Name: ___________________________________ Date: ____________________
East Asia Unit
Physical and Political Geography
Notes
Section 1.1 Physical Geography (pages 526-527)
 East Asia’s landforms, bodies of water, and climate influence where people
live
 East Asia includes:
o China
o Mongolia
o Japan
o Taiwan
o North Korea
o South Korea
 China and Mongolia are located on the landmass of Asia
 Japan, Taiwan, North Korea and South Korea are all islands
mainland: continental landmass
Landforms found in East Asia:
 High mountains (example: Kunlun Mountains)
 Plateaus (example: Tibetan Plateau)
 Gobi desert covers part of Mongolia and China
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Rivers found in East Asia:
One major river found in East Asia is the Chang Jiang or Yangtze River
Most of the people in East Asia live near coastal areas:
 river basins support large populations
 trade
 get fish from the Pacific Oceans
 transportation
basins: low areas drained by rivers
Climate:
The climate of East Asia varies:
o It is tropical in China, South Korea, and Japan
o It is desert like in Mongolia
o Monsoons (seasonal winds) bring hot/rainy summers and cool/dry
winters!
Section 1.2 China’s Rivers and Plains (pages 528-529)
 China’s main river systems support large populations
 China’s rivers begin by the snow and ice melting in the country’s mountains
and plateaus
 As the rivers flow, the rivers erode the land and deposit alluvium
erode: wear away
alluvium: soil carried by flowing water that is ideal for farming
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River Systems:
 China’s longest river is the Chang Jiang or Yangtze River
 China’s second longest river is the Huang He or Yellow River
The Huang He is often called the Yellow River because it flow through a region
that contains loess.
loess: fine yellowish soil
 China’s river valleys and fertile plains are good for crops like wheat and rice
 China’s rivers also support the cities!
o China’s capital-Beijing
o China’s largest city- Shanghai
Controlling the Rivers
 The rivers in East Asia often flood!
o Flooding may leave deposits in the fertile soil
o Flooding has also caused millions of deaths
 The rivers flow west to east
 The ancient Chinese built a structure called the Grand Canal which links
Beijing to Hangzhou and this cancel carries goods!
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Political Geography:
Country
Capital
China
Beijing
Mongolia
Ulaanbaatar
Japan
Tokyo
Taiwan
Taipei
North Korea
Pyongyang
South Korea
Seoul
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