Japan

MongoliaSouth Korea

North Korea

China Taiwan

Himalaya Mountains

Himalayas- “House of Snow”

• Separate South Asia from the rest of Asia

• Mount Everest- world’s highest peak

• Headway to many major river systems including: Ganges, Brahmaputra, Red, Irrawaddy, and Yellow

• Himalayas were created as the South Asian subcontinent collided into the Eurasian continent.

Plateau of Tibet

Plateau of Tibet“Roof of the World”

• Highest and largest plateau in world

• ~2.5 million square miles large (4x Texas)

• Headway to the Salween, Mekong, and Yangtze River systems

Mountain Ranges• Tian Shan- “Heaven Mountains”

–“Shan” means mountain– Located in west China– Part of the Himalaya Range

• Kunlun Mountains- One of the longest ranges in China

• Pamir Mountains- “Roof of the world”– Fedchenko Glacier- longest glacier outside of the

polar regions– Covered with snow year round

Pacific Ring of Fire• Large number of earthquakes and

volcanic eruptions which occur along the basin of the Pacific Ocean.

• 90% of the world’s earthquakes occur in this region

• 75% of the world’s most active volcanoes lie in this region

Ring of Fire- Japan• 10% worlds most active volcanoes• ~1500 earthquakes every year• Mount Fuji- Japan’s highest

peak/volcano at 12,389 feet– Lies SW of Tokyo

• March 11, 2011- earthquake with a 9.0 magnitude– Strongest earthquake in Japan’s history– 5th strongest earthquake in world

Ring of Fire- Philippines and Indonesia

• Philippines

–Mount Pinatubo- Early 90’s, 2nd largest eruption in history

• Indonesia

–Most active volcanoes in the Ring of Fire

Plains and Rivers• Most of the population lives on

river plains or along rivers

Human Geography• This region makes up 11% of the land in

the world

• 25% of the world’s population lives in this region.

• 20% of the world’s population lives in China– Uneven population in China

• East: 250 people per square mile• West: Less than 25 people per square mile• Dense in the lowland areas with mild and wet climates

Japan• 4 main islands: Run North to South

– Hokkaido– Shikoku– Kyushu– Honshu – largest, most populated

• 70% of Japan is mountains• 30% is coastal plains

Japan• ½ the population of the US but is only

the size of California

• Uneven population distribution

• Overall population density- 858 people per square mile

• Coastal population density- 5,800 people per square mile

Japan• 126 million people

• 67% Urban

• Largest City- Tokyo (capital) 36.5 million

• Religion- Shintosim 84%, Buddhism 72%

• Language- Japanese

• Government- Constitutional Monarchy with a parliamentary government

Japan• Imports 60% of its food

• Supplies 15% of the worlds fish

• 3rd largest economy in world – (USA #1, China #2)

• Main natural resource- Fish

Japan – Climate• Precipitation – 40-60 inches/year

• Typhoons – Eastern version of hurricane (summer-fall)

China• 4th largest country in world in land size

–(Russia #1, Canada #2, USA #3)• Largest country in world in population

size–1 billion people

• Largest cities: Shanghai 16.5 million, Beijing (capital) 12.2 million

• Language- Mandarin Chinese

China• Official Religion- Atheist (due to

communist government)

• 47% urban

• Government- Communist State

• Economy- moving toward a market economy from a command economy

–2010- worlds largest exporter

–Largest producer of rice in the world

China’s Major River Systems

Yangtze “Chang Jiang” River

• Longest river in Asia and 3rd largest in world

• Chang Jiang means “long river”• Headway-Plateau of Tibet• Mouth-East China Sea• 1/3 of China’s populations lives along

the river

China’s Hydroelectricity• Three Gorges Dam

• Located on Yangtze River• When completed it will be the largest dam

in the world; full operation by 2012

Yellow “Huang He” River• 2nd largest river in China;

6th in world

• Mouth- Bohai Sea

• “Cradle of Chinese civilization” because it was the most prosperous region of early ancient civilizations

• Appears to be yellow from Loess

China’s Social Issues• Censorship is strictly enforced –

Google stopped operation for a period of time in protest

• Dissenters are not tolerated and can face jail time

• China controls Tibet even though they want autonomy and therefore China views the Dali Lama as a dissenter = bad news for the Dali Lama

Tiananmen Square• 1989, Beijing China

• Protests led mainly by students and intellectuals in an attempt to incite political reforms on the communist government

• 241 dead, 7000 wounded (official from China)

Chinese Alligator

Giant Panda

Chinese Paddlefish

3 animals only found in China (extinct elsewhere)

Taiwan• Political status is

disputed because since 1949, China has claimed ownership

• 23 million people• 98% Han Chinese

ethnicity “native Taiwanese”

• Language- Mandarin Chinese and Taiwanese

• Religion- 93% Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism

South Korea• 49 million people• 83% urban• Largest city- Seoul (capital) 9.7 million• Religion- Christianity 26%• Language- Korean (English is widely taught

in school)• Government- Republic• One of the worlds top 20 largest economies

North Korea• 24 million people

• 60% urban

• Language- Korean

• Government- Communist State

• Large amounts of money is spent on the military

The Korea’s• 2 countries created on 1

peninsula

East Asia Vegetation• Due to mountainous terrain throughout East

and Southeast Asia

• Terraces Farming– vegetation or crops being grown on the side of a mountain

East Asia Vegetation

• Rice is the staple crop throughout Southeast and East Asia

• Rice is grown in Paddy Fields