Chapter 27 - Physical Geography of East Asia:
A Rugged Terrain
Section 1:
Landforms and
Resources
The landscape of East Asia is
among the roughest in the
world, including; Kunlun
Mountains, Qinling Shandi
Mountains, Tibetan Plateau,
Gobi desert, etc.
Peninsulas:
Macau
Korean
Islands:
Hong Kong
Taiwan
Japan
Rivers: Huang He (Yellow River)
Chang Jiang (Yangtze River)
Xi Jiang (West River)
Section 2
Climate and Vegetation
East Asia climate and vegetation varies from
the extremes of subarctic and highland in
parts of China and Mongolia to tropical in
parts of Taiwan
Mid-latitude zones include large forest
and agricultural areas while the dry
regions include steppes and deserts
Section 3
Human-Environment Interaction
Three Gorges Dam:
Pros:
Control flooding, generate
electricity, allow trade
(world’s biggest)
Cons:
Millions relocated, huge costs,
environmental concerns
Japan and Taiwan
have limited space and
have built up more
than out, but are trying
to gain more land
through processes like
landfill reclamation
(Tokyo has 35 million people)
Section 1:
China
China is the
world’s oldest
continuous
civilization
dating back
more than
4,000 years
Chapter 28
Human Geography of East Asia:
Shared Cultural Traditions
tradition of
dynasty:
Shang
Qin (chihn)
Han
Chiang Kai-shek (Republic) 1925
Pro Western regime supported by the
United States and other Western
countries
Republic of China
(Taiwan)
vs.
Mao Zedong (Communist Party)
1934: Mao’s “long march”
1 year = 6,000 miles
18 mountain ranges and 20 rivers
100,000 started and 8,000 finished
People’s Republic of
China (mainland)
1 out of every 5 people in
the world live in China
China is a mix of agriculture and
industry leading to a rise in the
gap between rich and poor
China has 3 major
religions or ethical
traditions
Buddhism
Taoism
Confucianism
Section 2
Mongolia and Taiwan
Genghis Khan 1206 begins
Mongolian empire
1600s China conquers area
1924 communist rule
1990 first free democratic
elections held
cultures:
Mongolia own people
and customs but
highly influenced by
centuries of rule by
and over China
Taiwan’s population
almost exclusively
Chinese – speak
Mandarin, mostly
Buddhist, etc.
economies:
Mongolian still has a large
population of herding and
livestock ranching
Developing other industries from
large deposits of coal and oil
Taiwan is one of world’s
most successful economies
due to highly trained and
motivated workforce – is one
of the economic tigers of
Asia
Section 3: The Koreas –
North and South
Korean peninsula has
been a buffer between
China and Japan for
centuries
1392 – 1910 Korea
ruled as a single
country until
captured by the
Japanese
after WWII Korea separates
into North (Democratic
People’s Republic of
Korea) and South (Republic
of Korea)
Korean culture has been
influenced by many
factures
Korean language, art, and religion
have been influenced by China
North Korea has
adopted communist
ideals while South
Korea has followed
western culture
North and South Korea
both have large armies
separated by the DMZ and
North Korea has nukes
North Korea is lead by Kim
Jong Un in Pyongyang, while
South Korea is a democracy
with Seoul as it’s capital
North Korea is poor while
South Korea is rich so in
spite of some improvements
reunification seems
unlikely until politics and
economies can be better
merged
Section 4: Japan
Japan has a
history of clan
warfare including
samurai and
shoguns
1868 - Meiji
Restoration gave
power back to the
emperor
Japan dominates Pacific until end
of WWII when emperor is replaced
with democratic diet
Japan is now an
economic
powerhouse – 2nd
to U.S.
Japan has a large
homogenous
population with most
people living in cities
and working in
business or
manufacturing
Japanese culture is a mix of traditional
and modern:
bow instead of shaking hands
others more than self
Shintoism, Buddhism, and
Christianity
Japan has a strong
educational system
including jukus as well
as a dedicated work
force enabling the
country to achieve
prosperity
The shinkansen is
Japan’s bullet trains
that are among the
fastest in the world at
around 186 miles per
hour
Ch. 29
Section 1:
Today’s Issues:
The Ring of Fire
East Asia
Mt. Fuji - 12,388 ft.
many cities in Japan are subject to frequent
tectonic activity including volcanos,
earthquakes, and tsunami’s
(what’s being done to prepare for future events? Is it working?)
Section 2
Trade and Prosperity
East Asia countries have a huge
impact on the global economy
(what does “made in China” mean to you?)
(What about “made in Japan”?)
East Asian economies are based primarily on manufacturing and trade and have a
history of being the source of cheap labor, but that is starting to change as more
companies are moving production facilities to Southeast Asian countries
right or wrong?
August 1945 the U.S. drops atomic
bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
becoming the only country in the
world to use those types of weapons