Geography: What's that Mountain Doing There?
Most people alive today, or at least the ones that don't live under a rock like Chris, know at least the basics concerning Asia's population problem. Most probably believe that Asia is an expansive piece of land that couldn't possibly be in the absence of space. However, the physical geography of the region proves otherwise.
The most prevalent feature that you should see is the huge expanse of mountains in the central/southern areas of Asia. These mountains, the Himalayas and the Plateau of Tibet, are very tall and dense, completely barricading the highlands of inland China. When large air masses from the Indian Ocean flow across India, they come to an abrupt stop at the mountains. This, in turn, makes the northern-most part of India very lush and green due to constant rainfall from congested weather routes. It also makes the interior regions of Asia very dry and arid due to an extreme lack of rainfall. The mountains also complicate travel and expansion. The mountains cannot be moved or destroyed, so they will continue to annoy and complicate the lives of the Asian population.
Another feature you might have noticed is the huge tan colored spot called the 'Gobi Desert.' The desert itself, the fifth largest in the world, covers most of northern China, a sliver of southern Russia, and comletely engulfs Mongolia. With the excess population problem in the region, the Gobi Desert stands as a major obstacle for countries since it inhibits expansion.
People: Asians Like James, Just Smarter
The entire region of Asia supports almost half of the worlds 6.5 billion people, a truly astonishing feat. However, all is not well in this far away realm; the massive population of the area is causing drastic problems. In China, there are over one billion people living in the small amount of space between the dense mountains and the Gobi Desert. With no room for expansion, space has become sparse and a simple morning commute becomes a raging battle. The interior of major cities such as Hong Kong and Beijing are grossly overstuffed with people. As seen in the pictures below, people have trouble just taking a stroll down the street or taking the local train to work in the morning.
Nature: Can't We Just Get Along Already?
Right now, man Asian companies are thriving off of cheap labor for manufacturing and the international trade of raw materials. Many parts of Asia have been "found suitable for agriculture and "have been intensively cultivated for hundreds or even thousands of years." This agricultural cultivation destroys natural habitat where animals used to take residence. Originally, the more primitive living native Chinese, for example, used to grow rice while coexisting with natures wonders. However, today's mass market and increasing population have pushed corporations to expand crops and eat away at natural habitats.
As I previously stated above, international trade has brought raw materials such as timber to the forefront of executives minds. Mass quantities of wood from local forests are being shipped all around the world while the natural landscape of Asia suffers great blows. Places like China already have massive air-pollution problems; it isn't helping that they're cutting down natures CO2 filters.
Nature: Feed Me Seymour, Feed Me
It sort of ironic how there is so much land in both China and India used for agriculture, yet places throughout both countries suffer from mass famine. They have plenty of surplus (180 tons of grain in 2000), but they don't have the means in which to distribute the grain people need to properly sustain life. So people across the continent continue to die while more efforts are being made to distribute in other neighboring countries. Personally, I think India should address their current situation in their own country before moving to help others; it just makes sense that way. The PDS (Public Distribution System) is evidently not working, so they should feel obligated to make changes ASAP. Given their failures in the past concerning the PDS, it would benefit them to reach out to the U.N or someone like that for advice on the matter. Until then, millions of innocent victims will continue to die from malnourishment.
Just Voicing Some Opinion...
I now officially and completely hate Weebly with every fiber of my body. I had 3 maps on the site, but it turns out at the last minute they went so utterly haywire I had to pull the plug on them. If my grade suffers from a lack of maps, I will sue Weebly for all its worth.
