Transcript 2013 East Asia1

•Yangtze River – also called
the Chang Jiang.
•Asia’s longest River. World’s
third longest river.
•Starts in the Plateau of Tibet
and ends at Shanghai.
•Half of the rice grown in
China is grown along this
river.
• paddy – flooded field where
rice is grown.
•This river is a major
transportation route.
• known as the Dragon
because it is hard to control
• Also known as the
Yellow River
•Northern China’s most
important River.
• loess – fine,
yellowish-brown topsoil
blown by winds from
the western deserts
into the air and water.
When deposited, the
rich soil – along with
the water from the river
– makes the area
fertile.
• also called “China’s
Sorrow” because
hundreds of thousands
of people have died in
floods.
• Also known as the
West River and the
Pearl River
• Southern China’s
most important river.
• soil deposits form a
huge, fertile delta.
• Japan and Korea’s rivers are
short and swift.
• fantastic waterfalls are on many
rivers limit river transport & trade.
• Yalu or Amnok River forms
border between China and North
Korea.
• Han River runs through Seoul
Korea.
• World’s tallest mountain range.
• home to Mt. Everest – world’s tallest mountain
(29,035).
• Separates China from South Asia.
Label these on your map.
•Sometimes spelled Altai
•Natural border between China and Mongolia
• Bitterly cold during the winter.
• dry summer.
• The Korean Peninsula is
mountainous – coastal
plains surround the high
mountain interiors.
• In Japan, The Japanese
Alps cover most of the
Japanese Islands. Mt.
Fuji is a dramatic coneshaped dormant volcano
that is an important
spiritual symbol to the
Japanese.
• Taiwan is also mountains
surrounded by a coastal
plain.
• Also known as the
Plateau of Xizang
•Nicknamed the “Rooftop
of the World”
• Most of Asia’s major
rivers start in this region.
•Home to Tibetan people.
•Average elevation is
about 15,000 feet.
• desert in southern Mongolia
and northern China.
• frequent dust storms make life
difficult.
• dry and cold.
• dry, sandy
desert
• blocked by
the Himalaya
and Kunlun
Shan
Mountains
• deserts and salt
marshes.
• huge, fertile basin.
• mild climate
• long growing
season.
• important
agricultural area.
•Means red (spicy)
• Major wheat-farming areas.
• Major lowland area.
• agricultural region.
•Asian culture began in the
Yellow River Valley in China
around 2100 BC
• China was ruled by
dynasties for centuries
(2100-1100BC). Dynasty –
ruling families that formed
China’s early government.
• 700-600 BC - The
Great Wall of China –
Wall built to protect
China from outside
invasion. Took over
100 years to build.
• Three Gorges Dam. Completed in 2009 the world’s largest dam. Located on the
Yangtze River. Benefits: It produces 18
million kw of power (equal to 18 nuclear
power plants) Produces 20% of China’s
power and controls floods. Disadvantage:
However, over 2 million people had to be
relocated and thousands of ancient sites
were submerged.
• The People’s Republic of China was created
when Mao Zedong declared the country to be
communist in 1949. The non-communist army led
by Chiang Kai-Shek retreated to Taiwan and
declared it the Republic of China. US follows a
“One China Policy” that allows US to have relations
with both nations. It tells China (PRC) there is only
one China and tells Taiwan they support
independence, but hope there could be only one
China – a democratic China.
• Mao started the Great Leap Forward – 1950
program in China that replaced small-scale family
farms with huge government owned farms. Not
enough food was produced and over 20 million
people died of starvation.
•Mao started the Cultural Revolution – period of
upheaval in the 1960’s when many schools and
factories were closed. Anyone against Mao was
imprisoned or killed. He tried to wipe out the
traditional Chinese arts and sciences and replace
them with communist influenced art and science.
Cantonese
Mandarin
Languages
• Han is the most spoken language
in China. There are two dialects –
Mandarin and Cantonese. There
is NO language called Chinese.
• Unlike western languages that use
letters for sounds – Han uses
ideograms – pictures or symbols
that stand for ideas.
• Calligraphy – the art of beautiful
writing was started in East Asia.
