* Geography Outlines (in the order in which they appear in class) *

------------------------------- PART I ----------------------------------

. . . history & utility of maps; geography’s impact on humans; physical geography; culture and all of its variations; culture change; ethnicity & race . . .

Macro Areas: (other disciplines enhancing Geographic information)

· Anthropology

· Language & Religion

· International Politics & Economics

· Geology

· Environmental Science

· Climatology

Micro Areas: (our areas of specialization)

· Cartography (map making)

· Population Studies, Demographics & Migration

· Area Studies

· Economic & Political Development (govern. & private industries)

Geography is uniquely centered around the location, distribution and

spatial relationship of things, people and places.

Introduction Topics to Geography

– What’s Geography all about? (everything; multi-disciplinary; holistic)

– Specialties of Geography: Cartography; Population & Demographics;

Economic and Political Development

– Geography includes the focus on Location; Spatial Relationships; how

things are Distributed (distribution); use of space; density & clustering of

people and things

– Our perception of Space and Place - Mental Maps

– Misnomers & Misconceptions in Geography

– “Eurocentrism” and general “Geocentrism”

– Keeping up with our changing Geography - political boundaries, nature’s

changes

– Map Types - Political; Physical or Physiographic (include Relief; Profile;

Topographic Maps - contour lines); and Thematic (often using colors,

symbols, isolines) . . . . maps and the reality of Transition Zones

– Political Boundary Types - Geometric; Physical; and Cultural

– Map Projections -making a flat world map out of a round sphere . . . tough!

– Cylindrical (Mercator); Conic; and Planar

– Longitude (Meridians) & Latitude (Parallels)

-- Continental Drift or Plate Tectonics (subduction; rift; transform faults)

-- the earth moving under our feet

-- Reasons for the Seasons – what a difference 23 ½ degrees tilt can make

(winter solstice & tropic of Capricorn; summer solstice & tropic of Cancer)

-- How Geography (location) makes a difference for societies & culture

Geographic Challenges (boundaries) to the States:

‑‑ Maritime boundaries ‑ E.E.Z.s (exclusive economic zones)

‑ political maritime boundaries

‑ median line principle

‑‑ Airspace & Subsoil boundaries

‑‑ Other challenges: Shape Morphology; being Landlocked;

Enclaves (both state & ethnic enclaves)

Brief History on Map Making

· Drawing in the dirt; organic materials (hunter/gatherers; Polynesians)

· Babylonians (2300 b.c.e.) on clay tablets

· Greeks/Turks (circa 600 b.c.e.) - Mediterranean Region Maps

· Hecateus (500 b.c.e.) – 1^st geography book

· Aristotle & Eratosthenes (300 b.c.e) – spherical earth and its size; climatic zones (torrid [tropical]; temperate [mid-latitudes]; frigid [cold-ice]

· Chinese (400 b.c.e.) – regional maps and invention on paper

· Ptolemy (150 a.d.) – laid out the rules of map making/cartography

· Muslim/Arab period – al-Idrisi (1100 a.d.) – world map & geog. text

· Mercator & Ortelius (1550 a.d.) - 1^st real world map and atlas within

the age of rediscovery

Political maps = consist of arbitrary lines drawn up for political demarcation.

Physical maps = emphasizing the physical or natural aspects of the earth.

Topographic maps = emphasize the changes in relief, elevation, or

configuration of the terrain/landscape.

Contour lines = each line holds consistent height above sea level as it

follows the contour of the terrain in a “topo map”.

Relief maps = physical features are depressed, or raised off the surface of

the flat map for 3-dimentional effect.

Profile maps = demonstrate a side view/oblique view (as opposed to a bird’s

eye view) of the landscape.

Thematic maps = denote specific topics or information using creative

artwork, symbols, colors, or computer graphics.

Isolines = lines separating or encircling physical or cultural patterns or

consistencies.

How Geography makes a difference for societies and culture ?

1) Daylight time and weather related productivity

2) Fertile Soil; Fresh Water; Solid Ground

3) Sitting on valuable resources? Energy sources? (oil, natural gas, diamonds, camphor; coal, iron ore, oil, wood,
natural gas, etc.)

