VEGETATION
spruces, firs, pines, and larches in the north, poplars, birches, and other
deciduous trees further south.
3. The temperate lowlands, or Steppes, of Western Siberia
and Western Turkistan, where the rainfall occurs chiefly in early summer,
and is scanty in parts, Here the natural vegetation is grass, but this
is being supplanted by agriculture wherever the rainfall is adequate or
irrigation possible,
4. The plateaux of the interior, including the tableland of
Arabia and plain of Mesopotamia. "These suffer from drought, and, save
for a few favoured valleys where irrigation is possible, they are either
barren or poor grasslands. The temperature is reduced by elevation,
but differs considerably in different parts, and the seasonal range is great.
The date-palm is important in Arabia and Southern Mesopotamia.
5. The Mediterranean seaboard is characterized by its mild,
wet winters and hot, dry summers. Here vegetation has to withstand the
summer drought; and hence the olive flourishes, as its thick-skinned
leaves prevent the rapid evaporation of moisture. The same is also
true of the fig, while the vine can obtain moisture from a great depth
by means of its long root. Wheat is cultivated, as it can be sown in
autumn, so as to benefit by the winter rains, and then be reaped in early
summer, "This type of climate and products also prevails to some extent
over the western plateaux, though, on account of the inadequate rainfall,
they also belong to Class 4.
6. The Monsoon area, embracıng India, Indo-China, China, Korea,
the plains of Manchuria, and the Japanese Isles. "This region, with the
exception of a few distriets already mentioned, receives the bulk of its
rainfall in summer, brought by warm oceanic winds, and is exposed in
winter to relatively cold land winds. As the climate is favourable for
agriculture, a large part of the area is under cultivation, the rest being
9ceupied by forests, or mixed grass and woodland. "The temperature,
and therefore the productions, vary much with the latitude, but rice, tea,
and cotton are characteristic crops throughout the greater part of the
region. One of the most typical products of this area is the bamboo,
while the coco-nut palm thrives in the south.
7. The equatorial districts, embracing the Malay Peninsula and
East Indies. Here, on account of latitude and oceanic influences, the
range of temperature is slight, and the average is high, but moderated by
altitude in many parts. The rainfall is heavy and occurs at all seasons,