How does physical
geography influence the
lives of East Asians?
Taking Notes Copy the graphic organizer
below into your notebook Use it to record
information about the physical geography ol
East Asia.
l-aMforrc
Re.strczs
Cliuate aM Vrylatioa
HunatrEtvironueft
Jftenction
Main ldeas
.
East Asia has a huge
mainland area that includes
rugged terrain.
.
East Asia has a number of
important islands off its
eastern coast.
Places & Terms
Kunlun Mountains
A HUMAN PERSPECTIVE Time and again in its early history, China
was attacked by invaders from the steppes of Central Asia. The Chinese
built and extended the Great Wall over many centuries in an attempt to
keep out such invaders from Mongolia. From the Yellow Sea to the Gobi
Desert, the wall twisted for thousands of miles across China. The wall
was built by hundreds of thousands of peasant workers' Many died
from the backbreaking labor or the severe weather. The Great Wall
remains one of the largest building feats in history-partly because it
had to cross mile after mile of China's difficult terrain.
Landforms: Mountains and Plateaus
Qinling Shandi Mountains
Huang He
Chang Jiang
Xi Jiang
CoNnEcr
ro rHE IssuEs
PHYSICAL FORCES
EASI
Asia's rough terrain and
unevenly distributed resources
have influenced settlement and
ways of life in the region.
East Asia stretches from the western provinces of China to the eastern
coast of |apan. Mongolia, Taiwan, North Korea, and South Korea are the
other countries in the region. East Asia includes high mountains, vast
deserts, cold climates, and Pacific waters. The mostly rugged terrain was
formed by the collision of tectonic plates. One result of these natural
barriers was to limit people's movement and increase their isolation.
MOUNTAIN RANGES OF TFIE REGION High mountains in the region
limited contact between people living in China and in other parts of Asia.
The world's highest mountains are located on the western edge of East
Asia in southwestern and northwestern China and western Mongolia.
The Kunlun Mountains, which are located in the west of China, are the
source of two of China's great rivers, the Huang He (Yellow) and the
Chang |iang (Yangtze). In southeastern and east central China, the Qinling
ShanJi Mountains divide the northern part of China from the south.
PLATEAUS AND PLAINS ThC
landscape of East Asia is among the
roughest in the world. The mountain areas in the western part of the
region restricted movement and
were underpopulated. Although
few flat surfaces exist, the region
has some low basins and barren
deserts. These include the Plateau
of Tibet (also known as the Xizang
Plateau), the Tarim Pendi Basin in
western China, and the Taklimakan
Desert in western China. All these
areas are sparsely populated.
PLACE The Potala Palace in Lhasa,
Tibet, has many floors and more
than 1,000 rooms. lt was once the
residence of the Dalai Lama and
other monks and is now a major
pilgrimage site.
40
PACIFIC
OCL,\Ai
'
o\ CaiL
-110\rs
s
\otrtlt ('ltirtit
tl I Ltl f [1: I ntr;r !rr+:ti ntl fflarps
REGION What plateau in China separates the Himalaya
$ Kl l-1,[:]
S
m
0
0
Iwo
250
250
500
Point Equ distant Projection
Mountains from the Kunlun Mountains?
PLACE Which of the three great river systems-Chang Jiang,
Huang He, or Xi Jiang-is southernmost in China?
One of the largest deserts in the world-the Gobi-stretches from
northwest China into Mongolia. It covers more than 5oo,ooo square
miles, which is larger than Texas and California combined. The
Mongolian Plateau reaches into northeastern China. Northern China
encompasses the Manchurian Plain and the North China Plain.
F*:mfr
ms*r|ms ffimd lslmndss
of important peninsulas. Most of these
form a part of China, although one peninsula contains independent
nations. In addition, a number of islands off the coast of China include
East Asia includes a number
possessions of China as well as independent nations.
#f'{lqile.l,fl The eastern coast of China features several
peninsulas. These include the Shandong Peninsula, the Leizhou
Peninsula, and the Macao Peninsula. Macao was owned by Portugal
until r999, when it returned to Chinese control. Because of its peninsut4-iil, {.]$"}rtiriT
las, China has a long coastline that has allowed several major
port cities,
such as Shanghai, to develop. Bordering China on the east is the Korean
Peninsula, which contains the two independent nations of North Korea
and South Korea.
