THE OTHER HALF OF EAST ASIA The Geographical Examination of Japan, Taiwan and the Koreas
TH
E O
TH
ER
HA
LF OF E
AS
T A
SIA The Geographical Examination of Japan, Taiwan and
the Koreas
Vocabulary to Consider
Archipelago
Japan Current
Korean Peninsula
Mount Fiji
Ring of Fire
SIS
TER
CO
UN
TR
IES
In addition to China, four other countries make up the region we call East Asia
- Japan
- Taiwan
- North Korea
- South Korea
Geographical Facts of Japan Total surface area: 377,944 sq km
Capital: Tokyo
Language: Japanese
Religion: Buddhism and Shinto are widely practiced
Population: 127, 100, 000
Government: Constitutional Monarchy (Emperor)
Major Imports/Exports: Machinery and Manufactured goods
Currency: Yen
Satellite View of Japan
Geographical Facts of Taiwan Total surface area: 36,009 sq km
Capital: Taipei
Language: Mandarin Chinese
Religion: Mix of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism
Population: 22, 500, 000
Government: Republic
Major Imports/Exports: Textiles and machinery
Currency: New Taiwan Dollar
Satellite View of Taiwan
Geographical Facts of North Korea Total surface area: 120,540 sq km
Capital: Pyongyang
Language: Korean
Religion: Cultural influences of Buddhism and Confucianism
Population: 22, 000, 000
Government: Communist
Major Imports/Exports: Minerals and petroleum
Currency: Won
Satellite View of North Korea
Geographical Facts of South Korea Total surface area: 100,210 sq km
Capital: Seoul
Language: Korean
Religion: Christianity is the largest religion, followed by Atheism and Buddhism
Population: 48, 000, 000
Government: Republic
Major Imports/Exports: Electronic equipment and machinery
Currency: Won
Satellite View of South Korea
SATELLIT
E IM
AG
E O
F TH
E K
OR
EA
S
AT N
IGH
T
There are many statistical measures of the large difference in the quality of life between the North and the South. One gripping visual indication comes from a satellite picture of the Korean peninsula at night. Compared to its neighbors, North Korea (outlined for clarity) seems like a black hole. Source: chartercities.org/blog/37
RIN
G O
F FIRE
The Ring of Fire is the circle of volcanoes bordering the Pacific Ocean.
An arc of islands east of China marks where the Pacific, Philippine and Eurasian tectonic plates meet. Most of the mountainous islands, including Taiwan and Japan, were formed by volcanic activity.
Plate movements cause frequent earthquakes that can generate tsunamis and violent volcano eruptions.
Simple Geography
Japan is an archipelago- an island chain
Mount Fuji is Japan’s highest peak at 12,388 ft.
The islands of Japan are totally surrounded by bodies of water- the Sea of Okhotsk to the north, the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea to the west, the Philippine Sea to the south and the Pacific Ocean to the west.
The Korean Peninsula separates the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea. It is home to both North and South Korea.
The highest point in North Korea is Baekdu Mountain which is a volcanic mountain near the Chinese border.
The Han River flows through South Korea’s capital of Seoul.
MO
UN
T FU
JI Cherry Blossoms And Mount Fuji in Japan
Natural Resources
As islands, both Japan and Taiwan import many of their resources.
Japan, Taiwan and South Korea enjoy booming fishing industries, however Japan has been criticized for over-fishing. With only 2% of the world’s population, Japan consumes 15% of the global fish catch.
Taiwan has a small mineral reserve, however the coal supply is almost exhausted. There is an abundance of cedar and oak.
North Korea has an abundance of iron ore and tungsten while South Korea has graphite.
Climate All four countries share mid-latitude climates
Taiwan, part of South Korea and the southern part of Japan experience a humid, subtropical climate with warm/hot summers and heavy rains from the Pacific monsoons. Taiwan receives monsoon rains twice a year.
The northeastern quarter of North Korea and Japan have a cooler humid climate. Their summers are warm, but their winters are very cold and snowy.
Ocean currents influence climate especially in Japan. The warm water Japan Current and the cold Kuril Current have an effect on the monsoons
All are less vulnerable to drought than China due to their close proximity to the ocean
TH
E FO
UR
SE
AS
ON
S O
F JAPA
N As a group of islands, Japan’s seasons are very unique and beautiful. Shown are the four seasons in Japan- Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. Source: http://megamalljapan.blogspot.com/2010/07
Natural Disasters
Because of their location, Japan, Taiwan and both Koreas experience natural disasters that can sometimes be very deadly
All four countries are susceptible to tsunamis, earthquakes, typhoons, flooding caused my monsoon rains and volcanic eruptions.
WAV
E O
F DESTR
UC
TIO
N A tsunami wave crashes over a street in Miyako City, Iwate Prefecture, in northeastern Japan on March 11, 2011.Source: news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011