East Asia

Chapters 27-29

Landforms

• High mountains in this region limited contact between people living in Asia– Kunlun Mountains- located west of China– Qinling Shandi Mountains- divide north and south

China.• Although very mountainous, some low lying

plains exist and are sparsely populated.– Plateau of Tibet, Tarim Pendi Basin.

Landforms

• Deserts– Largest desert in the world, the Gobi is larger than

Texas and California combined• Peninsulas– The eastern coast of China

• Many ports due to large coastline• Korean Peninsula

– The Islands of East Asia• Formed by continental shelf• Hong Kong is part of this island chain

Rivers

• Three great rivers in China– Huang He (Yellow River): causes terrible flooding – Chang Jiang (Yangtze River): Longest river in Asia,

major trade route– Xi Jiang (West River): forms large estuary- where a

river meets ocean tides– Yalu Jiang: forms border between China and

Korea and was the starting point of the Korean War

Resources

• Natural and mineral resources are unevenly distributed throughout East Asia.– Example: China, North Korea, and Mongolia have plentiful

resources and Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan do not– The latter three are great world powers nonetheless

• Land and Forests– Due to mountainous areas, agriculture is limited– Vast supplies of forests to all countries and areas

• Mineral and Energy Resources– China has large supply of petroleum, coal, and natural gas– Japan trades for what it needs

Climate

• Subarctic- small sliver in northern Mongolia that has extremely cold climate

• Highland- Western China, the higher the altitude and latitude, the colder it gets, sparsely populated, vast tundra

• Humid Continental- NE China, North Korea, and northern South Korea, temperate grasslands

• Humid Subtropical- SE China, Southern South Korea, and Taiwan, forests of mixed variety and sandy soil

Human-Environment Interaction• Three Gorges Dam

– Built on the Chang Jiang– Controls flooding on the 3rd largest river in the world – Also creates energy– World’s biggest dam

• Positive Effects:– Irrigates ½ of Chinese crops– Allows ships to reach the Chinese interior– Provides power

• Negative Effects:– Between 1 and 2 million people have had to relocate due to water levels– Construction costs

Human-Environment Interaction

• Japanese Overcrowding– 60% of Japanese live on 3% of the land– Pollution• Mercury poisoning causes disease

– Adapting to limited space• Shown great ingenuity in adapting to space• Landfills: soil waste disposal method in which trash is

buried between layers of dirt to fill low lying ground– Creating more land in large cities

China

• China has been settled for over 4,000 years• Lived off dynasty rule:– A series of rulers from the same family• Shang Dynasty- 1st Chinese dynasty• Zhou Dynasty- ruled Northern China• Qin Dynasty- Gave China its name and established a

strong central government • Han Dynasty- moved China into central Asia• Qing- People of Manchuria

China

• China remained isolated and separated from the world for centuries until 13th century– Trade allowed other countries into China and

carved up the realm due to China’s lack of military– Spheres of Influence: Controlled by Britain, France,

Germany, Russia, and Japan– Boxer Rebellion in 1900: Chinese tried to

overthrow Western ideas and influence

China

• Chinese Revolution– Qing Dynasty tried to reform government after the

Boxer Rebellion• It was too late

– 1912, Sun Yat-sen lead China into a republic– 1925, General Chiang Kai-shek took over the Nationalist

party for Sun Yat-sen (died) and increased communism– 1949, Mao Zedong takes over and communism won

over in China– 1976, Deng Xiaoping modernizes China’s political

machine

China

• The Economies of China– Rural Economy:• China is a largely rural society• Self-Sufficient in farming

– Industrial Economy:• Manufacture coal, iron ore, and oil• Shanghai is the manufacturing center of China

China

• Religions of China– Confucianism:

• Started by Confucius around 551 BC• People should know their past ancestors and honor their elders• Education is important

– Taoism• From the book Tao-te-Ching• Importance of restoring harmony with self and nature• Government should leave people alone

