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Study Guide 26
East Asia Physical
Section One
1. Japan is a chain of more than __________ islands running from Hokkaido in
the north to the distant Ryukyu Islands in the south.
2. Four main islands–_____________, Hokkaido, Shikoku, and Kyushu–account
for more than 98 percent of the total land area.
3. At their greatest length from the northeast to southwest, the main islands
stretch about ________mi (1,900 km) and span 900 miles (1,500 km) from east
to west.
4. Japan has over 18,000 miles of coastline, but its total size is less than that of
________________.
Land and Sea
1. _____________ covers about 80 percent of East Asia’s land area and has the
world’s largest population–more than 1.25 billion people.
2. The rest of East Asia is shared by _____________, Taiwan, North and South
Korea, and Mongolia.
Peninsulas, Islands, and Seas
1. Along the coast of East Asia, many _________________ and islands dot the
westernmost Pacific Ocean.
2. The South China Sea, stretching from Taiwan to the _______________ and
the peninsula of Southeast Asia, carries one-third of the world’s shipping traffic.
•The Ring of Fire
1. The islands of Japan and Taiwan are part of the Pacific _________________,
a circle of volcanoes bordering the Pacific Ocean.
2. Plate movements there cause frequent, violent ___________________ and
volcanic eruptions.
3. Japan has more than a ________________ minor earthquakes every year.
4. Japan is also vulnerable to ________________ generated by underwater
earthquakes.
5. These high _______________ waves crash over the land and can cause
great destruction and loss of life.
Mountains, Highlands, and Lowlands
1. Mountain ranges and highlands mark ___________ regions of East Asia.
2. _______________ stretch through eastern and coastal areas.
East Asian Mountains
1. From an area of high peaks known as the Pamirs, the _____________ Shan
and Tian Shan ranges extend across western China.
2. The _________________, the world’s highest mountains, separate China
from South Asia.
3. Japan and Taiwan have _______________ interiors surrounded by coastal
plains.
4. Mount _______________ is a dramatic peak rising above the central plains of
Honshu, Japan’s biggest island.
China’s Plateaus, Basins, and Deserts
1. The Plateau of _____________ in southwest China is East Asia’s highest
plateau region with an elevation of about 15,000 feet (4,600 m).
2. The Mongolian Plateau consists mainly of _____________ pastures ideal for
grazing.
3. Broad, flat highlands include the Tarim _________ between China’s far inland
mountain ranges; the _________________ Desert to its west; and the Gobi, a
desert area located in the north.
4. The ______________ Basin, a huge, fertile area between the Plateau of Tibet
and the North China Plain, is one of China’s most important agricultural areas.
5. It has a ____________ climate and a long growing season.
River Systems
China’s Rivers
1. China’s major rivers originate high in the Plateau of __________ and flow
eastward to the Pacific Ocean.
2. The ___________ River, or Huang He, gets its name from the tons of
yellowish topsoil blown by winds from the western deserts.
3. Carried eastward and deposited by the river, this rich soil makes the North
China Plain an ___________________ productive area.
4. Throughout history, ___________________ have also killed hundreds of
thousands of people.
•Rivers in Japan and Korea
1. Japan and Korea have short, swiftly flowing rivers with spectacular
_________________.
2. These rivers provide __________________ power.
3. North Korea’s Amnok, or ___________, River forms its border with China.
•The Power of Wind and Water
1. The Chinese concept of ________ __________ guides architects,
contractors, and decorators to design and build structures that harmonize with
surrounding landforms.
Natural Resources
1. China’s large land area contains the greatest share and widest range of
mineral resources, including iron ore, tungsten, tin, and ____________.
2. The ________________ Desert has large oil deposits. Northeastern China
and the Korean peninsula have an abundance of ____________.
3. Only 10 percent of China’s land is suitable for farming, but China is
nonetheless the world’s leading producer of ____________.
4. South Korea’s prime farmland produces two crops a year of rice and
_______________.
5. Mongolia and Japan have very limited farmland and poor ___________.
6. In Taiwan, about one-___________ of the land is farmable.
7. Taiwan’s most important resources are its _______________ forests.
8. _____________, South Korea, Taiwan, and coastal China support the world’s
busiest deep-sea fishing industries.
9. Seafood ______________ also has become a major industry in East Asia.
Section Two
Climates of East Asia
1. ________________ is surrounded by land on all sides. It borders Russia to
the north and China to the east, south, and west.
2. About 80 percent of Mongolia’s land consists of ____________ and
meadows.
3. As a result, most Mongolians are engaged in agriculture, primarily as
______________.
4. Mongolians grow some _____________ and barley, but the mainstay of the
economy is raising _______________.
Climate Regions
1. Dry highlands and _______________ dominate East Asia’s north and west,
with humid and temperate forests to the south and east.
Mid-Latitude Climates
1. The southeastern quarter of East Asia has a humid ________________
climate.
2. Summers are warm, and rains are ______________.
3. The northeastern quarter has a humid _____________ climate, with cold,
snowy winters.
4. In the eastern half of the region, forests consist of ________________ and
deciduous trees.
5. _____________ grows abundantly in warmer areas and is the only food
source for rare mammals, such as giant and red pandas.
6. People in the region use bamboo in numerous ways, from _______________
to material for bridges.
7. ___________ and mulberry leaves also play a major role in the culture and
economy of East Asia.
•Desert and Steppe Climates
1. ____________ and inland northern China are very dry because the
surrounding mountains block the rain.
2. Gobi and Taklimakan desert areas are often ___________ and windy.
3. Temperatures in this climate region vary ____________.
•Highlands Climates
1. The higher the elevation in the mountains, the __________ the temperature.
2. The Plateau of _____________ has an average high temperature of only
58ºF (14ºC).
•Tropical Rain Forest Climate
1. Hainan, an island off of China’s southern coast, shares a _________ _______
climate with Taiwan.
2. The temperatures are always warm, and the summer is very __________.
•The Roots of Rice and Soy
1. The Chinese have cultivated rice and ___________ for seven thousand
years.
2. These are two of their _____________ foods.
Monsoons
1. ____________ winds bring seasonal weather patterns to East Asia.
2. _____________ monsoons blow from southeast to northwest, causing
soaking rains from April to October.
3. _____________ monsoons blow in the opposite direction, bringing icy winds
from November to March.
4. Farmers depend on the ______________ monsoon rains for their crops.
Ocean Currents
1. The warm Japan Current flows northward toward southern Japan, bringing
moisture and warm temperatures.
2. The cold _____________ Current flows southwest from the Bering Sea,
bringing cold winds and lower temperatures to Japan’s northern islands.
3. The interaction of ocean currents and monsoon winds can give rise to violent
__________________.
4. Typhoons form in the __________ Ocean and blow across coastal East Asia.
5. They tend to be most severe between late ______________ and October.