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Major Landforms of East Asia

1. Landforms and resources in East Asia include mountain ranges like the Himalayas and Kunlun Mountains, plateaus like the Tibetan Plateau and deserts like the Gobi. Peninsulas and islands dot the coasts. Major river systems include the Yellow River, Yangtze River and West River. The region has forest and mineral resources but limited agricultural land due to the mountainous terrain. 2. The climate varies from subarctic in the north to humid subtropical in the south. Vegetation ranges from evergreen trees and grasses in the north to deciduous forests and rainforests in the south. Semiarid and desert zones exist in western China and Mongolia.

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30 views2 pages

Major Landforms of East Asia

1. Landforms and resources in East Asia include mountain ranges like the Himalayas and Kunlun Mountains, plateaus like the Tibetan Plateau and deserts like the Gobi. Peninsulas and islands dot the coasts. Major river systems include the Yellow River, Yangtze River and West River. The region has forest and mineral resources but limited agricultural land due to the mountainous terrain. 2. The climate varies from subarctic in the north to humid subtropical in the south. Vegetation ranges from evergreen trees and grasses in the north to deciduous forests and rainforests in the south. Semiarid and desert zones exist in western China and Mongolia.

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1- Landforms and Resources

I) Mountains and Plateaus


A) Mountain Ranges
a) the southwestern border of China includes part of the Himalaya Mountains
b) west China has the Kunlun Mountains, the source of two major rivers
c) the northwest contains the Tian Shan Mountains, which form the border between
China and Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan
d) southeast and east China contain the Qinling Shandi Mountains
B) Plateaus and Plains
a) very little of China is flat outside of the Plateau of Tibet, the Tarim Pendi Basin, the
Taklimakan Desert, and the Gobi Desert
(i) all of these have low populations
b) the Gobi Desert is one of the largest in the world (bigger than Texas and California
combined)
II) Peninsulas and Islands
A) The Coast of China
a) many peninsulas are located on the eastern edge of China
(i) these have allowed for many important ports to develop, like Shanghai
b) the Korean Peninsula is the largest, containing both North and South Korea
B) The Islands of East Asia
a) several large islands exist off the coast of China
b) the largest are the islands of Japan
c) another is Taiwan, which broke away from China but is still claimed by China
III) River Systems
A) Huang He
a) aka Yellow River (empties into Yellow Sea)
(i) both get their name from the yellow silt in the river
b) flows from the Kunlun Mountains
c) was one of the earliest areas of civilization in China
B) Chang Jiang
a) aka Yangtze River
b) longest river in Asia and a major trade route since ancient times
C) Xi Jiang
a) aka West River
b) meets up with three smaller rivers to form an estuary before flowing into the South
China Sea
IV) Resources of East Asia
A) Land and Forests
a) due to the amount of mountains, agricultural land is limited
(i) because of this, the population is concentrated in the east near the river basins
b) China, Japan, Taiwan, and the Koreas all have forest resources
(i) Japan has been able to preserve the forests by buying timber from other places
B) Mineral and Energy Resources
a) China has large resources of petroleum, coal, and natural gas
b) Korea has lots of coal
c) Japan has coal, but relies more on nuclear energy and trade to get what it needs
d) various minerals can be found throughout the region, including iron, lead, copper,
gold, silver, and various metals
C) Water Resources
a) China’s long rivers are important to the economy
(i) they provide irrigation for crops, hydroelectric power, and transportation
b) dams have been built to help control flooding, especially with the Huang He and
Chang Jiang
c) Japan has one of the largest fishing industries in the world
(i) high quality sushi is especially popular

pg. 623 (1, 3a)

2- Climate and Vegetation

I) High Latitude Climate Zones


A) Subarctic
a) occur across Mongolia’s and China’s northern borders with Russia
b) vegetation is mostly evergreens
B) Highlands
a) mostly found in western China, where most of the mountains are
b) vegetation varies with elevation (the higher the altitude, the less vegetation)
C) Mid-Latitude Zones
a) Humid Continental
(i) Northeastern China, North Korea, northern South Korea, and northern Japan
(ii) mostly coniferous trees and grasslands
b) Humid Subtropical
(i) Southeastern China, southern South Korea, southern Japan, and northern Taiwan
(ii) deciduous and coniferous vegetation
II) Dry Zones
A) Semiarid
a) parts of the Mongolian Plateau are semiarid
b) vegetation is mostly short grasses for grazing animals
B) Desert
a) Taklimakan Desert is in western China
b) Gobi Desert is in northern China and southeast Mongolia
(i) this area has been excellent for finding dinosaur fossils
III) Tropical Zones
A) Tropical Wet
a) very little of the region is tropical, but small areas have rain forests in China and
Taiwan

pg. 627 (1)

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