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.