1. Physical Geography of East Asia
Image – wikimedia commons

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. Karst Landscape
Image: USGS

6. Eastern China
Flickr – The Tenth Dragon

7. Northern China: The Great Wall
Image: wikimedia commons

8. Tibet
Image: wikimedia commons

9. 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

10. 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.

11. Rice Fields
Image: wikimedia commons

12. 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

13. 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

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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

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