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THE OTHER HALF OF EAST ASIA The Geographical Examination of Japan, Taiwan and the Koreas

The Geographical Examination of Japan, Taiwan and the Koreas

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Page 1: The Geographical Examination of Japan, Taiwan and the Koreas

TH

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SIA The Geographical Examination of Japan, Taiwan and

the Koreas

Page 2: The Geographical Examination of Japan, Taiwan and the Koreas

Vocabulary to Consider

Archipelago

Japan Current

Korean Peninsula

Mount Fiji

Ring of Fire

Page 3: The Geographical Examination of Japan, Taiwan and the Koreas

SIS

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In addition to China, four other countries make up the region we call East Asia

- Japan

- Taiwan

- North Korea

- South Korea

Page 4: The Geographical Examination of Japan, Taiwan and the Koreas

Geographical Facts of Japan Total surface area: 377,944 sq km

Capital: Tokyo

Language: Japanese

Religion: Buddhism and Shinto are widely practiced

Population: 127, 100, 000

Government: Constitutional Monarchy (Emperor)

Major Imports/Exports: Machinery and Manufactured goods

Currency: Yen

Page 5: The Geographical Examination of Japan, Taiwan and the Koreas

Satellite View of Japan

Page 6: The Geographical Examination of Japan, Taiwan and the Koreas

Geographical Facts of Taiwan Total surface area: 36,009 sq km

Capital: Taipei

Language: Mandarin Chinese

Religion: Mix of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism

Population: 22, 500, 000

Government: Republic

Major Imports/Exports: Textiles and machinery

Currency: New Taiwan Dollar

Page 7: The Geographical Examination of Japan, Taiwan and the Koreas

Satellite View of Taiwan

Page 8: The Geographical Examination of Japan, Taiwan and the Koreas

Geographical Facts of North Korea Total surface area: 120,540 sq km

Capital: Pyongyang

Language: Korean

Religion: Cultural influences of Buddhism and Confucianism

Population: 22, 000, 000

Government: Communist

Major Imports/Exports: Minerals and petroleum

Currency: Won

Page 9: The Geographical Examination of Japan, Taiwan and the Koreas

Satellite View of North Korea

Page 10: The Geographical Examination of Japan, Taiwan and the Koreas

Geographical Facts of South Korea Total surface area: 100,210 sq km

Capital: Seoul

Language: Korean

Religion: Christianity is the largest religion, followed by Atheism and Buddhism

Population: 48, 000, 000

Government: Republic

Major Imports/Exports: Electronic equipment and machinery

Currency: Won

Page 11: The Geographical Examination of Japan, Taiwan and the Koreas

Satellite View of South Korea

Page 12: The Geographical Examination of Japan, Taiwan and the Koreas

SATELLIT

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There are many statistical measures of the large difference in the quality of life between the North and the South. One gripping visual indication comes from a satellite picture of the Korean peninsula at night. Compared to its neighbors, North Korea (outlined for clarity) seems like a black hole. Source: chartercities.org/blog/37

Page 13: The Geographical Examination of Japan, Taiwan and the Koreas

RIN

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F FIRE

The Ring of Fire is the circle of volcanoes bordering the Pacific Ocean.

An arc of islands east of China marks where the Pacific, Philippine and Eurasian tectonic plates meet. Most of the mountainous islands, including Taiwan and Japan, were formed by volcanic activity.

Plate movements cause frequent earthquakes that can generate tsunamis and violent volcano eruptions.

Page 14: The Geographical Examination of Japan, Taiwan and the Koreas

Simple Geography

Japan is an archipelago- an island chain

Mount Fuji is Japan’s highest peak at 12,388 ft.

The islands of Japan are totally surrounded by bodies of water- the Sea of Okhotsk to the north, the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea to the west, the Philippine Sea to the south and the Pacific Ocean to the west.

The Korean Peninsula separates the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea. It is home to both North and South Korea.

The highest point in North Korea is Baekdu Mountain which is a volcanic mountain near the Chinese border.

The Han River flows through South Korea’s capital of Seoul.

Page 15: The Geographical Examination of Japan, Taiwan and the Koreas

MO

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JI Cherry Blossoms And Mount Fuji in Japan

Page 16: The Geographical Examination of Japan, Taiwan and the Koreas

Natural Resources

As islands, both Japan and Taiwan import many of their resources.

Japan, Taiwan and South Korea enjoy booming fishing industries, however Japan has been criticized for over-fishing. With only 2% of the world’s population, Japan consumes 15% of the global fish catch.

Taiwan has a small mineral reserve, however the coal supply is almost exhausted. There is an abundance of cedar and oak.

North Korea has an abundance of iron ore and tungsten while South Korea has graphite.

Page 17: The Geographical Examination of Japan, Taiwan and the Koreas

Climate All four countries share mid-latitude climates

Taiwan, part of South Korea and the southern part of Japan experience a humid, subtropical climate with warm/hot summers and heavy rains from the Pacific monsoons. Taiwan receives monsoon rains twice a year.

The northeastern quarter of North Korea and Japan have a cooler humid climate. Their summers are warm, but their winters are very cold and snowy.

Ocean currents influence climate especially in Japan. The warm water Japan Current and the cold Kuril Current have an effect on the monsoons

All are less vulnerable to drought than China due to their close proximity to the ocean

Page 18: The Geographical Examination of Japan, Taiwan and the Koreas

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N As a group of islands, Japan’s seasons are very unique and beautiful. Shown are the four seasons in Japan- Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. Source: http://megamalljapan.blogspot.com/2010/07

Page 19: The Geographical Examination of Japan, Taiwan and the Koreas

Natural Disasters

Because of their location, Japan, Taiwan and both Koreas experience natural disasters that can sometimes be very deadly

All four countries are susceptible to tsunamis, earthquakes, typhoons, flooding caused my monsoon rains and volcanic eruptions.

Page 20: The Geographical Examination of Japan, Taiwan and the Koreas

WAV

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N A tsunami wave crashes over a street in Miyako City, Iwate Prefecture, in northeastern Japan on March 11, 2011.Source: news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011