Glencoe World GeographyChapter 26:
The Physical Geography of East AsiaChapter Overviews
East Asia has the countries with both the world's most sparse and the largest
populations. China dominates the region in size and population. East Asia is marked
by mountain ranges, plateaus, deserts, and islands where natural resources are
unevenly distributed. The same landforms affect climate and vegetation. Monsoons
bring seasonal weather patterns, which are also influenced by ocean currents.
The Land The People's Republic of China has the world's largest population
and comprises about 80 percent of East Asia's land area. Other countries in
the region include sparsely populated Mongolia, North Korea and South Korea
on the Korean Peninsula, the island nation of Taiwan, and the archipelago of
Japan. Three tectonic plates meet along an arc of islands east of China and
cause frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Undersea earthquakes can
cause tsunamis. Mountain ranges and highlands mark the inland regions of East
Asia. China's major rivers-the Yellow, Yangtze, and Xi Rivers-begin
in the Plateau of Tibet and provide transportation routes, hydroelectric power,
and fertile soil in their basins. East Asia's mineral and agricultural resources
are unevenly distributed. Climate and Vegetation Latitude and physical features, such as mountain
barriers, highlands, and coastal regions, shape East Asia's climate. Dry highlands
and grasslands dominate the north and west, while mid-latitude climates can
be found in the southeastern quarter of East Asia. Bamboo, a tree-like grass,
mulberry trees, and tea bushes thrive there. The island of Hainan has a tropical
rain forest climate. Seasonal weather patterns are dominated by the monsoons,
which bring over 80 percent of the region's annual rainfall during the summer
months and cold, arctic air during the winter. Ocean currents influence the
climate of Japan. The interaction of ocean currents and monsoons can give rise
to typhoons. |