Asia and the Pacific
Chapter 1:1
East AsiaLand and Water
Objectives
Learn about the landforms and water bodies
found in East Asia.
Find out where most of the people in East
Asia live.
Vocabulary
Plateau
◦ A raised area of level land bordered on one or
more sides by steep slopes or cliffs
Fertile
◦ To support plant groups
Archipelago
◦ A group of islands
Population density
◦ The average number of people living in a square
mile or square kilometer
Landforms and Water Bodies
China makes up most of East Asia’s land
Many countries in East Asia have
mountains.
Only China and Mongolia have mountains,
plains, and plateaus.
Japan, Taiwan, North Korea, and South
Korea have narrow plains.
Mt. Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan.
The Himalayas
Formed about 50 million years ago when a
huge continent collided with Asia.
This caused the Earth’s surface to fold and
buckle.
◦ Formed the Himalayas and the Plateau of Tibet.
◦ Highest mountains in the world
Includes Mt. Everest
◦ Extends along the border of China and Nepal
Plateau of Tibet is a huge highland that lies
north of the Himalayas.
Himalayas
Island Landscapes
Earthquakes and erupting volcanoes also
shaped the islands in this region.
Volcanic lava and ash created new
mountains.
◦ Mount Fuji is a volcano.
It has not erupted since 1707.
Today, earthquakes and volcanoes still
change the landscape.
Mountain Landscapes
China
China is one of the oldest civilizations
Population of more than 1 billion people
◦ This is more than any other country in the
world!
Mountains and deserts make up 2/3 of the
land.
China’s Gobi Desert is the northernmost
desert on Earth.
China
China’s Water Ways
Chang and Huang Rivers
◦ Most important in China
Chang river is deep enough
for ships to travel
Huang River has more than
100 million people who live
along its banks
Japan
Japan is an archipelago
◦ Made up of 4 main islands and 3, 000 small
islands
Hokkaido
Honshu
Most populated island
Shikoku
Kyushu
Every major Japanese city is located on
the coast
80% of the country is mountainous
Japan
The Koreas
Korean Peninsula is located between
China and Japan
◦ Peninsula is a land form that is almost
complete surrounded by water
This country has been divided since 1953
when a civil war broke out
◦ Turmoil still common in this region
Koreas
South
Korea
East Asia Population
Almost 1.5 billion people live in East Asia.
Most live in the plains and along the
coasts. Population Density here is very
uneven…
◦ Why?
Easy to grow foods there
In East Asia, level ground (the plains) must
be used for farming, cities, and homes.
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