Chapter 30, Section

World GeographyWorld Geography

Chapter 30

Regional Atlas:Introduction to East Asia

and the Pacific World

Copyright © 2003 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.

Chapter 30, Section

World GeographyWorld Geography

Copyright © 2003 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.

Section 1: Historic Overview

Section 2: Physical Characteristics

Section 3: Climates

Section 4: Ecosystems

Chapter 30: Regional Atlas: Introduction to East Asia and the Pacific World

Section 5: People and Cultures

Section 6: Economics, Technology, and Environment

Section 7: Database

Chapter 30, Section

East and Southeast Asia were the sites of some of humanity’s earliest technological advances

Historical OverviewHistorical Overview

• China had the most influence in the region because it was the birthplace of Confucianism and Daoism, and was united into huge empires throughout its history.

• Europeans colonized parts of the region, and after building up their militaries, extracted concessions, or exemptions from local law, from China.

• After industrializing, Japan conquered a large portion of the region before it was defeated by Western allies in World War II and stripped of its colonial possessions.

• Several countries established communist governments after World War II, but non-communist countries, and China after it adopted some capitalist reforms, enjoyed rapid growth and prosperity under market economies.

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Physical CharacteristicsPhysical Characteristics

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East Asia and the Pacific islands have widely varying physical features.

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Physical CharacteristicsPhysical Characteristics

• The collision of tectonic plates has raised the Himalayas, Tibet, and a series of mountain chains in China.

• Southeast Asia has a complex geography of mountain chains, river valleys, peninsulas, and islands.

• The Pacific Ocean near Australia is dotted with volcanic islands that are part of the Ring of Fire.

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ClimatesClimates

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Across much of the region, rain falls seasonally.

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ClimatesClimates

• Tropical wet, Tropical wet and dry stretch across Southeast Asia, Indonesia, and northern Australia.

• Humid subtropical covers southern portions of China, Korea and Japan, as well as the east coast of Australia.

• Arid and Semiarid lie in northern China and Mongolia.

• Mediterranean and Marine west coast stretch across southern Australia and New Zealand.

Chapter 30, Section

This region has a rich variety of plants and animals in many different environments.

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EcosystemsEcosystems

• Tropical rain forests cover Indonesia and parts of Southeast Asia, China, and Australia.

• Tropical grasslands and Temperate grasslands stretch across large parts of China and Australia.

• Desert and Desert scrub spread throughout parts of China and Australia.

• Mid-latitude forests cover Japan and the Korean peninsula, New Zealand, and parts of China and Australia.

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People and CulturesPeople and Cultures

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East and Southeast Asia are some of the most heavily populated parts of the world, while Australia is the world’s

most sparsely inhabited continent.

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People and CulturesPeople and Cultures

• The wide variety of religions in East Asia reflects the region’s great cultural diversity.

• Although China is densely settled, most of its population is rural, while most people in sparsely-populated Australia live in cities.

• Daily life is a blend of local culture and international influence.

Chapter 30, Section

Highly industrialized Japan and Australia contrast sharply with large populations of subsistence

farmers in China and Southeast Asia.

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Economies, Technology, and EnvironmentEconomies, Technology, and Environment

• Commercial farming and subsistence farming are predominant in China, Southeast Asia, and Indonesia.

• Manufacturing and trade are the most important industries in Japan, parts of China, and Australia.

• Livestock raising is practiced throughout much of Australia, while Nomadic herding characterizes much of China.

• China is the largest producer of hydroelectric power in the region.

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DatabaseDatabase

• China’s road and railroad networks are the largest in the region, and are often overcrowded.

• Japan has almost as many roads and airports as China, and Japan’s railroad system includes the reliable bullet train, which travels at speeds greater than 160 miles per hour.

• Australia has almost as large a road network as China, but far more airports, many of which are unpaved airstrips that service isolated communities in the country’s interior.

• Thailand’s road network is very crowded, and Thailand has about half as many airports as China, even though its population and area are far smaller than China’s.

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