The Physical Geography of

1

• The Physical Geography of
• East Asia

2
Peninsulas, Islands, and Seas

• Korean Peninsula
• What 2 countries are located in the Korean
  Peninsula?
• Japan (1 of 2 island countries in East Asia, what
  is the other?)
• Archipelago
• South China Sea
• From Taiwan to the Philippines it carries 1/3 of
  the worlds shipping traffic.

3
The Ring of Fire

• Is caused by movement in the tectonic plates
• Earthquakes, volcanoes tsunamis
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vk4w27IczOTkfeature
  related
• http//dsc.discovery.com/videos/the-science-of-tsu
  namis-tsunami-speed.html

• East Asia is vulnerable to earthquakes because it
  is located between tectonic plates

4
East Asian Mountains Ranges

• Kunlun Shan Tian Shan (Western China)
• Atlay Mountains (North)
• Natural barrier between Mongolia China
• Himalaya (South)

Great Wave off Kanagawa Katsushika Hokusai 1829-32
Mount Fuji rises above the plains of Honshu,
Japans biggest island.
5
Chinas Plateaus, Basins Deserts

• Mongolian Plateau mainly grassy pastures which
  are ideal for grazing.
• Plateau of Tibet
• East Asias highest plateau region

• Tarim Basin is just one of the many broad flat
  highlands located between Chinas inland mountain
  ranges.
• The Taklimakan Desert lies to the west
• Gobi Desert lies to the north.

6
River Systems

• Chinas Rivers
• Originate high in the Plateau of Tibet and flow
  eastward to the Pacific Ocean. The Yellow River
  (Huang He) named after the yellowish topsoil
  blown by winds from the western deserts. This
  rich soil makes the North China Plain
  agriculturally productive. Historically, the
  flood waters have killed hundreds of thousands of
  people.
• The Yangtze River (Chang Jiang) in Central China,
  is Asias longest river (3,965 miles) and flows
  through gorges and plains and empties into the
  ocean at Shanghai.
• The Xi River or West River is Southern Chinas
  most important river. It flows into the South
  China Sea and has created a huge, fertile delta.
  The Grand Canal, which is the worlds longest
  artificial waterway, connects Hangzhou in the
  south to Beijing in the north.

7
River Systems

• Japan and Korea have short, swiftly flowing
  rivers which provide hydroelectric power. North
  Koreas Amnok River (or Yalu River) forms a
  border with China.

8
Natural Resources

• China contains a wide range of mineral resources,
  including iron ore, tungsten, tin and gold. The
  Taklimakan Desert has large oil deposits, while
  Northeastern China and Korea have an abundance of
  coal.
• Japan, South Korea, and coastal China have the
  worlds busiest deep-sea fishing industry.
  Seafood farming is also a major industry in East
  Asia.
• Only 10 of China is suitable for farming, but
  still remains to be the worlds leading producer
  of rice. South Koreas two yearly crops are rice
  and barley. Mongolia and Japan have limited
  farmland with poor soil. Only 25 of Taiwan is
  farmable, and their hardwood forests are the
  important resource.

9
Climate Regions

• Mid-Latitude Climates
• Southeastern quarter of East Asia has humid
  subtropical climate. Summers are warm and rains
  are heavy. Northeastern quarter has humid
  continental climate, with cold, snowy winters.
• Eastern half of the region consists of forests,
  which include evergreen and deciduous trees.
  Bamboo grows in warmer areas and is a source of
  food for some rare mammals, such as giant and red
  pandas.
• Desert and Steppe Climates
• Mongolia and inland northern China are very dry
  because the surrounding mountains block the rain.
  Gobi and Taklimakan deserts are cold and windy.

10
Climate Regions

• Highland Climates
• The higher the elevation, the colder the
  temperature. The Plateau of Tibet has an average
  high temp of only 58ºF (14ºC).
• Tropical Rain Forest Climates
• Hainan, an island off of Chinas southern coast,
  shares a rainforest climate with Taiwan.
  Temperatures are always warm, and summer is
  rainy.

11
Monsoons and Ocean Currents

• Monsoons bring seasonal weather patterns to
  East Asia. Summer monsoons blow from southeast
  to northwest, causing soaking rains from April to
  October. Winter monsoons blow in the opposite
  direction, bringing icy winds from November to
  March. Farmers depend on summer monsoon rains
  for their crops.
• Ocean Currents
• Warm Japan Current flows northward toward
  southern Japan, bringing moisture and warm
  temperatures. The cold Kuril Current flows
  southwest from the Bering Sea, bringing cold
  winds and lower temperatures to Japans northern
  islands.
• The interaction of ocean currents and monsoon
  winds can give rise to violent typhoons.
  Typhoons form in the Pacific Ocean and blow
  across coastal East Asia. They tend to be most
  severe between late August and October.

12

• You should be able to answer the following
  questions
• What do East Asias Rivers provide?
• What are Chinas main waterway systems?
• What is a typhoon?
• What country is the leading producer of rice?
• What factors come together to create a typhoon?
• What are the effects of a typhoon?