Chapter 29Today’s IssuesEast AsiaObjective: To learn about current issues East Asians face, & the attempts to solve these problems

Chapter 29 Section 1The Ring of FireVocabulary: Ring of Fire, Great Kanto Earthquake, & Tsunami

Objective: Examine issues relating to disaster preparedness

Physical Forces in the Ring of Fire• Japan is part of the

Ring of Fire (chain of volcanoes that line the Pacific Rim)

• In East Asia, the Pacific oceanic plate is sub-ducted underneath the Eurasian continental plate

• The tremendous stress along the Ring of Fire causes sudden & violent earthquakes

The Geology of Japan• The same plates that formed

the Japanese islands can also destroy them

• Mt. Fuji is a famous volcano in Japan

• Average of 1000 earthquakes occur each year in Japan (most are mild)

• Great Kanto earthquake – in 1923, killed 140,000 & destroyed 700,000 homes

• Tsunami: giant ocean wave, caused by underwater earthquake or volcanic eruption, greatly destructive

Preparing for Disasters•The structure of

Japan has a difficulty in dealing with natural disasters

•Japan has established strict building codes

•Japanese people understand the importance of being prepared for disasters

Chapter 29 Section 2Trade & ProsperityVocabulary: UNICEF, Global Economy, Jakota Triangle, Recession, & Sweatshop

Objective: Identify the key economic powers in East Asia as well as the problems they face

Opening Doors• UNICEF – discovered more than

half a million children in East Asia were working in factories or begging on the streets

• Western demand for Asian products grew & European traders used a variety of means – including force – to end East Asia’s isolation

• Trade between East & West steadily increased

• East Asia used their supplies of cheap labor to become manufacturing powerhouses

Powerful Economies of East Asia• Jakota Triangle – Japan, Korea, &

Taiwan• Some Asian countries

experienced recessions (an extended period of decline in general business activity)

• A global economy can threaten prosperity as well as improve it

• Economic crisis in East Asia led to reforms

• These reforms put an end to some sweatshops (a workplace where people work long hours for low pay under poor conditions)

Case StudyWhat pressures does population put on environment?Objective: Examine the patterns, problems, & solutions of population growth in East Asia

Patterns of Population•East Asia

originally ranked among the least developed nations in the world

•Widespread poverty & life expectancy was short

•Most economies at the time remained rural

Addressing Population Problems•Policy makers in the

region understood that population control was key to solving the wide range of social & economic problems

•In just over a generation, the region’s quality of life has improved to the point where life expectancy & literacy rates are among the highest in the world

The Quality of Life• Some countries in the

region, such as China & Japan are among the most populous in the world

• Growing populations are concentrated in the cities of the region where they must be provided with housing, sanitation, & transportation

• Progress are possible if people work together to help the community