4) Are you relatively isolated geographically as a country? (distant

islands; end of continents)

5) Environment dictating traditional economics (culture)

6) Festivals centered around nature’s abundance (culture)

It’s all about Site & Situation (p.10)

Understanding the “Culture” in Cultural Geography

q What is “culture” in the Social Sciences & Geography

o Bigger picture surrounding “culture”

Ø a snapshot of Cultural Diversity

q Ethnocentrism

q Cultural Relativism

Ø Society

q Ethnic Group

Ø Nation; Nation-State

q Subculture

q Example of Culture Change: the rise of state-level agricultural societies and the changes it caused for human cultures
Culture Evolves (changes) (intentional & unintentional change; ad hoc; tweaking; adaptation)

· Why ancient cities develop where they do?

o Cultural Hearths

o Diffusion & Syncretism

Terms (above) defined

Society – a large diverse group of people within a state who have formally come together under a set of common interests and values .

Ethnic Group – a group sharing a common cultural heritage and homeland, hanging on to important cultural identifiers like Language, Religion, History-Ancestry-Homeland, and some remaining Customs and Traditions.

Nation (of people) – a group of people who feel loyalty and obligation to the larger group, usually sharing some cultural or historical connections. (leadership has a lot to do with it)

Nation-State – a state that possesses a substantial degree of cultural homogeneity (likeness) (generally 90% or higher homogeneous population)

Subculture – groups with cultural variations on the dominant theme of societies, regarding some behavior, customs, language and outward symbols/appearance.

– General Reasons for the location of early Cities or City/States

Water Sources and Fertile Soils; Diversity of Resources (Fertile

Crescent; S.E. Asia); Cross-Roads of Trade; Environments that

Challenged Ingenuity & Cooperation; Cultural Values (exploitative,

work ethic, progressive, expansionary, future driven); Defensible

Ethnicity in today’s world

– Population growth & migration; increasing transportation & communication technologies all equals frequent contact between ethnic groups and the “watering down” of cultural diversity > part of Globalization = freedom to express your ethnic identity

– with lingering attitudes of ethnocentrism (discrimination or cleansing)

– Cultural Revitalization; Cultural Revival; Cultural Linkage

– Strategies in dealing with ethnic diversity:

Assimilation & Accommodation

Terms Related to Ethnicity

· Cultural Revitalization – a resurgence or revival of certain cultural traditions or institutions (ie. religion, language, art)

· Cultural Revival – to revive or reinvigorate cultural traditions after being separated from the original cultural homeland

· Cultural Linkage – connecting back with the cultural homeland in times of celebration or crisis

· Assimilation – process of adopting the cultural traits of the dominant group (either passive or forced assimilation)

· Accommodation – accommodating the widest possible cultural diversity in society through political policies and
societal ethics of tolerance

Race, Physical Adaptation & Prejudice:

Dividing Forces of Inequality

– Human Evolution, Convergence & Divergence, and Adaptation to

local/regional environments (noses; eyes; body shape/size; heart size)

– Skin Color > regulating quantities of sunlight and Vitamin D

– Racial Categories – Do they work? Just how different are we?

old Science & new Genetics - old & new categories

– the identities, stereotypes and scapegoats of Racism remain, though

our real differences are explained through C U L __ __ __ __ .

---------------------------- PART II ----------------------------------

(Languages; Religions; International Economics & Politics)

Language, Culture & Geography

Value of Language for Humans

– Human evolution & mental development & combining sounds

– Displacement

– tool for Enculturation (process of learning / teaching culture)

– source of Identity & Solidarity

Languages change over time and place (space)

– Divergence & Convergence (mostly about sound shifts, new words

….not writing/literacy)

– (mother tongue(s) > Language Families > Language Branches >

Language Groups > Languages > Dialects)

– Creole & Pidgin languages

– regional dominance & Lingua Franca

Cultures defining their world through language

– Each language offers unique definitions along with unique syntax or

grammar. Each language uniquely shapes perception, and to some
extent reality, for its speakers. Words & images.

– Ethnolinguistics - the connections between language and culture.

Language related terms above

Dialect - a regional or subcultural variation of a language distinguished by vocabulary, pronunciation, rhythm and/or syntax

Creole Language - relocation of speakers who adjust to indigenous influence and a new environment

Pidgin - the informal and abrupt convergence of 2 or more languages

Language Replacement - generational switching over to a new dominant language (connected to assimilation)

Lingua Franca - an economic trade language established by a dominant group or groups (“frankish tongue”)

A Global Perspective on RELIGION

– What are we after in examining Religion in Geography?

