Transcript 10.1 Physical Geography - Warren Consolidated Schools

10.1 Physical Geography
Central Asia
Physical Features
• All of the countries in this
region are landlocked, or
completely surrounded by
land with no direct access
to the ocean.
Mountains
• Many high mountain ranges run
through Afghanistan, Tajikistan,
and Kyrgyzstan.
–The Hindu Kush runs through
Afghanistan
• Large glaciers are common in
high mountains such as the
Pamirs.
Mountains
• The mountains have contributed
to the region’s isolation.
–Mountains make it hard to travel
and communicate.
• Tectonic activity also causes
frequent earthquakes in the
region.
Plains and Plateaus
• From mountains in east, the land
gradually slopes westward.
• The central part of the region is
covered with plains and low plateaus.
• The plains region is the site of the
fertile Fergana Valley, a major center
of farming in the region for thousands
of years.
Rivers & Lakes
• Two rivers, the Syr Darya and the
Amu Darya, flow through the Fergana
Valley from eastern mountains into
the Aral Sea, which is really a large
lake.
• Another important lake, Lake
Balkhash, has freshwater at one end
and salty water at the other end.
Climate & Vegetation
• High peaks in the eastern mountain
area are too cold, dry, and windy for
vegetation.
• Two deserts—the Kara-Kum in
Turkmenistan and the Kyzyl Kum in
Uzbekistan and Kazakstan—have
extremely high temperatures.
Climate & Vegetation
• The only place in Central Asia
with a milder climate is the far
north.
• Temperature ranges are not so
extreme and rainfall is heavy
enough for plants to grow.
Natural Resources: Water
• Main water sources are the Syr
Darya and Amu Darya rivers.
• Since water is so scarce, conflict
between Uzbekistan and
Turkmenistan have arisen over
how to use the water from the
rivers
Natural Resources: Water
• River water used mostly to irrigate
cotton fields
• So much water from the rivers is used
for irrigation that almost no water
reaches the Aral Sea today.
–Because of this, the Aral Sea has lost
more than 75% of its water since
1960.
Natural Resources: Water
• Central Asia’s rivers also
supply power.
• Countries have built large
dams on the rivers generate
hydroelectricity.
Oil & Other Resources
• Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and
Turkmenistan have huge reserves
of oil and natural gas.
• Reserves must be exported to
benefit the countries.
Oil & Other Resources
• With no ocean port, oil and gas
must be transported through
pipelines.
• Building and maintaining pipelines
is difficult through the rugged
terrain.
Oil & Other Resources
• Kazakhstan has many
mineral mines.
• Gold, silver, copper, zinc,
uranium, and lead
• Also large amounts of coal