Population  2.2 Billion (2,171,023,500)  Uneven distribution, millions are urbanized  China- ethnically mixed  Japan- homogeneous (of the same or a similar kind or nature)  Korea- politically divided; Korean ethnic group  SE Asia-many different ethnic groups

SE Asians have lower, but improving, standard of living  Many are subsistence farmers  Lower life expectancies in rural areas  Education is limited

Cultures of E/SE Asia have been influenced by:  Confucianism  Daoism  Buddhism  Shintoism  Communism  Colonialism

3 Main religions:  1. Buddhism  2. Christianity  3. Islam

Japan  Mostly modern and industrial  Demanding year round schools  Have influenced American culture  Largest city in the world, Tokyo, 32 million

Korean Peninsula

Korea Peninsula  Influentially divided after World War II  Korean War ( ) –Over 51,000 American soldiers died –Nicknamed “The Forgotten War”  North Korea – very poor, communist dictatorship  South Korea – high standard of living

China  Communist Leaders are slowly privatizing businesses and farms. –Literacy rate of 82% –Most E Asian countries(Jap., S Kor, China) have a high life expectancy –Largest money lending nation in the world

The United States owes China $2,100,000,000,000

The US debt to China  How is this happening? –The US imports (buys) $4 billion of products from China. –China imports $1 billion of products from the US. –China uses the excess cash ($3 billion) to buy US Treasury Bonds (promissory notes issued by the US government which must be paid back + interest).