid plains and plateaus with tropical rocky and sandy deserts, dry trade winds, and sparse vegetation;

4. Near-Asian highlands - closed dry highlands, vast empty basins and salt marshes, drainage hollows, with a continental subtropical climate, dry steppes, light forests and shrubs. 5. South Asia 6. Southeast Asia The regions closest in landscape respect, with a warm seasonally humid climate of the equatorial monsoons and the dominance of various tropical forest landscapes. It is fenced by the Himalayas from the north, characterized by higher temperatures, greater contrasts in humidification and therefore a richer spectrum of landscapes - from evergreens to humid rainforest to the tropical deserts. Mostly mountainous terrain, higher and more even humidification, especially on the islands, the absolute dominance of forest landscapes - from guillas to dry deciduous monsoon forests and light forests.

Central Asia - a sharp continental climate and the uniformity of landscapes associated with an extreme degree of aridity; The region is remote from the oceans, isolated by powerful mountain systems, elevated (from 1000 -1200 m in Central Asia proper to 4000 -5000 m in Tibet). After the collapse of the USSR, the territory of the Central Asian republics and Kazakhstan is considered as part of the Central Asian subcontinent. Thus, the following physical and geographical countries enter Central Asia: Central Kazakhstan, the plains of the Turan Plate and Balkhash, mountains and depressions of Northwest China and Central Asia, the plains and plateaus of South Mongolia and Northern China, Northern Mongolia, Pamir - Hindu Kush - Karakoram , Kunlun - Altıntag - Nanshan, Tibetan Plateau. In the north, the subcontinent borders on Western Siberia and the mountains of Southern Siberia, in the east on East, in the south on South Asia, in the west on the South Urals and Mugodzhary, the Caspian region, then in the southwest on the Iranian plateau. A region is a system of hollows bounded by more or less high mountains and elevations.

The main natural features of Central Asia: - "Lattice-honeycomb" surface structure. Almost the entire region is a system of hollows bounded by more or less high mountains and hills. The central parts of the hollows are hard blocks of different geological ages; mountain uplifts are formed by neotectonic movements within mobile-different age zones. On this basis, all the physical and geographical countries of the subcontinent are similar, except for Central Kazakhstan. - Large amplitudes of heights. They are associated with the activity of neotectonic movements (the Turpan depression lies at an altitude of 154 m below sea level, the city of Chogori in Karakorum has an absolute height of 8611 m). There is evidence that over the past 10 thousand years, the mountains of Kunlun, Nanshan and others have risen by 1300-1500 m. - Aridity of the climate due to the inland continuation and hollow relief. Many features of various components of nature are associated with this. - Erosive dismemberment of mountain slopes occurred only in pluvial epochs; glaciation did not develop, as there was not enough water; ancient alignment surfaces preserved; modern denudation is slow, mainly due to weathering, talus and temporary streams; clastic material is not carried away far from the slopes where it was formed (“mountains sink in their own fragments”); groundwater usually lies deep, often mineralized; rivers are shallow, sometimes they do not flow anywhere; lakes are mostly salty, often with inconsistent outlines, and in some cases “wander” from one shallow basin to another; deserts, semi-deserts and dry steppes dominate on brown, gray-brown and in some places chestnut soils; salt flats and salt licks are widespread; plants and animals have adaptations to life in arid conditions. - Disorganized runoff (according to V. M. Sinitsyn): areas of internal runoff and drainless prevail. This is due to both the aridity of the climate and the basin structure of the territory. - The highest degree of climate continentality: annual temperature amplitudes can reach 90 ° С, low winter temperatures are especially characteristic. The features of continentality are most pronounced in the numerous large and small hollows that are so characteristic of the relief of the region. - Central Asia has long been a poorly studied region. Mountain barriers, harsh climatic conditions, and remoteness from European countries prevented the penetration of scientific expeditions into Central Asian territory. The political isolation of many parts of the region also played a role. Only in the XIX century. the first expeditions took place, overcoming natural obstacles and resistance of the Mongolian, Tibetan and Chinese authorities, scientists from many countries investigated and mapped this territory. The pluvial period is a stage of intensive climate humidification due to an increase in the amount of liquid precipitation.

