Physical Geography of East AsiaPhysical Geography of East Asia

Satellite View of ChinaSatellite View of ChinaSatellite View of ChinaSatellite View of China

The East Asian Realm

Physical landforms

*Q1: What accounts for these complex landforms?*

Limited flat land:*Q2: What are some solutions to this problem?*

-

Tectonic Activity

Terracing and irrigation.Maximize agricultural productivity.

China

The People's Republic of China (PRC)Est. in 1949China is ruled by the Communist Party of

China under a single-party system

China’s Geography

0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000250Miles

1. 3rd largest country in the world. 2. Comparable to the US 3. 65% of the country is

mountainous. 4. Arable land represents 12% of

the national territory as opposed to 25% for the United States.

5. Per capita (0.086 hectare) is well below the world average.

China

United States

Q3: What is this type of agriculture called? AND, why do you think that it was developed?

Terraced farming; rugged terrain/topography/mountainous

Bodies of WaterBodies of WaterBodies of WaterBodies of Water

Huang-He

River

Yellow Sea

Yangtze River

Pacific Ocean

Amur River

Xi River

SouthChinaSea

Sea of

Japan

The Yellow River!The Yellow River!The Yellow River!The Yellow River!

Huang He (Yellow River).

-Floods frequently.

-Extremely polluted

-Industrialization along the river

The Yangtze The Yangtze RiverRiver

The Yangtze The Yangtze RiverRiver

Chang Jiang River (Yangtze)

-Flood of 1998 left 14 million homeless.

-Home to the Three Gorges Dam

-Created a reservoir that made 1,000 towns and villagesdisappear

The West River and the Pearl RiverXi Jang (West

River)Important mineral

resources are along this river

Zhu Jiang (Pearl River)Most productive and

sustainable ecosystem in the world.

China

Q4: What is the name of each river (One point per name)

1

2

3

1. Huang He (Yellow River)

2. Chang Jiang (Yangtze River)

3. Xi Jiang (West River) OR Zhu Jiang (Pearl River)

Mountains & PeaksMountains & PeaksMountains & PeaksMountains & Peaks

Tian Shan

Altai Mts. Greater Khingan

Kunlun Shan

Himalayan Mts.

Kunlun MountainsLocated in the west Where two of China’s great rivers begin

(Yellow and Yangtze)

Deserts & PlateausDeserts & PlateausDeserts & PlateausDeserts & Plateaus

Tibetan Plateau

Taklamakan Desert

Gobi Desert

Mongolian PlateauMost who live here are sheep

herders and raise livestock Tibetan Plateau

Averages more than 3,000 feet above sea level

Gobi DesertStretches more than 500,000

milesPrime area for finding dinosaur

fossils

All three are scarcely populated because of severe climates and topography

China The Chinese Realm

East sea border.West: Deserts

and mountains.North: Deserts.South:

Himalayas.*Q5: What will

these borders cause?*

Cultural division between the Han realm and the China of the minorities.

Maritime borderPhysical border

Cultural border

Political border

Highland China

Takla Makan

Han

TaiMiao-Yao

Tibetan

Turkic Mongols

Gobi

Arid China

Taiwan

Koreas

Isolation

China’s Climate ZonesChina’s Climate ZonesChina’s Climate ZonesChina’s Climate Zones

Monsoon Precipitation Monsoon Precipitation PatternsPatterns

Monsoon Precipitation Monsoon Precipitation PatternsPatterns

This region also benefits/suffers from the rainfall from monsoons

Sometimes receive typhoons = tropical storms

Winter MonsoonsWinter MonsoonsWinter MonsoonsWinter Monsoons

Summer MonsoonsSummer MonsoonsSummer MonsoonsSummer Monsoons

Precipitation in ChinaPrecipitation in ChinaPrecipitation in ChinaPrecipitation in China

Summer RainfallSummer RainfallSummer RainfallSummer Rainfall

Agricultural Regions in Agricultural Regions in ChinaChina

Agricultural Regions in Agricultural Regions in ChinaChina

Arable LandArable LandArable LandArable Land

Warm Up

Composition Notebooks need to be turned in on the stool.

Have notes out from yesterday ready to go.

Major Chinese Major Chinese IndustriesIndustries

Major Chinese Major Chinese IndustriesIndustries

Major Industrial Areas near Beijing and Shanghai

Fuels, Power, Fuels, Power, Minerals, & Metals in Minerals, & Metals in

ChinaChina

Fuels, Power, Fuels, Power, Minerals, & Metals in Minerals, & Metals in

ChinaChinaLarge reserves of petroleum, coal, and natural gas.

Mineral resources include iron, lead, zinc, copper, etc.

Allowed them to be self-sufficient for much of its history

Environmental issues

Suffering from:

1.Deforestation2.Desertification3.Soil erosion4.Coastal pollution5.Flooding6.Poor urban air quality

Korea

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Seoul

Taegu

Pusan

Chonju

Taejon

Kwangju

Inch`on

P'yongyang

0 100 200 30050Miles

“The shrimp between the whales”

*Q6: What are the two whales?*Japan and China

About the size of Indiana.

Highly homogenous ethnicity and linguistically

Religiously divided between Christianity (49%) and Buddhism (47%).

75% urban with 27% of the population living in Seoul (13 million).

China

Japan

North Korea

South Korea

Sea of JapanDemilitarized zone

Korea is practically surrounded by water:

*Q7: What is this called?

Peninsula

Japan

Japan and the United Japan and the United StatesStates

Japan: Physical Geography1. The homeland of Japan consists of four main

islands: Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu, and several hundred smaller islands.

2. Japan is formed largely of mountains separated by narrow valleys.

3. Japan is part of the Pacific “Ring of Fire.” There are about 60 volcanoes in Japan

4. Japan is subject to frequent and powerful earthquakes.

Japan Physical constraints 16% of the land is

habitable.

Efficient management of existing agricultural land.

Yamato Plain

Kanto Plain

Nobi Plain

Hokkaido

Honshu

Kyushu

Shikoku

Very Mountainous: Very Mountainous: Little Arable LandLittle Arable Land

Mt. FujiMt. Fuji

Largest mountain in Japan. Last erupted in 1707)

Japan: Vegetation

2/3 of the entire country is forested and the Japanese make use of wood in almost endless ways

Terrace Farming of Terrace Farming of RiceRice

The Japanese Farm The Japanese Farm the Seathe Sea

TokyoTokyoFish MarketFish Market

Natural ResourcesNatural ResourcesLess abundant natural resources than China.

*Q7: What will this force Japan to do?*

Trade with other countries for what it needs

IndustryIndustry

Taiwan

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Taipei

Fuzhou

Kaoshsiung

T'ainan

T'aichung

0 100 20050 Miles

Chu

ngya

ng R

ange

Now a free-market, multiparty democracy

Home of 23 million well-traveled, well-educated, and industrious people.

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Taipei

Fuzhou

Kaoshsiung

T'ainan

T'aichung

0 100 20050 Miles

Formos

a Stra

itC

hung

yang

Ran

ge

TaiwanChina

Taiwan 1. About 100 miles

from the coast of southeast China.

2. Similar constraints to neighboring countries:60% of the territory

is composed of mountains.

Chungyang Range covers about 50% the land area.

25% usable for agriculture.

3. Bulk of the population lives in the western coastal plain.

Quemoy

Matsu

In a group of two….

Answer the following questions on a sheet of paper to turn in:

1. How does East Asia’s physical geography shape its historical philosophy of isolation?

2. What are some similarities between each of these regions?

3. What are some differences between each of these regions?