Mineral resources of Asia. Natural conditions and resources of foreign Asia

Inland waters. Lev Mechnikov in famous work: “Civilization and the Great Historical Rivers” wrote: “The four most ancient great cultures all arose on the banks of large rivers. The Yellow River and Yangtze irrigate the area where Chinese civilization arose and grew; Indian or Vedic, without going beyond the Indus and Ganges; The Assyrian-Babylonian civilization arose on the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates - two vital arteries of the Mesopotamian lowland. Finally, Ancient Egypt was, as Herodotus also claims, a gift or “creation of the Nile.”

The population density in the Yangtze Valley, the largest of the Asian rivers, reaches 500-600 people. per km. sq.

Rivers are transport arteries, sources of irrigation and water resources. Asia accounts for more than 40% of the world's potential resources, of which China - 540 million kW, India - 75. The degree of their use is very different: in Japan - by 70%, in India - by 14%, in Myanmar by 1%.

The natural resources of the plains of Central Asia are diverse. Of the combustible minerals, Jurassic stones were discovered in Janak and brown coals in Mangyshlak and in the Alakul region; oil and gas in Mangyshlak, Bukhara and the Ili depression, oil on the Cheleken Peninsula, Nebit-Dag and Kum-Dag, ozokerite in Cheleken. Among the deposits of ore minerals, manganese in Mangyshlak (Aitkoksha) and oolitic iron ore in the Northern Aral Sea region are becoming known. Asbestos, graphite and copper were found on the territory of the Paleozoic uplands of the Kyzylkum. In the Lowland Karakum, sulfur was mined for many years in the Sulfur Hills, located 250 km north of Ashgabat, in last years gas reserves have been explored. The richest reserves of self-sedimented salts are found in the Kara-Bogaz-Gol Bay on the Caspian Sea (mirabilite), in the Karagiye tectonic depression (magnesian salts), in the area of ​​Aralsk (astrakhanite) and the Aral Sea region (sodium sulfate). There are unlimited supplies of gypsum and table salt everywhere.

The plains of Central Asia are rich in light and warmth. In the Lowland Karakum desert, heat resources for periods with temperatures above 10°C exceed 5000°C, in the Kyzylkum desert - about 4000°C; in the deserts of the Aral Sea region, Southern Balkhash region and in Muyunkum - 3000-3500°C. With such heat resources and the presence of water, subtropical plants such as fine-fiber cotton, sesame, peanuts, world-famous Charju melons, and high-sugar table grape varieties are successfully grown in the southern deserts. Over the past decades, new crops for those places have been developed on the plains of Central Asia: southern hemp, kenaf, jute, sugar beet. Southern fruit growing is developing successfully.

The plains of Central Asia are poor in surface watercourses, with the exception of transit rivers whose sources are in mountainous areas. Measures for the collection and storage of temporary runoff water, including the installation of underground rainwater collectors, are of great economic importance.

The groundwater of the plains is concentrated in vast Artevian basins, explored by Soviet hydrogeologists in recent decades. Among the basins, the Aral Sea group (Turgai, Syr-Darya and Karakum) artesian basins is distinguished. Within the Tien Shan folded region there are the Chui and Ili basins, and in the Dzhungar region there is a group of artesian basins of the Balkhash region. All pools have pressure (self-flowing) or semi-pressure waters of different flow rates and varied mineralization - from fresh to salty inclusive. Part of the groundwater is used for drinking needs of the population and livestock. For this purpose, many mine and artesian wells have been built in deserts in the last ten years.

The deepest groundwater is found on the Badkhyz and Karabil plateaus. Here, dug wells for watering livestock reach a depth of 200-260 m. Upon exiting the Karakum Desert, groundwater rises closer to the surface (15-40 m and closer) and becomes noticeably saltier. The eastern regions of the Zaunguz Karakum are relatively well supplied with water, while the western regions of the Lowland Karakum are poorly watered. In Kyzylkum, as well as in the Aral Sea, Muyunkum and Southern Balkhash regions, there is fresh groundwater everywhere in the sands, the flow rate of which for the most part small, but the total reserves of fresh and slightly brackish groundwater in Muyunkum and in the sandy massifs of the Southern Balkhash region are great. On the foothill plains The groundwater often wedge out, forming numerous “karas” - small streams and rivers used by the population for irrigation and water supply. The abundance of “karasu” can be observed on the foothill plains of the northern slopes of the Kyrgyz, Trans-Ili and Dzungarian ranges, in the Fergana Valley.

