East Asia

Relative Location

Introduction East Asia is the most populous region in the world China is the most populous country, and the oldest continuous national culture China and Japan have been rivals from time to time East Asia has experienced colonization, and has seen both internal and international conflict Japan is extremely wealthy, but poverty may be found in parts of the region Eastern China is undergoing rapid economic development East Asia is one of the core areas of the world economy and an emerging center of political power

China

Regions of China East South central North Northeast Northwest Southwest

“The Heartland” (regions of South central and East) Most populated North Cold winters, warm/hot summers Political and cultural centers South More mild climate Richer farming Hilly… people packed into farmland in river valleys

East Beijing

South Central Shanghai Guilin

Northeast Formerly known as Manchuria Cold, sparsely populated Many natural resources Oil Iron Aluminum Ore Coal Lead and zinc Govt is working to recover these resources more effectively

North “Mongolia” Gobi Desert Hot, hot summers Bitterly cold winters

Northwest “Xinjiang” (sheen jee ahng) Desert basin , surrounded by mountains Important oil producer Wheat and cotton can grow here Railroads have opened up the area Many non Chinese live in this area

Southwest “Xizang” (shee dzahng) aka “Tibet” Sits among several mountain ranges, including the Himalayas Mostly barren, but some farming is possible China took over in 1950 and has worked to develop hydroelectric power since

Rivers of China Huang He or Yellow River Yangzi or Yangtze River Guangzhou or Pearl River

Yellow River Carries very fertile, yellow-brown soil called LOESS Causes frequent flood and destruction… but leaves silt!!!

Yangtze River Carries much of China’s trade At mouth of the river is Shanghai Hydro electric power… Three Gorges Dam

Pearl River Actually a system of rivers Flows through southern China to the port of Guangzhou (a major port city)

The People 95% of people in China are ethnically Han Minorities: Tibetans, Tajiks, and Mongols Many different dialects of the Chinese language, but the official language is Mandarin

China's Flag China's national flag was adopted in September, 1949. This flag was first flown in Tiananmen Square on October 1, 1949 - the day of the founding of the People's Republic of China. The rectangular flag has a red field with five golden-yellow stars (each with five points) in the upper left corner. The star on the left is larger than the other four. The red color of the flag symbolizes revolution. The large star symbolizes the Communist Party (which rules China) and the smaller stars represent the people of China.