-- Origin places and location of major religions

– Thoughts on Religion and its role in Humanity

. . . giving us answers, meaning, purpose, social control & guidance,

comfort in times of anxiety / crises, unity, and transcendence

– Powerful force of culture change - or - conservatism

(liberalism) (fundamentalism)

– revitalization movements

– Possible Dysfunctions of Religion for humans/human groups

. . . used for political / economic advancement; inflexible regarding

other societal changes; widens divisions / distinctions between

conflicting ethnic/culture groups (adds fuel to the fire of ethnocentrism)

– Secularism & Civil Religion

– Monotheism (one all powerful/all knowing god, also the creator god,

written text; state-level societies

– Judaism; Christianity; Islam

-- Universalizing vs. Ethnic religions

– Polytheism (multiple gods, goddesses, spirits, forces - multifaceted and

multi-integrated spiritual worldview)

– Hinduism; Animism

– Spiritual Philosophies

-- East vs. West

– Confucianism; Taoism; Buddhism

– Sacred Places

– Geomancy (Feng Shui)

Religion related terms:

Secularism - the declining influence of religion in everyday life.

Civil Religion - quasi-religious loyalty binding individuals in solidarity.

(ex. patriotism; core values; political ceremonies)

Animism – belief that everything is alive, interconnected and instilled with a common spirit or soul. The world is animated by connecting spirits or forces.

Geomancy - sites chosen in consideration of their spiritual location.

Feng Shui - the principle that human-made things need to coexist in harmony with nature and its forces/energy.

Trends in Economics - Modern & Traditional

– Traditional cultural forms of Economic Adaptation to their environments

(Hunter/Gatherers; Slash/Burn Shifting Horticulture; Pastoralism)

– History of economic structures leading up to Post-Industrialism (define)

- pitfalls of modern post-industrial societies

– Some basic keys to a country’s economic success in a Global Market

– Human Development Index (More & Less Developed indicators)

Pitfalls of Modernization: its complexities & bureaucracies

Potential deterioration of extended family & community; formal and impersonalized political & economic transactions (formal laws, contracts, business, less social interaction; ATMs); increased bureaucracy & specialization = less human flexibility;
de-emphasis on rituals, ceremony and traditions – religion in general.

Some Basic Keys to a Country’s Economic Success

in a Global Market

1) Stay on the Cutting Edge of Technology & Information

a) Research & Development

b) government maintaining infrastructure

2) Education & Specialized Training
3) Sectors of the Economy: More profitable: Complex Manufacturing; Retail; and

Service (complex secondary & tertiary sectors) Less profitable: exportation of

raw materials, foods, and light manufacturing assembly (many low wage jobs; less

benefits) (mostly primary & less complex secondary sectors)

4) Maintaining a diversified economy

5) Minimizing monetary waste, mismanagement, and corruption

6) Access to, and preservation of, Natural Resources (and, just have them to

begin with)

7) Socio-Cultural – work ethic; harmony and social justice in cultural diversity;

economic and political equality

Human Development Index

Economic Indicators:

· Gross Domestic Product (GDP) or Gross National Income (GNI) or Purchasing Power Parity (PPP)

· Savings per capita

· amount of Debt

· what Sectors of the Economy are Dominant (primary, secondary, etc)

Social Indicators:

· Education & Literacy

· Student to Teacher Ratio

· Women’s roles in education or the economy

· Health care (Life Expectancy & infant mortality)

· Number of Doctors or Clinics per capita

· Caloric intake per capita

Technology Indicators:

· Tractors

· Telephones

· Television

· Internet connections

Trends in Politics & Globalization

– History of political structures leading up to differing forms of

Constitutional Democratic Republics & Federalism; variations of Socialism

more recently: Social Democracies & State Capitalism

– Globalization and 2 Conflicting Trends: The New World Order

– 1) Self-Determination & Nationalism (“Nation”) = Devolution

– 2) Regional/Global Cooperation & Partnerships = Supranationalism

– using Europe as an example of both

– General summary of the Pros & Cons of Globalization

Political Terms:

Constitutional Democracy – public involvement in government; government and general public abides by the limits of a written constitution.