The development of solar technology makes it possible to obtain fresh water from brackish and saline groundwater. The plant resources of the plains are of great economic importance due to the intensive development of livestock farming, in particular astrakhan sheep breeding and fine-fleece sheep breeding. Pastures are the dominant type of agricultural land in the deserts and semi-deserts of Central Asia. The feeding value of desert-wood and wormwood associations is greatest. Deserts with a predominance of desert-tree associations, which, along with saxaul, kandym and other trees, contain many ephemeroids and ephemera, are used mostly as year-round pastures. The average productivity of forage mass is 0.8-1.9 c/ha. Deserts with wormwood dominating the vegetation cover are considered the best autumn-winter pastures. Their average feed productivity is 1.3-2.7 c/ha. Horses and cattle are most often grazed in tugai forests. Hay is harvested in reed and sedge swamps.

The most valuable in terms of food are the psammophyte-shrub and solyanka communities.

In the fuel balance of the Central Asian republics, a prominent place belongs to the wood of saxaul open forests. From total area Of 20.5 million hectares of desert forests and thickets in Central Asia, saxaul forests account for 19.8 million hectares. The wood reserve in this area is about 35 million liters* 1.

The quality of saxaul forests is closely related to the groundwater level and soil type: the best saxaul forests develop on sandy loam and light loamy soils with groundwater occurring at a depth of 3-8 m.

For the decade 1947-1967. saxaul and desert shrubs were sown on an area of ​​about 97 million hectares.

Large areas of land have been developed for agriculture in the largest irrigated oases: Fergana, Khorezm, Tashkent Zeravshan, Murgab, Tedzhen, Gol odnostep with kom, Chui, Talas, Semirechensk. The total irrigated land in the republics of Central Asia, excluding Tajikistan, is 6.8 million hectares. In the future, it is possible to irrigate about 15 million hectares in the republics of Central Asia and Kazakhstan (B-D. Korzhavin, 1962).

Much work on studying methods for developing deserts and fixing sand was carried out in Soviet period Aral, Repetek and Dzhezkazgan experimental stations. They developed a series effective methods oasis transformation of deserts: new methods of rain-fed and irrigated farming and foraging, a trench method of growing vegetables, potatoes and fruits in the sands has been developed, scientifically substantiated and introduced into production effective ways consolidation of sands and their afforestation. All these methods make it possible to more rationally use the natural resources of the deserts of Central Asia.

The work of zoologists and doctors to eliminate Asian locust nests, sharply reduce the incidence of malaria, and develop methods to combat ticks and other carriers of serious diseases in humans and animals is invaluable.

On the plains of Central Asia, fur and other animal trades are of some importance. Game species that occupy a prominent place in the national economy of the plains include gophers, jerboas, muskrats, acclimatized on Balkhash (the Ili River delta) since 1935, goitered gazelles and saigas, the shooting of which is limited by the law on nature conservation. In the tugai forests, wild boars are shot and a lot of waterfowl are caught - ducks, coots, geese, cormorants, and less - pheasants.

Protection and expanded reproduction of natural resources are the most important government and public activities. The regulation of livestock grazing on the sands and animal hunting, the rational use of water resources.

The Indian platform (areas where the crystalline basement emerges) is characterized by iron ore reserves. Large deposits of Chhota Nakpur, with an iron content of 60%. Manganese ores, titanium-magnetite ores, deposits of zirconium, diamonds and precious stones are also concentrated here.

The basement outcrops of the Chinese platform are rich in ore minerals. The Shandong-Korean shield concentrates deposits of iron ores, polymetals, copper, gold and uranium ores.

Syneclises of platforms are rich in fuel and energy resources.

