Chapter 28 Homework

Chapter 28, Section 1

1. Governments and economies are closely related in East Asia. Economies in the region include market systems, based on private ownership, such as those in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. A rigid commend system is controlled by the North Korean government. Communist-ruled China and democratic Tibet have shifted from command economies to mixed economies.

2. Since the mid-1900s, most East Asian countries have shifted from the agricultural to industrial economies. Agriculture, however, is still important to the region. Political events, changes in the global economy, and government policies hace all affected industrial growth in East Asia.

Creative Writing:
I am for these decisions of granting full trading privileges to China and admitting them to the WTO. I believe that China’s human rights record will improve as contact with other countries increases. The United States favors increased trade because of China’s growing economy and its more than one billion potential customers.

Chapter 28, Section 2

1. Industrialization and economic growth in East Asia have created environmental challenges. The effects of China’s economic boom on the environment and human health are enormous. The use of outdated technology in transportation and industry has caused serious air pollution in urban areas. Acid rain from burning coal us a serious problem in China. Forests in Japan suffer and this pollution travels well beyond the region, depositing mercury into the Pacific Ocean and areas of the western United States.

2. Because of its location and physical geography, East Asia has faced and continues to face natural disasters. China’s major rivers can produce disastrous flooding. As part of the Ring of Fire, most East Asian countries experience earthquakes. Japan also has more than 80 active volcanoes. Undersea volcanoes or earthquakes can trigger tsunamis that can cause destruction and loss of life. Typhoons cause high winds and coastal flooding.

Creative Writing:
Without trees to slow runoff from rain, large-scale soil erosion and flooding occur. A series of unusually heavy rains caused the Chang Jiang and Huang He to flood which caused destroyed property, altered the landscape, and killed 1,000s of people. In response to such disasters, China has begun planting trees on millions of acres along deforested riverbanks. Since the 1970s, Japan’s government has encouraged industries to curb pollution.