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468-474 Chapter 16/EH
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Physical
Geography
TERMS & NAMES
Mount Everest
Mount Fuji
Ring of Fire
typhoon
outback
Great Barrier Reef
MAIN IDEA
WHY IT MATTERS NOW
The physical features of East Asia,
Australia, and the Pacific Islands
are the result of different
geological processes.
Understanding these countries’
physical features helps us to
understand their political and
economic roles in the world.
, JAPAN,
YOKOHAMA
, 1923
SEPTEMBER 1
e
fting of th
assive upli
m
sa
ou nds
f
ousands o
d caused th
th
n
u
s
a
ro
y,
g
a
d
o
T
in
es.
Tokyo and
of landslid
t dampeople in
aring
p
re
p
f the wors
re
o
e
e
w
m
a
o
S
m
a
h
fires
Yoko
sed by the
powerful
u
a
,
ca
s
ch
a
n
w
lu
e
e
ag
to hav
quake.
alls
llowed the
e struck. W
fo
k
t
a
a
u
q
th
h
rt
a
e
rs began,
buildings
the tremo
d
n
n
e
a
h
d
W
e
lg
bu
of
g on
ugh made
ere cookin
o
w
th
le
s
p
a
o
d
e
e
p
lurch
minutes,
.
ves. Within
o
st
s
cardboard
d
rang up
of thousan
en fires sp
ch
it
k
Hundreds
lties.
mpletely co
hout the ci
g
co
u
s
ro
se
u
th
o
h
of
survived
wn
ople who
ing unkno
e
p
p
p
y
a
n
tr
a
,
d
M
fires.
lapse
died in the
tims. The
e
ic
k
v
a
f
u
o
q
rs
e
e
numb
ssed, th
the entire
aved and to
ight falls,
n
s
A
ground he
arth
in flames.
area the e
f Tokyo is
e
o
n
o
ty
ci
in
d
n
e
a
h. Th
24 feet hig
was lifted
ion • It
ment Interact time
on
ir
nv
-E
an
g
Hum
eople a lon
any p
will take m
e from the
the wreckag
p
u
n
to clea
earthquake.
The Lands of the Region
Japan is one among many countries in the region of East Asia,
Australia, and the Pacific Islands, which you can see on page 460
of the Unit Atlas. East Asia includes China, Japan, North Korea,
South Korea, Mongolia, and Taiwan. Australia is an island, a
nation, and a continent all its own, with New Zealand as a nearby
neighbor. The thousands of Pacific Islands are grouped into three
subregions—Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia.
East Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands: Land and History 469
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China
Look at the map below. Notice that
the geography within China’s boundaries varies greatly. Over much of
China’s area, mountains rise to
great heights. Rivers and plains cover
the eastern part of China. To the
southwest, the land rises to high
plateaus, and to the northwest, it
stretches out in long, dry deserts.
Region • The
Himalayas loom
in the distance
beyond this
family. China’s Mountains Look again at the map. You can see that
China’s highest mountains are in the west. The Himalayas run
along China’s southwestern border, dividing China from Nepal.
The highest peak in the Himalayas—and in the world—is
Mount Everest, at 29,035 feet. Notice also the Plateau of Tibet.
It spreads across one-fourth of China’s land and is the highest
plateau on Earth, earning it the nickname “roof of the world.”
China’s Great Rivers China’s three great rivers are the Huang
He (hwahng huh), the Chang Jiang (chahng jyahng), and the Xi
Jiang (shee jyahng). They all start in the highlands and flow east.
The southernmost is the Xi Jiang, as you can see on the map.
Physical Features of East Asia
Elevation
13,100 ft. (4,000 m)
6,600 ft. (2,000 m)
(500 m)
1,600 ft.
(200 m)
650 ft.
(0 m)
0 ft.
Below sea level
140°E
0
0
250
250
50°N
500 miles
500 kilometers
Hokkaido
Mountain peak
40°N
Northeast
Plain
Sea of
Japan
Ulaanbaatar
Beijing
an g He
Hu
SOUTH
KOREA
I
I I I
Yellow
Sea
II
I
I
I
I
I
II I
I
Jiang
ang
an
Xi Jiang
TAIWAN
South China
Sea
Hainan
90°E
470 CHAPTER 16
N
er
anc
Taipei
LA
Y A M T S.
Mt. Everest
29,035 ft.
(8,850 m)
Shikoku
Kyushu 30°N
East China
Sea
Stra
it
Ch
North China
Plain
Tai
w
MA
C H I N A
I
Plateau
of Tibet
I I I
I
I I
II
HI
I
Taklimakan
Desert
I
I
I I
I
I I
I
Stra
it
I
B
a
O
Ko
re
G
I
N SHAN
.
I
1. Location • What
mountains border the
Plateau of Tibet?
