The Contrast between Asia and Australia 317
TRANSPORTATION
Transportation in Asia compared with that of Australia and the
United States. The following figures illustrate the degree to which
transportation has been developed in certain countries.
COUNTRY
China .
India .
Turkey
Javan .
Australia .
New Zealana
[Tnited States
Fora RaiLway
MILEAGE IN
1998
6,836
36,616
3,842
7.234
\\y
MILES OF
RAILROAD
PER 10,000
[NHABITANTS
MILES OF
RAILROAD
PER 1000
SOUARE MILES
v
20
.
Motor VEHI-
“LES PER 1000
[INHABITANTS
iN 1928
0 07
0.41
1.10
1.96
82.00
107.00
200.00
18. How do the Asiatic countries compare with the others in (a) miles of rail-
road in proportion to population; (b) miles of railroad in proportion to
area; (c) number of motor vehicles compared with the number of
people
Which of the Asiatic countries here given appears to you to have the
best system of transportation? Why? How do its transportation fa-
cilities compare with those of each of the three non-Asiatic countries in
the table? Why does it stand higher than the other Asiatic countries?
The distribution of railroads in Asia. The following conditions
have played an important part in determining the location and extent
of the railways of Asia: (a) the height and extent of the mountains
and plateaus; (b) climatic conditions, including low temperature,
lack of rain, summer floods, and dense vegetation; (c) density of the
population; (d) poverty; (e) degree of progressiveness; (f) kind of
rcovernment ; (¢g) famines, which have led a great European country
to build many miles of railway in one of its chief possessions in order
to transport food from regions of abundance to those where food is
scarce; (h) valuable products wanted by Europeans.
20. Explain how each of these conditions influences railroad building.
21. On an outline map of Asia write in each country a series of letters to in-
dicate which of the conditions given above have had an important effect.
Underline the letters indicating conditions that have stimulated rail-
road building.
