EAST AND SOUTHEAST ASIA
European Name?
Far East
When you think of the “Far East”, what countries
come to mind?
The region is over 3,500 miles from north to south.
Geographically, this means they have a number
of_(b)_________________. How does this affect them
climatically?
a. 3,500
mles
b.latitudes
Houston’s
approx
latitide
The varied landforms that
makeup E & SE Asia
Vast deserts
World’s highest mtns.
Archipelagos
and volcanic
activity
Dense jungles
Remains of Krakatao.
The region is part of the most active fault lines on
Earth, the “Ring of Fire.”
The building blocks and the
destroyers of the region.
Earthquakes and Volcanoes.
Most islands of the region are the peaks of oceanic,
volcanic mountains.
Himalaya means:
House of Snow
Note the demarcation line between the
Indo-Gangetic Plain and the Himalayas.
This is a result of: subduction
CULTURE
Why is a common
term for East Asia
the “Orient.”
The ancient Greeks
“oriented” their maps
towards the East,
where the sun rises.
E
The topography of China has served to keep many
invaders (and diffusion) out.
Deserts
Great Wall
Mountains
Oceans keep
land based
invaders out.
The Mongols were the
exception to this rule.
Name a great East Asian explorer similar to
Columbus, Magellan, De Gama?
In fact, up until the 1400’s, Chinese ships
roamed the Indian Ocean. Then, the emperors
turned inward, closed off contact and became:
xenophobic
The Chinese
always felt
they were the
center of the
world.
How do most E & SE Asian
still make a living?
Intensive subsistence
farming (they farm every available
area of land)
Terraced farming
Most still live in small
farming villages.
Culture:
Many of the
alphabets of East
Asia use a series of
symbols, or,
pictograms, rather
than the letters we
are familiar with.
Printing (books)
Though their
culture turned
inward, the
Chinese
invented many
items that
diffused to the
West.
Paper
Noodles
Gunpowder
Compass
In the 1300’s, the Silk Road opened a diffusion
route between Europe and the East. While the
Europeans found many goods that they wanted
(silk especially,) the Chinese found little they
wanted from Europe.
Culture
In many East Asian
countries, overcrowding
is a problem. The
population density is high,
particularly in Japan.
In China and Japan both,
the population must live
on less than 20% of the
total land area. Why?
Mountains and deserts.
How do they adapt?
They build up.
POPULATION CARTOGRAM
Note: Japan is really about the size of California
while China is about the same size as the USA.
The population issue in East Asia is critical, although
China and Japan have vastly different problems.
With over 1.3 billion people, China instituted a
“one baby” policy to reduce population
growth. Has it worked? What is a by-product
of the policy (see the pyramid.)
How is the population pyramid
of Japan different from its
neighbor China?
What could you attribute the
difference to?
Japan is a nation state.
How does this affect
their population?
Political and
Economic
Mao Zedong ruled China
from 1949 until the
1980’s as a strict
Communist country.
His command economy programs such
as the Cultural Revolution and the
Great Leap Forward devastated the
country,
killing millions.
With the exception of China, North Korea, Vietnam,
and Laos, countries of E & SE Asia are generally
democratic. Like China, Vietnam has opened its
economy to a form capitalism (free market.)
2007
While China still has a Communist government, their
economy has turned towards capitalism. Today they
are one of the largest exporters in the world.
The USA trade deficit
with China is over 200
billion dollars (2005.)
Japan is the #2
economic power in
the world.
National symbol
of Japan-Mt. Fuji
A mix
between the
modern and
traditional.
One of the
most densely
populated
countries.
Tokyo
Many Japanese
businessmen work long
hours and want to avoid
a long commute home.
An innovation in Japan
has been the “capsule
hotels.” These have
caught on and can be
found in major cities.
About 120 yen to the dollar.
While the economies of East Asia are growing
rapidly, their GDP per capita remains low compared
to the West. Exceptions?
Infant Mortality Rate is Still
High in S & E Asia
USA 7 per 1,000
Singapore is a
city/state that is
located a the tip of the
Malay Peninsula. It is
considered one of the
safest and cleanest
cities in the world.
What does Singapore’s relative location have to do
with their success?
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!
Beginning in the 1980’s, Taiwan, Singapore, South
Korea and Hong Kong experienced an economic
boom, becoming developed countries (*Hong Kong is
now part of China.)
These countries were called the “economic
dragons.”
Today the economies of Japan, Singapore, South
Korea, and Taiwan are built on technology, but like
the new “dragons”, their initial success was built on:
Cheap labor costs.
Many believe that the 21st century will be the “Asian
Century.”
Tokyo
Shanghai
Kuala
Lumpur
Hong Kong
With nearly 35% of the world’s
population, the region is a
study in contrasts
Rush hour in
Pyongyang.
North Korea is a
poor country in
contrast to the
wealth of South
Korea. A
Communist
dictatorship, ruled
by Kim Jong Il
(Dear Leader)
keeps a tight reign
on the people.
N K has gone
nuclear
Millions have starved to support a
huge military.
Statue of the Great Leader
The all consuming enemy?
SOUTHEAST ASIA
French
(Siam)
Much of the Indo-China
peninsula was once
controlled by
Europeans.
Vietnam, Laos, and
Cambodia were the
battlegrounds
between the USA
and communists in
the 1960’s and 70’s.
British
The jungle terrain and guerilla
warfare made combat difficult for
Americans. When the USA left in
1973, there was a “democratic”
government in control in South
Vietnam. They were overrun by
North Vietnam in 1975.
With the fall of South
Vietnam in 1975, hundreds
of thousands of South
Vietnamese fled, becoming
refugees in many countries.
Many ended up in the
USA. There is still a
controversy among
Vietnamese today
regarding the “proper”
flag to fly for Vietnam.
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Vietnam has been a poor communist country, but
has opened its economy in the past 15 years.
Indonesia is a contrast between old and new.
Large
rainforests
One of the w orld’s
tallest buildings.
Petronas Towers.
The tsunami
devastated
Sumatra.
The world’s
largest
Muslim
population.
Indonesia – the world’s fourth
largest population.
Tibet was annexed
into China in the
1950’s. The Chinese
have made every
effort to eliminate
the Tibetan culture
and make people
more “Chinese.”
Tibet has hundreds of
Buddhist monasteries,
many of which were
destroyed by the Chinese.
Lhasa is the main city of
the Buddhist faith.
A lack of space and an
innovative, educated
population works to use
their limited space to
its fullest.