Asia - Wildlife, Flora, Fauna

Asia

Table of Contents

Introduction
Geologic history
- General considerations
  - Tectonic framework
  - Chronological summary
- Stratigraphy and structure
  - The Precambrian
  - The Paleozoic Era
    - Paleozoic events in the Altaids
    - Paleozoic events in the Tethysides
    - Paleozoic events in the continental nuclei
  - The Mesozoic Era
    - Mesozoic events in the Tethysides
    - Mesozoic events in the Altaids
    - Mesozoic events in the continental nuclei
    - Mesozoic events in the circum-Pacific orogenic belts
  - The Cenozoic Era
    - Cenozoic events in the Alpide plate boundary zone and in the Arabian and Indian cratons
    - Cenozoic events in Stable Asia
    - Cenozoic events in the island arcs and the marginal basins
Land
- Relief
  - The mountain belts
  - The plains and lowlands
  - The islands
  - Geologic and climatic influences
  - The regions of Asia
    - North Asia
    - East Asia
    - Central Asia and South Siberia
    - South Asia
    - Southeast Asia
    - Middle Asia
    - West Asia
    - Southwest Asia
- Drainage
  - Rivers
  - Lakes
  - Groundwater
- Soils
  - The Arctic zone
  - The forest tundra
  - The forest zone
  - The forest-steppe and steppe
  - Semidesert and desert
  - The Asian Mediterranean
  - The subtropical monsoonal regions
  - The subequatorial and equatorial regions
  - The mountains
  - Effects of human activity on the soil
- Climate
  - Air masses and wind patterns
    - Continental climate
    - The polar front
    - Monsoons and typhoons
  - The influence of topography
  - Temperature
  - Precipitation
  - Climatic regions
  - Urban climate
- Plant life
  - The geographic pattern of vegetation
    - North and Central Asia
    - East Asia
    - South and Southeast Asia
    - West Asia
  - Vegetation and society
    - Vegetation in traditional civilization
    - Human impact on natural landscapes
- Animal life
  - The Palearctic region
    - The tundra
    - The taiga
    - The steppes
    - East and Southwest Asia
  - The Oriental region
    - Mammals
    - Birds
    - Reptiles and amphibians
    - Fish
    - Invertebrates
People
- Ethnic groups
  - Prehistoric centres and ancient migrations
  - Historical migrations
  - Multiethnic states
- Languages
- Religion
  - South Asia
  - Southwest Asia
  - East Asia
  - Other religions
- Settlement patterns
  - Ecological factors
  - Rural settlement
  - Urban settlement
- Demographic trends
  - Early population distribution
  - 20th-century changes
  - Contemporary trends
Economy
- General considerations
- Resources
  - Mineral resources
    - Coal
    - Petroleum and natural gas
    - Uranium
    - Iron
    - Ferroalloy metals
    - Nonferrous base metals
    - Precious metals
    - Nonmetallic minerals
  - Water resources
  - Biological resources
    - Botanical resources
    - Animal resources
  - Resource development
- Mining
- Timber, fisheries, and animal husbandry
- Agriculture
  - Agricultural technology
  - Principal crops
    - Cereals and grains
    - Fruits and vegetables
    - Cash crops
- Manufacturing
  - Heavy industry and engineering
  - Chemicals and petrochemicals
  - Textiles and other light manufacturing
  - Handicrafts
- Energy
- Services
- Trade
  - Historical background
  - Contemporary trade patterns
- Transportation

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Asia’s vastness and widely varying climatic conditions have produced the enormous diversity of life described in the discussions of plant and animal life. The distribution of economically valuable species, however, is highly uneven. The Arctic north of the continent and large areas of the central mountain massif—known as “the roof of the world”—are practically barren. In addition, even where there is water—and nowhere is water conservation pursued more carefully than in Asia—there are still many areas of undrained swamp. Conservationists, who believe these swamps are resources in their own right, hope that they will remain undrained. The continent’s naturally occurring ...(100 of 38030 words)

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