The relief of Central Asia is distinguished by great heights, with 2 main tiers of relief clearly distinguished. The lower tier is formed by the Gobi, Alashan, Ordos, Dzhungar and Tarim plains, the predominant heights of which are 500-1500 m. The upper tier is the Tibetan plateau, within which the average heights increase to 4-4.5 thousand m. Plains and plateaus are separated from each other other linearly elongated mountain systems of the Eastern Tien Shan, Kunlun, Nanshan, Mongolian Altai, Karakorum, Gandisyshan and others, having mainly latitudinal and sub-latitudinal strike. The highest peaks of the Tien Shan, Karakorum, Kunlun reach 6 -7 thousand m; the highest point of Central Asia is the city of Chogori, in Karakoram (8611 m). Chogori, Karakoram

Climate For modern climatic conditions large temperature amplitudes are characteristic. Summer is hot (at monthly average temperatures 22 -24 ° С the air can warm up to 45 ° С, and the soil - up to 70 ° С). Winters with frosts, little snow. The daily temperature fluctuations are great, especially in transitional seasons, when they can reach 2–3 dozen degrees. In winter, an Asian anticyclone is located over Central Asia, and in summer it is a region of low atmospheric pressure with a predominance of moisture-poor air masses of oceanic origin. The climate is sharply continental, dry, with significant seasonal and daily temperature fluctuations. The average January temperatures on the plains are from -10 to -25 ° C, in July from 20 to 25 ° C (in the Tibet Plateau about 10 ° C). The annual precipitation on the plains usually does not exceed 200 mm, and areas such as the Takla-Makan, Gashun Gobi, Tsaidam deserts, and the Changtan plateau receive less than 50 mm, which is ten times less than evaporation. Most precipitation falls in the summer. In the mountain ranges, precipitation is 300-500 mm, and in the south - V. where the influence of the summer monsoon is felt, up to 1000 mm per year. Central Asia is characterized by strong winds and an abundance of sunny days (240 -270 per year). Reflection of dry climate is a significant snow line, reaching 5-5.5 thousand meters in Kunlun and Nanshan, and 6-7 thousand meters in the Tibetan Plateau, in Changtan (its highest position on the globe). Therefore, despite the enormous height of the mountains, there is little snow in them, and intermountain valleys and plains in winter are usually snowless. The extent of modern glaciation is insignificant (the glaciation area of \u200b\u200bCentral Asia is estimated at 50-60 thousand km 2). The main centers of glaciation are located in the highest mountain nodes of Karakorum, Kunlun, as well as the Eastern Tien Shan and the Mongolian Altai. The caravan, hanging and small valley glaciers prevail.

Surface water Due to the dry climate, Central Asia is characterized by low water cut. Most of the territory belongs to the region of internal runoff, forming a number of closed basins (Tarim, Dzhungarsky, Tsaidamsky, Basin of the Big Lakes, etc.). The main rivers - Tarim, Khotan, Aksu, Konchedarya, Urungu, Manas, Kobdo, Dzabkhan - originate in high peripheral mountain ranges, and upon reaching the plains, a significant part of their runoff seeps into loose deposits of foothill plumes, evaporates and is spent on field irrigation; therefore, downstream the water content of the rivers usually decreases, many of them dry out or carry water only during the summer flood, caused mainly by melting snow and ice in the mountains of Central Asia The most arid regions of Central Asia (Alashan, Beishan, Gashun and Zaaltai Gobi, the central part Takla-Makan deserts) are practically devoid of surface watercourses. Their surface is covered with dry channels, in which water appears only after occasional showers. Only the outskirts of Central Asia have runoff into the oceans, in the mountains of which the large rivers of Asia originate: the Yellow River, the Yangtze, the Mekong, Saluin, Brahmaputra, Indus, Irtysh, Selenga, Amur. There are many lakes in Central Asia, the largest of them is Lake Kukunor, and the deepest is Khubsugul. The largest number of lakes is in the Tibet Plateau and in the north of the MPR. Many of them are final river spills (for example, Lobnor), so that their shape and size often change depending on fluctuations in the water content of the rivers. Salt lakes predominate; of the largest, the largest are Khara-Us-Nur, Bagrashkel, and Khubsugul. Many lakes on the plains are in the process of reduction.

