Chapter 27

Chapter 27: The Physical Geography of

East Asia

A Rugged Terrain

Landforms and Resources

The Great Wall of China was built to protect China from invaders crossing the Steppes of Central Asia. It stretches from the Yellow Sea to the Gobi Desert making it thousands of miles long. It remains one of the largest building feats in history.

Mountains and Plateaus

Kunlun Mts.- Located in the west of China–The source of 2 of China’s great

riversQinling Shandi Mts.- Divide the

northern part of China from the south

Plateaus and Plains

Gobi Desert- stretches from northwest China in Mongolia.–Covers more than 500,000 sq.

miles (larger than TX and CA combined!)

Peninsulas and IslandsThe eastern coast of China features

several peninsulas–Shandong–Leizou–Macao- owned by Portugal until

1999Peninsulas make it possible for

several major port cities to develop

Islands Isolation of islands has permitted them to

develop in great security and peace unlike some parts of the mainland

Developed trading economies Hainan Hong Kong- became independent from

Britain in 1997 Japan Taiwan

River SystemsHuang He (Yellow River) of

northern China –starts in the Kunlun Mts. And

empties into the Yellow Sea• Get their names from the yellow silt

found in the river–Also called “China’s Sorrow”

because of the terrible floods that it has caused

River Systems Cont’dThe Chang Jiang (Yangtze River)

is the longest river in all of Asia–Means “long river”–Flows about 3,900 miles from Tibet

to the East China Sea–Major trade route since ancient times–Floods frequently

River Systems Cont’d

The Xi Jiang (West River)-runs through south of China–Joins with 3 other rivers to form an

estuary (where the river’s current meets the ocean’s tides) between Hong Kong and Macao

–Important mineral resources found in the river’s valley

Resources Limited land for agriculture due to mts. Population concentrated in the East

where river basins are located–Great for growing rice

Large energy reserves of petroleum, coal, and natural gas

River systems provide crop irrigation, hydroelectric power and transportation

High Latitude Climate Zones Severely cold, dry climates Subarctic-occur in small area along

Mongolia’s and China’s northern borders w/ Russia– Cool to cold summers– Brutally cold winters

Highland-found mostly in western China– Temp varies with latitude and elevation

• The higher north the lat. & the higher the elev., the colder the climate

Mid-Latitude Zones Moderate climates make this area more

comfortable to live in Humid Continental- NE China, N Korea,

N. South Korea and N Japan – Coniferous forests– Temperate grasslands (good for grazing)

Humid Subtropical-SE China, S South Korea, S Japan, & N Taiwan – Deciduous and coniferous forests

Dry Zones Not well suited for agriculture Not much settled by people Semiarid- made up of parts of the

Mongolian Plateau– Short grasses-good for grazing

Desert- mostly found in west central area of the mainland. – Taklimakan Desert- located in W China

between the Tian Shan and Kunlun Mts– Gobi Desert- located in N China and SE

Mongolia• Prime area for finding dinosaur fossils.

Tropical Zones

Contain mainly wet climatesMost common vegetation is the

rain forestSmall

Human-Environment Interaction

The Three Gorges Dam

Being built on the Chang Jiang in China Help control flooding along the river Generate power Allow ships to sail farther into China Will be the world’s biggest dam

– 600ft high and a mile long At least 1,000 towns and villages will disappear

under the water of the reservoir Will cost $75 billion

The Use of Urban Space in Japan

More than 60% of the Japanese population live on only 3% of the land–Highly polluted

Small houses One- BR apartments for a family of

four! Landfill- a method of solid waste

disposal in which trash is buried between layers of dirt

Write ½ to 1 page paper using this topic:

How would your life be different if you lived in a crowded city like Tokyo, which has a population density of 9500 people/ sq. mi versus living in Friendswood? Think about transportation, housing, sanitation, etc when writing your paper