Mountains located in the west of China that are the source of two of China’s great rivers, the Huang He (Yellow) and the Chang Jiang (Yangtze). Kunlun Mountains

Mountains in southeastern and east-central China; they divide the northern part of China from the southern part. Qinling Shandi Mountains (or Qin Ling Mountains)

A river in northern China, also called the Yellow River, that starts in the Kunlun Mountains and winds east for about 3,000 miles, emptying into the Yellow Sea. Huang He

Also called the Yangtze River, this is the longest river in Asia, flowing about 3,900 miles from Xizang (Tibet) to the East China Sea. Chang Jiang

Also called the West River, this river flows eastward through southeast China and joins the Pearl River (Zhu Jiang) to flow into the South China Sea, forming an estuary between Hong Kong and Macao. Xi Jiang

A tropical storm, like a hurricane, that occurs in the western Pacific. Typhoon

A desert located in western China between the Tian Shan and Kunlun mountains. Taklimakan Desert

A desert located in northern China and southeast Mongolia, and a prime area for finding dinosaur fossils. Gobi Desert

A dam on the Chang Jiang in China, built to help control flooding, generate power, and allow ships to sail farther into China. Three Gorges Dam

An industrial compound that accumulates in animal tissue and can cause harmful effects and birth defects; banned in the United States in PCBs

A method of solid waste disposal in which refuse is buried between layers of dirt in order to fill in or reclaim low-lying ground. landfill

A series of rulers from the same family. Dynasty

A method of dividing foreign control in China, after the country was forced to sign a series of treaties granting special privileges to the Europeans. China was partitioned for control by Britain, France, Germany, and Russia, among others (i.e. – the U.S.) Spheres of Influence

An uprising in China in 1900, spurred by angry Chinese militants over foreign control; several hundred Europeans, Christians, and Chinese died. Uprising got its name from these militants. Boxer Rebellion

The leader of the Communists in China who defeated the Nationalists in 1949; he died in Mao Zedong

A movement based on the teachings of a Chinese philosopher who lived about 500 B.C. This philosopher stressed the importance of education in an ordered society in which one respects one’s elders and obeys the government. Confucianism

A philosophy based on the teachings of Lao- Tzu, who lived in China in the sixth century B.C. Lao-Tzu believed in preserving and restoring harmony in the individual, with nature, and in the universe, with little interference from the government. Taoism

A religion that originated in India about 500 B.C. and spread to China, where it grew into a major religion by A.D Buddhism

A country with rapid economic growth due to cheap labor, high technology, and aggressive exports. Economic Tiger

An economic and social region including the countries surrounding the Pacific Ocean, extending clockwise from New Zealand in the western Pacific to Chile in the eastern Pacific and including the west coast of the United States. Pacific Rim

The kingdoms formed in the peninsula of Korea by A.D. 300 – Koguryo in the northeast, Paekche in the southwest, and Silla in the southeast. Three Kingdoms

The largest city in South Korea, with a population of more than ten million people. Seoul

The largest city in North Korea, with more than 2.5 million people. Pyongyang

A professional soldier in Japan who served the interests of landowners and clan chiefs. Samurai

The general of the emperor’s army with the powers of a military dictator, a position created by the Japanese emperor in 1192 after a struggle between two powerful clans. Shogun

The chain of volcanoes that lines the Pacific Rim. Ring of Fire

An earthquake in 1923 in Japan that killed an estimated 140,000 people and left the city of Tokyo in ruins. Great Kanto Earthquake

A giant ocean wave, caused by an underwater earthquake or volcanic eruption, with great destructive power. Tsunami

An international watchdog and relief organization for children. UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund)

The merging of regional economies in which nations become dependent on each other for goods and services. Global Economy

A zone of prosperity during the 1980s and early 1990s – Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Jakota Triangle

An extended period of decline in general business activity. Recession

A workplace where people work long hours for low pay under poor conditions to enrich manufacturers. sweatshop