Asia

A Land of GiantsIn Asia some countries are very large either in land

Area, Population, or Economically• Land Area:

– Russia is the largest country in the world– China is the third largest

• Population– China is the largest by population– India is Second (but growing fast it will be 1st

soon) – Indonesia is fourth (it is also growing fast and

will surpass #3, the US by the middle of this century)

• Economically

– China is the second largest (after the US) it is growing rapidly and will be #1 soon

– Japan is #3

– Russia is # 8

The Greatest Superpower?

By the Middle of this century China may well be the most influential country in the world

• It will have the 1st or 2nd largest Population

• It will have the largest Economy

• It has many natural resources

• It has the world biggest army (though the US military is better trained and equipped and our Navy is larger…currently!

The Two KoreasBefore WW2 Japan controlled the Korean peninsula.

At the end of WW2 the Soviet Union took control of the northern half, and set up a communist dictatorship.

The US took control of the southern half.

In the 1950’s North Korea invaded South Korea.

At first it looked like they would win but the UN supported south Korea and (mostly US) foreign troops drove the North Koreans back.

In 1953 a truce was signed and the fighting stopped but the two Koreas are still officially at war.

An ignorant & starving people

After the truce the regime in the North became more and more isolated.

Rule was passed down from Father to son to grandson.

News and media are completely controlled, the people of North Korea know nothing about the outside world.

Food shortages are common and people are routinely sent to work-camps for political crimes

An Nuclear Threat

North Korea has tested both atomic weapons and missiles

It poses a nuclear threat to South Korea, Japan and parts of Alaska

Yesterday (6/10/13) the North Koreans called off a meeting with South Korea.

They threatened war once again.