East & Southeast Asia Culture and Economics Notes

​East Asian Communities

• East Asian culture has strong familial ties.

  • Thus creating many large communities consisting of extended family.

• These families usually live in the same home or the same area.

​Urban Life in East Asia

• Cities such as: Tokyo, Seoul, and Hong Kong contain similar cultural elements as North America (western culture).

• They experience this culture by gaming, clubbing, and shipping.

• American music has become a staple in the region as well. Adapting Japanese and Korean music.

​Results Of Wars in East Asia

• Vietnam and Korean Wars: large movements in population as refugees fled from violence

• Cambodia: was the site of a massive political turmoil and conflict under the Khmer Rouge in the 1970's. Many Cambodians subsequently fled to nearby Laos and Vietnam to escape persecution.

​Trade In East Asia

• Most of Southeast Asia is a part of AFTA (ASEAN Free Trade Area) which allows for free trade between Southeast Asian nations and promotes combining economic power to have more influence in global trade.

​China's Economy

• China has gone from a command economy to a market -based economy.

• This economy shift is to advance China's economy globally through trade.

• The shift has also resulted in an increased number of factories and has driven the pollution up to dangerous levels in many Chinese cities.

​Trade Problems

• Conflicts over control of international waters between nations have prompted difficulties in maintaining free trade as China threatens to close off major shipping lanes.

• The mass amount of factories has caused major pollution in areas.