Population/Culture
Population China: 51% rural
Japan 25% rural
Population Density
China & Isolation
中華人民共和國
• Ancient Chinese: saw themselves as the center of the world,
self sufficient & technologically advanced.
• Foreigners inferior & did not pursue links with the outside
world.
• Censorship of political speech & information: routinely used
to silence criticism of government & the Chinese Communist
Party.
• Civil rights violations common
• China limited western influences.
– Banning, threatening to ban TV shows that are deemed inappropriate
Tiananmen Square 1989
Pro-democracy reform movement.
Result: Martial Law in China
Forbidden
City:
Chinese
Imperial Palace
Spread of Religions
to Asia
 Indonesia: Muslim
 Person must carry a religion ID card.
 Largest Islamic nation, spread from India during the
11th century
 Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Burma:
Buddhist
 Philippines: Christian (Portuguese
Explorers)
 China: Buddhist
 Pagodas: tiered tower with multiple eaves.
Usually Buddhist/religious function.
China as % of World
Population
Government
&
Economics
Economics
• ASEAN: developed 1967
– Goals: peace & stability, economy, right to be
free from external interference
• Asian/Economic Tigers : have experienced
major economic growth (S. Korea, Hong Kong,
Taiwan, Singapore)
• Jakota Triangle (Japan, S Korea, Taiwan) high
pop. density, urbanization, rapid growth in
manufacturing, problems traced back to WWII
• SEZ: Special Economic Zones (Southern coast of
China) areas w/o taxes & regulations to attract
foreign businesses.
Economics
• Vietnam & Laos: Communist moving toward
market economy, poor, agricultural. Improved
relations between Vietnam & US.
• Japan: Wealthy, imports raw materials (size)
and paid for these with exports.
• Thailand: economy improving, trade improving
• China: 2nd largest economy, Coastal regions
most industrialized. Trade surplus with US, US
placed protective tariffs in the early 2000’s .
COUNTRY
GOVERNMENT
ECONOMY
China
Communist
Command
North Korea
Autocratic Dictatorship
Command
South Korea
Republic
Free Market
Myanmar
(Burma)
Parliamentary Republic
Socialist
Japan
Constitutional Monarchy
Free Market
North & South Korea
• Kim Jong iL: Supreme leader,
communist, harsh, kept Korea
isolated.
• Kim Jong Un: son, supreme leader
at his fathers death in December
2011
• Attempted to launch a rocket last
week, failed…burst apart after liftoff.
• Goal was to demonstrate their
power.
Physical Geography
Pollution Concerns in China
 Impact of technology /industrialization in
agriculture:
 Pro: More food produced
 Con: severe pollution
 1979 China passed EPA (Environmental
Protection Law)
 Not enforced
 Water Pollution is one of the most serious
threats facing China: approx 300 million
Chinese are drinking unsafe water.
The Polluted Yellow River!
Arable land in China
Pacific “Ring of Fire”
Indochina
• Indochina: region between India & China…many
volcanoes, earthquakes.
• Maritime SE Asia
Three Gorges Dam
• To control dangerous
flooding on Chang
River, control river
traffic, hydroelectric
power.
• 1-2 million people
displaced,
ecosystems
destroyed due
flooding of reservoir.
The Great
Wall of
China
Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge – Japan
longest suspension bridge in the world
Japanese Bullet Train