Republic of the Philippines

APAYAO STATE COLLEGE

Conner, Apayao

A Learning Module in SSE 103 – ASIAN STUDIES

Name: ______________________________________________________ Date: ___________
Year/Course: __________________________ Score: __________

Learning Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
a. List and describe the mountains, plateaus, bodies of water, deserts, and plains of Asia
b. Locate the key geographical features of Asia on a map
c. Examine the long-lasting interactions of East Asian countries with each other and the rest of the
world.
d. Analyze the impact of economic, political, cultural, and psychological connections among East
Asian countries

Activity

“GUESS ME”

Among the 7 continents, Asia is the largest continent. Asia is Earth's largest and most
populous continent, located primarily in the Eastern and Northern Hemispheres. It shares the
continental landmass of Eurasia with the continent of Europe, and the continental landmass of
Afro-Eurasia with Africa and Europe.

Guess the flags above and identify what sub-regions they belong?
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
______

Analysis

1. Based on the pictures above, what countries belong in East Asia?

___________________________________________________________________________
2. What famous landmarks that can be found in Korea, Taiwan, and China?
___________________________________________________________________________
Abstraction
Lesson I
There are three good reasons why Filipinos should know Asia and Asian history well. Firstly,
Filipinos are Asians, and should know more about Asia because it is their own continent. More than ever,
Asians are traveling and working in their home continent. Filipinos are found in many Asian countries
other than their own.

Secondly, Asia plays an increasingly important role in world affairs. Previously, the West had obscured
Asia, but the East is increasingly in front stage again. The Philippines, historically speaking, was the "light
of Asia," and it is destined to play a role in the salvation of souls in Asia. The Philippines is the only
Christian majority nation in Asia, the most unevangelized part of the world. The Philippines is the bridge
between East and West, and the Filipinos will bring the Gospel, as it travels west to its historical place of
origin.

Thirdly, Asia is inherently fascinating. Asia is the birthplace of the human race, the origin of
civilizations, the center of major religions, the oldest continuing national histories, the largest continent
and the world's largest populations. Knowledge of Asia gives brain power and a wealth of formation to
those who study it.

The World's Largest Continent. Of the seven continents, Asia is by far the largest in land
area. Its total area is 44.5 million sq km (17.2 million sq miles); that is one-third of earth's land surface.

Moreover, Asia has sixty percent of world population, or a total of four billion people.
The remaining two billion are spread out in the remaining five inhabited continents.

Sprawled like a colossus, astride on half of the globe, Asia is bordered on the north by the Arctic
Ocean, on the south by the Indian Ocean, on the east by the Pacific Ocean, and on the west by the Ural
Mountains, Caspian Sea, Black Sea, and Aegean Sea. It is separated from North America by the narrow
Bering Strait, and from Africa by the Suez Canal. In the southeast, its small tropical islands are like
stepping-stones to Australia.

Origin of the Name "Asia". "Asia" came from the word for "sunrise", in many languages. It was
referred to as asu (ascend), or asa (east), referring to the direction of the sunrise. The name was
familiar to ancient explorers, who thought the earth was flat, and, Asia is the region where everybody's
day begins.

East and West. The division between East and West was not made until scholars came to
meddle with the common sense understanding that the world, being round, is really one! But, thinking
that the earth was flat, and people look different from one another, scholars came in and put the
divisions, on maps, on charts, on paper. Geographers divided the world into two parts - East and
West. The East (Orient) was the Asian world, the region of the rising sun. The West (Occident) was
Europe and the Americas, the region of the setting sun. Where is the dividing line? Well, that's
another problem, for nothing has been settled!

Asia is divided into five sub-regions for the sake of convenience. These sub-regions and their
countries are as follows: East Asia: also called "Far East" because the Europeans regarded it as
farthest from them; this includes China, Japan, Taiwan, North and South Korea. South Asia: includes
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Himalayan kingdoms of Bhutan, Nepal, Sikkim, and

Prepared by:
KRYZZLE TRITZ B. DANGEL
Instructor
 Maldives Islands. North Asia: includes Afghanistan, Russia's Siberia, and five Muslim Central Asian
republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. West Asia: also called
"Near East or the "Middle East," because it was close to Europe and midway between East a West;
this includes Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Sym Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Saudi Arab Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar,
United A Emirates, Oman, and Yemen. Southeast Asia. This includes Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia,
Singapore, Thailand, Myanmar (Burma), Viet Cambodia, Laos, Brunei, and Timor-Leste (East Timor).

Physical Features. The Asian landscape is full of extremes. It has the world's tallest and
deepest areas, the wettest and driest places, some most productive regions, some most barren. Asia
has towering snow-capped mountains, cool plateaus, verdant valleys, rugged passes, arid deserts,
extensive forests, cascading waterfalls, historic rivers, lakes and seas. Prometheus Mount Ararat in
Turkey, believed as the landing site of Noah's ark From Asia's heartland radiate mountain ranges in
nearly all directions. Among these mountains are the mighty Himalayas, the Ural Mountains, and the
Caucasus Range.