– Buddhism• Came to China from India• Rebirth cycle

Mongolia and Taiwan

• The Mongols were nomadic herders for thousands of years

• Genghis Khan expanded Mongol’s area– Fought China and lost in the 14th Century– Ruled by China until 1911– Mongolia lived under Communist rule for about 72

years– Now working to modernization and free-

enterprise

Mongolia and Taiwan

• Taiwan is an island that was settled by Malay and Polynesian peoples

• The Han dynasty took over the island• The island was won in a war between China and

Japan– Japan kept control of the island until the end of WWII– After WWII, became Communist with Mao Zedong

• China today does not recognize Taiwan as a separate nation– Still considers it a province of China

Mongolia and Taiwan

• Mongolia still has nomads and farming is essential• Taiwan is still and island and trade is still essential• Mongolia working to update infrastructure and herding

methods to open up trade with the rest of the world• Taiwan has one of the world’s most successful

economies – Despite resources– Economic Tiger: a nation that has a rapid economic growth

due to cheap labor and high technology– Part of the Pacific Rim: Countries that surround the Pacific

Ocean

The Koreas

• A Divided Peninsula– Ancestors came from Manchuria and northern China– Invaded by Japan and China due to location

• Three Kingdoms– Koreans gradually won back independence– Koguryo, Paekche, Silla kingdoms– Silla kingdom eventually conquered the other two

• Yi S’ong-gye became ruler in 1392 and ruled his dynasty ruled for centuries– Japan invaded before WWII and ruled until after the war.

The Koreas

• Korea split after WWII– North controlled by Soviet Union– South supported by United States

• 1950, Korean War broke out– Communists (North and China) vs. Democratic (US

and South Korea)– War ended in stalemate– Sides remained hostile until 2000, tried to start

unification process but North Korea is still ruled by crazy dictator

The Koreas

• Korea has adapted many ideas from China– Confucianism– Buddhism– Communism

• Before the Korean War, economy was very agricultural based– Experts say a unified Korean peninsula would form an

economic powerhouse• Example: Resources from North Korea and trade in South Korea

– South Korea is a Tiger Economy

Japan

• Made into four islands– Honshu(main), Hokkaido, Shikoku, Kyushu

• Samurai and Shogun– Until 300 AD, Japan was separate clans that farmed and

traded– Yamato clan became ruling clan

• Called themselves the emperors of Japan and claimed to be descendants of the sun goddess

– From 794-1185, Japan had a strong central government• Landowners and clan chiefs tried to grab land and power of their

area

– Samurai- professional soldier (“one who guards”)

Japan

• Samurai and Shoguns– Shogun- was the general of the emperor’s army with

powers of a military dictator– All officials, judges, and armies were under his power– Appointed provincial governors called Daimyo

• Their job was to keep order in their area

– Shogun ruled for 700 years until…• Mongols tried to invade (a bunch of times)• Portuguese traders brought religion and guns (1500s)• Matthew Perry arrived in the name of the US (1853)

Japan

• Emerging World Power– Japan expanded empire from 19th-20th century– Fought with the Axis during WWII

• Lost war and the US took over the government and introduced reforms to political and economic systems

– Japan ranks only behind the US and China in economy– Most industry and manufacturing lies 100 miles along the

main island of Honshu• Manufacturing and trade are the heart of their economy

– Very strong alliances between businesses and the government

Japan

• Culture– Eastern Influence:

• Language, art, music, religion, and government is borrowed from China

– Western Influence:• Sports, fashion, architecture

• Education– Highly structured

• 6 days a week• Shorter summer vacations• Free school from k-8• High schools are chosen (called juku) and are competitive

East Asia Issues

• Ring of Fire– A chain of volcanoes that line the Pacific Rim– Cause a shifting of tectonic plates

• Create earthquakes and tsunamis

– Many older buildings are not able to sustain this stress– Created strict building codes

• How does East Asia continue to see an economic and population boom with these problems?

• What happens when they cannot prepare for the worst?

East Asia Issues• Trade and Prosperity

– Open to the world since 1800s– Global economies- nations become dependent on each other for

goods and services– Powerful economies

• Jakota Triangle (Japan, Korea, and Taiwan)

– World Recession hurt the economies of East Asia• May have caused global recession• Sweatshops are protested around the world

• What is the best practice by countries of East Asia toward their global economy?

• How does population and the United States help or hurt these economies?