CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR 
THE CONTRAST BETWEEN ASIA AND AUSTRALIA 
AN Exercise IN Business GEOGRAPHY 
Asia and Australia present a notable contrast. Asia is the oldest of 
the continents so far as human history is concerned ; Australia is the 
youngest. Asia is five times as large as Australia, and has more than 
a hundred times as many people as Australia and New Zealand com- 
bined. Asia contains vast supplies of coal, iron, and probably other 
mineral wealth, and its agricultural possibilities are almost unlimited. 
Australia has little coal and iron; its other mineral wealth is probably 
much less than that of Asia, although more developed; and agricul- 
ture is not possible on any such scale as in Asia. Nevertheless the 
people of Asia are far less prosperous than those of Australia and New 
Zealand. This is due partly to the density of the population in Asia, 
partly to historical causes, and partly to lack of initiative among most 
of the people of Asia in contrast with great energy and initiative among 
the Australians. The contrast illustrates the fact that in commerce 
and industry the most important of all factors is the character of the 
people. 
PRODUCTION 
What Asia and Australia produce. Table V, on pages 812 and 313, 
lists the fifty primary products most important in the world as a 
whole. It shows what percentage of each is produced in Asia and in 
Australia, as well as the part of Asia where production is most active. 
I. Map exercise. On an outline map of Asia draw a map of Australia, 
using the same scale. to show how the two continents compare ip 
size. 
) 
Explain why the figures for Asia in Table V are generally much larger 
than for Australia. How is this possible when the average wealth per in- 
habitant is estimated to be ten or twelve times as great in Australia as in 
Asia d 
1 
From Table V select the seven products of which Asia produces the 
largest percentage of the world’s total. Then select the seven in which 
Australia and New Zealand rank highest. Draw a diagram to illustrate 
your selection. 
Make a list of products produced in Asia to the extent of at least twenty 
per cent of the world’s total, but not produced in Australia to any 
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