Tarim River The place of the mouth of the river is not defined either: in different years it flows in different directions. Most of the rivers flowing from the mountains to the basins are lost in the sand, sorted out for irrigation, or at times fill the salt lakes with water. Tarim wanders around the hollow, breaks up into sleeves, changes direction, leaving oases with settlements without water that have to be abandoned because of this.

The soil. The predominant types of soils in the north are chestnut, in the deserts of North-Western China - gray-brown, desert, on the Tibetan Plateau - frozen soils of cold high mountain deserts. In depressions there are solonchaks and takyrs. In the upper zone of the mountains are mountain meadow and (in the north) mountain forest soils. Soils of the plains of Central Asia are usually thin, almost devoid of humus, often contain a large number of carbonates and gypsum; significant areas of sandy and rocky deserts are generally devoid of soil cover. In the mountains - gravelly and roughly skeletal soils.

Some areas of sandy and gravelly deserts are completely devoid of vegetation, in other places they are typical desert communities with wormwood, hodgepodge, ephedra, camel thorn, tamarix, sometimes with saxaul in the sand. Only in the outlying mountains, at heights of 1800-3000 m, do forests of pine, Tien Shan spruce, elm, and aspen appear. Along the dry channels grow poplar variegated, desert elm, willows. In the mountain valleys and on the slopes of high mountains there are meadows. Takla Makan - a sandbox in a bowl between the mountains

East Asia The most extensive region of overseas Asia, located between the Amur Valley and the coast of South China, including the adjacent islands Pacific. The situation in the eastern oceanic sector of Asia with its characteristic monsoon circulation and abundant moisture in the summer season led to the dominance of forest landscapes (from the southern taiga to constantly humid tropical forests). In the leeward position, in the north, where the monsoon circulation is somewhat weakening, forest-steppes and meadow steppes appear. In contrast to the monsoon climate of South and South Asia, cyclonic activity on the polar front plays a significant role here, so intra-annual humidification in East Asia is more uniform. The fauna and flora of the region that has not experienced glaciation are characterized by great species diversity and endemism. A characteristic feature of nature is the indistinct zoning of landscapes associated with the predominance of mountainous terrain with its inherent vertical zonality

The Near-Asian Highlands Form a continuous belt from the coast of the Mediterranean Sea to Tibet and include the Asia Minor, Armenian and Iranian Highlands. They are characterized by a combination of marginal folded structures of the Cenozoic age with more ancient middle massifs, a large role of neotectonic movements in the formation of the modern relief. Typical Mediterranean landscapes are similar to European ones, and as you move eastward, the influence of purely Asian features increases - continental climate, drainage, landscapes acquire dry-steppe and desert features.

Infrared satellite image of the Great Salt Desert (Deshte Kevir), Iran. Deshte Kevir (Great Salt Desert), Iran.

The diverse climate of Asia, complex orography determine the richness of the natural zones of the temperate zone of Asia (Figure 2.1). On its territory are landscape zones of taiga, mixed forests, forest-steppes, steppes, semi-deserts, deserts.

Fig 2.1

Zones of taiga, mixed and broad-leaved forests are characteristic of the oceanic sector; intracontinental is occupied by zones 1) taiga 2) steppes and forest-steppes. 3) deserts, semi-desert.