The Chinese platform is one of the world's centers of coal accumulation, especially the Loess Plateau region. The age of the coal varies. East of 110 0 E. predominantly Carboniferous, Jurassic to the west. 90% of coal reserves are anthrocytes. The largest basin: Datong, one of the 20 largest coal deposits in the world. The oil content of the Chinese platform is exceptionally high (1/3 of the territory of the PRC is promising for oil). The largest oil basins are the Ordos, Sichuan, East China, as well as the Dzungarian, Tarim and Tsaidam basins.

The Indian platform is also rich in coal. The overwhelming majority of reserves are concentrated in Paleozoic layers, and the richest deposits are located in the Damodar River valley.

The Indian platform is not rich in oil. Recently discovered deposits are associated with marginal subsidence of the platform (Tujarad and Assam).

Geological knowledge of the Arabian Platform is extremely uneven: only the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea and Persian Gulf. The world's largest oil deposits have been discovered. Also found here are brown coal, bromine, copper ores, potassium salts, silver, table salt, etc.

Paleozoic structures are rich in minerals, but they are still little developed. These are polymetallic, copper, iron ores, tungsten, and gold.

Mesozoic structures are also rich in minerals. Through central part The famous tungsten-tin belt passes through Indochina, the Malacca Peninsula and a number of Indonesian islands, in which 60-80% of the world's reserves of tin, tungsten and antimony are concentrated. On the Shan-Yunnan Plateau there are large deposits of silver-lead-zinc and cobalt ores. The main type of mineral resources of Cenozoic structures are fuel and energy. The largest oil fields are confined to the foothill troughs: Mesopotamia, the Persian Gulf, the Indo-Gangetic Lowland and the Irrawaddy River valley. The Persian Gulf is a pole of oil accumulation. The largest deposits are on land - Ghabar and on the shelf - Safaniya. The most productive wells are also located here. The production rate of one well in Saudi Arabia is 363 tons, Abu Dhabi - 626 tons, Iran - 1427 tons, USA - 3.5 tons. Currently, oil production is moving to the Asia-Pacific shelf.

In addition, deposits of brown coal (within the Himalayas are tarry coals), as well as deposits of sulfur, bauxite, borates, phosphorites, are associated with the alpine structures, and deposits of chromites are associated with intrusions. Foreign Asia accounts for: antimony - 75-80% of world reserves, oil - 69%, tin - 61%, native sulfur - 51%, phosphates - 47% - Turkey, Iran, Syria. gas - 35% - Gulf countries. tungsten-33%--Burma, China, Türkiye, Japan. zirconium muscovite-30% - India. nickel - 20%, chromite - 18% Türkiye, Iran, Philippines.

1. General characteristics, brief history of foreign Asia

Foreign Asia is the largest region in the world in terms of population (more than 4 billion people) and the second (after Africa) in area, and it has maintained this primacy, essentially, throughout the entire existence of human civilization. The area of ​​foreign Asia is 27 million square meters. km, it includes more than 40 sovereign states. Many of them are among the oldest in the world. Foreign Asia is one of the centers of the origin of humanity, the birthplace of agriculture, artificial irrigation, cities, many cultural values ​​and scientific achievements. The region mainly consists of developing countries.

2. Diversity of foreign Asian countries by area

The region includes countries of different sizes: two of them are considered giant countries (China, India), some are very large (Mongolia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Indonesia), the rest are mainly classified as fairly large countries. The boundaries between them follow well-defined natural boundaries.

Peculiarities EGP countries Asia:

1. Neighborhood position.
2. Coastal location.
3. The deep situation of some countries.

The first two features have a beneficial effect on their economy, while the third complicates external economic relations.

3. Diversity of foreign Asian countries by population

Largest countries in Asia by population (2012)
(according to CIA)

4. Diversity of foreign Asian countries by geographic location

Asian countries by geographic location:

1. Coastal (India, Pakistan, Iran, Israel, etc.).
2. Island (Bahrain, Cyprus, Sri Lanka, etc.).
3. Archipelagos (Indonesia, Philippines, Japan, Maldives).
4. Inland (Laos, Mongolia, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, etc.).
5. Peninsular (Republic of Korea, Qatar, Oman, etc.).

