Three Tools of the Trade

XI South and East Asia Today Part One: The Environment (SS7G10 & 11) How does their environment affect the people of South and East Asia? G11a. What impact does climate & location has on population distribution in South & East Asia. G11b. How have the mountain, desert, and water features of Southern and Eastern Asia affected the population in terms of where people live, the types of work they do, and how they travel? South and East Asia have a wide variety of climates. These climates are affected by Asia’s wide range of latitude, mountains, deserts, surrounding oceans, wind patterns and ocean currents.

India is separated from Asia by three mountain ranges, the Hindu Kush, Himalayas and the Karakoram. This separation led people to nickname India the “Subcontinent.” Cold weather, snow and ice dominate the high elevations. Glaciers are found in the mountain valleys. The mountain ranges to the north have been a barrier that has sometimes kept invaders at bay. At some points in history, though, invaders used mountain passes to invade and conquer India. The most famous of these is the Khyber Pass which lies between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

South of the mountains is a broad, fertile plain between the Indus and Ganges Rivers. The Ganges River Valley is humid and hot for most of the year. Since much of India’s population relies on farming, many people live in the fertile Ganges River Valley. People are moving into the cities looking for jobs in the developing industries.

South of this plain is the Deccan Plateau which dominates the center of the country. Its weather is more moderate. Along the coasts of India is a narrow tropical strip of land that lies between the ocean and the plateau. To the west, the Thar Desert lies along the border with Pakistan.

Most Indians live in the Ganges River Valley because of the rich farmland.

Much of India’s climate is dominated by seasonal winds known as monsoons. In the winter, the winds come out of the northeast. The clouds have passed over the Himalayan Mountains and so the air is dry. Very little rain falls in the winter. In the spring and summer, the winds reverse direction and flow from 2 the southwest. The moisture from the Indian Ocean causes heavy rains. Although the rain is much needed it can cause heavy flooding. Indians have adapted their lifestyle to fit with the monsoons.

China is the second largest country in the world, but it is surrounded by physical barriers: to the west is the Taklimakan Desert, to the southwest is the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayas, to the northwest the Gobi Desert and to the east are the East and South China Seas. Most Chinese live in the fertile Huang He and Yangtze River Valleys and along the coasts. Great seaports like Shanghai and Hong Kong handle international trade. Large industrial centers are also springing up throughout eastern and southern China and are attracting people looking for jobs.

China has almost every type of climate within its borders. The Himalayas to the south cut off the flow of moisture from the south which leads to the arid climates of the Taklimakan Desert and the Gobi Desert. To the east and south, China’s climate is more humid and likely to receive precipitation. Most of China’s one billion people live in these areas of the country where the climate is milder.

Japan is an island nation that is 80% mountainous. This means that a small percentage of the land is arable. The Japanese have been very creative in their farming techniques, such as terracing land, utilizing irrigation and fertilizers. Japan is located on the “Ring of Fire” a band ringing the Pacific Ocean that is susceptible to earthquakes and volcanic activity. Japan’s many volcanoes cause Japan to have more earthquakes than any other country. However, they have adjusted their lifestyles and construction methods to take into account the threat of earthquakes. Since there is so little farmland, the Japanese rely heavily on fishing. Even though Japan is technologically advanced and is a manufacturing powerhouse, it is has few natural resources. It has to import resources like food, oil and iron.

Japan, like most other island nations, has a climate that is largely determined by the surrounding ocean currents. The Japan Current flows from the south and warms the southern and eastern coasts. The Oyashio Current comes from the north and cools the northern coast. The warmer parts of the country have long growing seasons which enables farmers to grow more crops. Japan also has monsoons and even typhoons (hurricanes).

North Korea is mountainous and has little arable land. The summers are short. North Korea has to import food to feed its people. It does have minerals like coal, iron and copper. Its fast moving rivers are a source for hydropower. The winters are long and cold.

South Korea is less mountainous and much of it is good farmland. With more farmland and a milder climate, South Korea is more populous than North Korea. Much of its population lives near the capital city Seoul where many people are employed by the local industries. Vietnam, like other countries in Southeast Asia, has a warm, tropical climate and monsoon seasons. The rich farmlands here produce 90% of the world’s rice.

G10a. What are the causes and effects of pollution on the Yangtze and Ganges Rivers?

The Ganges River is the most important river in India. It provides water and transportation for over 400 million people. It is considered sacred to people of the Hindu faith and is known to them as “Mother Ganges.” The quality of the water in the Ganges is extremely poor. Chemical runoff from agriculture and industry wash into the river every day. Human and animal waste is also a problem thanks to poor sewage systems. The cremated remains of people are often scattered into the Ganges because of its religious importance to Hindus. In spite of this, many Indians bathe in the Ganges and use its water for drinking and religious rituals.

Cities along the Ganges River are plagued with water-borne diseases. Cholera, dysentery, typhoid and hepatitis are common. India has tried to clean up the river, but India’s rapidly growing population has overwhelmed its efforts.