Forest zone taiga. By species composition There are light coniferous (ordinary pine, Siberian and Daurian larch) and more characteristic and widespread dark coniferous taiga (spruce, fir, cedar pine). Wood species can form pure (spruce, larch) and mixed (spruce-fir) stands.

Light coniferous pine and larch are very unpretentious. They can grow on sands and rocky soils. In Western Siberia, forests consist of spruce, fir and cedar. In Eastern Siberia, in conditions of severe frosts and permafrost, forests from Daurian larch grow. It is well adapted to life in harsh conditions: it drops needles in the winter and has a superficial root system above the permafrost layer of soil. Small-leaved trees such as birch and aspen grow in the taiga. In most cases, these are secondary forests at the site of fires and deforestation.

Under coniferous forests, different types of podzolic soils are formed. As a result of decomposition of coniferous litter, acids are formed, which under conditions of high humidity contribute to the decay of mineral and organic particles of the soil. Abundant sediments wash the soils and remove dissolved substances from the upper humus layer to the lower horizons of the soils. As a result, the upper part of the soil acquires a whitish ash color (hence “podzols”). In areas where hardwood grows along with conifers, sod-podzolic soils are formed. Their upper horizon is enriched with humus and ash elements.

In areas of increased and excessive moisture, soil gleying occurs and gley-podzolic soils are formed. In the larch forests of Eastern Siberia, little rainfall occurs. This circumstance and permafrost make soil washing difficult. Therefore, weakly podzolized permafrost-taiga soils are developed here.

All taiga soils have a low-power humus horizon, a low content of many minerals, and an acid reaction of the soil solution (“acid soils”). As a result, their natural fertility is small. However, podzolic soils are very responsive to fertilizers and, with proper agricultural technology, can yield high yields of potatoes, rye, oats, barley, flax and forage grasses. To increase soil fertility, liming is also used, with the help of which their acidity is reduced.

The fauna of the taiga is very diverse. Of the mammals, moose live here, brown bear, lynx, squirrel, sable, chipmunk, hare. Many birds: capercaillie, hazel grouse, woodpecker, pine nut, owl.

Coniferous forests are used for the harvesting and production of wood, paper, wood chemistry products. In the taiga, fur trade is being carried out, picking mushrooms, berries and medicinal plants ..

The average July temperature is not higher than + 18 ° С. The amount of precipitation (300-900 mm) slightly exceeds evaporation. Snow cover is stable and lasts all winter. The ratio of heat and moisture is such that it universally favors the growth of trees. In the taiga, forests of spruce, larch, pine, fir and Siberian cedar prevail. Fir trees and firs form dark coniferous forests with poor grass cover, since under their dense crown there is very little light.

The mixed forest zone is mainly located in Northeast China. It is characterized by a relatively humid climate, the presence of dark coniferous-deciduous forests on sod-podzolic soils on the watersheds. The summer is cool, the average July temperatures are 17 -18 ° С. Winter is relatively mild, the average January temperature is from -3 to -4 ° С. There was no icing, so representatives of the arctotretic flora found refuge here. Mixed forests abound in endemic and relict species. This is the so-called Manchurian flora, very rich in species terms. The forests include Korean cedar, white fir, Olginsky larch, Ayansky spruce, Mongolian oak, Manchurian walnut, green-barked and bearded maple. Amur lilac, Ussuri buckthorn, Manchurian currant, aronia, Aralia, rhododendrons are in the understory. From lianas: Amur grapes, lemongrass, hops. In the soils, dark-colored to varying degrees, podzolized forest burozems and serozems predominate.