5. Diversity of foreign Asian countries by level of development

The political structure of the countries is very diverse.
Monarchies of foreign Asia (according to wikipedia.org):

• All other countries are republics.
• Developed countries of Asia: Japan, Israel, Republic of Korea, Singapore.
• All other countries in the region are developing.
• Least the developed countries Asia: Afghanistan, Yemen, Bangladesh, Nepal, Laos, etc.
• The largest GDP volumes are in China, Japan, and India; on a per capita basis, Qatar, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait have the largest GDP volumes.

6. Forms of government and structure of foreign Asian countries

By the nature of the administrative-territorial structure, most Asian countries have a unitary structure. The following countries have a federal administrative-territorial structure: India, Malaysia, Pakistan, UAE, Nepal, Iraq.

7. Regions of foreign Asia

Regions of Asia:

1. Southwestern.
2. South.
3. South-Eastern.
4. Eastern.
5. Central.

Natural resources of foreign Asia

1. Introduction

The provision of foreign Asia with resources is determined, first of all, by the diversity of the relief, location, nature and climate.

The region is extremely homogeneous in terms of tectonic structure and relief: within its boundaries there is the greatest amplitude of heights on earth (more than 9000 m), both ancient Precambrian platforms and areas of young Cenozoic folding, grandiose mountainous countries and vast plains are located here. As a result, the mineral resources of foreign Asia are very diverse.

2. Mineral resources of foreign Asia

The main basins of coal, iron and manganese ores, and non-metallic minerals are concentrated within the Chinese and Hindustan platforms. The Alpine-Himalayan and Pacific fold belts are dominated by ores, including the copper belt along the Pacific coast. But the main wealth of the region, which also determines its role in the international geographical division labor is oil and gas. Oil and gas reserves have been explored in most countries of South-West Asia (Mesopotamian trough earth's crust). The main deposits are located in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran, and the UAE. In addition, large oil and gas fields have been explored in the countries of the Malay Archipelago. Indonesia and Malaysia especially stand out in terms of reserves. The countries of Central Asia are also rich in oil and gas (Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan).

The largest reserves of salts are in the Dead Sea. The Iranian Plateau has large reserves of sulfur and non-ferrous metals. In general, Asia is one of the main regions of the world in terms of mineral reserves.

Countries with the largest reserves and diversity of minerals:

1. China.
2. India.
3. Indonesia.
4. Iran.
5. Kazakhstan.
6. Türkiye.
7. Saudi Arabia.

3. Land and agroclimatic resources of foreign Asia

The agroclimatic resources of Asia are heterogeneous. Vast tracts of mountainous countries, deserts and semi-deserts are little suitable for economic activity, with the exception of animal husbandry; The supply of arable land is small and continues to decline (as the population grows and soil erosion increases). But on the plains of the east and south, quite favorable conditions for agriculture are created. Asia contains 70% of the world's irrigated land.

4. Water resources (moisture resources), agroclimatic resources

The countries of Eastern and South-western Europe have the largest reserves of water resources. East Asia, as well as some regions of South Asia. At the same time, water resources are sorely lacking in the Gulf countries.

According to general indicators, China, India, and Indonesia are best provided with soil resources.
The largest reserves of forest resources: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, China, India.

Population of Overseas Asia

The population of Asia exceeds 4 billion people. Many countries in the region are at the stage of a “demographic explosion”.

2. Fertility and mortality (population reproduction)

All countries in the region, with the exception of Japan and some countries in transition, belong to traditional type population reproduction. Moreover, many of them are in a state of population explosion. Some countries are combating this phenomenon by demographic policy(India, China), but most countries do not pursue such a policy, fast growth population and its rejuvenation continue. At the current rate of population growth, countries in foreign Asia are experiencing food, social and other difficulties. Among Asian subregions, East Asia is the furthest away from the peak of its population explosion. Currently, the highest rates of population growth are characteristic of the countries of South-West Asia. For example, in Yemen there is an average of almost 5 children per woman.