2. Location • Which is
the northernmost of
Japan’s islands?
TIA
MONGOLIA
I M
TS
II I
II
GEOGRAPHY
SKILLBUILDER:
Interpreting a Map
TA
I I
AL
Honshu
Mt. Fuji Tokyo
NORTH
12,388 ft.
KOREA
(3,776 m)
JAPAN
P’yongyang
Seoul
ic
rop
of C
T
PACIFIC
OCEAN
20°N
The Chang Jiang is
known in the West
as the Yangtze
(yang•see).
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Vocabulary
silt:
windblown
material similar
to clay
1:11 PM
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North of it, the Chang Jiang winds across China. At over 3,400
miles, this is China’s longest river.
The northernmost river is the Huang He, or Yellow River. Its
name comes from the color of the fine silt that covers the plains
along parts of the river. You can see that the Huang He begins in
the Plateau of Tibet. On its course east through the North China
Plain, it often overflows. Because of the thousands of lives lost in
its floods, the Chinese often call the river “China’s Sorrow.”
China’s Deserts Two large deserts span China’s northern lands.
You can see on the map that the Taklimakan (TAH•
kluh•muh•KAHN) covers northwestern China. With an eastwest length of about 600 miles, it is one of the world’s largest
sandy deserts. During the spring, dust storms with the strength
of hurricanes occur frequently, lifting the desert’s dust as high as
13,000 feet in the air.
East of the Taklimakan, in central
northern China, sprawls the Gobi
(GOH•bee). In Mongolian, gobi means
“waterless place.” The Gobi’s dryness is
harsh, and so are its temperatures. In the
summer, the Gobi’s temperature can rise
to 113°F. In the winter, it may get down
to -40°F.
Japan
Japan is a country of islands that stretch for
1,500 miles across the Pacific Ocean. Look
at the map on page 458 to see the four
main islands—Hokkaido (hah•KY•doh),
Honshu (HAHN•shoo), Shikoku (shee•KAW•koo), and Kyushu
(kee•OO•shoo). Honshu is the largest, as well as the home of Japan’s
capital, Tokyo.
Japan sits atop two tectonic plates that often sink below a third
plate. Because of this, Japan is more likely to have volcanic eruptions and earthquakes than are many places on Earth.
A. Drawing
Conclusions Why
do you think the
Japanese built
Tokyo where
they did?
Place •
Much of the
Gobi is made of
rock rather than
sand. Mountains and Volcanoes Mountains cover more than 80 percent of Japan’s land. Instead of forming ranges, these mountains
are blocks separated by lowlands. This formation results from
faults, or cracks in the rock, that cause the land either to lift up
into a mountain or to drop down into lowlands. The largest
stretch of lowlands is the Kanto Plain, where Tokyo lies.
East Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands: Land and History 471
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Japan’s tallest mountain,
Mount Fuji, is an active volcano.
Volcanic eruptions are common
in Japan, which is part of the
Ring of Fire—an area of volcanic activity along the borders
of the Pacific Ocean. This is
where most of the world’s earthquakes and volcanoes occur.
HumanEnvironment
Interaction •
More than
100,000 people a
year climb Mount
Fuji, which is
considered
sacred in
Japan. Earthquakes Japan records as
many as 1,500 minor earthquakes each year. In 1923, a
major earthquake hit Tokyo and
its surrounding regions, which you read about on page 469. After
1923, Japan became a world leader in constructing buildings able to
withstand the shock of frequent earthquakes.
Climate Japan’s climate is largely controlled by monsoons. In the
winter, the monsoons bring cold rain and snow to Japan’s western
coast. In the summer, they bring warm rains to the south and east.
During the summer and early fall, storms called typhoons also occur
often. A typhoon is a hurricane that occurs in the western Pacific.
The Koreas
North and South Korea lie on the mountainous Korean Peninsula,
which you can see on the map on page 470. North Korea is a
land filled with mountains and valleys. Its major rivers, the
Yalu and Tumen, mark the border with China. Its climate is
temperate, with cold, dry winters and hot, humid summers.
The Ring of Fire
GEOGRAPHY
SKILLBUILDER:
Interpreting
a Map
1. Location • Which
continents border
the Ring of Fire?
2. Place • Is Mount
Fuji the only
volcano in Japan?
ASIA
EUROPE
NORTH
AMERICA
Mt. St. Helens
Mt. Fuji
AFRICA
ATLANTIC
OCEAN
PACIFIC
OCEAN
INDIAN
OCEAN
AUSTRALIA
The Ring of Fire
Ring of Fire volcano ANTARCTICA
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ATLANTIC
OCEAN
SOUTH
AMERICA
Even with their
top-notch
construction,
more than
100,000 buildings
were destroyed in
1995 by another
major earthquake
in Kobe (KOH•BEE).
