Animals Life and Mineral Resources
Animal Life
The great variety of wildlife in Asia includes many species that are unique to the continent. Orangutans, the second tallest of the ape family after gorillas, are found on Borneo and Sumatra. Giant pandas make their home in southwestern China, and snow leopards roam the plateaus and mountains of Central Asia. A rare freshwater seal lives in Lake Baikal. China’s Yangtze River is home to a freshwater dolphin threatened by water pollution and increased numbers of motorized river vessels. The Komodo dragon, the world’s largest lizard and among the oldest surviving lizards, inhabits a small island in eastern Indonesia.
Asia’s wildlife generally can be classified by the particular vegetation zones they inhabit. Reindeer live in the southern tundra region of northern Siberia. Small fur-bearing animals, such as sables and foxes, are plentiful in the taiga forest of Russian Asia. The grasslands are home to antelope and many rodents, including marmots. In the mountainous areas of Central Asia live tiny musk deer. Tigers, one species of which inhabits northern Siberia, are found throughout the tropical rain forests of South and Southeast Asia. This area is also home to rhinoceroses, monkeys, and several subspecies of elephants.
In the hilly regions of Southwest Asia live gazelles. A rare species of antelope known as the oryx is found on the fringes of the desert areas of the Arabian Peninsula. Other animals commonly found in Southwest Asia include wolves and hyenas.
The remote mountainous region of Vietnam adjacent to the border with Laos has yielded some remarkable discoveries of animals previously unknown by scientists. A new species of cattle-like animal, the sao la (vu quang), was discovered in 1993, only the fourth discovery of this kind in the 20th century. Scientists have discovered other creatures since 1992, including two deerlike animals, the giant muntjac and the quang khem.
Asia’s domesticated animals include water buffalo, which are harnessed to plows and carts. Cattle are also used for hauling, especially in India, which has the world’s largest cattle population. Most people in India do not eat beef because they belong to the Hindu religion, which considers cows sacred. Pigs are a major source of protein in China, although they are considered unclean in the Islamic countries, which include Pakistan, Afghanistan, and most countries of the Middle East. Sheep are kept across vast areas of semiarid Russian Asia, and reindeer are farmed in the north. People throughout the dry areas of the Middle East use camels.
The bird life of Asia is varied and includes several rare species. In the mountains of northern India lives the lammergeier, a huge bird similar to the vulture, that can obtain a wingspread of almost 3 m (10 ft). Peacocks and birds of paradise are found in the rain forests of Southeast Asia.
The continent of Asia is also home to many of the world’s poisonous snakes. Cobras, which are especially common in India, and kraits and vipers, which are found throughout the continent, are the leading poisonous snakes. Numerous other reptiles, such as crocodiles, live in the rivers of Southeast Asia.
Insects and Parasites
The tropical climates of large portions of Asia are particularly favorable to the development of insects and of parasites with long, complex life cycles. Tropical walkingsticks can exceed 30 cm (12 in) in length. Malarial organisms and the mosquitoes that carry them are favored by the absence of cold winters and, in rainy tropical areas, by the abundance of precipitation. The deadliest of the malarial organisms, Plasmodium falciparum, can survive year round in tropical areas. Filariae, small parasitic roundworms, are common in India and much of Southeast Asia; the parasite can cause elephantiasis, a disease that produces grotesque swellings. Great swarms of locusts are a periodic menace to farming in various areas of the Asian continent, particularly in Southwest Asia.
The great variety of wildlife in Asia includes many species that are unique to the continent. Orangutans, the second tallest of the ape family after gorillas, are found on Borneo and Sumatra. Giant pandas make their home in southwestern China, and snow leopards roam the plateaus and mountains of Central Asia. A rare freshwater seal lives in Lake Baikal. China’s Yangtze River is home to a freshwater dolphin threatened by water pollution and increased numbers of motorized river vessels. The Komodo dragon, the world’s largest lizard and among the oldest surviving lizards, inhabits a small island in eastern Indonesia.
Asia’s wildlife generally can be classified by the particular vegetation zones they inhabit. Reindeer live in the southern tundra region of northern Siberia. Small fur-bearing animals, such as sables and foxes, are plentiful in the taiga forest of Russian Asia. The grasslands are home to antelope and many rodents, including marmots. In the mountainous areas of Central Asia live tiny musk deer. Tigers, one species of which inhabits northern Siberia, are found throughout the tropical rain forests of South and Southeast Asia. This area is also home to rhinoceroses, monkeys, and several subspecies of elephants.
In the hilly regions of Southwest Asia live gazelles. A rare species of antelope known as the oryx is found on the fringes of the desert areas of the Arabian Peninsula. Other animals commonly found in Southwest Asia include wolves and hyenas.
The remote mountainous region of Vietnam adjacent to the border with Laos has yielded some remarkable discoveries of animals previously unknown by scientists. A new species of cattle-like animal, the sao la (vu quang), was discovered in 1993, only the fourth discovery of this kind in the 20th century. Scientists have discovered other creatures since 1992, including two deerlike animals, the giant muntjac and the quang khem.