3. National composition

The ethnic composition of the Asian population is also extremely complex: more than 1 thousand peoples live here - from small ethnic groups numbering several hundred people to the largest peoples in the world.

The largest nations of foreign Asia in terms of population (more than 100 million people):

1. Chinese.
2. Hindustani.
3. Bengalis.
4. Japanese.

The peoples of foreign Asia belong to approximately 15 language families. Such linguistic diversity is not found in any other major region on the planet.
The largest language families of foreign Asia by population:

1. Sino-Tibetan.
2. Indo-European.
3. Austronesian.
4. Dravidian.
5. Austroasiatic.

The most ethnolinguistically complex countries are: India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia. India and Indonesia are considered the most multinational countries in the world. In East and South-West Asia, with the exception of Iran and Afghanistan, a more homogeneous national composition is characteristic. The complex composition of the population in many parts of the region leads to acute ethnic conflicts.

4. Religious composition

• Foreign Asia is the birthplace of all major religions; all three world religions originated here: Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam.
• Christianity: Philippines, Georgia, Armenia, a significant proportion of Christians in Kazakhstan, Japan, Lebanon.
• Buddhism: Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Bhutan, Mongolia.
• Islam: Southwest Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh.
• Among the others national religions It is necessary to note Confucianism (China), Taoism, Shintoism. In many countries, interethnic contradictions are based precisely on religious grounds.

Presentation for the lesson:

!? Exercise.

1. Russian border.
2. Subregions of Foreign Asia.
3. Republics and monarchies.

East Asia as a whole descends in giant steps towards the trenches of the Pacific Ocean. Its relief is diversified by the alternation of folded mountains (occupying up to 75% of the total area) and lowlands, bays and peninsulas of dissected sea coasts, arched (convex to the east) garlands of large and small islands. The general latitudinal direction of the mighty mountain ranges prevailing here was of utmost importance for the distribution of climate types, the distribution of flora and fauna, human settlement and the development of agriculture and livestock breeding. Lowlands, often of alluvial origin, occupy a much smaller area.

The western part of East Asia, in geographical terminology Central or East Asia, is occupied by the world's greatest mountain ranges and desert highlands. Alternating with the plateaus are the world's highest mountain ranges, the Himalayas and Karakoram, and the Kunlun ridge, which stretches across all of Central Asia (bordering the most elevated region from the south and north - the Tibet highlands), the Eastern Tien Shan ridge, etc. The Altyntag and Nanynan ridges extending from the Kunlun close the high ( up to 3000 m) Tsaidam plateau. To the north lie the vast dry expanses of Kashgaria, Dzungaria and Mongolia at altitudes of up to 1000 m or more. The main and central parts of the Kashgar depression are occupied by the Taklamakan sand desert. The Turfan Basin is noteworthy. Its bottom is occupied by the salt lake Bojanta (absolute level minus 154 m). IN Central Asia The role of frost and mechanical weathering in the formation of relief in deserts, including the Tibetan Plateau, is especially great.

Most of Mongolia is covered with mountains, among which the powerful Mongolian and Gobi Altai, Khangai and Khentei ranges stand out. Along the Khangai, Khentei, Tannu-Ola, Sailyugem and partly along the Mongolian Altai there is a global watershed between the basins of the Arctic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean and the endorheic basins of Central Asia. The Gobi's relief is a vast flat depression between high ridges, intersected by mountains of considerable height (up to 3000 m above sea level and higher) and frequent hills. The Mongols use the name “Gobi” to designate inhabited lowland steppes and semi-deserts with rocky, sandy or clayey, sometimes saline soil, where there are no rivers, but water in springs and wells makes it possible to engage in cattle breeding. The Mongols call real uninhabited deserts without food and water, occupying certain parts of the Gobi, “tsel”.

