1. Physical Geography of East Asia:
A Rugged Terrain
The mountainous landscape, open ocean, and harsh climate of East Asia isolate the region and present challenges for the people living there.
Mongolia’s Gobi Desert.
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2. A Rugged Terrain Physical Geography of East Asia: SECTION 1
Landforms and Resources
SECTION 2
Climate and Vegetation
SECTION 3
Human-Environment Interaction
Unit Atlas: Physical
Unit Atlas: Political
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3. Landforms and Resources
Section 1
Landforms and Resources
• East Asia has a huge mainland area that includes rugged terrain.
• East Asia has a number of important islands off its eastern coast.
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4. Landforms and Resources
SECTION
Landforms and Resources 1
Landforms: Mountains and Plateaus
A Survey of the Region
• East Asia stretches from western China to the east coast of Japan
- also includes Mongolia, Taiwan, North Korea,
South Korea
• Landscape has high mountains, deserts, cold climate, Pacific waters
• Rugged terrain created by tectonic plates colliding
- natural barriers limit human movement, increase
isolation
Continued . . .
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5. Mountain Ranges of the Region
SECTION 1
continued Landforms: Mountains and Plateaus
Mountain Ranges of the Region
• High mountains limited China’s contact with rest of Asia
- world’s highest mountains located on western edge of region
• Kunlun Mountains are located in west China
- source of Huang He (Yellow) and Chang Jiang (Yangtze) rivers
• Qinling Shandi Mountains separate the cultures of northern and southern China
Map
Continued . . .
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6. The Islands of East Asia
SECTION 1
continued Peninsulas and Islands
The Islands of East Asia
• East of China is continental shelf— the submerged border of continent
• Isolation of shelf islands allows them to develop in peace, security
• Chinese islands include Hainan and part of Hong Kong
- Hong Kong was Britain’s; returned to China’s control in 1997
• Japan is a small island nation with large economic power
• Taiwan once belonged to mainland China, which still claims it today
Chart
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7. River Systems The Huang He The Chang Jiang Deadly Gifts
SECTION 1
River Systems
The Huang He
• Huang He (Yellow River)—northern China river
- starts in Kunlun Mountains in west, winds east for 3,000 miles
- empties into Yellow Sea, named for yellow silt the river carries
The Chang Jiang
• Chang Jiang (Yangtze River)—longest river in Asia
- flows 3,900 miles from Xizang (Tibet) to East
China Sea
- major trade route; floods often causing great
damage
Image
Deadly Gifts
While their resources help with the economy, they are also responsible for some of the deadliest floods in history.

8. Other Rivers of the Region
SECTION 1
continued River Systems
The Xi Jiang
• Xi Jiang (West River) flows southeast through south China
- joins Pearl River (Zhu Jiang) to flow into South China Sea
- Xi Jiang, three other rivers form estuary between Hong Kong, Macao
Other Rivers of the Region
• Yalu Jiang river flows 500 miles along North Korea, China border
- Chinese troops cross it in 1950
- attack UN forces, enter Korean War
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9. Resources of East Asia Uneven Distribution Land and Forests
SECTION 1
Resources of East Asia
Uneven Distribution
• China, Mongolia, North Korea have natural, mineral resources
• Japan, South Korea, Taiwan have limited natural resources
Interactive
Land and Forests
• Limited farmland in sparsely populated, mountainous, western areas
• Most Chinese are in fertile eastern river basins where rice is grown
• Abundant forests in China, Japan, Taiwan, North and South Korea
- Japan reserves forests by buying timber from
other regions
Continued . . .
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11. SECTION 1
continued Resources of East Asia
Water Resources
• China’s long river systems are important to its economy
- provide crop irrigation, hydroelectric power, transportation
- Three Gorges Dam on Chang Jiang will control floods, create power
- Huang He and Xi Jiang provide hydroelectric power, transportation
• Sea is important food source for East Asia
- Japan has one of world’s largest fishing industries
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12. Climate and Vegetation
Section 2
Climate and Vegetation
• East Asia has a dry highland climate in the west.
• The region has a humid climate in the east.
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13. Dry Zones Semiarid Desert • Includes parts of Mongolian Plateau
SECTION 2
Dry Zones
Semiarid
• Includes parts of Mongolian Plateau
• Vegetation is mostly short grasses, food for grazing animals
Desert
• Most of region’s deserts are in west central mainland
• Taklimakan Desert—in west China, between Tian Shan, Kunlun mountains
• Gobi Desert—in north China, southeast Mongolia
- prime area for dinosaur fossils
Image
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14. Tropical Zones Tropical Wet
SECTION 2
Tropical Zones
Tropical Wet
• Typhoon— tropical storm that occurs in western Pacific
• Tropical climate zone in East Asia is small
- strip of land along China’s southeastern coast
- island of Hainan, southern tip of Taiwan
• High temperatures, heavy rainfall, high humidity all year
• Tropical rain forest has tall, dense forests of broadleaf trees
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15. Human-Environment Interaction
Section 3
Human-Environment Interaction
• The Chinese are building the Three Gorges Dam to control flooding.
• The Japanese have developed creative ways to use their limited amounts of land.
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16. Human-Environment Interaction
SECTION
Human-Environment Interaction 3
The Three Gorges Dam
An Engineering Feat
• In 1993, China began construction of the Three Gorges Dam
- being built on China’s Chang Jiang river
- should reduce flooding, generate power, make it easier to ship goods
• China’s largest construction project will be world’s biggest dam
- will be 600 feet high, spanning a mile-wide valley
- will create 400-mile-long reservoir, covering 1,000 towns
Image
Continued . . .
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17. SECTION 3
continued The Three Gorges Dam
Negative Effects
• Most observers feel dam will also have negative effects
- negative environmental impact may outweigh any benefits
• One to two million people had to move
- hundreds of historical sites, scenic spots submerged
• Dam could cost $75 billion rather than original $11 billion estimate
- costs scare away many potential investors
Continued . . .
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18. SECTION 3
continued The Three Gorges Dam
Negative Effects
• In building dam, government has not protected the environment
• New reservoir will flood land, reduce animal habitats
- submerged factories could leak chemicals into
water
- region’s climate, temperature will be affected
- some species (alligator, river dolphin, others) may vanish
• International groups slow to invest due to environmental concerns
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19. Use of Space in Urban Japan
SECTION 3
Use of Space in Urban Japan
Crowded Living and Working Spaces
• 60% of 127 million people live on 3% of land along coastal plains
- 80% live in largest cities: Tokyo, Yokohama,
Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo
- 25 million in Tokyo, one of world’s largest
cities
• Cities poisoned with mercury, PCBs —factory pollutants—in 1950s, ’60s
- PCBs build up in animal tissue; cause disease,
birth defects
- PCBs banned in 1977
Continued . . .
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20. Adapting to Limited Space
SECTION 3
continued Use of Space in Urban Japan
Adapting to Limited Space
• Houses are small, sparsely furnished
• Many in cities live in apartments
- family of four in a one-bedroom apartment is common
• Some move to suburbs, but must commute several hours to work
• Coastal cities reclaim land with landfill
- landfill is solid waste buried in layers of dirt
- Done in order to increase amount of land suitable for building
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