The Yangtze River is China’s longest and is almost 4,000 miles long. It flows past cities and towns containing almost 400 million people. Sewage, agricultural runoff, and chemicals from industry are dumped into the river. High levels of nitrogen and phosphates feed blue-green algae which reduce the oxygen in the water. This causes fish to die. Fish that do survive are contaminated by chemicals. When caught and eaten, they pass those chemicals on to people causing a host of health problems.

With the assistance of international organizations like the World Bank, China is building water treatment plants along the Yangtze. Cities are building sanitary landfills in the hopes of keeping garbage from being dumped in the river. The Chinese are building the enormous Three Gorges Dam to provide hydropower to the Chinese countryside. This construction has displaced millions of Chinese people and may have a negative impact on the environment. Some animals and plants are threatened with extinction.

G10b. What are the causes and effects of air pollution and flooding in India and China?

Air pollution is another serious environmental issue in India. India is densely populated with an enormous and growing population. The rapid development of industry has left India with some of the worst air pollution in the world. Automobile and truck exhaust includes carbons and other chemicals and accounts for a large share of air pollution in urban areas. Laws that would improve the environment are costly and much of India is still impoverished so improvement in this area will be difficult.

In 2008, the Olympics were held in Beijing, the capital of China. One of the chief concerns was that the air pollution would be harmful to the athletes. Factories in the surrounding region were temporarily shut 4 down and car usage was restricted for the duration of the games. Although many days saw clear weather, other days saw the brown clouds of air pollution that plague Beijing and other Chinese cities.

China’s economy has rapidly developed and has outstripped government controls over pollution. Much of China’s energy comes from burning coal. This sends tons of chemicals and soot into the air. The leading causes of death in China are respiratory and heart diseases related to pollution.

As rain passes through the atmosphere, it picks up chemicals on the way to the ground. Acid rain is harmful to plants and animals. It is even destructive to manmade structures like highways, bridges, and buildings. XI South and East Asia Today Part Two: The Governments What are governments like in modern in South and East Asia? Structures of Modern Governments (SS7CG 6 & 7)

CG6a & b. CG7. How do the governments of India, the People’s Republic China, and Japan compare, distinguishing the form of leadership and the role of the citizen in terms of voting rights and personal freedoms?

6 The Republic of India came under British control in the 1700’s and remained a colony until 1947. India modeled its government on Great Britain, so it is a parliamentary democracy. Like all such governments, it is a republic. Voters elect representatives who represent them in the national parliament. The national parliament is bicameral (made up of two houses). The leader of the majority party serves as the prime minister who forms a cabinet and serves as head of the government.

India’s constitution was adopted in 1950. It guarantees the basic rights of all Indian citizens, even members of the Untouchables. Even though India is predominantly Hindu the government is secular (exists separately from religion). India is the world’s largest democracy. The People’s Republic of China is a communist country. The Communist Party has total control over the government. Its dictatorial powers make China an oligarchy (rule by a few). The Chinese Revolution brought the Communist Party Chairman, Mao Zedong (Tse-Tung) to power in the years following World War II. He ruled over China until his death in 1976. During much of his life, Mao’s power was so great that China was virtually a dictatorship.

The Communist Party exercises control over most aspects of Chinese life. Citizens over the age of 18 vote every five years for representatives to the National People’s Congress. Although China has the name of a republic, the reality is that only candidates that are approved by the Communist Party are allowed to run for office. The elections, then, are virtually meaningless. The National People’s Congress chooses a president and a vice-president. The president, in turn, chooses a premier.

China has, in recent years, loosened its control of China’s economy. Instead of trying to control all aspects of the economy, it has allowed the free market the ability to make choices about where people will work, what their businesses will produce and who they will sell to. The drive for profit has caused explosive growth in China’s economy, especially in industry.

8 Japan was monarchy until World War II. The Japanese were ruled by an emperor, whom they believed to be a god descended from the sun. When Japan was defeated in WWII, Hirohito, Japan’s emperor, was allowed to remain emperor, but he had to concede that he was not a god. Japan still has an emperor, but he is a figurehead whose role is completely ceremonial.

In 1947 Japan adopted a constitution that created a bicameral (two house) parliament called the Diet. The members of the Diet hold an election and chose from among themselves the prime minister and a cabinet of advisors. Citizens over the age of 20 are allowed to vote. The constitution includes a Bill of Rights which makes clear the basic freedoms of Japanese system. It also states that the Japanese emperor is no longer considered a god. XI South and East Asia Today Part Three: The Economies How do the economies of South and East Asia function? Economic Systems in SW Asia (SS7E8, 9 & 10)

E8c. How do the economic systems in China, India, Japan, and North Korea compare? E8a. & b. How does investment in capital and human capital affect their economies? E10 c. Describe the role of natural resources in a country’s economy?