From the northeast, Central Asia is bounded by the mid-altitude Inynan and Greater Khingan ranges. Rising in ledges above Northeast China, they separate the Manchu plains from the Mongolian plateaus. The largest plain The Songliao (after the names of the Songhua and Liao rivers) is surrounded by an amphitheater of mountain ranges - the Greater Khingan, the Lesser Khingan and the Manchurian-Korean Mountains [with a plateau connecting them together - the White Mountains (Changbaishan, or Changpeksan), crowned by the White-headed Volcano Mountain (Baitoushan, or Paektusan ) 2744 m high], extending to the south and filling the Korean Peninsula.

The eastern strip of China is slightly elevated, but is strongly dissected by numerous faults, faults and river erosion. Here the lowlands alternate with hilly and mid-altitude mountainous regions. The most significant of them is the Great Chinese Plain. Tibet in the east descends steeply to the Red Basin basin of the middle reaches of the Yangtze. On the Yunnan Plateau and in Guizhou, the entire massif is dissected by parallel, deep river canyons. The eastern extensions of the Kunlun, while maintaining the latitudinal direction, cut through the entire region with the Qinling-Huaiyangnan ridge, which is an important natural-geographical border of the country.

The mountains of China are characterized by sharp outlines, steep slopes, narrow and deep gorges. These features, even with the low altitude of the mountains, make them unsuitable for agriculture, difficult to access and sparsely populated. Therefore, the natural primitive flora and fauna of the mountains has survived to this day, even in densely populated areas. Karst is developed in the Nanling Mountains (the Yangtze-Xijiang watershed), where eroded limestones form bizarre rocks (Shilin - Stone Forest), gorges, bridges and caves.

The relief of Korea is mountainous, steeply sloped, very sharply divided into many medium-altitude ridges. Its eastern coast is very little indented, but its southern and western coasts are one of the most indented coasts in the world; they are adjacent to numerous islands of the South and West Korean archipelago.

The East Asian islands are located on the edge of a steep continental slope, at the foot of which the deepest oceanic trenches (9000-10,000 m) adjoin. This explains the high mobility, seismicity and active volcanism of the islands, their biogeographical connections with Indonesia and America. In addition to the large islands, there are hundreds of smaller and thousands of tiny islets, rocks and reefs. Their shores, especially the Pacific ones, are indented by many bays. The islands are exclusively mountainous, 75% of their area have slopes steeper than 15°, i.e., they are inaccessible for farming (except for terraced farming).

The ridges of the Japanese islands, which finally separated from the mainland in the Quaternary period, are usually of medium altitude and often topped with volcanoes (over 150). Of the volcanoes, the most famous is Fuji, the highest point of the country (3776 m). The foothills of the ridges are adjacent to terraced and rocky shores or small low-lying plains - the main centers of population and economic life.

Seas surrounding East Asia

East Asia is washed in the east by the Pacific Ocean and its coastal seas, convenient for fishing and shipping, the ichthyofauna of which is one of the richest in the world.

The Yellow Sea (Huanghai), inland, washes the shores of Eastern and Northeastern China, as well as Korea. In the south, along the conventional border, there are parallels to Fr. Jeju flows into the East China Sea. The Yellow Sea has a complex shape and forms a series of bays. It is shallow, in most of its depth the depth does not exceed 50 m. The tides are high, especially in Chemulpo Bay, where they reach 10 m. Temperature conditions change sharply throughout the year. In winter, under the influence of the northern continental monsoon, the sea cools down, bays and bays freeze. Silty soils and waters that are cold in winter do little to promote the development of algae. But the sea is rich in fish, including commercial fish: cod, herring, sea bream, etc., there are also sharks. Among shellfish, mussels and oysters are of commercial importance.

The East China Sea (Donghai - East Sea) washes the coast of China in the west, reaches the Ryukyu and Kyushu islands in the east and communicates with the Sea of ​​Japan through the Korea Strait. In the south, reaching Taiwan, it connects with the South China Sea through the Taiwan Strait.

The warm north-equatorial current, penetrating into this sea through the straits of the Ryukyu Islands, deviates to the north and (now called the Tsushima Current) goes into the Sea of ​​Japan. In the western part of the East China Sea, currents are variable. In winter, cold desalinated waters flow from the strongly cooling Yellow Sea. The Yangtze River also carries a lot of fresh water. Therefore, both salinity and water temperature fall from east to west. Off the coast of China, especially in the bays, tides are significant, reaching 4 m. Marine vegetation, relatively poor off the coast of China, is very rich and diverse off the Ryukyu Islands.