Ip{[i H$,8-S-F,$H3$ {}f: ilp&ST AfiF& An important feature of East Asia is
the continental shelf-the submerged border of the continentthat extends east from China. A number of islands stand above this
620
CHAPTER 27
500 mlles
kilometers
'
E
Becxcnouun
Japan is made
up of four main
islands and
numerous smaller
islands.
continental shelf. The isolation of the islands has permitted them to
develop in greaLer security and peace than parts of the mair-rland.
Frrrther, many of these islancls have developed trading economies.
The islands ofl'China include Hainan and part of IIong Kong. Long
one o[ the major harbors in the world, Hong Kong (while originally a
part of China) used to be a British colony. In ry97, Flong Kong once
again carne under the authority of mainland China.
The smaller nations of E;rst Asia are located on islands and peninsulas. For example, fapan is an island nation with enormous econouric
power. Taiwan is a separate island that at onc Lime belonged to mainland
China--ancl is still claimed by China.
River
stems
China has three great rivers, which havc been critical to the development of China's civilization. The rivers have helped to feed hundreds of
millions of people because of the fields and crops they irrigale,
TE{f $-ELf,E*dffi NE The Huang He (or Yellow River) of northern China
starts in the Krrnlun Mottntains in the west. It wincls east {br about
3,ooo rniles before emptying into the Yellow Sea. Both the sea and the
rivcr get lheir names from the yellow silt, or palticles of soil, that the
river carries to its delta, Another name for the river is "China's Sorrow"
because of the tcrrible floods tfrat it has caused.
f}Heel6 iB&ruS The Ghang Jiang (or Yangtze River) is the longest
river in all of Asia. The name Chang fiang rneans "long river." lt flows
about 3,9oo miles lrom Xizang (Tibet) to the East China Sea. The river
has been a nrajor tradt: route since ancienttimes.\Even today, the Chang
fiang carries most of the goods shipped on China's waterways. But this
river, too, floods frequently, causing a great deal of clamage to nearby
villages, as n'ell as to the surrounding countrysidel *3
TF{F
CoNwEcr
ro
THE ISSUES
iv,
How might
rrvers facilitate
trade?
in the south
joins
up with
and
China
through
southcast
of China. It flows easlward
T'H-$H
XE
.jHftS,ffi The XiJiang (or West River) runs its course
\
MOVLMENI'
Workers pull a boat
ashore along the
Huang He (Yellow
Riveil.
What are some
of the uses that
people might
make of a river?
621
i:=
,&
rr
ffi
MONGOTIA
A
R
ew
,|)*
8fi
s#
e&2
CHINA
.ts
x\
*il
il)
A
nh-
Coal
Yt':;r
Commerc ial f ish in g
i:
€
0)
\\
h,r)
W
b
R
b
h
Copper
eota
Hydroelectric power
lronore
Lead
TA WAN
CI
!€+
PACIFIC
OCEAN
A
SKILLBUILDER: lnterpreting Maps
O HUMAN-ENVIRoNMENT tNTERAciloN what
are two
important resources in Taiwan?
g) REGION
Where is most of the coal in the region located?
Naturat gas
ft
f,
eIi
Petroleum
Silver
ffi
rin
ffi
Tungsten
0
0
250
250
500 miles
500 kilometers
Two-Point Eqridistant Proiecti0n
the Pearl River (Zhu /iang) to flow into the south china sea. The Xi
fiang joins with three other rivers to form an estuary (where the river's
current meets the ocean's tides) between Hong Kong and Macao.
Important mineral resources are located in this river's valley.
#Tfi-iER RFVERS $F TFIH ffiFGt#ru The yalu
fiang is another important
river of the region. The Yalu, which is about 5oo miles long, forms the
border between North Korea and china. It is important historically
because in r95o, chinese troops entered the Korean war by crossing
the river and attacking United Nations forces.