When the communists took over China, they designed the government so that it would have complete control of the economy. It was a command economy, where government committees decided what products will be made, where and by whom. Communists believe in a classless society where all share equally in a nation’s wealth. Therefore, they do not believe in the concept of private property.

In 1949, Chairman Mao Zedong was in charge of the Communist Party. The Party controlled China’s government. China was an agricultural country and backwards in its technology. Mao wanted to change that. He envisioned a China that could take its place among the leading countries of the world. He organized traditional farms into collective farms where people combined their efforts and then shared what they produced. He tried to rapidly expand China’s industrial base by instituting a series of programs know as the Great Leap Forward. Thousands of villages and towns were ordered to make iron instead of food. Lack of skill, equipment, and materials caused the iron they produced to be of such poor quality that it was unusable. In the meantime, many farms were left untended for two years. The Great Leap Forward was a terrible failure and millions of Chinese died in the ensuing famine.

After Mao’s death in 1976, things slowly began to change. In 1980, Deng Xiaoping reorganized China’s with a program he called the Four Modernizations. Farmers were given more control over what they grew. They were allowed to sell any surplus for a profit. Factory workers and managers were given more decision-making power. Special Economic Zones were set up to encourage foreign companies to invest in Chinese business. Aside from investing in better machinery, factories and technology, China has invested in research and educating its workforce.

This move towards capitalism and the investment in capital resources and human resources has paid off. Today, China’s economy is among the fastest growing in the world. The standard of living has increased dramatically for many Chinese people. It is one of the world’s leading exporters. The United States is an important trading partner with China. It imports about 20% of the goods that China exports. 10 The rapid industrialization has created environmental and social issues that the government is working hard to address. China has vast amounts of coal which it uses to power its industry. This has caused severe environmental problems. China’s move to become an industrial country has resulted in the migration of millions from the countryside to the cities. Not all Chinese have seen their standard of living increase. Japan’s economy is one of the most technologically advanced in the world .Even though it was devastated in the aftermath of World War II; it has one of the world’s leading industrialized countries.

The government in Japan maintains very close ties to the major industries, helping them develop and coordinate technology. The Japanese people have always been known for a strong work ethic. Japan’s constitution, put in place after World War II, puts severe restrictions on the military, so the Japanese government spends very little on its military. That money, instead, is invested in industry and technology. It’s automobile and electronics industries lead the world. These are industries that change rapidly, so the Japanese are constantly investing in new machinery and technology. This explains why Japan has taken the lead in developing robotics. Its use of robots in manufacturing allows it to remain competitive even though it lacks natural resources.

Japan has little arable land and few natural resources. This means they must import food, and resources like iron and oil. The Japanese have made up for these shortcomings by having a large fishing industry, using nuclear power plants, and investing heavily in educating its work force. Japan’s most valuable resource is its people. Japan’s population is one of the most highly educated in the world. Students must pass very difficult, competitive exams in order to advance in school.

Japanese businesses expect their employees to work hard for long hours, but they provide benefits for their workers like health insurance, recreational programs and job security.

The Japanese government works closely with business. Its Ministry of International Trade and Industry helps companies decide what products to develop and sell. The government protects these industries by placing high tariffs on imported goods. This makes Japanese products less expensive than foreign goods.

12 India’s economy is a mix of modern and the traditional. Half of the population works in agriculture. Many farmers still use traditional techniques like plowing with oxen and water buffalo. The government began a program in the 1960s to modernize agriculture called the Green Revolution. New seeds, fertilizer and pesticides were introduced. This, in turn, has created problems with pollution. The Green Revolution has helped India produce more food more efficiently. As fewer people were required to feed India, more people moved into manufacturing jobs. It is now one of the top ten industrial countries in the world.

India’s heavy investment in education has allowed its economy to improve in the technology and service sectors. There are many electronics manufacturers in India. India has launched several communication satellites. Its film industry is world famous. Bollywood films are especially popular in Southern and Eastern Asia. Many India companies specialize in providing telephone assistance to customers around the world.

All of this economic improvement has created a middle class in India. These are well-educated people who primarily live in the cities where they can take part in the industrial, technological and service industries. The rapid growth has also created severe environmental issues as well. For example, it depends on its coal to provide energy for industry. Without government regulations, however, the pollution from the coal is harming the environment. North Korea has what is likely the least open market in the world. The Communist Party controls the government and the economy. Most of the power is in the hands of its Premier, Kim Jong-il. This is the prototypical command economy. The government owns all of the means of production and directs every facet of the economy.

North Korea is not able to produce enough food to feed its people so it must import food from other countries. Kim Jong-il has tried to build up North Korea’s manufacturing capacity. Steel, machinery, and textiles are among its leading industries.

Adding to North Korea’s difficulties is that the government spends much of its money building up its military. North Korea is known as the “Hermit Kingdom” because its government is so suspicious of foreign countries. It resists contact with other countries and does not allow foreign aid or investment.