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East Asia’s increasing participation in the global community, and the resulting diffusion of the region’s cultures, continue to have a profound effect on the world. East Asia’s growing and aging populations bring challenges for the future.
Section 1: China
The characteristics and distribution of human populations affect physical and human systems. China’s economy and culture are undergoing changes as people migrate from rural areas to urban areas.
Section 2: Japan
Culture influences people’s perceptions of places and regions. Japan’s mix of Asian and Western cultures has been a contributing factor to the country’s influence in the world.
Section 3: North Korea and South Korea
Geography is used to interpret the past, understand the present, and plan for the future. North Korea and South Korea share similar histories but are moving in very different directions.
China
China’s economy and culture are undergoing changes as people migrate from rural areas to urban areas.
Cities and rural areas are changing as large numbers of Chinese move to urban areas.
Population Patterns
• The people:
– About 92% of China’s people belong to the line of the Han family.
– The other 8% belong to about 55 different ethnic groups.
– Tibetans
– Aborigines—2% of Taiwan’s inhabitants
– Mongolians
Population Patterns (cont.)
Population Patterns (cont.)
• Density and distribution:
– More than 90% of the people live on only one-sixth of the land.
– Most live in the fertile valleys and plains of China’s three great rivers.
Population Patterns (cont.)
• The increasing urbanization, along with population growth, has led to overcrowding in some Chinese cities.
Chinese Population by Age and Sex
China has experienced powerful transformations throughout its long history.
History and Government
• Early dynasties and rulers:
– Shang dynasty—first historical records kept
– Zhou dynasty—Confucius and Laozi lived during this time.
– Qin Shi Huang Di—built Great Wall
History and Government (cont.)
– Han and Tang dynasties
– Ming dynasty
– Qing dynasty
Chinese Empires, 200s B.C. – A.D. 900s
History and Government (cont.)
• Revolutions:
– 1927—Chiang Kai-shek formed the Nationalist government of the Republic of China.
– 1949—the Communists won power and set up the People’s Republic of China.
History and Government (cont.)
• A Tale of Two Chinas:
– Taiwan and China have intertwined economies despite differences.
History and Government (cont.)
• A Free Mongolia:
– After the collapse of Soviet communism, the Mongolians adopted a democratic constitution.
Chinese culture is a mix of modern and traditional practices.
Culture
• Education—in the past, only the wealthiest Chinese learned to read and write.
– Today, literacy is on the rise.
Culture (cont.)
• Health care—better health care has increased life expectancy.
• Language—Mandarin dialect of the Han Chinese language
• Religion—many atheists; some hold onto Buddhism, Confucianism and Daoism
• The arts—poetry, opera, porcelain pottery
Japan
Japan’s mix of Asian and Western cultures has been a contributing factor to the country’s influence in the world.
Japan’s ethnically homogeneous and highly urban society shapes population patterns.
Population Patterns
• The people:
– About 99% of Japan’s population is ethnic Japanese.
Population Patterns (cont.)
• Density and distribution:
– About 78% of Japan’s127.7 million people live in coastal urban areas, such as the Tōkaidō corridor.
– Tokyo is the world’s most populous urban area.
Population and Transportation in Japan
Japan has been shaped by both isolation from and interaction with other cultures throughout its history.
History and Government
• Early history:
– China and Korea have a significant impact on Japan’s civilization.
– Yamato dynasty
History and Government (cont.)
– Yoritomo Minamoto—first shogun
– 1542—first contact with Europe
– 1854—U.S. Navy pressures Japan to trade with the U.S.
– Meiji Restoration
History and Government (cont.)
• Modern Japan:
– Change from feudal country to a modern country
– Cultural convergence
– 1894–1895—war with China
– 1904–1905—fought Russia
– WWI and WWII
Japan in World War II
History and Government (cont.)
– Invaded Manchuria and China
– Pact with Nazi Germany
– Today—democracy and second-largest economy
Japanese culture is a mix of ancient and modern influences.
Culture
• Education—highly regarded and encouraged
• Health care—improved health care has helped increase the average life expectancy to 82 years.
Culture (cont.)
• Language—Japanese
• Religion—Buddhism and Shintoism
• The arts—origami, tea ceremony, formal landscaping, Kabuki theater, poetry (haiku)
• Family life—family is a source of stability and strength.
North Korea and South Korea
North Korea and South Korea share similar histories but are moving in very different directions.
Physical geography and an ethnically homogeneous population affect population patterns in North Korea and South Korea.
Population Patterns
• The people:
– Ethnically homogenous
– Small groups of Chinese, Japanese, and foreign nationals
Population Patterns (cont.)
• Density and distribution:
– Most people inhabit coastal plains.
– About two-thirds of the Korean population live in cities.
– South Korea has more than twice as many people as North Korea.
Korean Population Growth
The decision to divide Korea into North Korea and South Korea remains an important factor in the two countries’ development.
History and Government
• Early history:
– Influence of Chinese
– Buddhism and Confucianism introduced
History and Government (cont.)
• Silla and Koryo dynasties
• Invaded by Mongolia, China, Japan
• Ruled by Japan; independence at end of WWII
History and Government (cont.)
• After the Korean War:
– North Korea:
• Centralized government controlled by the Korean Workers’ Party (KWP)
• Economic stagnation, acute food shortages, serious mismanagement of crucial resources
The Korean War
– South Korea:
• Republic
Ancient ties created a shared culture, while modern political divisions have fueled differences in North Korea and South Korea.
Culture
• Education:
– North Korea—teaches communist ideology
– South Korea—improvement since WWII
Culture (cont.)
• Health care:
– North Korea—people suffer from inadequate food, water, and heating supplies.
– South Korea—successful, modern system
Culture (cont.)
• Language—Korean
• Religion—Confucianism
• The arts—vases glazed in celadon, Buddhist statues and sculptures, Buddhist temples
The People of East Asia
• The populations of North Korea, South Korea, and Japan are ethnically homogenous.
• China, Mongolia, and Taiwan have slightly morediverse populations. For example, China is home to about 56 different ethnic groups, most of which are Han Chinese.
• Population in China and South Korea continues to grow, while Japan’s aging population is creating new challenges for the country.
History and Government
• Confucianism and Daoismdeveloped in China.Buddhism spread from Indiathroughout East Asia.
• China was ruled by asuccession of dynasties untilthe early 1900s. TodayChina’s government is anauthoritarian one-party state.
• Japan, South Korea, Taiwan,and Mongolia havedemocratically elected governments.
• North Korea’s government is run by communist dictator Kim Jong II.
East Asia Today
• Diplomatic and military pressure from the West has gradually opened up much of East Asia to the outside world.
• With the exception of North Korea, East Asia has actively opened up its markets, and become a global exporter of goods.
• North Korea remains economically cut off from the rest of the world.
aborigine
an area’s original inhabitants
atheism
the belief that there is no God
cultural convergence
the mixing of cultures
acculturation
cultural modification of an individual, group, or people by adapting to or borrowing traits from another culture
cultural divergence
separation of people or societies, with regard to beliefs, values, and customs, because of distinctly different political systems
