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People and Places^269

FIND OUT MORE. Cold War 435 • Dinosaurs 78–79 • Farming 66 • Fishing 67 • Imperial China 393

WHAT IS UNUSUAL ABOUT THE GOBI DESERT?

Unlike most deserts, the Gobi desert in Mongolia has

hot summers, but icy winters. The Bactrian camels

that live in the Gobi have adapted by growing thick

winter coats that moult in the spring. The desert, the

fourth largest in the world, is made of rock and sand.

It is famous for the discovery of fossilized bones and

eggs of dinosaurs that lived here 85 million years ago.

CHINA

Capital city: Beijing

Area: 9,596,960 sq km

(3,705,386 sq miles)

Population: 1.3 billion

Official language: Mandarin

Chinese

Major religion: Majority are

non-religious

Currency: Renminbi (called yuan)

MONGOLIA

Capital city: Ulan Bator

Area: 1,565,000 sq km

(604,247 sq miles)

Population: 2.6 million

Official language: Khalkha

Mongolian

Major religion: Tibetan Buddhist

Currency: Tugrik

NORTH KOREA

Capital city: Pyongyang

Area: 120,540 sq km

(46,540 sq miles)

Population: 28.8 million

Official language: Korean

Major religion: Most non-religious

Currency: North Korean won

SOUTH KOREA

Capital city: Seoul

Area: 98,480 sq km

(38,023 sq miles)

Population: 48.6 million

Official language: Korean

Major religions: Mahayana

Buddhist and Protestant

Currency: South Korean won

TAIWAN

Capital city: Taipei

Area: 35,980 sq km

(13,892 sq miles)

Population: 23.1 million

Official language: Mandarin

Chinese

Major religion: Buddhist

Currency: Taiwan dollar

JAPAN

Capital city: Tokyo

Area: 377,835 sq km

(145,882 sq miles)

Population: 127.7 million

Official language: Japanese

Major religions: Shinto and

Buddhist

Currency: Yen

1 JAPANESE CHILDREN WEARING KIMONOS
The Japanese often wear kimonos for special occasions. These
traditional, wide-sleeved, wrap-around robes are made from
colourful printed silks and tied at the back with a sash.

4 SHANGHAI, CHINA

International trade is

transforming the east coast

port of Shanghai, China’s

largest city. Home to more

than nine million people,

Shanghai is a leading

industrial and commercial

centre with the world’s busiest

port. Its modern skyline is

crowded with high-rise office

buildings, convention centres,

and modern shopping malls.

WHY ARE FISH IMPORTANT TO THE JAPANESE?

The mountainous islands of Japan have limited

farmland, so the people depend on the sea for food.

The fishing fleet, which is the largest in the world,

catches about 6 million tonnes (6 million tons)

of fish each year. Fish is included in most

Japanese cooking, and much of it is eaten raw.

A kimono

is fastened by

a broad sash

called an obi

WHICH STAPLE FOOD IS GROWN IN THE REGION?

Rice is the staple food of eastern Asia and the region’s

farms must produce enough to feed the vast

populations. The fertile, flooded rice fields of southern

China produce two harvests every year. Planting and

harvesting are still done by hand, and water buffaloes

or oxen pull farm machinery. In contrast, rice is

intensively farmed in Japan with modern machinery.

WHY ARE THERE TWO KOREAS?

Korea was a single country until the end of World War II, when the north was

occupied by the Russians and the south by the USA. In 1948, it was divided in two,

and South Korea separated from North Korea. Hostilities between these countries

led to the Korean War (1950–53). Today, South Korea specializes in producing and

exporting manufactured goods. North Korea remains a politically isolated regime.

EASTERN ASIA

4 SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

A busy shopping street in

night-time Seoul. South Korea’s

thriving capital is home to a

quarter of the country’s

population.

eastern

Asia