Japan and The Koreas

Japan and The KoreasPages 774 781And788 - 795VocabularyComparative Advantage The ability to produce goods at a lower cost than your competitors.

Recession A time when an economy becomes weaker and doesnt grow. VocabularyLimited Government A government with powers that are limited by the law.

Unlimited Government A government, that by law, can take any action that it wants.

Section 1: Chapter Atlas

Section 1:Chapter AtlasJapan is known as The land of the rising sun. because they are the first to see the sun rise in Asia. Japan is a chain of islands 1,500 miles long. It is made up of 4 large islands and about 3,000 smaller islands!

Section 1:Chapter Atlas70% of Japan is rugged mountains. Mt. Fuji is the highest peak in Japan and also a very popular mountain for hiking. Mt. Fuji is a volcano; however, it hasnt been active for centuries.

Section 1:Chapter AtlasNorth and South Korea are located on the Korean Peninsula. They are mountainous countries. South Korea is the flatter of the two however, so it is more suited for farming.

Section 1:Chapter AtlasThis region is made up of four tectonic plates that are moving together. The great amount of pressure makes this region prone to earthquakes, which can even be underwater, and volcanoes. Some underwater earthquakes cause tsunamis, large long waves, which can do massive amounts of damage. There are 108 active volcanoes in this region.

Section 1:Chapter AtlasMost people in both Japan and the Koreas live in valleys and coastal plains.

Section 1:Chapter AtlasThree basic climates in this region:Continental Cool Summers Continental Warm SummersCool/Warm Summers and Cold Winters

Humid Subtropical Hot and Humid Summers and Mild Winters

Section 1:Chapter AtlasPrecipitation3/5 of North Koreas precipitation falls June Sept. South Korea and Japan get precipitation all year long because it is brought in from the sea that surrounds them. This rain allows them to have large forests. Japan is one of the few industrialized countries to still be heavily forested.

Section 1:Chapter AtlasWinds affects Japan and the Koreas climates greatly. Monsoons are seasonal winds that bring typhoons or hurricanes to the region. Also, with heavy rains flooding and mudslides can occur.

Section 1:Chapter AtlasHills and mountains in this region cause flat land to be scarce. Houses, Businesses, and farms are all competing for the flat lands. This means that flat lands are crowded!They know that they must use the land carefully.

Section 1: Chapter AtlasFarming is a large use of the land in this region. North Korea does less farming than South Korea and Japan. This is due to the cooler climate in this country. South Korea and Japan are also very urbanized.

Section 1: Chapter AtlasRice is a staple crop of this region. Hilly land must be farmed due to the scarcity of flat land. They use terraces to make the land farmable. Terraces are too narrow for large machinery so small machinery may be used or the work has to be done by hand. Often times the land must be irrigated too.

Section 1: Chapter AtlasSince much of the work must be done by hand in Japan and South Koreas farming industry this means that their products are more expensive than farm goods that were planted, grown, and harvested with machinery. This means that there is a comparative advantage other countries can produce a product at a cheaper price than Japan or South Korea. Section 1: Chapter AtlasSince farm products can be produced at a cheaper price in other countries, much of this regions food is imported. They continue to farm however so that they do not become completely dependent upon other countries for their food source. Section 1: Chapter AtlasFish is an important export of North Korea and Japan. Fish are also a big part of their diet.

Section 1: Chapter AtlasJapan and South Korea have few mineral resources. North Korea is rich in minerals such as:CoalLeadIron OreCopperGoldSalt

Section 1: Chapter AtlasDue to scarce resources, countries become interdependent. Japan and South Korea trade for raw materials needed for manufacturing. One example is that they need energy. They have hydroelectric power plants, nuclear power plants, and produce some oil but it is not enough! They both must depend on other countries to supply them with energy resources. Section 1: Chapter AtlasThe people of this region have had to deal with a challenging environment. Earthquakes Buildings used to get knocked down by earthquakes. Now they can withstand the disaster. Also, they have developed safety warnings that alert people up to 30 seconds before an earthquake occurs.

Section 1: Chapter AtlasLimited Resources is another problem. Deforestation, overfishing, and pollution are all serious problems in Japan and the Koreas. South Korea and Japan have reduced air and water pollution, recycle, and found cleaner energy sources. North Koreas government has not made changes so they still suffer clean water shortages and other problems brought on by environmental issues.

2 Types of Water Pollutants in JapanSection 2: Japan and the Koreas TodayThere have been challenges in Japan and the Koreas in the recent years. South Korea and Japan have found a way to have a good standard of living despite the challenges. North Korea continues to suffer many hardships and stays very isolated from the rest of the region and the world.

Section 1: Chapter AtlasJapan also is the country with the third highest population density. They have had to come up with creative and efficient ways to use space.

Section 2: Japan and the Koreas TodaySouth Korea - Over the years this country has become more democratic. They have a constitution and a limited government, one that is limited by the laws of the country. However, their constitution had said that the leader did not have to follow the limits of powers if the country was facing serious problems. People wanted more rights so they called for change. South Korea changed the constitution so now the people have more rights. The military has less power now.