Broad-leaved forests in Asia are common only in the Japanese islands and in northern China in the temperate zone. Broad-leaved forests are widespread in areas whose natural landscape is characterized by an optimal ratio of heat and moisture. The necessary conditions for the development of these forest ecosystems include the complex interaction of topography, soil, climate, water. The moderately warm climate is characterized by warm, long summers, mild winters. The annual amount of precipitation, evenly distributed throughout the year, is slightly higher than evaporation, which significantly reduces the level of waterlogging of soils. The main tree species of deciduous forests are oak, linden, elm, maple, ash, beech, hornbeam. Most of these forests are multi-tiered systems: a high tree layer, undergrowth, shrubby, several grassy plants of different heights. The ground layer is formed by mosses and lichens. There are also forests in which high and dense crowns of trees exclude undergrowth, grass cover. The soil in them is densely covered with a layer of old leaves. Decomposing, organic residues form humus, contribute to the formation of stable organo-mineral compounds, since the leaves are rich in ash, calcium, potassium, silicon. In smaller quantities they contain magnesium, aluminum, phosphorus, manganese, iron, sodium, chlorine. Wide leaf blades are not suitable for the adverse conditions of the cold season, and therefore fall off. Falling leaves, thick bark of trunks and branches, resinous, dense scaly buds - all this is a protection against excessive winter evaporation. Stable snow cover during the melting period strikes the soil due to active leaching. Broad-leaved forests are characterized by sod-podzolic, gray, brown forest soils (Fig. 2.6), less common are varieties of chernozem.

Broad-leaved forests in most cases are tiered, two tree tiers can be distinguished (one higher, the other lower), shrubby, several grassy, \u200b\u200bconsisting of grasses of different heights (up to 3 tiers), ground layer of mosses and lichens. But in some phytocenoses (for example, beech forests), layering may be absent and under dense crowns of trees there is neither undergrowth nor grass cover, and the soil is covered with a dense layer of old leaves. Unlike tropical forests, trees of the upper tier have the same height. It depends on the very small number of tree species that make up this tier. Often there is generally one species and pure beech, oak, and hornbeam forests are formed, which brings together broad-leaved forests and conifers.

The light regime is very characteristic in deciduous forests. Two light maximums are observed here; one in the spring, when the trees have not yet dressed in foliage, the other in the autumn, when the foliage of the forest begins to thin out. In the summer months, light intensity is very low. Such a light regime determines the characteristics of the grass cover. In early spring, these forests are characterized by a sharp explosion of spring vegetation, consisting of perennial ephemera. They bloom very quickly and then also quickly finish their growing season. By June, they completely leave the grass cover, hiding underground. The explosion of spring ephemera is usually very colorful, since the flowers are brightly colored, and their number is so large that they cover the earth with a continuous cover.

Forest-forming species in these landscapes are beech, oak, maple, linden and chestnut.

Far Eastern forests are more diverse in species composition. Here, along with local species of oak and maple, gledia, magnolia, ailanthus, paulownia are found.

Currently, up to 60-80% of the area of \u200b\u200bthe deciduous forest zone is plowed up, which has led to the convergence of these landscapes by the nature of natural processes with the steppe landscapes

To the south of the taiga and coniferous-deciduous forests, the natural zone of the forest-steppe stretches in a continuous strip.

Unlike taiga and coniferous-deciduous forests, the forest-steppe zone has a relatively warm and dry climate. Here, summer air temperatures and the duration of the warm season increase, the probability of a cloudy sky decreases. The sum of average daily temperatures for a period with a temperature above 10 ° rises to 2600-2800 ° in the south-west of the zone and to 1800-2000 ° in the east. The frost-free period lasts 165 days in the west and 105-120 days in the east of the zone.

Significant thermal resources are combined in the forest-steppe with sufficient moisture. During the year, precipitation in it is almost the same as in the taiga zone: in the west - 500-600 mm, in the east - 300-400 mm.

In terms of the amount of heat and moisture received, the forest-steppe zone is very favorable for the cultivation of a wide variety of grain and industrial crops of the temperate zone. An unfavorable feature of the forest-steppe climate for agriculture is the instability of moisture. Wet years in the forest-steppe alternate with dry years. In dry years, the vegetation of the forest-steppe zone suffers from a lack of moisture. Such years are repeated relatively often.

