East Asia Powerpoint Flashcards
Tibetan Plateau
located in southwestern China highest and largest plateau in the world (average elevation over 14,000) region of mountains and uplands known as the “roof of the world” vital source of water supply
Gobi Desert
stretches across parts of Mongolia and China bare rock (not sand) rain shadow desert (moisture is blocked by the Himalayas) cold (receives snow in the winter; expanding due to desertification)
Yangtze River (Chang Jiang)
longest river in Asia
flows from the Tibetan Plateau to the East China Sea
prone to flooding
Yellow River (Huang He)
second longest river in Asia
flows from the Tibetan Plateau to the Yellow Sea
the river gets its name from the large amounts of silt it carries (a brown-gold color)
prone to flooding
Arid and semiarid climates (northwestern and interior regions)
Himalayas block moisture
deserts and grasslands
have a herding tradition (settled agriculture and herd mobility) to best utilize infrequent and unevenly distributed rainfall
Horses
Horses were an important part of Mongolian history and culture
used for travel, herding, hunting, and sport
Mongolians the best horseman in the world;
“Takhi” (spirit) horse represents Mongolian cultural heritage
Highland (southwest)
Plateau of Tibet
high elevations (cool summers, cold winters)
nomadic pastoralism
Continental (northeast)
Mixed forest Productive agriculture (wheat, barley, cotton, corn)
Mild Temperate (southeast)
Monsoon rains (flooding)
Rice culture
Hills/Mountains sculpted into terraces provide more cultivatable land
Fish farming
Fish-Rice culture
raising fish in wet rice ponds
- maximizes the production of both proteins and grains
- plants provide shade and organic material for fish
- fish eat pests, oxygenate the water and produce fertilizer
Natural Hazards
Region is tectonically active
Part of the “Ring of Fire” – a circular pattern of earthquakes and volcanoes that surround the Pacific plate
Region is prone to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis
China Greenhouse Gases
world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases (total GHG - not per capita GHG)
produces approximately 30% of the world’s total CO2 emissions - mostly from the use of coal
per capita GHG emissions are lower than many developed countries (including the US)
world leader in renewable energy
Asian Brown Cloud
blanket of air pollution that hovers over most of the tropical Indian Ocean, South, Southeast and East Asia
almost 2 miles thick
caused by large amounts of aerosols (such as soot and dust) produced in the combustion of fossil fuels and biomass
affects agriculture, weather, health
global implications – pollution can travel across the Pacific and impact places as far away as North America
Flooding
ongoing problem.
Rivers carry lots of silt and deposits it in slow parts of rivers
buildup creates instability which leads to flooding
Ex. Yellow River responsible for most catastrophic floods
Three Gorges Dam
built on the Yangtze River for flood control and hydroelectric power construction... displaced people decreased water supply downstream flooded farmland negatively affected wildlife
Wildlife Issues
habitat loss due to urbanization, farming and logging
illegal trade in animals/animal parts
bear bile and tiger parts used in traditional medicines
exotic pet trade
ivory (from hippos, walruses, sperm whales, elephants) used for ornaments and jewelry
-Chinese ivory ban in 2018 somewhat successful
Japanese Whaling
despite ban, Japanese whalers often violate these restrictions with claim of “scientific purposes” (false)
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)
“no man’s land” between North and South Korea
wildlife thrives
landmines are strewn over region
dumping grounds for military related hazards and waste
North Korea
one of the most highly militarized countries in the world
-25% of the country’s GDP is dedicated to military spending
repressive
limits on personal freedom
human rights violations
-Otto Warmbier dies after taking poster
isolationist
centrally planned economy (govnmnt makes economic decisions about manufacturing and the distribution of products)
impoverished
nuclear threats
athiest (religious persecution)
Juche
official ideology of North Korea
emphasizes North Korea’s political, economic, and military self-reliance
Asian Tigers
Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan
experienced rapid economic growth since 1960s (exports and industrialization)
China
2nd largest economy in world (behind US)
market based economy
-state continues to own some firms (“national champions”), to seek and obtain technology, and to control the value of its currency
rapid industrialization
large population
air pollution, water pollution, dams, resource depletion, etc.