Resources of East Asia
Natural and mineral resources are unevenly distributed throughout
East Asia. China, for example, is rich in nat
North Korea also have substantial miner
South Korea, and Taiwan have limited nat
latter three nations have grown into majo
The number of mountains in Easr Asia means
d available for agriculture is limited. For this rea
son, China's population is concentrated in the east, where river basins
are located. The land in these valleys is highly productive, allowing the
chinese to grow rice ancl many other crops. In contrast, the mouniain
ous western regions of China are more sparsely populated.
622
CHAPTER2T
lffi;ltfir::t
have grown into
major economic
powers, and what
do they have in
common?
Forests are also abundant in the region. China, fapan,
Taiwan, and both North Korea and South Korea all have
forest resources. |apan has been able to keep most of its
forests in reserve by buying timber and other forest
products from other regions of the worldMIf\lFmAL AF{t} ERCE$iGV FqE*${}[$$"8CES China has large
energy reserves of petroleum, coal, and natural gas, and
Korea has coal reserves. |apan also has deposits of coal'
China's resources have enabled it to be self sufficient for
much of its history. In contrast, |apan's shortage of
resources has forced it to trade for what it needs.
China's mineral resources include iron ore, tungsten,
manganese, molybdenum, magnesite, lead, zinc, and copper. North and South Korea possess important tungsten,
gold, and silver reserves. |apan has reseryes of lead, silver,
and coal.
WATEffi FtFSfiUlBtilES China's long river systems are
important to the country's economy. They provide crop
Seeing Patterns
pP ln what ways
might river systems be important
to an economy?
Places &
PLACE Review the notes You
took for this section.
terms
Latdfornr
' Kunlun Mountains
' Qinling Shandi
' Chang Jiang
' Xi Jiang
@ vtatn ldeas
a.
b.
Restrces
Mountains
He
while still at sea
Japan's fishing industry is larger than that of the Unrted states
or any country in Western EuroPe
Fleets of Japanese fishing vessels,
such as the sea bass fishing boat
showrr below, trawl the oceans
far from Japan to bring fish back
to the home tslands. Tuna, mackerel, salmon, and cod are eaten
also read about its vegetation.
Terms @ tamng Notes
ldentify each of the
following places and
'Huang
Industry
There is great competition
among the world's nations to
harvest the resources of the sea.
Sophisticated and mechanized
factory ships process the catch
irrigation, hydroelectric power, and transportation. To
control flooding on the Chang |iang and produce more
electricity, China is building the Three Gorges Dam. (See
pages 628-fio.) The Huang He and Xi Jiang also provide
hydroelectric power and a means of transportation. <$
People in East Asia look to the sea for food. In fact,
Japan has developed one of the largest fishing industries
in the world. |apanese factory ships process huge amounts of seafood
for human consumption throughout the world, as well as in |apan'
You will read about East Asia's climate zones in the next section. You
will
Q
The lapanese Fishing
'
What types of landforms
are found in East Asia?
'
What are their relative
locations?
c.
How might the river basins
of China have affected
settlement patterns?
How are the landforms of
East Asia an advantage to
life in the region?
What effect might natural
resources have had on the
development of East Asia?
@ Geographic Thinking
Drawing Conclusions How
might China's three large river
systems have affected the
development of agriculture and
trade in the area? Think about:
'
the obstacles that mountains
and deserts Present to
ag riculture
'
the network of travel and
communication offered bY
a
river system
SEEING PATTERNS Pair with a partner and draw a map of East Asia's rivers and mountains.
China flow
Use arrows to indicate the directions the rivers flow. Why do the three main rivers of
of
the
mountains
in
begin
headwaters
their
though
even
all the way east across the continent
the west?
Landforms and Resources 6.23
I
lnterpreting a Contour Map
elevation and the steepness of the mountain.
THE LANG{-}AffiE: ffin- Ew&F:}s A contour map shows elevations and surface
configuration by means of contour lines. contour lines are lines on a map that
show points of equal elevation. These lines are also called isolines. Numbers
on the contour lines show the elevation in meters.
