EAST ASIA Physical Geography

LANDFORMS CHINA & MONGOLIA China makes up the majority of the landmass in this region Mongolia is mostly an upland plateau with mountains and basins

LANDFORMS JAPAN There are more than 6,800 islands in Japan’s archipelago Most of Japan’s land area can be found on 4 major islands: Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu Japan is located in the Ring of Fire which causes some 50 volcanos to remain active.

LANDFORMS NORTH & SOUTH KOREA The Korean Peninsula lies between China and Japan The peninsula’s rugged terrain was a barrier to invaders for many centuries There are over 3,000 islands off the coast of South Korea including a group of rocky islets called the Tok Islands

MOUNTAINS High mountains in the west limit contact between China and the rest of Asia. These mountains were caused by converging tectonic plates. Kunlun Mountains are the source of China’s two greatest rivers the Huange He (Yellow) and the Chang Jiang (Yangtze).

MOUNTAINS The Plateau of Tibet in southwest China is East Asia’s highest plateau region with an elevation of about 15,000 feet. The Mongolian Plateau consists mainly of grassy pastures ideal for grazing. The people of Tibet are considered to be culturally different than the rest of Asia because of their isolation.

MOUNTAINS Japan and Taiwan have mountainous interiors surrounded by coastal plains. These interior mountains are also the volcanoes that formed the island. Mount Fuji is a dramatic peak rising above the central plains of Honshu, Japan’s biggest island.

WATER SYSTEMS China has three great rivers, which have been critical to the development of China’s civilizations. They feed hundreds of millions of people because of the fields and crops they irrigate.

WATER SYSTEMS Chang Jiang or Yangtze River (which means “long river”) is the longest river in Asia at 3,900 miles long. Xi Jiang or West River runs through southern China and joins up with the Pearl River. It flows into the South China Sea, where it has created a huge, fertile delta. The Grand Canal–the world’s longest artificial waterway–connects Hangzhou in the south to Beijing in the north.

WATER SYSTEMS Japan and Korea have short, swiftly flowing rivers with spectacular waterfalls. These rivers provide hydroelectric power South Korea’s Han, Kum, and Naktong all begin in the T’aeback Mountains North Korea’s longest river is the Yalu (500 miles long)

CLIMATE

CLIMATE High Latitude Climate Zones Subarctic climates are found along Mongolia’s and China’s border with Russia Mid-latitude Zones Humid Continental can be found in Northeastern China, North Korea, northern South Korea, and northern Japan. Humid Subtropical can be found in Southeastern China, southern South Korea, southern Japan, and northern Taiwan. This region is susceptible to tropical storms known as Typhoons.

CLIMATE Dry Zones Tropical Zones Highland Regions Semiarid found in parts of the Mongolian Plateau. Most deserts are found in the west central area. The large Gobi Desert is located in northern China and southeast Mongolia. Tropical Zones Tropical Wet – found along China’s southeast coast . Highland Regions Cold Highland climates are found mostly in mountainous Western China

CLIMATE Typhoon- a tropical storm that occurs in the Western Pacific. Monsoon- occur in the rainy summer. Created when air masses above the continent interact with the air mass above the Pacific

Resources NORTH & SOUTH KOREA CHINA & MONGOLIA JAPAN North Korea have administered over 3,000 cooperative (communal farms) Both grow rice and rely heavily on fish and seafood Most mineral resources are found in North Korea. Hydroelectric power and nuclear power generation is becoming more important in the region CHINA & MONGOLIA Mineral resources: iron ore, tin, tungsten, and gold. The South China Sea contains large petroleum deposits JAPAN Rice, grain vegetables, tea. Cattle is also a valuable resource Fishing and seafood farms are an important resource China is the worlds largest producer of rice

HUMAN ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION POLLUTION East Asians largely ignored environmental problems during the region’s period of industrial and economic growth Nine of the 10 most-polluted cities in the world are located in China Neighboring countries, such as Japan, also are affected by China’s acid rain

HUMAN ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION China’s Three Gorges Dam project on the Yangtze River aims to supply a huge amount of hydroelectric power to China’s interior. The dam itself is China’s largest construction project and will be the world’s biggest dam when completed. It will be 600 feet high and more than a mile wide. It will create a reservoir nearly 400 miles long.

HUMAN ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION Geographic challenges facing islands like Japan and Taiwan are different than those facing China. All of these nations have large populations, but island nations have less room for their population.