East Asia Vocabulary

One-child policy

• the Chinese law of 1979 limiting families living in urban areas to one child. Those who followed the law were rewarded with more food, improved housing, and better education and job opportunities for that child. Those who did not comply had to pay large fines. Minority populations and rural families are allowed to have two or more children.

Archipelago

• a chain of islands. Japan is an archipelago.

Ring of Fire

• an area along the rim of the Pacific Ocean where tectonic plates meet, causing many active volcanoes and earthquakes.

Tsunami

• a large, powerful ocean wave.

Alluvium

• the soil, or silt, carried by flowing water, which is ideal for farming. Alluvium is deposited in river basins making it an ideal area for farming.

Cultural Revolution

• social plan in China that lasted from 1966 to 1969 in which the government attempted to remove any capitalistic and anti-communist elements from society.

Three Gorges Dam

• the largest Dam in the world, located on the Chang Jiang River in China.

Confucianism

• an ethical system based on the teachings of Confucius.

Daoism

• an ethical system that emphasizes the harmony between people and nature.

Great Wall of China

• a stone wall in northern China over 4500 miles long, built to repel invaders from the north.

You can see the Great Wall of China from space!

Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)

• a neutral area between enemy countries, specifically between North Korea and South Korea.