Q
Sapporo, the largest
city on the island, is
situated at a low
elevation.
Sea
Jap
@
Hokka
Mount Asahi is the
highest point on
the island
@ fne
key shows that
Mount Asahi is
a
peak The key shows
_
o
25
50
OCEAN
that the red iines are
contour lines. lf you
were to follow one
contour line around
its entire perimeter,
you would remain at
the same elevation
throughout your
walk
7s tvi
Copyright by Rand McNally & Co
Seeing Patterns
Making Decisions
How high, in meters, is Mount
Asahi? What is the elevation of the
last contour line on the map before
Drawing Conclusions
From what direction of the compass
would you approach Mount Asahi
if you wanted to make the steepest
the peak?
Where on the island do the isolines
converge most densely to show a
very dramatic increase in elevation?
climb?
Main ldeas
.
East Asia has a dry highland
climate in the west.
. The region has a humid
climate in the east.
Places & Terms
typhoon
Taklimakan Deseft
the ruler of the Mongol
In rz8r, the Great
13th
century.
Empire (which included China) in the
Khan sent a huge fleet against )apan. A typhoon-a tropical storm that
occurs in the western Pacific-swept across the Sea of |apan and sank the
Mongol ships or dashed them against the rocky fapanese shore. The
typhoon had changed the course of history. Typhoons occur in parts of
East Asia, but in other ways the weather is similar to that of the united
A HUMAN
PERSPECTIVE Kublai Khan was
Gobi Deseft
CowNEcr ro rHE IssuEs
PoPULATTow To feed its
population, East Asian countries
have had to farm in highlY
productive ways.
States. Both are at the same latitude, and both have similar climate zones.
High Latitude Glimate Zones
The climates in the highest latitudes present a serious challenge to all
but the most hardy nomads and herders. These zones generally have
severely cold climates. In addition, they tend to be very dry.
SI"IBARCTIC Subarctic climate zones occur in a small sliver along
Mongolia's and China's northern borders with Russia. The summers in
these areas range from cool to cold. The winters are brutally cold, test-
ing the survival skills of the inhabitants. The climate is generally dry.
The typical vegetation of this region is the northern evergreen forest.
Varieties of mosses and lichens also grow on rocks and tree trunks
throughout subarctic zones.
HnGF"!LAruru Highland climates are found mostly in western China. The
temperature in highland zones varies with latitude and elevation. In gen'
eral, the farther north the latitude and the higher the elevation, the colder the climate. The severe climate
and topography of the western
highlands are two of the reasons
that the area is sparsely populated.
The vegetation in the highlands
also varies with elevation. Forests
and alpine tundra are the tlpical
vegetation. Vast tundras reach as
far
as the eye can see.
Tundras have
no trees, and the soil a few feet
below the surface is permanently
frozen. In this environment, only
mosses, lichens, and shrubs can
grow. Because of the cold and the
difficulty of growing crops, few
people scratch out a living here.
HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT
INTERACTION A 78-year-old
woman tends sheeP from the
back of a camel in a semiarid
zone typical of Mongolia.
What does the occupation of
sheepherding and livestock
grazing suggest about the
vegetation in Mongolia?
Mid-latitude Zones
Mid-latitude zones are much more comfortable to live in because of their
moderate climates. The land is productive, and the rainfall is sufficient
for agriculture. An important resource of these zones is their forests.
hllJnnlm CONT|IUENTAL Northeastern china, North Korea, northern
south Korea, and northern fapan all have humid continental climates.
The forests of the region are mainly coniferous in the humid continental zone. Temperate grasslands ideal for grazingare also found in these
areas. However, over the years agriculture has transformed the landscape and replaced many of the forests.
FluMlD SUBTR0PIGAL southeastern china, southern south Korea,
southern |apan, and northern Taiwan are in a humid subtropical zone.