growing presence in developing countries (neo- colonialism)
world’s largest exporter of goods
US is a major importer of Chinese goods; “Made is China” label associated with cheap products; labor concerns (long hours, low pay, child labor)
China Foreign Debt
holds significant debt from other nations
largest foreign holder of US debt
-gives China political power in negotiations with US (but also makes China vulnerable to changes in US economy)
Japan
world’s third largest economy
limited natural resources
-major imports include fuels, raw materials, and food
competition with China for foreign investment
-both countries expanding their investments in Southeast Asia (some Japanese companies moving from China to SEA)
Pacific Rim
comprised of nations and territories bordering the Pacific Ocean
important economic region
-accounts for almost half of world trade
-includes the world’s three largest economies (US, China and Japan)
Trans-pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)
the TPP was a proposed trade deal among 12 countries that border the Pacific to strengthen economic ties
-US withdrew form the deal; the remaining 11 members signed a new trade deal – the CPTPP
The CPTPP is a new free trade agreement between Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam
Daoism (Taoism)
living in harmony with the Dao (the way, the path)
opposite, but complementary forces (Yin and Yang harmony with nature)
Ancestor Worship
based on belief that living can communicate with dead and that dead have the ability to influence peoples lives
Atheism
lack of belief in a god/gods
in East Asia, often related to influence of communism
Shinto
Unique to Japan
indigenous religious culture
stresses belief in sacred powers that can be recognized in existing things
widespread participation, regardless of religious affiliation
South Korea Religious Beliefs
Christianity
Buddhism
Atheism
Mongolia Religious Beliefs
Buddhism
Atheism
Chinese language
an imprecise term, as there are many different dialects
Mandarin most widely spoken dialect in China and most widely spoken language in the world (in terms of native speakers)
Chinese writing features ideographs
-linguistic symbols, representing a single idea or object rather than a sound
-very complex
Pinyin
spelling of Chinese words and names using Latin (Roman) alphabet of 26 letters
Japanese langauge
distinct from Chinese
Ideographs
kanji
-symbols that represent single ideas or objects
-some adopted from Chinese
kana
-symbols that represent phonetic syllables or word fragments
highly complicated honorific system (to show respect); -grammar and vocabulary are adjusted based on who one is talking to
Korean
contains some Chinese words
-but structure and grammar are closer to Japanese
alphabet is phonetic (characters represent independent sounds)
script is written in clustered groups
Taiwan
The communist revolution (1949) = People’s Republic of China on mainland China
the ousted Nationalist government = Taiwan (Republic of China)
essentially independent since 1950
-China regards it as part of China
most UN countries do not recognize Taiwan as a sovereign state
Tibet
a subregion of China (southwestern China)
Tibetan Buddhism
China invaded the region in 1950
-destroyed much of Tibetan culture
-millions of Tibetans died as result of the invasion/occupation
-Dalai Lama fled in exile
granted the status of an autonomous region in 1965
-but by then large numbers of Han Chinese here
tensions remain
The Belt and Road Initiative
also referred to as the New Silk Road
aims to strengthen infrastructure, trade, and investment links between China and approximately 65 other countries
network of railways, highways, sea routes
economic and geopolitical motivations
-increase China’s economic and political leverage
some countries are concerned
-expanded Chinese commercial presence = expanded military presence
Importance of the South China Sea
natural gas and oil resources
shipping routes important to global trade
valuable fishing revenues
strategic location
South china Sea claims
China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei all have competing claims.
China claims the largest portion
-has built artificial islands in the sea (to extract resources, secure territory and support naval operations)
-has increased military action in the region
-US has condemned China for this
Demography
High population density in eastern China, North and South Korea, Taiwan and Japan
Few immigrant populations of any size
-long-standing distrust of foreigners (closed borders; Communist mindset)
Japan Demographics
the majority of Japan’s population live in dense conditions in towns and cities along the Pacific coast (much of the country is mountainous)
the high population density (and subsequent crowding) affects many aspects of society
housing size – avg. home size 700 sq. ft (in LA, 1800 sq ft)
capsule hotel (pod hotel)
people pushers at subways
Japan Demographics
the majority of Japan’s population live in dense conditions in towns and cities along the Pacific coast (much of the country is mountainous)
the high population density (and subsequent crowding) affects many aspects of society
-housing size – avg. home size 700 sq. ft (in LA, 1800 sq ft)
-capsule hotel (pod hotel)
-people pushers at subways
declining population
population is aging = shrinking workforce
