Physical Geography of East Asia Chapter 27 Physical Geography of East Asia

Landforms: Mountains & Desert Natural barriers – mountains, deserts, rugged terrain, large bodies of water Kunlun Mountains (west China) Source of Huang He (Yellow) River Source of Chang Jiang (Yangtze) River Qinling Shandi Mountains (southeast and east central China) Gobi Desert – vast, stretches across parts of China and Mongolia

Peninsulas and Islands Korean Peninsula Contains two independent countries North Korea and South Korea Japan and Taiwan similarity Both are on islands off coast of Asia Hainan Large Chinese island near Vietnam

River Systems – Critical to development of Civilizations of East Asia Huang He (Yellow River) Begins in Kunlun Mts., ends at Yellow Sea Chang Jiang (Yangtze River) 3900 miles long, major trade route, often floods Xi Jiang (West River) Southernmost of China’s three great river systems

Resources of East Asia Land and forests Mineral and energy resources Agricultural (arable) land limited Fertile river valleys Abundant forests, good for timber Mineral and energy resources China – petroleum, natural gas, coal, self-sufficient Japan – coal, forced to trade with others Water resources Long river systems – irrigation, hydropower, transport Seas – fishing/seafood trade

Climate and Vegetation Typhoon – tropical storm, western Pacific Climate zones Subarctic – northern borders with Russia Highland – mostly in western China Humid continental/Humid subtropical Semiarid – Mongolian plateau Desert – Taklimakan and Gobi Deserts Tropical wet – rain forests

Human- Environment Interaction Three Gorges Dam Built on the Chang Jiang River Main reason – to prevent flooding Experts disagree Positive Control flooding Generate huge amounts of electrical power Ships can reach China’s interior Negative Humans have to move More $ than anticipated Environmental problems not addressed

Use of Space in Urban Japan Japan has very little livable land space Very mountainous Population density – negative impacts Noise and air pollution Small living spaces/high pop. density Overcoming space obstacles Landfills – (refuse + dirt layers) Adjusting to smaller environments Simple and movable furnishings http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsule_hotel