The plant world is characterized by a complex alternation on the watersheds of picturesque massifs of deciduous forests (less often coniferous forests) with sections of grassy steppes. In Siberia, island small-leaved birch-aspen pegs are widespread.

Steppes in Asia - the south of Western Siberia, the north of Kazakhstan, the north of Mongolia and the People's Republic of China. In the southern part of the West Siberian lowland, forests give way to forest-steppe and steppe. On vast steppe pastures. In the steppes, summers are hotter and drier. Therefore, there are often droughts, dry winds, dust storms.

Steppe vegetation is formed by cereals (feather grass, fescue, bluegrass) and forbs (astragalus, sage, wormwood, irises). Among animals there are a lot of rodents: ground squirrel, groundhog, earthen hare, jerboa. Of the predators, the steppe ferret, badger, fox, and wolf are common. The saiga antelope is found. Typical steppe birds are bustard, partridge, lark, steppe eagle. Among the reptiles, the most common steppe viper and snake. Now the open spaces of the forest-steppe and steppe are almost completely plowed up, the natural vegetation has been changed to cereals (wheat, barley, millet) and other agricultural crops. The form of the original natural landscapes is evidenced by small areas that have been preserved in nature reserves.

In the east of the mainland in North China, there are tall grassy steppes.

In the temperate zone of Asia, semi-deserts stretch in a continuous strip from west to east for about 10 thousand km from the Caspian lowland to the eastern border of China. the semi-deserts of the temperate zone have a continental climate with cold winters, short spring and long hot and dry summers. Annual precipitation is 200-300 mm, to the Center. Asia 100 --160 mm. Precipitation is uneven. Vegetation, it is sparse and is represented by psammophytes (sand-lovers) and halophytes (salt-loving) -This is a different type of hodgepodge, wormwood, tamarisk bushes, juzguna, ephedra, saxaul. The fauna is represented mainly by ungulates and rodents. Among ungulates there is a two-humped camel, a kulan, antelopes (dzeren, gazelles, Przhevalsky), goats and rams in the mountains. From rodents - gophers, jerboas, field voles.

Temperate deserts occupy a large part of Central Asia. The largest of them are Karakum, Kyzylkum, most of the Gobi, Takla-Makan. They are characterized by a very dry continental climate with hot summers and cold winters, a sharp excess of evaporation over precipitation, desert-shrub vegetation, brown and gray-brown soils. Desert landscapes are formed in those parts of the temperate zone where the annual evaporation is 7 times or more higher than the annual precipitation. Perennial shrubs (wormwood, quinoa, hodgepodge, teresken, etc.) prevail in the vegetation cover, adapted to the conditions of long dry vegetation. period, cold winters and severe salinity of soils. Characteristic is the absence of perennial succulent plants that do not withstand low winter temperatures. The lack of moisture in the spring period in combination with other factors also determines a small role in the vegetation cover of mesophytic plants - ephemera. In the Middle and Center. Asia is dominated by semi-shrub wormwood and hodgepodge formations and tree-shrub formations with the participation of saxaul, Circassian, etc. Reptiles predominate in the animal kingdom. Here lizards (monitor lizard, agama, round-headed) and snakes (gyurza, cobra) are found. Many rodents - gerbils, ground squirrels, jerboas. Of the ungulates - the two-humped camel, gazelle, Mongolian kulan, saiga; of predators - jackals, hyenas.

Asia is the largest part of the world in terms of area (43.4 million km², together with adjacent islands) and population (4.2 billion people or 60.5% of the total population of the Earth).

Geographical position

Located in the eastern part of the continent of Eurasia, in the Northern and Eastern hemispheres, it borders with Europe along the Bosphorus and Dardanelles, Africa through the Suez Canal, and America along the Bering Strait. It is washed by the waters of the Pacific, Arctic and Indian Oceans, inland seas belonging to the Atlantic Ocean basin. The coastline is indented weakly, such large peninsulas are distinguished: Hindustan, Arabian, Kamchatka, Chukotka, Taimyr.