Chinese Relationship With
Other Countries
• Self sufficient – had what they
needed
• Europeans = Barbarians
• Only would trade in silver (no
foreign currency)
• Restrictions on trade to set
prices (quotas on foreign
goods)
Western Challenge
• Interest in porcelain,
silk, and tea very big in
Europe
• Need new markets for
their goods.
• China wants only silver
not European goods.
Opium Wars 1839-1842
• To avoid spending gold or silver on Chinese products,
Britain sold opium from India to the Chinese (and got
them hooked) – did not lose gold or silver.
• Chinese government wants rid of drug dealers.
• Chinese blow up British ship in Hong Kong harbor.
• Brits send troops – Britain wins
• Treaty of Nanking (1842)
–
–
–
–
Britain gets Hong Kong until 2000 (return in 1997)
Missionaries permitted to teach Christianity
Extraterritoriality – Brits not subject to Chinese laws
Sphere of Influence – British interests before interests of
Chinese.
Open Door Policy
• Europeans & US make unequal treaties with
China.
• Adopt “Open Door” policy after the Opium Wars
– can sell whatever they want
• China can not levy Chinese preferential taxes
anymore.
• Some Chinese rebel
– Taiping Rebellion (1850s) & Boxer Rebellion (1900)
– Want rid of Western countries and the Manchu
Dynasty
– Stopped by Western countries.
Tiananmen Square
• Tiananmen Square – Large plaza / square
in Beijing. Site of student protests in 1989.
The government under Deng Xiaoping sent
in troops to disperse the protestors.
Approximately 1,000 were killed.
• island nation once called
Formosa.
•The Republic of China
created in 1912 on the
mainland of China. Chiang
Kai-Shek army lost to the
communists in China’s civil
war and retreated to
Taiwan in 1949.
•Democratic nation
supported by the US, but
not officially recognized.
•After WWII, Korea was divided between
communist North Korea and noncommunist South Korea. The US backed
South Korea. China backed North Korea.
The Korean War (1950-1953) ended in a
stalemate and the peninsula was split at
the 38th parallel. This area is the DMZ –
Demilitarized Zone.
• Democratic nation on the Korean
Peninsula
•Seoul is the capital – World’s
2nd most populous city.
• Communist country on the
Korean Peninsula
•Separated at the 38th parallel
(DMZ)
• claims to have nuclear
weapons.
•Kim Jong Un is totalitarian
dictator (took over in 2011)
•Average North Korean lives
on 60 cents a day.
Japan is a MDC – more
developed country. Its
main economic activities
are tertiary & quaternary
•Japan practiced feudalism run by a shogun (military leader - king). The “knights” were
samurai (professional soldiers) feudal period 1185-1868
•Meiji Restoration – 1868 -1914 Japan realized it was behind the rest of the world from
centuries of isolation. Changed to a free-market economy. Needed resources. Led to
imperialism – wars with China, Russia, and Koreas.
• The US cut off Japan’s oil supply. Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on 12/7/1941 to bring
the US into WWII.
• US dropped two atomic bombs on Japan – Hiroshima (6 Aug 1945) and Nagasaki (9
Aug 1945) Not sure of exact deaths (approximately 200,000)
• Allies (mainly US) occupied and rebuilt Japan from 1945 - 1952
• Tokyo – world’s largest city
• March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami (waves 133 ft) killed approximately 16,000
and started nuclear meltdown. Earthquake moved the earth on its axis 4 inches.
• The Mongol Empire was founded by Genghis Khan in
1206
• Captured by the Qing Dynasty at the end of 1600s and
controlled by China until 1911
• Mongolia gained independence in 1921.
• Mongolia was communist from 1925-1991
• When Soviet money stopped, Mongolia moved toward a
free market economy
Colonialism & Imperialism
Imperialism: A policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military
force.
Colonialism: The policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country,
occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it.
Colony: Land that another country physically takes over and controls all aspects of life.
Sphere of Influence: Does not physically or politically control another, but controls their trade and
has established a presence there.
2010 Population:
• China has 1.347 billion people.
(19.25% of world population)
• India has 1.210 billion people.
(17.29% of world population)
• The US has 313 million people.
(4.47% of world population)
• Because of the large population
& limited resources - China began
the “One Child Policy” in 1979. It
limits each family to one child.
Families are fined for extra
children. It is enforced more in the
urban areas. The western regions
are not subject to this policy
because the Chinese encourage
Chinese to move to these regions
to weaken the minority
populations.