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Most of the rain each year falls between June and September,
brought on by the monsoons of the Pacific. South Korea is a mix
of rugged mountain ranges, coastal plains, and river valleys. Its
main rivers are the Han, the Kum, and the Naktong.
Australia
Australia is one of the largest countries on Earth, though it is the
smallest continent. Its landscape is unique in that it has not
changed dramatically for more than 250 million years. In other
continents, such as Europe and North America, major landscape
changes have occurred even in just the past 25,000 years.
B. Contrasting
Contrast the
influence of
physical features
on settlement
patterns in Japan
and Australia.
Flat and Dry Australia Look at the map below. Notice the Great
Dividing Range that runs along Australia’s eastern coast. This
chain is the largest in Australia, but none of these mountains rise
higher than 5,000 feet. To their west, vast plains extend across
most of Australia. Australians call this huge stretch of interior
land the outback.
Australia is the flattest continent on Earth, and it is also
extremely dry. Deserts cover one-third of the country. The majority of people live along the northern and eastern coasts, where
much of Australia’s fresh water is found.
Place• Australia is
home to many animals
that are native only to
that continent, such as
the kangaroo. Physical Features of Australia
GEOGRAPHY
SKILLBUILDER:
Interpreting a Map
Arafura Sea
ll
M ac
don n e
Ran g e s
ing
R
e
Gr
y
M
100°E
id
iv
D
ge
400
in
an R.
chl
La
Great Australian
Bight
ur
ra y
at
Ran
0
400
R.
ng
nge
r li
Da
rbor Plain
Nulla
g R
a
ia Desert
re
D a r li ng
t Victor
Grea
Mountain peak
Coral reef
0
ge
Ra
ng
e
Uluru (Ayers Rock)
1,143 ft.
(348 m)
Elevation
13,100 ft. (4,000 m)
6,600 ft. (2,000 m)
1,600 ft. (500 m)
650 ft. (200 m)
(0 m)
0 ft.
Below sea level
f
20°S
an
o u tb a ck
o u tb a ck
ee
iv i d
Gibson
Desert
R
r
AUSTRALIA
Great Sandy
Desert
Tropic of Capricorn
Tanami
Desert
ie
N
Peninsula
rr
Kimberley
Plateau
Coral
Sea
Ba
Gulf of
York
Carpentaria
G reat D
1. Region • What type of
physical feature covers
much of western Australia?
2. Location • In which sea
does the Great Barrier
Reef lie?
Cape
at
INDIAN
OCEAN
G re
Timor
Sea
R. G
Canberra
40°S
800 miles
Tasman
Tasmania Sea
800 kilometers
120°E
140°E
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The Great Barrier Reef Off Australia’s northeastern coast
stretches the world’s largest coral reef system, called the Great
Barrier Reef. Made of more than 2,500 individual reefs and
islands, the Great Barrier Reef extends 1,250 miles through the
Pacific Ocean. Some of the reefs, called fringing reefs, run along
coastlines. Others exist as far as 100 miles from shore. Over 400
species of coral and other ocean life call the reef home.
New Zealand and Other Pacific Islands
Thousands of islands dot the Pacific to the north and east of
Australia. On the map on page 458 of the Unit Atlas, you can see
that New Zealand’s two main islands, which sit about 1,000 miles
east of Australia, are among the largest. Most of the others are
tiny in comparison.
The roughly 20,000 Pacific Islands are of three types: continental islands, high oceanic islands, and low oceanic islands.
Continental islands, such as New Guinea (GIHN•ee) and New
Zealand, are parts of Earth’s crust that sit above the surface of the
water. They often have active volcanoes, even though they were
not formed by volcanic activity. High oceanic islands, such as
Tahiti (tuh•HEE•tee), are mountainous islands formed by volcanic activity. Most of the Pacific Islands are low oceanic islands,
which formed from coral reefs.
SECTION
ASSESSMENT
Terms & Names
1. Identify:
(a) Mount Everest
(d) typhoon
Taking Notes
2. Make a chart like this one to note
the physical features in each
region. You can list more features
than the ones shown here.
Region
China
Japan
The Koreas
Australia
The Pacific Islands
Rivers
Deserts
(b) Mount Fuji
(e) outback
Main Ideas
3. (a) How is Japan affected by the
three tectonic plates on which
its islands rest?
(b) Why are some regions of
Australia much more suitable
for living than others? Which
regions are suitable?
(c) What three types of islands
exist in the Pacific?
(c) Ring of Fire
( f ) Great Barrier Reef
Critical Thinking
4. Drawing Conclusions
Considering China’s geographic
features, which areas do you think
have large populations? What
about small populations?
Think About
◆
◆
physical features that encourage
population settlement
physical features that would be
hard to live in or near
Make a diagram that shows how high oceanic islands and low oceanic islands form.
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CHAPTER 16