Asia’s domesticated animals include water buffalo, which are harnessed to plows and carts. Cattle are also used for hauling, especially in India, which has the world’s largest cattle population. Most people in India do not eat beef because they belong to the Hindu religion, which considers cows sacred. Pigs are a major source of protein in China, although they are considered unclean in the Islamic countries, which include Pakistan, Afghanistan, and most countries of the Middle East. Sheep are kept across vast areas of semiarid Russian Asia, and reindeer are farmed in the north. People throughout the dry areas of the Middle East use camels.
The bird life of Asia is varied and includes several rare species. In the mountains of northern India lives the lammergeier, a huge bird similar to the vulture, that can obtain a wingspread of almost 3 m (10 ft). Peacocks and birds of paradise are found in the rain forests of Southeast Asia.
The continent of Asia is also home to many of the world’s poisonous snakes. Cobras, which are especially common in India, and kraits and vipers, which are found throughout the continent, are the leading poisonous snakes. Numerous other reptiles, such as crocodiles, live in the rivers of Southeast Asia.
Insects and Parasites
The tropical climates of large portions of Asia are particularly favorable to the development of insects and of parasites with long, complex life cycles. Tropical walkingsticks can exceed 30 cm (12 in) in length. Malarial organisms and the mosquitoes that carry them are favored by the absence of cold winters and, in rainy tropical areas, by the abundance of precipitation. The deadliest of the malarial organisms, Plasmodium falciparum, can survive year round in tropical areas. Filariae, small parasitic roundworms, are common in India and much of Southeast Asia; the parasite can cause elephantiasis, a disease that produces grotesque swellings. Great swarms of locusts are a periodic menace to farming in various areas of the Asian continent, particularly in Southwest Asia.
Mineral Resources
Asia is rich in known mineral resources, and additional resources are suspected in some areas, such as Tibet, which are still unexplored geologically. Asia is particularly endowed with energy resources. Petroleum and natural gas are well distributed, but the greatest concentrations of mapped energy fuels are at the head of the Persian Gulf; in parts of Indonesia, especially Sumatra and Borneo; in northern and interior China; on the shores of the Caspian Sea; and in the West Siberian Plain. Large offshore reserves are believed to exist along the coasts of China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and western India.
Since Vietnam’s economy began opening to foreign investment in the late 1980s, offshore oil and gas reserves have been tapped for commercial production. China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, and the Philippines each claim all or part of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, an area thought to contain rich energy and mineral reserves.
Coal exists in great abundance in Siberia, northeastern India, and especially in Shaanxi province in northern China, which contains 30 percent of China’s proven reserves. Despite enormous reserves, China is a coal importer because it does not have the capacity to transport sufficient coal from the northern to the southern parts of the country.
With the exception of Turkey, which is a major chromium producer, metallic minerals are relatively scarce in Southwest Asia. China and Siberia are particularly well endowed with mineral resources. Malaysia is rich in tin and India in iron and manganese ores. Indonesia has bauxite, which is used in aluminum production. Gemstones such as diamonds are found in Siberia, and sapphires and rubies occur in South and Southeast Asia. Other important mineral resources include gold, silver, uranium, copper, lead, and zinc. The major manufacturing centers of Asia, such as Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong, have few or no significant mineral resources.
Environmental Issues
Asian countries share some difficult environmental problems. Among the most significant are land and soil degradation, lessening the land’s capacity to sustain life. Desertification is an extreme example of land degradation. Scientists estimate that 10 percent of all land has been transformed from productive use into desert, and another quarter is at risk. The desert regions of the Middle East have been spreading for hundreds of years. Prehistoric forests in the region were destroyed by human habitation. Overgrazing and destruction of surrounding vegetation have continued the desertification of the region.
Deforestation is another serious problem. Closed-canopy tropical rain forests are distributed from northeast India through Southeast Asia and north as far as southern China. From 1960 to 1990 Asia lost nearly one-third of its tropical forests. Both India and the Philippines have less than one-quarter of their original forest cover.
In recent years the rate of forest loss in places such as Cambodia, Laos, and Indonesia has accelerated. The increasing population of people who practice shifting cultivation—also known as slash-and-burn agriculture—has done some damage, but rapid commercial harvesting of the rain forest is now causing the greatest concern. Despite government measures to ban or reduce logging in areas of Southeast Asia, illegal logging continues throughout the region. In some areas it is often with the support of military or guerrilla forces who use the proceeds to support their activities.
The rapid industrialization of countries in East and Southeast Asia has created serious air pollution. Two of the main pollutants produced by the combustion of fossil fuels, which include petroleum and natural gas, are suspended particulate matter (SPM) and sulfur dioxide. These are harmful to the human respiratory tract and cause illnesses such as bronchitis.
Cities in China, especially Beijing, Shenyang, Shanghai, and Xian, have among the highest levels of SPM pollution in the world due to their heavy use of coal for residential and industrial energy. Indian cities, including Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai (formerly Bombay), also have high levels of SPM and sulfur dioxide from fossil fuel use. Tokyo and other Japanese manufacturing centers have a lesser problem with air pollution because government controls are greater.
