The East Asian Realm Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau

The East Asian Realm Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau Hunan Plateau Se a China of N. Korea Ja pa n Mongolia S. Korea Japan Coastal Plains Guangdong Plains South China Sea Taiwan Pacific Ocean Hong Kong

B China • Geography China United States – A factor of unity as well as diversity. – 3 rd largest country in the world. – Comparable surface with Europe and the United States: • U. S. : 3. 6 million square miles. • China: 3. 7 million square miles. – It is a lot but not enough.

China • 4 • 1 2 • 3 • 1 - Huang He (Yellow River). – Can carry up to 40% sediment weight (highest in the world). – Subject to flooding, especially in its delta. – Changed course many times. 2 - Chang Jiang (Yangtze). – Longest river, China’s main street (6, 300 km). – Flood of 1998 left 14 million homeless. 3 - Pearl River delta system – Most productive and sustainable ecosystem in the world. – Rice paddies and fish ponds. 4 - Heilong Jiang (Amur). – China's border with Russia.

China Pasture and oasis Wheat Dominant Rice Dominant Double-crop rice • Agricultural diversity – North: continental climate growing wheat, sorghum and corn. – South: subtropical climate growing rice. – A China of the West with pastoralism and oasis agriculture.

Japan – Small-sized country; the size of California. – Average-sized population (127 millions). – Very limited array of resources: • Favored the development of trade. • What Japan does not have on its national territory is obtained through trade. • Its industrial corporations and its banks are controlling a significant array of resources. – Domination of the Pacific Asian economy: • Vast national market. • Productive labor force. • Financial power. • Technological innovator.

Japan • Hokkaido Honshu Kanto Plain Yamato Plain Nobi Plain Shikoku Kyushu Physical constraints – Physical geography increases the territorial exiguity. – 16% of the land is habitable. – Fight against the scarcity of space: • Long narrow valleys. • Concentration of agricultural productivity. • Efficient management of existing agricultural land. – Kanto plain: • 30. 5% of the population. • 8. 3% of the surface of Japan. • 50% of the flat territory. – Most of the Japanese population lives on an area the size of Indiana.

South Korea • China North Korea Sea of Japan Demilitarized zone South Korea Japan Geography – “The shrimp between the whales”. – About the size of Indiana. – Population of 48 million. – Highly homogenous ethnicity and linguistically (100% Korean). – Religiously divided between Christianity (49%) and Buddhism (47%). – 75% urban with 27% of the population living in Seoul (13 million). – 5 million Koreans live oversea: • 1 million in the United States.

Taiwan • Matsu China it e S ang a os tra ung yan g. R m r Fo Ch Quemoy Taiwan Geographical Context – About 150 km (100 miles) from the coast of southeast China. – About the size of Idaho. – Similar constraints than neighboring countries: • 60% of the territory is composed of mountains. • Chungyang Range covers about 50% the total land area. • 25% usable for agriculture. – Bulk of the population lives in the western coastal plain. – Quemoy and Matsu islands: • Used for defensive purposes.

Agriculture and GDP Composition by Sector CHINA: Agriculture: rice, potatoes, sorghum, peanuts, tea, millet, barley, cotton, other fibers, oilseed; pork and other livestock products; fish GDP composition by sector : l agriculture: 19% l industry: 48% l services: 33% (1994 est. )

JAPAN: Agriculture: rice, sugar, beets, vegetables, fruit; pork, poultry, dairy products, eggs; world's largest fish catch of 10 million metric tons in 1991 GDP composition by sector : l agriculture: 2. 1% l industry: 40. 2% l services: 57. 7% (1994) NORTH KOREA: Agriculture: rice, corn, potatoes, soybeans, pulses; cattle, pigs, pork, eggs GDP composition by sector : l agriculture: 25% l industry: 60% l services: 15% (1995 est. )

SOUTH KOREA: Agriculture: rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs, chickens, milk, eggs; fish catch of 2. 9 million metric tons, seventh largest in world GDP composition by sector : l agriculture: 8% l industry: 45% l services: 47% (1991 est. ) TAIWAN: Agriculture: rice, wheat, corn, soybeans, vegetables, fruit, tea; pigs, poultry, beef, milk; fish catch increasing, reached 1. 4 million metric tons in 1988 GDP composition by sector : l agriculture: 3. 6% l industry: 37. 3% l services: 59. 1% (1994 est. )

North South

RICE

Terrace Making North and South