Physical Geography of East Asia Image – wikimedia commons

Major Geographic Characteristics of East Asia World’s MOST POPULOUS REALM One of the world’s earliest culture hearths Population concentrations in the East, situated in river basins and special economic zones

Sub-regions of East Asia CHINA PROPER- Eastern half; the core of China XIZANG (TIBET)- Tall mountains and high plateaus; sparsely populated XINJIANG- Vast desert basin and mountain rims; gateway to the Islam world MONGOLIA- Mostly desert The JAKOTA TRIANGLE Japan, South Korea, Taiwan

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY LONGITUDINAL EXTENT (East to West) Comparable to the U.S. LATITUDINAL RANGE (North to South): Comparable to Northern Quebec to Central Caribbean Bordered by oceans, high mountains, steppe country, and desert

Karst Landscape Image: USGS

Eastern China Flickr – The Tenth Dragon

Northern China: The Great Wall Image: wikimedia commons

Tibet Image: wikimedia commons

CLIMATE CLIMATE TYPES INCLUDE: B (Dry); C (Humid temperate); D (Humid cold); and H (Unclassified Highlands) Includes the largest area of highland climate in the world Desert conditions prevail in the Northern and Western interior Coastal, peninsular, and insular East Asia have more moderate climates than the interior regions

Image: wikimedia commons Step terraces are designed to allow water to flow by gravity through all the fields, generally reentering a stream at a lower level.

Rice Fields Image: wikimedia commons

XIZANG (TIBET) A harsh physical environment Sparsely populated Came under Chinese control during the Manchu Dynasty in 1720 Gained separate status in the late 19th Century China’s Communist regime took control in the 1950s Cornerstone of Buddhism, the Dalai Lama, and monasteries Now an autonomous region

The Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet, is the ceremonial home of the 14th Dalai Lama, now in exile in India. The Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet, is the ceremonial home of the 14th Dalai Lama, now in exile in India. Image: Wikimedia commons

Highland Pasture in Tibet – nomadic herders Image source: wikimedia commons Highland Pasture in Tibet – nomadic herders

XINJIANG Comprises one-sixth of China’s total land area A region of high mountains and basins Chinese only account for 40% of the population Half of the population is Islamic Has extensive reserves of oil and natural gas

MONGOLIA Steppe and desert physical environment Sparsely populated with an estimated 2.5 million inhabitants Part of the Chinese empire from late1600s until 1911 Functions as a buffer state between Russia and China Economy is focused on herding and animal products

THE JAKOTA TRIANGLE CHARACTERISTICS Small, confined land area (Japan and Taiwan are islands and the Koreas are on a Peninsula) Hazardous region- earthquakes, tsunamis and typhoons Great cities and high-tech industry Enormous consumption of raw materials, but few raw materials produced locally Global links and rapid development

Known Hazards for this Region Earthquakes Tsunamis Volcanic Activity (Japan) Typhoons Floods Drought