• Hong Kong
was leased by
the UK until
1997.
• Macau was
leased by
Portugal until
1999.
• Both areas
are
westernized
economic cities
that have now
been returned
to China.
Tibet:
Tibet was an ancient country the size of Western Europe when it was invaded by the
People’s Republic of China in 1950. Tibet has a unique culture, history, and identity. Not
only have many Tibetans lost their lives, but Tibetans in Tibet do not enjoy basic human
rights. The Chinese government has introduced policies by which Tibetan culture,
language, and natural resources are being systematically eroded. The spiritual and cultural
leader of the Tibetan people is the Dalai Lama. He escaped Tibet, and has traveled the world
to raise support for an independent Tibet. The Dalai Lama is pursuing peaceful solutions to
this situation, but the Chinese government refuses to discuss Tibet.
Sports
•
•
•
•
Short on space…
Japan – Sumo Wrestling
China – table tennis
Martial Arts
– Tai Chi
– Tae Kwon Do
– Kung Fu
– Tang Soo Do
– Karate
• Music based on 5
tone scale with a
melody, but no
harmony
• Kabuki theater –
Japanese dancedrama (all male)
• Calligraphy – art of
beautiful writing
• Architecture Pagoda
Religion
China practices communism which stifles religion.
Most Shinto are in Japan
Many Confucians & Taoist (way of life) also practice Buddhism (religion)
Nonreligious
.7%
Confucian Taoist
Shinto
14%
6%
Muslim
1.3%
47%
Christian
8%
23%
Other
Buddhist
During the 6-14th century, there were thousands of large and small trade routes
that crossed the Asian Continent leading to the West. Caravans followed these
routes and each was filled with clothes (silk), eastern goods and spices. Along
the Silk Road - towns, cities and caravanserai were created. Traders and
travelers brought new religions, customs, products (glass, silk, porcelain, soap
and gunpowder) and most important a different culture. The Silk Road linked
many countries and its people by means of peaceful activities such as trade,
culture and spiritual exchanges.
Ibn Batuta Arab scholar and judge who
traveled throughout most of the known
world in the early 1300s, from Spain to
China, from Samarkand to Timbuktu –
120,000 km (74,565 mi). He traveled to
Africa South of the Sahara, India,
China, and Europe. He saw the Black
Plague and the Lighthouse of
Alexandria. He saw the Atlantic and the
Pacific Oceans and crossed the
Sahara. He traveled from 1325 to
1354. He wrote it all down in a book of
a thousand pages called the “Rihla”
Marco Polo Marco Polo was born in
Venice, Italy. Between 1271 - 1288, he
traveled in Central and East Asia. On
this journey, he became a favorite of
These men helped set up trade routes
Kublai Khan, the Mongol Emperor. He
with China and the Far East, and that
traveled along the Silk Road - farther
into China than any European had gone led to the explorations of Columbus
before. He visited Persia and then back and many others who were searching
home. In all, he traveled 24,000 km
for a quicker way to sail to China and
(14,913 mi). His book “Il Milione” (My
Travels), tells of his travels, but some India.
may not be factual.
Zheng He - Between 1405 and 1433, Zheng He led seven major expeditions,
commanding the largest armada the world. Zheng He's fleet included 28,000 sailors on
300 ships. , By comparison, Columbus in 1492 had 90 sailors on three ships. Zheng
He’s fleet reached Africa and could easily have continued around the Cape of Good
Hope and established direct trade with Europe. But the Chinese regarded Europe as a
backward region and had little interest in the wool, beads and wine Europe had to trade.
China preferred the goods that Africa traded -- ivory, medicines, spices, and exotic
woods. In Zheng He's time, China and India together accounted for more than half of
the world's gross national product.
• Japan is a MDC (More Developed
Country) main economic activities
are tertiary and quaternary
• China, Taiwan and South Korea are
NICs (Newly Industrialized
Countries) – manufacturing is the
main economic activity.
Economy
• Mongolia and North Korea are LDCs
(Lesser Developed Countries) the
main economic activity is agriculture.
• APEC – formed in 1989 - AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation
Group: Working toward free trade
markets. China, Japan, South
Korea, and Taiwan are all members.