Download 4 East Asia Physical Geography Notes

Honors Humanities
Physical Geography of East Asia
Landforms: East Asia is dominated by highlands
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Mountains and Plateaus
Mountains and Plateaus cover about 80 percent of China, mostly in the western portion of the country. Most of
the mountains and plateaus of East Asia were created by tectonic activity, when the Indian subcontinent crashed
into Asia. The Himalayan and Kunlun Shan (shan means mountain) ranges border the Plateau of Tibet, which
averages 16,000 feet above sea level. The area together is known as the "roof of the world". The Tien Shan is
another mountain range in the region; they separate northwest China from Kazakhstan. The Altai Mountains
extend from the Mongolian Plateau into Russia and Kazakhstan.
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Plains
The plains region is where most human activity occurs (most people in the region are farmers and need the arable
(fit for cultivation) land to make a living). This region along with southeast China is considered the heartland of
China. The Manchurian Plain is located in the northeast above the North China Plain. It is an important
agricultural region. Manchuria was once an independent region (like Tibet) and before WWI and WWII a great
source of conflict. The North China Plain is located south (yes south) of the Manchurian plain. Winds blowing
across Mongolia pick up rich yellow soil, called loess and deposit it along the upper reaches of the Huang He (or
Yellow) River. The river picks up the loess and carries it eastward, depositing it on the plain. These loess deposits
make the North China Plain very fertile.
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Islands
Most islands are part of archipelagoes (groups of islands) and were created by tectonic activity. These islands are
tops of volcanoes rising above the ocean. East Asia is part of the Ring of Fire a line of volcanic and seismic
(earthquake related) activity that encircles the Pacific Ocean. Twenty percent of the entire world's earthquake
activity occurs in East and Southeast Asia. Japan is located along this ring.
Climate and Vegetation Regions: the latitude similar to that of the U.S. therefore you find similar climate patterns
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Desert and Steppe
The driest areas in East Asia are found in the northwest. These regions are dry because the mountains to the
south block moisture from the monsoons of the Indian Ocean. Tibet is dry and cold because of elevation. Other
deserts of the region include the Gobi and Taklimakan. The Gobi desert lies in Mongolia and has a harsh climate
with extremely hot summers and bitterly cold winters. The desert region is sparsely populated.
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Humid continental
Much of northeast China, Manchuria, northern Japan, and North Korea has a humid continental climate (same as
the northeastern US). This region produces enough rain for farming but has long and cold winters. The vegetation
found here are mid-latitude and mixed forests. The Humid continental and subtropical climate regions are densely
populated.
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Humid subtropical
Humid subtropical (same as the southeastern part of the US) climates are found in southeast China, South Korea,
southern Japan, and Taiwan. Temperatures are moderate with plenty of rainfall. Vegetation in the region is midlatitude and mixed forests. In the extreme southern part of China one can find tropical rainforests.
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Highland
Highland climates are found in the interior western part of Asia, in the mountains of the Himalayas, Tian Shan and
the Kunlun Shan and the Plateau of Tibet. This region is sparsely populated.
China’s Rivers
 Huang He (He (pronounced huh) means river)
Winds blowing across Mongolia pick up rich yellow soil, called loess and deposit it along the upper reaches of the
Huang He (or Yellow). The river picks up the loess and carries it eastward, depositing it on the plain. The loess
deposits make the North China Plain very fertile. The Huang He is home to one of the four cradles of civilizations,
the Yellow River valley. It was important for farming because of its fertile soil and water for irrigation. The river’s
flooding is very unpredictable, when it floods it can wipe out entire villages, therefore the Huang He is nicknamed
"China's Sorrow" or “River of Sorrow”.
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Yangtze (or Chang Jiang—Jiang means river )
The Yangtze is very important for trade and agriculture. For centuries large ships have sailed hundreds of miles
upriver. At the mouth of the river is the busy port of Shanghai. Recently the government built the Three Gorges
Dam on the Yangtze to produce hydroelectric power. The dam has been criticizes for two main reasons: first an
estimated 1 million people were displaced and hundreds of acres of farmable land was lost as a result of the dam
and second the vast amount of environmental damage the dam will cause.
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Xi Jiang (Jiang means river)
The Xi Jiang or West River flows through South China. Oceangoing boats can navigate the river to Guangzhou
(Canton) a major port city. Two other important trading cities are located in the Xi delta—Hong Kong and Macau
(we will talk about these cities again).
China’s regions
China Proper or the heartland: two regions located in North and South eastern China. This region is “China's core"
the center of population, industry and government, it stretches from Beijing to the border with Vietnam.
Four Outlying Regions:
1. Northeast: once known as Manchuria has many resources including oil, iron, aluminum, coal, lead, and zinc.
2. Mongolia: the Gobi Desert region has rugged land with extreme temperatures.
3. Xinjiang: important oil producing region—is the home to many non-Chinese peoples. The historic "Silk Road"
passed through this land.
4. Xizang or Tibet: the Chinese "annexed" Tibet in 1950 (you will see this “annexation” in the movie Kundun). The
exiled leader of Tibet is the Dalai Lama (which means Oceans of Wisdom). Buddhists in Tibet believe he is the
14th reincarnation of the bodhisattva of compassion. He is a theocrat-a political and religious leader. It is
estimated that the Chinese have killed 1 million Tibetans and that even more are in exile. China claims that Tibet
is an autonomous region (a political unit with limited self-government)—Tibetans disagree.
Physical Geography of Japan
 Japan is a country about half the size of California: made up of 4 large "home" islands and more than 3,000
smaller ones.
 More than 70% of Japan is mountains. Japan lies along a subduction zone, which causes earthquake and volcanic
eruptions: one-fourth of Japan's 200 volcanoes are active.
 Mt. Fuji is the highest peak and a national symbol- it is inactive.
 Plains make up only about 20% of Japan's land area—mostly coastal. Less than one-fifth of Japan's land is arable
and less than 7% of Japanese are farmers -must import about half its food.
 Japan has few energy resources: oil is the countries major import.
East Asia’s People
 East Asia is a region of great cultural diversity.
 95% of the population of China is Han Chinese most Han Chinese live in the east.
 The remaining 5% is made up of 60 different ethnic groups each with its own language most of these people live
in the western portion of the country.
 The people of Korea and Japan are mostly homogeneous: the people share a common ethnic and cultural
background.