Asia

Economic Geography

Agriculture in Asia

v  Many countries in Asia have arable land that is good for farming.

v  Tropical crops are grown in countries with tropical climate zones.

v  Rice is the most important food crop in the region.

Crops

v  A few tropical crops are:

A. Tea

B. Sugar Cane

C. Coffee

D. Rubber

E. Cocao

World Tea Production

World Coffee Production

Methods of Farming

v  In mountainous areas of Asia people practice agricultural terracing.

v  In areas with tropical forests people use slash and burn farming.

v  Many tropical cash crops are grown on large plantations.

v  In most areas people still practice subsistence farming.

Tea Plantation

Rice Terraces

The Green Revolution

v  The Green Revolution was a period of time from the 1940s to the 1960s when new strains of rice and other crops were introduced to developing parts of the world. These new crops produced more food per square hectare and allowed food production to keep pace with population growth.

The Green Revolution

v  IR8 is a variety of rice that was genetically engineered by the International Rice Research Institute and introduced to India.

v  Regular Rice Yield = 1/2 ton per hectare v  IR8 Rice Yield = 5 tons per hectare with no

fertilizer and 10 tons with fertilizer.

Developed or Developing?

v  Most countries in Asia are developing. v  China is developing but it is industrialized. v  India is developing but it has many factories

and some cities have high tech sectors such as computer programming and the manufacturing of electronic components.

Developed

v  The following countries are developed: A. Japan

B. Taiwan

C. Singapore

D. South Korea

Developed

v  Taiwan, Singapore, and South Korea are considered newly industrialized countries because they built most of their factories in the last fifty years and the economy of these countries no longer relies on agriculture.

v  Japan is highly industrialized but it has been industrialized since the late 19th century.

Japan

v  Japan has one of the largest fishing fleets in the world.

v  Japan has automobile factories but in general the economy is moving towards the service sector.

v  Japan is the economic leader in the region. v  Japan is heavily dependent on imported raw

resources. It must import about 50% of its food and most of its fuel.

China

v  China is communist and had a centrally planned or command economy, however, in the last thirty years China has transitioned towards a free market economy.

v  China, along with many countries in Asia, now participates in the global market.

v  Due to rapid industrialization China now faces several environmental problems such as soil erosion, air pollution, and the loss of arable land.

Economic Systems

v  There are three types of economic systems:

A.  Free Market Economy B.  Mixed Economy C.  Command Economy (Centrally Planned)

The only country in Asia with a strict command economy is North Korea. Laos, Vietnam, and China are all transitioning towards free market economies.

Economic Unions

v  The largest economic union in this region is ASEAN, The Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The members of ASEAN are:

A.  Brunei F. Cambodia B. Indonesia G. Laos C. Vietnam H. Thailand D. Philippines I. Singapore E. Malaysia J. Myanmar

ASEAN

ASEAN

Population

v  Parts of Asia are very densely populated and parts of it are sparsely populated.

v  Densely populated areas include Eastern China, India, Japan, and most of Southeast Asia.

v  Sparsely populated areas are Western China, Mongolia, and areas in the Himalaya Mountains.

Population

v  China is the most populated country in the world and India is the second most populated country.

v  China has instituted a one child policy in order to limit population growth. India has no policy.

Population Pyramids

Population Pyramids

Cities

v  Asia has some of the largest cities in the world.

v  In Asia there is an extreme contrast between urban areas and rural areas. People in rural areas are still living a traditional lifestyle and practicing subsistence farming.

v  Many people are moving to cities to look for jobs.

Cities

v  Site = The physical location of a city. v  Situation = The economic, political,

cultural, or topographic factors that make a city important.

Cities City Site

Singapore

Hong Kong

Situation

Xian, China

Varanasi, India

Island

Island

On a trade route, The Strait of Malacca

Grew up on a trade route,The Silk Road

Focal point for Religious pilgrimage

Silk Road