Some scientists predict global warming will cause the polar ice caps to melt, raising mean sea levels 230 mm (9 in) by 2050 and 00.50 m (20 in) by 2100. Rising sea levels would have catastrophic consequences for coastal Asian countries. The worst hit would be Bangladesh, where more than 110 million people live in the low-lying Ganges Delta. Already vulnerable to cyclones and tidal waves that inundate the region, 13,000 sq km (5,000 sq mi) of Bangladesh’s land area would be lost with a 1 m (3 ft) rise in sea levels. The high population densities of these low-lying areas make resettlement to higher ground impractical.
Environmental consciousness in Asia is growing. Most Asian countries are increasingly implementing more environmental regulations. Economic development, however, remains a greater priority in most developing countries.
Asia is rich in known mineral resources, and additional resources are suspected in some areas, such as Tibet, which are still unexplored geologically. Asia is particularly endowed with energy resources. Petroleum and natural gas are well distributed, but the greatest concentrations of mapped energy fuels are at the head of the Persian Gulf; in parts of Indonesia, especially Sumatra and Borneo; in northern and interior China; on the shores of the Caspian Sea; and in the West Siberian Plain. Large offshore reserves are believed to exist along the coasts of China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and western India.
Since Vietnam’s economy began opening to foreign investment in the late 1980s, offshore oil and gas reserves have been tapped for commercial production. China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, and the Philippines each claim all or part of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, an area thought to contain rich energy and mineral reserves.
Coal exists in great abundance in Siberia, northeastern India, and especially in Shaanxi province in northern China, which contains 30 percent of China’s proven reserves. Despite enormous reserves, China is a coal importer because it does not have the capacity to transport sufficient coal from the northern to the southern parts of the country.
With the exception of Turkey, which is a major chromium producer, metallic minerals are relatively scarce in Southwest Asia. China and Siberia are particularly well endowed with mineral resources. Malaysia is rich in tin and India in iron and manganese ores. Indonesia has bauxite, which is used in aluminum production. Gemstones such as diamonds are found in Siberia, and sapphires and rubies occur in South and Southeast Asia. Other important mineral resources include gold, silver, uranium, copper, lead, and zinc. The major manufacturing centers of Asia, such as Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong, have few or no significant mineral resources.
Environmental Issues
Asian countries share some difficult environmental problems. Among the most significant are land and soil degradation, lessening the land’s capacity to sustain life. Desertification is an extreme example of land degradation. Scientists estimate that 10 percent of all land has been transformed from productive use into desert, and another quarter is at risk. The desert regions of the Middle East have been spreading for hundreds of years. Prehistoric forests in the region were destroyed by human habitation. Overgrazing and destruction of surrounding vegetation have continued the desertification of the region.
Deforestation is another serious problem. Closed-canopy tropical rain forests are distributed from northeast India through Southeast Asia and north as far as southern China. From 1960 to 1990 Asia lost nearly one-third of its tropical forests. Both India and the Philippines have less than one-quarter of their original forest cover.
In recent years the rate of forest loss in places such as Cambodia, Laos, and Indonesia has accelerated. The increasing population of people who practice shifting cultivation—also known as slash-and-burn agriculture—has done some damage, but rapid commercial harvesting of the rain forest is now causing the greatest concern. Despite government measures to ban or reduce logging in areas of Southeast Asia, illegal logging continues throughout the region. In some areas it is often with the support of military or guerrilla forces who use the proceeds to support their activities.
The rapid industrialization of countries in East and Southeast Asia has created serious air pollution. Two of the main pollutants produced by the combustion of fossil fuels, which include petroleum and natural gas, are suspended particulate matter (SPM) and sulfur dioxide. These are harmful to the human respiratory tract and cause illnesses such as bronchitis.
Cities in China, especially Beijing, Shenyang, Shanghai, and Xian, have among the highest levels of SPM pollution in the world due to their heavy use of coal for residential and industrial energy. Indian cities, including Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai (formerly Bombay), also have high levels of SPM and sulfur dioxide from fossil fuel use. Tokyo and other Japanese manufacturing centers have a lesser problem with air pollution because government controls are greater.
Some scientists predict global warming will cause the polar ice caps to melt, raising mean sea levels 230 mm (9 in) by 2050 and 00.50 m (20 in) by 2100. Rising sea levels would have catastrophic consequences for coastal Asian countries. The worst hit would be Bangladesh, where more than 110 million people live in the low-lying Ganges Delta. Already vulnerable to cyclones and tidal waves that inundate the region, 13,000 sq km (5,000 sq mi) of Bangladesh’s land area would be lost with a 1 m (3 ft) rise in sea levels. The high population densities of these low-lying areas make resettlement to higher ground impractical.
Environmental consciousness in Asia is growing. Most Asian countries are increasingly implementing more environmental regulations. Economic development, however, remains a greater priority in most developing countries.
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