Section 2: Japan and the Koreas TodayFollowing the Korean War, South Korea focused on making industrial goods. They exported these goods to other countries. The government supported large companies and improved education. South Korea now has many high-tech goods that it exports. They have a higher standard of living.

Section 2: Japan and the Koreas TodayTo build up the economy the government had borrowed a lot of money. In the 1990s they owed a lot of money and it hurt their economy. This country will work in the future to avoid that problem.

Section 2: Japan and the Koreas TodayLife has changed for the people of South Korea. Many used to be farmers and now they live in the cities. South Korea also has much more contact with other countries now. This has allowed new cultures and ideas to come in to South Korea and the South Korean culture to spread around the world.

Section 2: Japan and the Koreas TodayReligious life has also changed in South Korea. They have complete religious freedom. the population is Christian and the population is Buddhist.

Section 2: Japan and the Koreas TodayNorth and South Korea are very different. The people of North Korea are extremely isolated and have little political freedom. North Korea is a unlimited government, this means that the government does not have to follow any laws. They can essentially do what they please. Section 2: Japan and the Koreas TodayNorth Korea is a communist country. For many years it was run by Kim Jong-Il. He died in 2011. His son Kim Jong-un has taken over as the leader.

Section 2: Japan and the Koreas TodayThe communist government in North Korea censors the newspapers and radios and allows very few people to have cell phones or Internet access. People are not allowed to express their thoughts politically. It is thought that 200,000 people may have been jailed for speaking out. The government also controls religion. People are not allowed to worship freely. The government keeps control by denying the people freedoms that are found in other countries as close as South Korea. today.msnbc.msn.com/.../north-Korea-claims-discovery-unicor...CachedSection 2: Japan and the Koreas TodayNorth Korea has a command economy. This means the government controls what people buy and sell. Throughout history the communist government hasnt managed the economy well. Section 2: Japan and the Koreas TodayThe government has focused on the military and as a result food production has suffered. Money has not been put into updating machines on the farms or in the factories. Instead money has been used to build nuclear weapons. This has caused North and South Korea to have a tense border and other countries around the world to show disapproval for North Korea.

Section 2: Japan and the Koreas TodayIn addition to the lack of money being put into farms and factories, disasters have hurt food production. Droughts and floods have damaged crops.More than 2 Million people died of starvation in the late 1900s.Food aid has been provided by other countries but North Korea is more concerned with keeping power rather than helping its people.

Section 2: Japan and the Koreas TodayStandard of Living North KoreaSouth KoreaEconomic Output/Person$1,800$27,000Number of Phone Lines1.2 Million24 MillionNumber of Cell Phones043.5 MillionUndernourished People36%1.6%Life Expectancy64 Years79 Years

Section 2: Japan and the Koreas TodayThough Japan has grown since WWII both in their economy and their world power, they do face challenges now in the form of slower economic growth and an aging population.

Section 2: Japan and the Koreas TodayJapans economy grew following WWII because the Japanese exported goods and then put the profit back in to producing more high-tech products. This continued until the 1990s when bad bank practices sent Japans economy into a recession. This continued till 2003 when it bounced back but then fell again in 2008. Japan continues to fight against challenges that will make economic growth difficult into the future.

Section 2: Japan and the Koreas TodayJapans population is aging. They generally live longer because they have a healthy lifestyle and good healthcare. The Japanese are also having fewer children. This means there are less people to care for the elderly and to take part in the workforce. These two components can continue to harm Japans economic situation.

Section 2: Japan and the Koreas TodayJapan is trying to combat the problem of fewer people in their workforce by using robots. There are robots (in Japan) serving as receptionist, vacuuming office corridors, spoon feeding the elderly. They serve tea, great company guests, and chatter away at public technology displays. Associated Press

Section 2: Japan and the Koreas TodayFamily life in Japan has changed in recent years. Most people now live in cities and are less likely to live with extended family.

Section 2: Japan and the Koreas TodayPrior to the recession, men mainly worked. Following the recession, women went back into the workforce to support their families and help fill gaps in the workforce. Women do have more job opportunities but still are not getting the positions in the highest levels within companies.

Section 2: Japan and the Koreas TodayJapans schools have also changed. Students used to attend school 6 days a week. This was to prepare them to get into the best colleges. Now most schools meet 5 days a week but many students still take extra classes on the weekends or in the evenings to help them get into the best universities.

Section 2: Japan and the Koreas TodayJapan is primarily one ethnic group and most people speak Japanese. This country however, is not isolated. It has influenced and been influenced by other countries.

Section 2: Japan and the Koreas TodayOver 80% of people in Japan practice a combination of Buddhism and Shinto. Shinto is a Japanese religion that believes in kami. Kami is gods that live in the trees, rocks, and animals here on Earth.

Section 2: Japan and the Koreas TodayJapan has borrowed culturally from other areas of the world. For example they enjoy soccer and baseball. Other areas of the world have taken to Japanese culture as well.

Section 2: Japan and the Koreas TodayThe entertainment world has also been impacted by Japans culture. Video games, movies, manga (comics) and anime (cartoons) show Japans cultural impact around the world.