Republic – representational government of all the people

Federalist system – regional political autonomy with regional representation in a federal government.

Socialism – attempting to meet the basic needs or “rights” of all citizens (ex. food, healthcare, education, housing, retirement, etc.) through government economic controls, and/or collective ownership of economic sectors, and redistribution or monies/resources, hence providing a certain level of economic equality.

Social Democracy - controlling some key economic sectors and valued resources while allowing democracy to flourish

Self Determination + Nationalism + Cultural Revitalization possibly = Devolution = process whereby smaller groups within
states demand and gain strength or autonomy at the expense of the center (core of state) = Destabilization of the state
(via political dialogue or rebellion)

Pro-Globalization &

Localization (separatism, or those struggling with globalization)

Pro - 1. positive aspects of sharing technology, ideas/information, services > (voice of W.T.O.- “Global free market is

good for everyone”) 2. stronger economic connections = less warfare 3) more global openness and less isolationism =

less stereotyping, fears, paranoia, and ethnocentrism. 4. everybody becomes watchdogs for human rights violations

and demanding “moral” justice and equality. 5. Global/Regional organizations reduce conflicts and offer forums for

multi-national conflicts and problems (ie. migrations, environment)

Localization (Cons) - 1. Modernity has many environmental and social side-effects we see in today’s modern countries >

(backlash of fundamentalism) 2. “it’s too focused on economics and competition and not inequality, working conditions,

and the environment” = (voices against W.T.O. or World Bank) 3. “While the 1^st World may push us to improve worker rights, inequality and environment; cheap labor & resources are our advantages; plus 1^st world subsidies hurt our opportunities.”

4. Dominant political & economic countries/cultures lack respect for different cultural/traditional

environments (Cultural Loss/Cultural Lag – also give rise to a fundamentalist movements).

5. “We’re starting off this New World Order at a deficit (education, infrastructure, debt).”

----------------------------------- PART III --------------------------------------

(Colonialism, Population & Demographics, the Environment & Latin America)

COLONIALISM’s affects on Human Geography

– Beginnings of a Globalizing World

– Who’s Involved ? (beginnings of the relationship between the Developed and

Underdeveloped worlds)

– What do they (Europeans) want?

– Luxury Items

– Agricultural Products

– Cheap or Free Labor

– Later competition in Europe over foreign territories

– European enticement, coercion, or force

– Economic Transitions:

– von Thunan’s Model applied to Colonialism

– Switching over from an internal - communal - barter economy influenced

by local prices/supply/demand to an export based cash cropping/cash

minerals that is specialized - money & tax based - with price/supply/demand

heavily influenced by European markets

– New Political systems

– Dividing up borders and disrupting Culture groups; pushing groups together

Neocolonialism

– Difference based in: Colonies’ Political Independence; Industrial Revolution;

new forms of Financial Dependency

– Renewing the Relationship of Independence/Dependence (1^st & 3^rd Worlds)

– cheap Raw Materials & cheap Labor

– 1^st World Money calling the shots (government handouts; government & bank loans;

multinational/transnational corporations)

– Internal Political Corruption & Waste

– Summary of the legacy of Colonialism

Global Inequality

- Charts, Stats and Maps on Disparities in Global Income & Wealth

(inequality within countries and between them; where are the poor?)

- Why the Imbalance?

Modernization Theory – post-industrial economies vs. agriculture/ranching; culture of competition, individualism & change

vs. one of cooperation & tradition; high population growth vs. low; women and ethnic equality vs. inequality; free market/democratic vs. closed stratification systems (ie. political/social systems); more vs. less education & health care;

more vs. less corruption. Summary: some did the right moves towards economic independence and diversification vs.

those that stayed in a global dependence economic posture with little diversification.

Dependence Theory – The Developed High-Income countries have been manipulating and exploiting Underdeveloped

countries for hundreds of years through Colonialism and Neocolonialism. Summary: underdeveloped countries were

originally manipulated into a system of dependency by modern high-tech countries through colonial and neocolonial tactics.

- Progress and quality of life is culturally relative: PPP; traditional and tribal ways of life are not necessarily seen by its

members as inferior standards of living.

