The Physical Geography of East Asia A Rugged Terrain

Landforms and Resources  The Great Wall of China was built to protect China from invaders  It stretches from the Yellow Sea to the Gobi Desert making it thousands of miles long.  Remains one of the largest building feats in history.

Mountains and Plateaus  Kunlun Mts.- Located in the west of China –The source of 2 of China’s great rivers  Qinling Shandi Mts.- Divide the northern part of China from the south

Plateaus and Plains  Gobi Desert- stretches from northwest China in Mongolia. –Covers more than 500,000 sq. miles (larger than TX and CA combined!)

Peninsulas and Islands  The eastern coast of China features several peninsulas –Shandong –Leizou –Macao- owned by Portugal until 1999  Peninsulas make it possible for several major port cities to develop

Islands  Isolation of islands has permitted them to develop in great security and peace unlike some parts of the mainland  Developed trading economies  Hong Kong- became independent from Britain in 1997  Japan  Taiwan

River Systems  Huang He (Yellow River) of northern China –starts in the Kunlun Mts. And empties into the Yellow Sea Get their names from the yellow silt found in the river –Also called “China’s Sorrow” because of the terrible floods that it has caused

River Systems Cont’d  The Chang Jiang (Yangtze River) is the longest river in all of Asia –Means “long river” –Flows about 3,900 miles from Tibet to the East China Sea –Major trade route since ancient times –Floods frequently

River Systems Cont’d  The Xi Jiang (West River)-runs through south of China –Joins with 3 other rivers to form an estuary (where the river’s current meets the ocean’s tides) between Hong Kong and Macao –Important mineral resources found in the river’s valley

Resources  Limited land for agriculture due to mts.  Population concentrated in the East where river basins are located –Great for growing rice  Large energy reserves of petroleum, coal, and natural gas  River systems provide crop irrigation, hydroelectric power and transportation

High Latitude Climate Zones  Severely cold, dry climates  Subarctic-occur in small area along Mongolia’s and China’s northern borders w/ Russia –Cool to cold summers –Brutally cold winters  Highland-found mostly in western China –Temp varies with latitude and elevation The higher north the lat. & the higher the elev., the colder the climate

Mid-Latitude Zones  Moderate climates make this area more comfortable to live in  Humid Continental- NE China, N Korea, N. South Korea and N Japan –Coniferous forests –Temperate grasslands (good for grazing)  Humid Subtropical-SE China, S South Korea, S Japan, & N Taiwan –Deciduous and coniferous forests

Dry Zones  Not well suited for agriculture  Not much settled by people  Semiarid- made up of parts of the Mongolian Plateau –Short grasses-good for grazing  Desert- mostly found in west central area of the mainland. –Taklimakan Desert- located in W China between the Tian Shan and Kunlun Mts –Gobi Desert- located in N China and SE Mongolia Prime area for finding dinosaur fossils.

Tropical Zones  Contain mainly wet climates  Most common vegetation is the rain forest  Small

Human-Environment Interaction

The Three Gorges Dam  Being built on the Chang Jiang in China  Help control flooding along the river  Generate power  Allow ships to sail farther into China  Will be the world’s biggest dam –600ft high and a mile long  At least 1,000 towns and villages will disappear under the water of the reservoir

The Use of Urban Space in Japan  More than 60% of the Japanese population live on only 3% of the land –Highly polluted  Small houses  One- BR apartments for a family of four!  Landfill- a method of solid waste disposal in which trash is buried between layers of dirt