Key geographical features

3/4 of the Asian territory is occupied by mountains and plateaus (Himalayas, Pamir, Tien Shan, the Greater Caucasus, Altai, Sayan Mountains), the rest - plains (West Siberian, North Siberian, Kolyma, Great China, etc.). In Kamchatka, the islands of East Asia and the Malaysian coast, there are a large number of active, active volcanoes. The highest point of Asia and the world is the Chomolungma in the Himalayas (8848 m), the lowest - 400 meters below sea level (Dead Sea).

Asia can be safely called a part of the world where great waters flow. The Arctic Ocean basin includes the Ob, Irtysh, Yenisei, Irtysh, Lena, Indigirka, Kolyma, the Pacific Ocean - Anadyr, Amur, Juanha, Yanzets, Mekong, the Indian Ocean - Brahmaputra, Ganges and Indus, the inner basin of the Caspian, Aral Sea and lake Balkhash - Amu Darya, Syr Darya, Kura. The largest sea-lakes are the Caspian and Aral, tectonic lakes - Baikal, Issyk-Kul, Van, Rezaye, Teletskoye Lake, saline - Balkhash, Kukunor, Tuz.

The territory of Asia lies in almost all climatic zones, the northern regions - the Arctic zone, the southern - equatorial, the main part is influenced by the sharply continental climate, which is characterized by cold winter with low temperatures and hot, dry summers. Precipitation mainly falls in the summer, only in the Middle and Middle East - in winter.

The distribution of natural zones is characterized by latitudinal zonality: the northern regions are the tundra, then the taiga, the zone of mixed forests and forest-steppe, the zone of steppes with a fertile layer of chernozem, the desert and semi-desert zone (Gobi, Takla-Makan, Karakum, and deserts of the Arabian Peninsula), which are separated by the Himalayas from the southern tropical and subtropical zones, Southeast Asia lies in the zone of equatorial rainforests.

Asian countries

In Asia there are 48 sovereign states, 3 officially unrecognized republics (Waziristan, Nagorno-Karabakh, the State of Shan,) 6 dependent territories (in the Indian and Pacific Ocean) - only 55 countries. Some countries are partially located in Asia (Russia, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Yemen, Egypt and Indonesia). The largest states of Asia are Russia, China, India, Kazakhstan, the smallest - Comoros, Singapore, Bahrain, Maldives.

Depending on the geographical location, cultural and regional features, it is customary to divide Asia into East, West, Central, South and Southeast.

List of Asian countries

Major Asian countries:

(with a detailed description)

Nature

Nature, plants and animals of Asia

The variety of natural zones and climatic zones determines the diversity and uniqueness of both the plant and animal world of Asia, a huge number of the most diverse landscapes allows the most diverse representatives of the plant and animal kingdom to live here ...

North Asia, located in the arctic desert and tundra, is characterized by poor vegetation: mosses, lichens, dwarf birch trees. Further, the tundra is replaced by taiga, where huge pines, spruce, larch, fir, Siberian cedars grow. The taiga in the Amur region is followed by a zone of mixed forests (Korean cedar, white fir, Olginsky larch, Sayan spruce, Mongolian oak, Manchurian walnut, green-brown and bearded maple), which are adjoined by broad-leaved forests (maple, linden, elm, ash, walnut) passing in the south to the steppes with fertile chernozems.

In Central Asia, the steppes, where grass, grassland, tokonog, wormwood, and herbs grow, are replaced by semi-deserts and deserts, the vegetation here is poor and is represented by various salt-lovers and sand-lovers: wormwood, saxaul, tamarisk, dzhuzgun, ephedra. The subtropical zone in the west of the Mediterranean climate zone is characterized by the growth of evergreen hard-leaved forests and shrubs (maquis, pistachios, olives, juniper, myrtle, cypress, oak, maple), and the Pacific coast - monsoon mixed forests (camphor laurel, myrtle, camellia, camellia, camellia, camellia cunningamia, evergreen oak species, camphor laurel, Japanese pine, cypress, cryptomeria, arborvitae, bamboo, gardenia, magnolia, azaleas). A large number of palm trees (about 300 species), tree ferns, bamboo, pandanus grow in the zone of equatorial forests. Mountain vegetation, in addition to the laws of latitudinal zonation, is subject to the principles of altitudinal zonation. At the foot of the mountains coniferous and mixed forests grow, on the peaks - lush alpine meadows.