- Shantytowns/Squatter settlements

Global Population and Demographics

– 6.5 Billion Folks - Should that sound Alarm Bells? Is that sustainable?

– Factors or side-effects of overpopulation (below)

– Thomas Malthus (1826) - Exponential Growth & Doubling Time

Carrying Capacity & Physiologic Densities

– Malthus’ predictions - and - what happened since his time

– Population Growth rates and where is population a serious problem

(#births/1,000/yr. - #deaths/1,000/yr. + or – Migration = Population Growth Rate for the region)

Immigration=inmigration; emigration=outmigration; Fertility Rate

– Demographic Transition Theory (4 stages)

– Age/Sex population structure graphs (what do they reveal?)

– Why does the Developing World keep having so many babies?

– general population (neomalthusians) concerns & positive change

Factors associated with Overpopulation

Rapid Urban Growth = 1) Job shortages 2) Housing shortages 3) Public transportation

shortages 4) Rural to Urban migrations (socio-economic mixing) 5) Social tension-dealing

with crowds, noise, stress, impersonal social interaction. Other Factors = 6) Land Disputes

7) Cross-country migrations 8) more government Bureaucracy 9) many Environmental problems

begin and end with population.

Doubling Time - the amount of time it takes for a population to double based on any

given population growth rate.

Physiologic Density - the number of people per square mile of arable (farmable) land.

Fertility Rate - the amount of children the average women gives birth to in a particular

region or country.

Why do many groups in Traditional/Developing societies keep having large families?

1) children are your retirement, financial security/welfare assistance; networking money

and labor within the extended family.

2) Cultural traditions of large extended family and kinship as a basis to their culture; plus

there’s Patriarchy (women - a key factor in population growth or reduction).

3) Children are less of an economic liability, or even an economic asset, in agricultural and pastoral/ranching economics.

4) Lower education; with Neocolonialism perpetuating low wage intensive labor in the

primary sectors of their economy (agriculture, pastoral., mining, forestry, etc.)

NeoMalthusian Concerns (modern day population geographers concerned w/ population) :

1) Tension over scarce resources 2) problems associated with Migration

3) Environmental problems 4) problems associated with rapid Urbanization

Environmental Challenges (Physical Geography)

– Global & Long-Term issues (ex. population, environment)

– A long history of Moving Away from Nature (agriculture >land ownership;

human created environs-urbanization; specialization; religion; the Renaissance;

sciences and technology = a false sense of control and separation) = dissolving

environmental ethics / priorities

– Who’s consuming all the resources?

– A Focus on the connections of some serious global environmental problems :

– Deforestation (value of trees/plants?) > Desertification (affecting regional

climates) > Soil Erosion (water runoff, wind, rain-splash) > Water Quality &

Quantity (siltation, chemicals/fertilizers, saltwater intrusion)

– Other Problems: air pollution, acid rain/ozone; Oceans: commercial fishing,

ocean dumping, coral reefs

– Developed and Underdeveloped Countries’ separate environmental problems

-- Global Warming - how serious should we take it?

– Solutions & Positive change for Environmental Conservation

Mexico, Central & South America

(Latin America)

Ø Regional Places & Names: Latin America; Middle America;

Yucatan Peninsula; Central America; Isthmus; Panama Canal;

Cordilleras; South America (east of N. Amer.); Amazon Basin;

Cape Horn > (reaching out to Antarctica); Patagonia

Ø Ancient Cultural Hearths : Mesoamerica & Central Andes

Popular foods originating here: Mesoamerica - corn, beans, squash,

avocado, chocolate. Andes - potatoes and other root crops

Ø Colonial History - primarily Spanish, also Portugese (Brazil), British (Belize,Guyana,islands),
French (F.Guiana,Haiti,islands), and Dutch (Suriname, and islands).
Introduced: new domestic animals; plantation-surplus agriculture; Africans (slavery);

Subgroups & New Inequality: European blood; Creoles; Mestizo/Ladino; Mulatto; African Slave/Indian.