The forests in such zones are both deciduous and coniferous. The
broad leafed, deciduous trees are usually found in the north. The coniferous forests are especially typical of areas with sandy soils in the
south. However, loggers and farmers have greatly reduced the forests in
the southeast. $ts
CouwEcr ro
rrtE Issurs
POPULATION
{$ Why might
most of East
Dry Zones
Dry zones of the region include both steppes and deserts. There is relatively little vegetation. These zones are not well suited to agriculture
626
CHAPTER 27
Asia's population
be centered in
the mid-latitude
zones?
and so have not been much settled by people. Instead,
nomads have used the semiarid areas to graze livestock.
of the Mongolian Plateau make up the
zones
of
the region. The vegetation of semiarid
semiarid
zones consists mainly of short grasses, which provide
food for grazing animals and livestock.
$EEd!E{qffiCm Parts
tlH$iE*iT" Most of the deserts
Geographic
Making
Comparisons
,t
Why might the
in the region are found in
the west central area of the mainland. The Taklimakan
Desert is located in western China between the Tian
Shan and Kunlun Mountains. The Gobi Desen is located
in northern China and southeast Mongolia. The Gobi is
a prime area for finding dinosaur fossils, since thousands of these animals roamed through the region millions of years ago. <J
dry zones of the
region be Iess
densely populated?
Tropical Zones
REGION
Yypftr**ms in East Asia
A typhoon is a storm that occurs
in the western Pacific. lt is a kind
of tropical cyclone or hurricane.
The word has its source in the
Chinese word taaifung, which
means "great windl'Typhoons are
made up of circular winds moving
around the center of the storm.
They can be 300 miles or more
across
Typhoons begin near the
equator and gather force as they
move to the west As a typhoon
moves onto land, huge waves of
water often batter the shore. The
picture below shows the 17-mile-
The tropical zones of East Asia contain mainly wet climates. The most common vegetation is the rain forest.
in East Asia is
fairly small. It includes a small strip of land along China's
southeastern coast, the island of Hainan, and the southern
tip of Taiwan. These areas have high temperatures, hear,y
rainfall, and high humidity every month of the year. The
tropical rain forest in these places is made up of tall
dense forests of broadleaf trees.
In the next section, you will read how human-environment interactions affect the quality of life in rural China and urban |apan.
TRGPICAL WET The tropical climate zone
@ Places & Terms
ldentify each of the
following places and
@ tafing Notes
PLACE Review the notes you
took for this section.
terms.
Cliil4a+e
' typhoon
' Taklimakan
'Gobi
Desert
Ve4tatbn
Desert
'
What types of climate are
found in East Asia?
'
What vegetation characterizes
the western reaches of China?
@ vtain tdeas
a. ln what ways
are the
climates of the United
States and China similar?
b.
What effect might severe
weather [such as typhoonsJ
have on crops?
c. What has
been the human
impact on mid-latitude
climate zones in the region?
@ Geographic Thinking
Making lnferences How
might the climate and
vegetation of East Asia have
affected patterns of settlement
in the region? Think about:
'
the impact of deserts,
steppes, and tundra on
patterns of settlement
See Skillbuilder
Handbook, page R4.
EXPIORING LOCAL GEOGRAPHY East Asia has many kinds of climate. Pair with a partner
and make a poster that shows the climate of East Asia in which you would most want to live
lnclude photographs, postcards, maps, and charts. ls there any location in the United States
that is similar to your preferred climate?
Climate and Vegetation 627
Main ldeas
. The Chinese are building the
Three Gorges Dam to control
flooding.
. The Japanese have developed
creative ways to use their
limited amounts of land.
Places & Terms
Three Gorges Dam
A HUMAN PERsPEcrlvE Hundreds of thousands of chinese died in
PCBs
floods in the zoth century. Most of these deaths were caused by the flooding of the chang fiang and the H,ang He rivers. These vast river floorlplains are home to, and help feed, hundreds of millions of people, and
this makes people vulnerable to the rivers'wrath. In addition to the many
deaths, the flooding has also forced millions of people to abandon their
homes. You will read nrore about one such flood in chapter zg (pages
64o-6411. But since the early 199os, the chinese have been building an
enorrnous new dam on the Chang fiang that will help to control flooding.
