EAST ASIA AND SOUTHEAST ASIA TODAY

By: Kevin Johnson

TAIWAN AND MONGOLIA Taiwan and Mongolia have been

influenced by Chinese ways and traditions.

Taiwan is an island close to China’s mainland.

Mongolia is located along China’s northern border.

Mongolia has been called the “Texas of Asia,” because it is filled with vast grasslands and herds of grazing animals.

A ridge of steep, forested mountains runs through Taiwan’s center.

THE KOREA’S

The Korean peninsula juts out from northern China between the sea of Japan and the yellow sea.

For centuries Korea was a united country. Korean culture has been influenced by

China. Both religions Confucianism and Buddhism

spread to Korea from China. Koreans modified a type of pottery called

celadon by changing the color and designs into the pots.

MORE ON KOREA

Korea started the Chinese writing system. King Sejong ordered scholars to develop a

different system, called hangul, that contains only 28 symbols , far fewer than the thousands of symbols needed to write Chinese.

After World War 2, Korea became a divided country.

For thousands of years, most Korean’s lived in the countryside and farmed.

STILL KOREA

Today 80% of South Korean’s live in cities.

South Korea’s population is generally young.

South Korea today is the leading manufacturer of electronics.

North Korea is an isolated country whose people are very poor.

North Korea has long been economically poor.

Poverty is widespread throughout North Korea.

THAILAND

Thailand was known as Siam until 1900’s. It is the only Southeast Asian country that

has never been a European colony. Hundreds of Buddhist temples dot the cities

and country sides. Most Thais live in rural areas, although many

look for jobs in Bangkok, the capital. Bangkok has beautiful temples and royal

palaces that are surrounded by modern skyscrapers, bust stores, and streets filled with traffic.

SINGAPORE

Singapore lies in the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula.

It is one of the world’s smallest countries. It has one of the world’s most productive

economies. It was once covered by rain forests. Today it is filled with busy highways,

factories, office buildings, and docks. Trade is extremely important in Singapore.

VIETNAM

Vietnam’s rapidly growing population is the largest in mainland Southeast Asia.

Most Vietnamese live in rural villages.

Vietnam’s largest city is Ho Chi Minh City, named after the country’s first communist leader.

Vietnam’s capital is Hanoi. It is located in the north.

INDONESIA

Indonesia is an archipelago of thousands of islands. Sumatra, Java, and Celebs are the major islands. Indonesia lies where two of the Earth’s tectonic

plates meet. As a result, Indonesia has many active volcanoes

and experiences earthquakes. An undersea earthquake off the shore of Sumatra in

late 2004 launched a huge tsunami that struck Indonesia and other countries bordering the Indian Ocean.

That disaster left as many as 200,00 dead in Indonesia alone.

SOURCES

Exploring Our World: Eastern Hemisphere, Chapter 21, pgs-600-617