Whales, sperm whales, and dolphins enter the East China Sea. In the area of ​​coral reefs off the coast of Ryukyu, there are sirens and dugongs. Cod, ocean herring, flounder, mackerel, tuna, mullet, eels, and sharks are found in abundance. The invertebrate fauna is common to the entire Indo-Pacific subregion of the Tropical region.

The South China Sea (Nanhai - South Sea) is semi-enclosed, has an average depth of 1140 m. Surface currents are seasonal. In winter, the southern current predominates, in summer - northern. The tides are diurnal and mixed. The ichthyofauna has the greatest diversity of species. Many fish (tuna, sardines, mackerel, southern herring, croakers, conger eels, sharks, etc.) and marine animals (turtles, sea cucumbers) are of commercial importance.

The Sea of ​​Japan washes the shores of Japan and Korea. It is connected to the Sea of ​​Okhotsk by the Tatarsky and La Perouse (Soya) straits, and to the Pacific Ocean by Tsugaru (Sangarsky) and Shimonoseki. The lack of exchange of deep sea waters with the Pacific Ocean due to the shallow depths of the straits prevents their warming.

The Tsushima Current, penetrating into the Sea of ​​Japan through the Korea Strait, spreads only on the surface of the sea and, pressing against the shores of Japan, warms them. The outflow of northern cold waters in the western part of the Sea of ​​Japan forms the Primorye Current, which cools the eastern shores of Korea.

The Sea of ​​Japan is famous for its lush “underwater meadows” - thickets of gigantic algae (250 species), reaching tens of meters in length, and sea grass (zoster, etc.)*

Warm waters bring representatives of tropical fauna into the Sea of ​​Japan. To the north, the number of eels, perciformes and other heat-loving fish gradually decreases. Tunas and sardines are disappearing, but the number of cold-loving species is increasing (sea bass, flounder, halibut, gobies, chanterelles, eelpouts, salmon, etc.) - In total, there are over 600 species of fish in the Sea of ​​Japan.

Fishing in shallow waters (flounder, cod, Pacific saffron cod) is less common than fishing in the open sea. The most important fisheries are: warm-loving species - Pacific sardine (Ivasi), cold-loving species - Pacific herring. Shellfish, crabs, seals, whales, algae, sea grass and many other marine animals and plants are also caught.

In areas where warm and cold waters of the East Asian seas meet, increased mixing and aeration of water occurs, creating an exceptional abundance of plankton - food base an innumerable number of fish, mollusks and crustaceans. Hence the inexhaustible wealth of these seas, containing more than 1,500 species of fish. Of these, up to 500 are valuable for fishing, especially developed in Japan. Only about 50 species are of the most commercial importance - mackerel, giant tuna, herring, sardine, mullet, large and small yellow perch, sabrefish, ilish, cod, sea bass, savera, flounder, scieka, sea bream, eel, psephurus , various sharks, mackerel, goby, stromateoides, etc.

Fish serves as the main source of protein in the diet of the Japanese (to a lesser extent the Chinese and Koreans, and even then only those living on the coast).

A peculiar feature of the crafts of the peoples of East Asia is the production of large quantities of various seafood. These are cephalopods: cuttlefish, octopuses, shellfish - abalone, mussels, oysters, pearl mussels, etc., as well as arthropods - shrimp, crabs. From echinoderms highest value have sea cucumbers, or sea cucumbers (Chinese Haishen, Japanese Namako, Korean Hesam, Manchu Kichzhimi), - Stichopus japonicus and other species, much smaller - sea ​​urchins containing edible caviar. Mined a large number of various types edible and technical algae - seaweed, agaric algae, etc.