The fauna of Asia is rich and diverse. The territory of West Asia has favorable conditions for the residence of antelopes, roe deer, goats, foxes, as well as a huge number of rodents, the inhabitants of the lowlands - wild boars, pheasants, geese, tigers and leopards. In the northern regions, located mainly on the territory of Russia, in North-Eastern Siberia and the tundra, there are wolves, moose, bears, ground squirrels, arctic foxes, deer, lynxes, and wolverines. In the taiga there lives an ermine, an arctic fox, a squirrel, a chipmunks, a sable, a ram, a hare. In the arid regions of Central Asia there are gophers, snakes, jerboas, birds of prey, in South Asia - elephants, buffalos, wild boars, lemurs, lizards, wolves, leopards, snakes, peacocks, flamingos, in East Asia - moose, bears, Ussuri tigers and wolves, ibises, mandarin ducks, owls, antelopes, mountain sheep, giant salamander living on the islands, a variety of snakes and frogs, a large number of birds.

Climatic conditions

Seasons, weather and climate in Asia

Peculiarities of climatic conditions in Asia are formed under the influence of such factors as the large extent of the continent of Eurasia from north to south, and west to east, a large number of mountain barriers and low-lying depressions that affect the amount of solar radiation and atmospheric air circulation ...

Most of Asia is located in the sharply continental climatic zone, the eastern part is influenced by the atmospheric marine masses of the Pacific Ocean, the north is subject to the invasion of arctic air masses, tropical and equatorial air masses predominate in the south, and mountain ranges stretching from the west impede their penetration into the interior of the continent to the East. Precipitation is unevenly distributed: from 22,900 mm per year in the Indian town of Cherapundji in 1861 (considered the wettest place on our planet), to 200-100 mm per year in the desert regions of Central and Central Asia.

Peoples of Asia: Culture and Traditions

In terms of population, Asia ranks first in the world, 4.2 billion people live here, which makes up 60.5% of all humanity on the planet, and three times after Africa in terms of population growth. In Asian countries, the population is represented by representatives of all three races: Mongoloid, Caucasoid, and Negroid, the ethnic composition is diverse and diverse, several thousand peoples live here, speaking more than five hundred languages \u200b\u200b...

Among the language groups, the most common are:

• Sino-Tibetan. It is represented by the largest ethnic group in the world - Han (by the Chinese, the population of China is 1.4 billion people, every fifth person in the world is Chinese);
• Indo-European. Settled along the territory of the Indian subcontinent, these are the Hindu, Bihar, Marathi, (India), Bengalis (India and Bangladesh), Punjabis (Pakistan);
• Austronesian. They live in the territory of Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Philippines) - Javanese, bisaya, sunda;
• Dravidian. These are the peoples of Telugu, Kannara and Malayal (South India, Sri Lanka, some parts of Pakistan);
• Austro-Asian. The largest representatives are Vieta, Lao, Siamese (Indochina, South China):
• Altai. Turkic peoples divided into two isolated groups: in the west - Turks, Iranian Azerbaijanis, Afghan Uzbeks, in the east - the peoples of Western China (Uyghurs). The Manchu and Mongols of Northern China and Mongolia also belong to this language group;
• Semito Hamitic. These are Arabs of the western part of the continent (west of Iran and south of Turkey) and Jews (Israel).

Also, nationalities like the Japanese and Koreans stand out in a separate group called isolates, as populations of people who, for various reasons, including geographical location, are isolated from the outside world.