This is one example of how East Asians have shaped their environment.
landfill
CowwEcr ro THE Issuns
PHYSICAT ORCTS One
reason why the Three Gorges
Dam is being built is to control
flooding of the Chang Jiang.
The Three Gorges Dam is being buih on the chang
|iang in clrina. The
dam will, in part, help to control flooding along the great river, the third
longest in the world after the Nile and the Amazon. But the dam is also
expected to generate power and to allow ships to sail farther into china.
Gorge
628
CHAPTER 27
AN ENGINEERING FEAT the Three Gorges Dam is China's largest construction project and will be the world's biggest dam. When completed,
the dam will tower more than 6oo feet high and will span a valley more
than one mile wide. This dam will create a reservoir nearly 4oo miles
long. At least t,ooo towns and villages will disappear under the waters
of the reservoir when the dam is completed.
POSITIVE EFFECTS The building of the Three Gorges Dam is a complicated issue because it will have both positive and negative effects.
Experts disagree about whether the dam should be built. But the
Chinese government, which began construction of the dam in 1993,
argues that the dam will have three positive effects.
First, the dam will help control the frequent flooding of the Chang
|iang, which causes great damage and loss of life. This is critical because
the Chang |iang irrigates about half of China's crops. AIso, the river
drains about one-fifth of China's total land area.
Second, the dam will generate huge amounts of electrical power.
Giant turbines will produce electricity that will be hooked up to electrical grids in central and eastern China. This will improve the reliability
of electricity throughout China. By some estimates, the dam's turbines
will produce about 10 percent of China's electrical power. (See the bar
chart below for a comparison of the projected generating capacity of
the Three Gorges Dam with other large dams.)
Finally, the dam will make it easier for ships to reach China's interior'
A series of locks along the river will raise ocean-going ships up from the
river to the reservoir. The Chang fiang carries more than half of the
e locks
goods moving on China's interior waterways. The dam
will increase shipping capacity and decrease shipping co
Seeing Patterns
P
Whut are three
benefits of building the dam?
Electric Generating Capacity of World's Largest Dams
Facts and Figures
.
Length of river: 3,964 miles
. Length of reservoir: 370 miles
. Height of dam:
610 feet
. Width of dam: 1.3 miles
. Number of turbines:
26,
generating I8,200 megawatts
of electricity
.
Lives lost to flooding: about one
million deaths in 20th century
. Location of dam: about
20,000
1,500
miles from the ocean
. Many hundreds of miles from
headwaters in western
mountains of China
o
(!
3
(E
0 000
ED
o
SOU RCES: Encycl o paedi a Brita nn ica ; lnf oplease.com
H um an-E
nvironm ent I nt e r acti
on 629
HUMANENVIRONMENT
INTERACTION The
river dolphin, the white
crane, and the alligator
are just three of the
species endangered by
the construction of the
Three Gorges Dam.
Why might the dam
be a threat to
various species?
I{EGATIVE EFFECTS Most observers agree that the
Three Gorges Dam will also have negative effects. The
central issue is whether the negative impact on the
environment will be greater than the positive benefits.
First, the human costs of the dam will be enormous.
Huge numbers of people will have to be movedsomewhere between one million and two million
people. Also, hundreds of historical sites and scenic
spots will be submerged.
Second, the dam is likely to cost more money than
originally anticipated. The Chinese government first
estimated the cost at approximately srr billion dollars.
However, other estimates now place the cost closer to
$75 billion. A number of banks and other financial institutions have chosen not to participate in the financing
of the dam because of their concerns about the cost.
Third, environmenlal concerns about the dam trouble many observers. The giant reservoir created by the
dam will put hundreds of square miles of land under
water. This will reduce the habitat of many animals. It
is feared that abandoned factories submerged under the
reservoir may leak contaminating chemicals into the
water. The huge reservoir will affect the climate and
temperature of the region as well as the plant and animal life. Such species as the alligator,leopard, sturgeon,
white crane, and river dolphin may not survive.
The Three Gorges Dam is scheduled to be completed in zoo9.