Ø Politics: mostly Constitutional Democracies (some dysfunctional with history of Coup d’etats);
one Social Democracy; one Communist

Ø Population: relatively not large for country size, but with high

urban population growth (big cities: Mexico City, Sao Paulo);

“hollow continent” = Sou. America

PART IV - Regional - Africa, Asia & Oceania

Africa

– General stuff & population

– Colonial Legacy

-- Human & Geologic hearths

Physical

– Our Geologic hearth (central/core landmass for Pangaea; previously all other

continents packed around it and then they break away pulling it apart) > explains

Plateaus, Rift Valley & Basins

Plateaus (mesas) - extensive land areas with relatively level surface raised sharply

above adjacent lands, often dissected by canyons with steep

inclines/declines (escarpments)

-- Unique topography (90% above 1,000' ; ½ Africa above 2,500' )

Basins - a small or large land surface depression where water and sediments

can accumulate with little to no drainage to the sea or ocean

– Climatic Zones: equator cuts continent in half (tropics, subtropics, savanna, deserts)

Cultural

– Economic Areas: agriculture (some intensive; some low-tech subsistence) in tropical &

subtropical Sub-Saharan Africa & Mediterranean coast; Pastoral in savannahs &

Sahara Desert. Domestic agriculture: sorghum, millet, corn, root crops (nuts/root

crops), shea nut oil, plantains. Exports: cocoa, rubber, palm oil, tropical fruit,

wood products. Minerals: copper, tin, phosphates, oil, magnesium, gold, diamonds.

Rule of Thumb in Agriculture: usually when soil is high in mineral content (metals

like copper/tin/bauxite, or clays) then it is poor for agriculture; the opposite is also

true (less metals/clays = more phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, nitrogen = good agric)

Periodic Markets - scheduled times and places (weekly,bi-weekly,monthly)

regional markets held in large villages or small towns.

– Ethno-Linguistic demographics

– African Transition Zone

– Africa’s serious challenges & solutions : 1) Diseases (AIDS, malaria, yellow fever,

typhoid, cholera, sleeping sickness, river blindness. 2) Poor soils w/ little conservation

techniques/technologies. 3) High Debt 4) Colonial disruption with old infrastructure 5) some

nepotistic/despotic corruption and political disruption and mismanagement 6) shortages in

education, rural health care and family planning with high population growth rates.

Coming to their assistance: African Union; some Debt relief; some AIDS and family planning

funding; slow moves toward democracy and women’s equality; attempting to develop their

mineral wealth. Looking to improve cross-country transportation, infrastructure and export prices.

Southwest & Central Asia

History: earliest ancient cities or cultural hearths originate here (Fertile Cresent/Mesopotania; Indus Valley;
ancient Egypt)
Origin place for the world’s most populous Religions (Judaism > Christianity > Islam); Islam becomes dominant
via Arab traders/warriors, later, Ottoman Empire (15^th-19^th centuries)
Politics : Constitutional Monarchs; 1-Party Rule; Democracies
Physical environment largely dry or semi-arid; mostly desert in Arabian Peninsula; mostly mountainous with
dry cool plateaus; extensive grasslands; some forests around the edges of Black & Caspian Seas.
Traditional & Historical Economic base = long distance Trade and Pastoralism (goat, sheep, camel, horses, yak); agriculture along the rivers; some industrialization in the big cities; oil & natural gas production
Population: low overall densities, but high population growth rates with some urban density problems; potential
over-population in near future
Major Ethnic groups: Arabs – generally those who speak Arabic with historical/ethnic ties to Arabian Peninsula
(across N. Africa and as far north as Syria); Turkish groups – Turkey, Azeri, & most groups in Turkestan;
Persians – (mostly Iran, but sprinkled throughout Afghan-Pakis-western India), mostly Shia Muslim;
Kurds – (eastern Turkey; northern Iran & Iraq; some in Syria & Armenia) (mostly Sunni Muslim; mostly
agricultural, some pastoral). Turkestan new forming democratic systems; 65% Muslim);

· Conflicts : in the region over Ethnicity/Religion, water, oil, & homeland (Iran/Iraq, w/in Lebanon, Trans-Caucasus region (Armenia/Azeri), Afghanistan, Israel, now w/in Iraq)

South Central Asia (Indian Subcontinent)

Physical - Himalayas (highest mtns!); major Rivers: ex. Ganges, Krishna, Narmada; India’s southern plateau bordered by
the Ghats; annual Monsoons (heavy rains=flooding) (fair amount of good farmland)