Minerals

East Asia's mineral wealth stems from its complex and diverse geological structure. Large deposits of coal, oil shale, iron, manganese, tungsten and molybdenum in China and Korea favor the development of the mining and metallurgical industries. There is coal in the Mongolian People's Republic too. The deposits of non-ferrous, rare and light metals are significant and varied. There are many deposits of antimony and tin in the PRC, and polymetals in the PRC, Korea and Japan. There are large reserves of aluminum, magnesium, etc. ores. Gold, silver, gems, and mica are found in many areas. Rich reserves of graphite are available in Korea. Large oil deposits in China are located in Sichuan, Xinjiang, the Loess Plateau and the island of Taiwan. There is oil in Japan, which is also rich in sulfur. Among non-metallic minerals, salt deposits (table salt, Glauber salt, etc.) are exploited in China and Mongolia. Important natural resource are huge reserves of water energy in South China, Japan and Korea, which is associated with big drop and the full flow of rivers in these humid mountain areas. Many mountainous regions of East Asia are rich in mineral and warm springs.

Inland waters

Very uneven distribution inland waters East Asia is associated with large climatic contrasts and a very uneven distribution of precipitation. Its mainland is a country of large rivers, mainly belonging to the Pacific Ocean and partly to the Indian Ocean. In the southern marginal part of Tibet, large rivers of India and Indochina originate: the Brahmaputra (Tsangpo), the Indus, the Mekong (Lan Tsangjiang), the Salween, and the Red (Song Koi). At the same time, a large area of ​​dry and desert regions of Central Asia is occupied by areas where rivers flow into lakes or are lost in the sands (Tarim, Dzabkhan, etc.)* Of the rivers of Mongolia, the most significant are the Kobdo, Selenga, Kerulen, and Orkhon.

Most rivers in the monsoon region become very shallow in January-February and rise high in July-August, after the summer rains. Frequent catastrophic floods require the construction of dams and other structures.

China's river network is enormous. The largest rivers are the Yangtze (or Changjiang, 5530 km), the Yellow River (Yellow, 4670 km), which has repeatedly changed its course, the Xijiang (or Zhujiang, 2129 km), and the Huaihe (about 900 km). A dense network of deep rivers covers Southern China. There are many large rivers in the northeast of China: Songhua, Liaohe, Yalu.

In Korea, the longest (up to 500 km) and calm rivers flow to the west (Tedongan, Hangan, etc.) and to the south there is only one - Nakdonggan, and to the east there are only steeply falling short rivers with rapids and waterfalls.

Almost all rivers in Japan - fast and turbulent mountain streams with a steep, stepped profile - abound in rapids and waterfalls. Largest river Ishikari in Hokkaido reaches 654 km in length.

Lakes in East Asia, mostly small and shallow, are quite numerous and varied. There are many small salt lakes in drainless areas. In the depressions of the mountains and highlands there are the deep-water Lake Khuvsgul (MPR), the shallow Lake Lop Nor (PRC), the salt lake Kuku-Nor, or Qinghai (Blue Lake), small lakes northwestern Tibet and numerous lakes of Japan - Biwa, Ashinoumi, Suwa, Mashu, etc. Alluvial lowlands, flooded by floods, in some places have fairly large but shallow flowing lakes that regulate the flow of some rivers (lakes Poyanghu and Dongtinghu - the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, Dalainor - Argun river, Jingbohu - Mudanjiang river, etc.).

The rivers of East Asia and partly lakes have played an important role in the life of the population since ancient times. These are mining sites food products(fish, crustaceans, molluscs, wild aquatic plants), waterfowl feed and fertilizers. These are both communication routes and habitats for a significant number of people who constantly live on sampans and junks. But the most important thing is the main sources of irrigation.

Farmers in the dry west and humid south and east of China, Korea and Japan, irrigating fields using canals diverted from rivers, widely cultivate various moisture-loving plants, and especially rice, which requires long-term flooding of the fields. In some places, rainfed crops are also irrigated during dry seasons. In dry and drainless areas (Xinjiang, Gansu), groundwater is especially important. They are often the only sources of water supply in oases and are obtained using wells and karezs.

Ichthyofauna fresh water East Asia is very rich. Half of all freshwater fish are carp. It is characteristic that carp plays a significant role in the folklore of the Chinese and Japanese.