Chapter 27

1. Chapter 27 Physical Geography of East Asia

2. Landforms: Mountains & Desert • Natural barriers – mountains, deserts, rugged terrain, large bodies of water • Kunlun Mountains (west China) • Source of Huang He (Yellow) River • Source of Chang Jiang (Yangtze) River • Qinling Shandi Mountains (southeast and east central China) • Gobi Desert – vast, stretches across parts of China and Mongolia

3. Peninsulas and Islands • Korean Peninsula • Contains two independent countries • North Korea and South Korea • Japan and Taiwan similarity • Both are on islands off coast of Asia • Hainan • Large Chinese island near Vietnam

4. River Systems – Critical to development of Civilizations of East Asia • Huang He (Yellow River) • Begins in Kunlun Mts., ends at Yellow Sea • Chang Jiang (Yangtze River) • 3900 miles long, major trade route, often floods • Xi Jiang (West River) • Southernmost of China’s three great river systems

5. Resources of East Asia • Land and forests • Agricultural (arable) land limited • Fertile river valleys • Abundant forests, good for timber • Mineral and energy resources • China – petroleum, natural gas, coal, self-sufficient • Japan – coal, forced to trade with others • Water resources • Long river systems – irrigation, hydropower, transport • Seas – fishing/seafood trade

6. Climate and Vegetation • Typhoon – tropical storm, western Pacific • Climate zones • Subarctic – northern borders with Russia • Highland – mostly in western China • Humid continental/Humid subtropical • Semiarid – Mongolian plateau • Desert – Taklimakan and Gobi Deserts • Tropical wet – rain forests

7. Human- Environment Interaction • Three Gorges Dam • Built on the Chang Jiang River • Main reason – to prevent flooding • Experts disagree • Positive • Control flooding • Generate huge amounts of electrical power • Ships can reach China’s interior • Negative • Humans have to move • More $ than anticipated • Environmental problems not addressed

8. Use of Space in Urban Japan • Japan has very little livable land space • Very mountainous • Population density – negative impacts • Noise and air pollution • Small living spaces/high pop. density • Overcoming space obstacles • Landfills – (refuse + dirt layers) • Adjusting to smaller environments • Simple and movable furnishings http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsule_hotel