Population – important issue for whole region; plus poverty & environmental stress

British Colonialism - held control over most of the region (E. & W. Pakistan)

Religion - 80 % Hinduism; 13% Muslim; 2 % Buddhism; 2% Christian; others

Languages - India (Hindi 1/2; English widely spoken 2/3; 13 other major languages); Pakistan (Urdu and other languages);
Bangladesh (Bengali)

Binding ingredients of India > strong extended families- agricultural village life –Hinduism - English & Hindi languages -
remnants of English Colonialism

(arranged marriages, remnants of caste system; Gandhi legacy; movies)

Politics - World’s most populous Democracy (India)–largely Federalist (power given to regional states within India)-strong
tolerance for cultural diversity.

Exports - cotton; textiles; tea; fruits; jute (rope); vegetables; spices; silks; leather goods; (India & Sri Lanka) > now computer
software; I.T. services; other service jobs (embracing globalization).

East Asia

Physical: extreme & varied landscapes (mostly mountainous or high plateaus;

continental weather (cold in west, seasonally cold in north & northwest);

Gobi Desert; some pastoralism (Inner-Mongolia & west) fertile

mountain valleys in east (agriculture-wheat,cereals,rice)-long navigable

rivers; China’s wide variety of resources, hence great economic potential;

environmental problems; Three Gorges Dam & Grand Canal & The

Great Wall of China

Cultural China: mysterious, seclusive, deflects outside influence, moves/

changes at it’s own pace; largely agricultural; history of authoritarian

rule (paternal) - dynasties to communism; strong family ethics,

communal based, self-sacrifice, humility, > Confucianism, Taoism &

Buddhism; cultural association with communism; Globalization drawing

them out (S.E.Z.’s); political contradiction

China’s Ethno-Linguistic breakdown today- Han Chinese (Mandarin

speakers) & Other Groups (Turkic speakers [west/nw], Mongolian [north,inner-Mongolia], Tibetan [southwest],
In coastal areas of southeast > Min, Yue, Hakka).

Tibet – high up on Tibetan Plateau (sw China); different ethnicity with strong roots in Buddhism w/ Dalai Lama
as spiritual/political leader; not really incorporated into China until 18^th century; still loose political
connections until 1950’s (communism’s anti-religion); Dalai Lama in exile in India still pressing for
independence (or regional autonomy) and religious freedom.

Colonialism’s influence - British (Chinese coastal cities); Portugal (Macau);

Japan (N.E. China, Korean Penin., Taiwan)

Population in region; One Child Policy of China (80's/90's)

One Child Policy officially starts in 1979, picks up speed in early 80’s; one child per Chinese couple to reduce burdens of overpopulation; goes against Chinese traditions of big family/support networks; female infanticide ensues along with
human rights cries from inside/outside China; policies and punishments are loosened for certain ethnic and rural groups
by late 80’s and 90’s.

Mongolia - little population, economy, & infrastructure; pastoral in west &

south; staggering toward democracy since early 80's.

Jakota Triangle - Japan - South Korea - Taiwan (3 original “Asian Tigers”

on the Pacific Rim); economic characteristics of the region; political challenges in Taiwan & Korean Peninsula

Jakota Triangle characteristics - modernization, high-tech manufacturing =

large consumers of raw materials, rapid development, lots of exports =

trade surplus, very international, mostly democratic as well as State

Capitalism

– 1997-‘99 econ. fallout: prices undercut by increasing competition,

saturated markets, higher priced raw materials (imports), devalued

foreign investments, higher energy & transportation costs, competition

of supranationalism

Southeast Asia

Physical Characteristics : Mountainous (except Khorat Plateau); Long rivers

& wide valleys; Tropical/Subtropical; challenging Shape Morphology;

Island countries (Indonesia; Philippines) - Archipelago

Cultural Characteristics : Diversity of Religions and Political systems;

Ethnic diversity; the Colonial influence; Bufferzones; Domino Theory

Bufferzones : a buffer of land (or country) assisting in political peace and

cultural distinction between two conflicting societies/countries

(ex. Thailand; Mongolia; E. Europe during Cold War; Tibet/Nepal)

Domino Theory: political destabilization or change in one country can infect