However, the Chinese government has not been careful in protecting
the environment from the consequences of building the dam. Some
international groups are reluctant to invest in the project because of
environmental concerns, and this might delay its completion. p
Use of Space in Urban Japan
CHAPTER 27
some negative
effects of the
dam?
Throughout history, the geographic challenges facing fapan have been
different from those facing China. One of the most important challenges is that |apan is made up of a series of mountainous islands. Most
of the cities are on the coasts of these islands. But because of nearby
mountains, many of the cities cannot expand to absorb any more of the
fapanese population, which is about rz7 million people. Tokyo is a good
example. One of the world's largest cities, it holds more than z5 million
people. There is, however, no more land for the city to grow.
CROWDED LIVING AND WORKING SPACES More than 6o percent of
the |apanese people live on only about three percent of the land. The
population is clustered along the narrow flat coastal plains. p
These plains are among the most densely populated areas in the
world. The largest cities in |apan are Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya,
and Sapporo. Close to Bo percent of the people in fapan live in cities.
Partly because of their large populations, some |apanese cities have
become very polluted. For example, in the 195os and r96os, a number
630
Seeing Patterns
wnat might be
<!
Using the Atlas
<{ ur" the map
on page 615.
Why might the
Japanese people
live on such a
small percentage
of coastal land?
from mercury and PCBsindustrial pollutants that build up in animal tissue and can cause
disease and birth defects. PCBs were banned in t'977. However, cars and
factories still cause massive levels
of
fapanese cities experienced poisoning
of air and noise pollution.
ADAPTING TO LIMITED SPACE
The |apanese have shown great
ingenuity in adapting to limited
space. Because of the cost of land,
houses are small by American
standards. The rooms are separated by sliding screens and are
sparsely furnished. People sleep on
thin mattresses called futons that
can be rolled up and stored during
the day.
Many people, especially in the
biggest cities, live in apartments. It is not uncommon for a family of four
to live in a one-bedroom apartment. Some fapanese attempt to escape the
overcrowding by moving away from the city to distant suburbs, but they
must commute for two or even three hours a day to and from work.
One of the solutions to the shortage of space is landfill. Landfill is a
method of solid waste disposal in which refuse is buried between layers
of dirt to fill in or reclaim low-lying ground. The fapanese have used
landfill to reclaim land for most of the maior cities along the coast.
Tokyo, for example, has built f'actories and refineries on landfill sites.
One result of the use of landfill sites has been to enlarge some of )apan's
ports. These reclaimed areas are designed to handle the great number
of ships that sail in and out of the port.
You will explore more about how East Asians live in the next chapter,
on human geography.
$
Places & Terms @ tat<ing Notes
ldentify and explain
the significance of
each in the region
'Three Gorges
'
'
HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT
INTERACTION Review the notes
you took for this section.
Dam
Huwnt&t'tiromptt
landfill
'
Which of the examples in this
chapter illustrate human
adaptation to the environment?
'
Which examples illustrate an
environment changed bY humans?
guests.
be a positive
effect of the Three Gorges
Determining Cause and
Dam?
the reasons that led to the
a. What might
b. What might
be a negative
effect of the Three Gorges
Dam?
c.
ENVIRONMENT
INTERACTION
Capsule hotels in
Japan provide tiny
rooms for overnight
@ Geographic Thinking
@ rvlain tdeas
lntenction
PCBs
HUMAN-
Why are most of Japan's
large cities located along
its coast?
Effect What were some of
building of the Three Gorges
Dam? Think about:
'
the effects of living near an
unpredictable river
ASKING GEOGRAPHTC qUEST|ONS Pairwith a partner and research a dam in the United States
to compare with the Three Gorges Dam. Devise three geographic questions about the dams, such
as "How much concrete was used in the construction of the dams?" Then make a chart or graph
in which you provide data to answer the questions. Be sure to identify your sources.
