In this article we will try to answer the question of which peninsula is located east - Hindustan or Indochina? Where are they located and what is their area?
What is a peninsula?
Before answering the question of which of the peninsulas is located east: Indochina or Hindustan, it is important to understand what the peninsula is, how it looks and how it differs from the island.
In geography, it is customary to call a peninsula a piece of terrestrial land washed from three sides by the waters of the ocean, sea, or other reservoir. On the fourth side, it is usually connected to the mainland (sometimes in the form of a thin isthmus).
It should be noted that the peninsula is a rather subjective and non-specific concept. After all, it is impossible to clearly define the boundaries of these geographical objects. In addition, there are no unambiguous criteria for their selection. After all, by and large, the whole of Europe can be called a peninsula - in relation to the continent of Eurasia. It is also washed by the waters of the seas from three sides: from the north, west and south.
The largest peninsula of the planet is considered Arabian. Its total area is 3.2 million square meters. km On its territory all the states of Western and Central Europe could freely accommodate !
We find out which peninsula is located east: Hindustan or Indochina
Now it's time to answer the main question of our article. So, which peninsula is located east - Indochina or Hindustan?
If you look at the list of the largest peninsulas of the planet, we will meet these names in its upper part. Moreover, Indochina occupies the second position (after the Arabian), and Hindustan - the third. On the map, these two peninsulas are also located not so far from each other.
The southern outlines of Asia are distinguished by three large "teeth": in the west - the Arabian Peninsula, east - by the Hindustan, even east - by Indochina. So we gave an answer to our main question! The average longitude of Hindustan is 78 ° east longitude, and Indochina - 101 °. It is interesting to note that these two peninsulas are separated by the largest bay in the world - Bengal.
Hindustan: geographical location and landscapes
The area of the peninsula is about 2 million square meters. km The northern border of Hindustan is a conditional line connecting the Indus and Ganges rivers on the map. The peninsula is washed by the waters of the Indian Ocean: in the west - the Arabian Sea, and in the east - the Bay of Bengal. Almost all of its territory is occupied by one state - India. In the photo you can see the location of Hindustan on a map of Eurasia.
Hindustan (or rather, Hindustan) these lands were called Persians. Later, this toponym passed into many European languages. Interestingly, in English literature under the name "Hindustan" mean the five southern states of India.
The bowels of the peninsula are extremely rich in mineral resources, primarily rare and non-ferrous metals. It produces gold, diamonds, monazite, graphite, iron and manganese ore. There are significant deposits of coal and oil.
The nature of Hindustan is greatly altered by human activity. Instead of natural landscapes, here on vast territories dominated by the so-called cultivated savannah - groves of palm trees and fruit trees in the middle of agricultural land.
Indochina: geographical location and landscapes
Peninsula: 2.4 million square meters. km It is located in the southeastern part of Asia. The northern border of Indochina is a conditional line connecting the Ganges and Hongha rivers on the map. The western shores of the peninsula are washed by the waters of the Indian Ocean, while the eastern shores are already the seas of the Pacific Ocean.
On the territory of Indochina, seven states are fully or partially located: Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand and Bangladesh. In the photo you can see the location of Indochina on a map of Eurasia.
The modern name of the peninsula was given by the French. Why Indochina? The thing is that the inhabitants of this peninsula reminded Europeans of both Indians and Chinese at the same time.
Indochina is not very rich in mineral resources. There are large deposits of tungsten and tin. But the natural flora and fauna, unlike the neighboring Hindustan, is much better preserved here. Damp tropical forests and mangroves are common on the peninsula. Rice and rubber plantations are an integral part of the landscape of the plains of Indochina.