East Asia

Natural Resources and Land Use

• Three economic questions asked by countries when planning their economies:– What will be produced?– How will it be produced?– For whom will it be produced?

• The answers to these questions depend largely on the following: – natural resources and land use.

• To improve their economies, governments have to decide how to use these.

Natural Resources

• East Asia has a lot of natural resources.» Coal» Oil» Water» power

• Raw Materials = Manufacturing

• Fertile land and water = food

Korea’s Natural Resources

• Coal and Iron - North.

• Tungsten and Graphite - South

• NO sharing between countries

• N. Korea is a develop(ing) country.

• S. Korea is a develop(ed) country.

Mineral Resources in Japan

• Modern industrial society.• World’s largest importer of:• Coal• natural gas• Oil• Imports 95% of the minerals needed to

run its major industries. – Iron ore, tin, and copper.

China’s Mineral Resources

• China has a large domestic supply of mineral resources.

• One of the world’s largest deposits of coal.

• China also has oil deposits and exports some of it to other countries.

Hydroelectric Power

• East Asia’s swiftly moving rivers are ideal for power production & industrial development.

• Hydroelectric dams are very expensive.

• China is building the 3 Gorges Dam.

• 1.5 miles wide & 600 feet high.

• Produce electricity & flood control.

Aquaculture

• Aquaculture, or fish farming is important to E.Asia.

• It expanded in the 1980-90s due to pollution and over fishing.

• China, Japan, S. Korea, and Taiwan are among the leaders in Aquaculture.

• Produce:– Fish, shrimp, oysters, mussels, clams.

Produce Food

• High population - East Asia needs to farm every bit of available land

• Terrain - East Asian nations can only farm 20% or less of available land.

• Terrace farming is a common method.

• Double cropping is also used to increase output where conditions allow.

Terrace Farming