Human-Environment Interaction 631
Reuiewing Places & Terms
A. Briefly explain the importance of each of the following.
Major Mountain Ranges: Himalayas,
Kunlun, Altun, Altay, Qinling Shandi
2- Huang He
7. Gobi Desert
3. Chang Jiang
8. Three Gorges Dam
5. typhoon
Xi Jiang
of Tibet, Tarim Pendi Basin, Mongolian
Plateau, Manchurian Plain, North
6. Taklimakan Desert
a. Xi Jiang
Major Rivers: Huang He, Chang Jiang,
Major Deserts: Taklimakan, Gobi
Major Plateaus and Plains: Plateau
1. Kunlun Mountains
B-
9. PCBs
l0.landfill
Answer the questions about vocabulary in complete sentences.
11. On which river will the Three Gorges Dam attempt to control
flooding?
12. What is another name for a tropical cyclone or hurricane?
China Plain
13. What is the source of two of China's great rivers?
14. Which river joins with others to form an estuary between Hong
Kong and Macao?
15. How have landfill sites been used in Tokyo?
'China, Mongolia, and North
16. Where in the region is there a rich supply of dinosaur fossils?
Korea
have significant natural resources.
'Japan, South Korea, and
Taiwan
have limited natural resources.
17. What has contributed to the poisoning and pollution of the
environment in Japanese citiese
18. Which desert is located in western China near the Kunlun
Mountains?
19. Which river is known as "China's Sorrow"?
20. What project is supposed to contain flooding?
'
East Asia has a dry continental
climate in the west and a humid
climate in the east.
'
lts mid-latitude zones, both humid
continental and humid subtropical,
are the most densely populated
a
reas.
Main ldeas
Landforms and Resources (pp. 619-624)
1. Why are the Kunlun Mountains especially important to China?
2. What is the approximate size of the Gobi Desert?
3. What are some of the important islands off the coast of China?
4. Why are China's three river systems so important to the country?
Cfimate and Vegetation (pp. 625-627)
5. ln which latitude and climate zones is most of China's productive
agricultural land located?
'
The Three Gorges Dam is being built
along the Chang Jiang to control
flooding.
'
Urban Japan is very crowded, and
people must adapt to space
limitations.
6. What landforms make up the dry zones of the region?
7. What two factors affect vegetation and temperature in the highland
climate?
Human-Environment Interaction (pp. 623-631)
8. What will be some benefits of the Three Gorges Dam?
9. What will be some drawbacks of the dam?
1O. What are some of the ways in which the Japanese have adapted to
living in a crowded space?
632
CHAPTER 27
GrE€ical ThlmhEng
l.
3. ldentifying Themes
Using Your Notes
Use your completed chart to answer these questions
Laldforrvs
Resourus
\
-----_-\
_..-r\
4. Making Decisions
__---_r-
a. Where are the highest mountains in China located?
b. What are some energy resources found in
abundance in China and Korea?
What factors must people in China consider when they
are trying to decide what to do about flooding along one
of their great rivers?
5- Drawing Conclusions
2. Geographic Themes
a. LocATloN Where
Based on landforms and climate, which areas of East Asia
would be the least agriculturally productive? Which of the
five themes are reflected in your answer?
is the largest desert found in East
How does a typhoon create so much damage?
Asia?
b. REGIoN Write a sentence or two describing the
settlement patterns of East Asia in terms of its
mountains and coasts.
Geographie SkllEsl
Additional Test Practice,
(
pp. Sl-S37
lnterpreting Maps
Precipitation in East Asia
Use the map at right to answer the
\-
following questions.
1. REGION Which pafts of the region
have the least precipitation?
2.
REGION Which parts of the region
have the most precipitation?
MOVEMENT How might precipitation
patterns have affected settlement in
the region?
120+
create a way to display the map
information in graph form. Be sure
to list the six countries of the region
by name in your graph.
in
{300+ cm}
80 l20in {200 300cm)
40
80
20-40
in
(100-200 cm)
in (50
100 cm)
10 20in (25-50cm)
lJnder l0
in
(Under 25 cm)
(
Use the links at classzone-com to do research on the
most productive agricultural regions of East Asia. You
might focus on the impact that precipitation has had
on settlement patterns and crop growth.
Creating Multimedia Presentations Combine charts,
maps, or other visual images in an electronic presentation
that shows the most productive farming areas and the
most common crops in the region.
A Rugged Terrain 633