Three of these rivers the Indus, Gang into the Indian Ocean and Brahmaputra. Four rivers drain
the Pacific Ocean the Amur. Huang (Yellow River), Yangtze, and Si Kiang. Mekong, a mighty river,
runs through the of Asia's "rice bowls" (Burma, Thaila and Vietnam), before it joins the So China Sea.
The historic twin rivers, Tig and Euphrates, flow into the Persian Gull Painting of the Garden of Eden In
the north polar Arctic zone is tundra, the icy frozen land covered by s most of the year and stretching
across N Asia.

Climate of East Asia

The monsoonal climate in East Asia brings hot and rainy summers, giving rise to a great variety
of temperate and tropical vegetation. China has the most varied vegetation of any country in the
world, with about 30,000 species, excluding mushrooms and mosses. The enormous variety of
plants, which includes a large number of relict forest species, is explained by the negligible impact
that Pleistocene glaciations had on the region’s climate.

Asia’s Rich Natural Resources Mining

Asia extracts an immense wealth of minerals, of which its mineral fuels—coal, petroleum, and
natural gas—are of greatest value. The largest Asian coal producers are China and Russia
(Siberia), followed by India, Kazakhstan, North Korea, South Korea, and Japan. Considerably smaller
quantities of coal are mined in a number of other countries. The Arab countries of Southwest Asia
collectively are the principal producers of petroleum in the world. The major Middle Eastern
mines are in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, and Iraq. Russian
Siberia is also a major petroleum producer, as are China, Indonesia, and Malaysia. The biggest
supplier of natural gas is Siberia, and the Central Asian republics, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, the
United Arab Emirates, and Iran are also important.

The largest producers of iron ore and ores for ferroalloys are China, Siberia, India, Iran,
Kazakhstan, and North Korea. Together these six account for almost all of the ore mined on the
continent. India and China are among the major world producers of manganese ore and between them
account for virtually all of Asia’s output. Asia’s biggest producer of chromite is Kazakhstan, followed by
Turkey, India, and Iran. Some tungsten is mined in China, Central Asia, North and South Korea,
Thailand, and Myanmar. Nickel is extracted in Indonesia, Siberia, China, and the Philippines. Central
Asia has become an increasingly important producer of many of the ferroalloys.

Prepared by:
KRYZZLE TRITZ B. DANGEL
Instructor
 Agriculture of Asia

By far the greater part of Asia remains uncultivated, primarily because climatic and soil
conditions are unfavourable. Conversely, in the best growing areas an extraordinarily intensive
agriculture is practiced, made possible by irrigating the alluvial soils of the great river deltas and
valleys. Of the principal crops cultivated, rice, sugarcane, and, in Central Asia, sugar beets require the
most water. Legumes, root crops, and cereals other than rice can be grown even on land watered only
by natural precipitation.

Animals in Asia

Asian animals include mammals such as the giant panda, tiger, Asiatic lion, snow leopard,
orangutan and proboscis monkey; reptiles such as the saltwater crocodile, Indian cobra and Komodo
dragon, and birds such as the great hornbill, painted stork and peacock.

The Himalayas, stretching from east to west, form a barrier that largely prevents the movement
of fauna southward or northward. Thus, Asia north of the Himalayas, with parts of western Asia and
most of East Asia, belongs to the Palearctic (Old World) subregion of the Holarctic
zoogeographic region (roughly, the Northern Hemisphere north of the tropics). Asia south of the
Himalayas is called the Oriental, or Indian, region. The boundary dividing those zones east and west of
the Himalayas is not well marked, however, as the mountain chains there often have a north-south
trend facilitating migration of animals between them.

Natural Wonders

Mount Everest

Asia is the largest continent in the world and is comprised of 48 different countries. The
continent expands across an area of 17,212,000 square miles (44,579,000 sq. km), which accounts for
about 30% of the world’s total land area and almost 9% of the world’s total surface area. It was named
after Sir George Everest who first found it. Mt. Everest was scaled by Tensing Norgay and Edmund
Hillary of New Zealand on May 29, 1953. Since then more than 3,000 climbers have reached the top of
the world, including several Filipinos in 2007.

The world’s lowest land area, the Dead Sea is a Salt Lake in the Israel-Jordan border. The
Pacific Ocean, the world’s largest ocean, crosses eastern Asia. The world’s deepest ocean trenches
are found in the South Pacific, the deeps off Marianas, Tonga, and the Philippines along eastern
Mindanao.

The world’s largest archipelago is Indonesia (13,500 islands). The Caspian Sea in Siberia is the
largest lake on Earth. The world’s largest bay is Bengal in India. The world’s longest strait is the
historic strait of Malacca between Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. The narrowest strait is the San
Juanico Strait in the Philippines.

Man-Made Wonders

The Great Wall of China is the most colossal edifice ever fashioned by human hands.
Extending 6,400 km. long across North China, it took more than ten years and 200,000 men to
complete.

Prepared by:
KRYZZLE TRITZ B. DANGEL
Instructor
 The Ifugao rice terraces of the Philippines are another Asia’s man-made wonders. Built about
2.000 years ago on the mountain slopes of Northern Luzon.
The Taj Mahal (Temple of the Beloved) a magnificent marble tomb in Agra, India is hailed by
western writers as “the most beautiful and most perfect of all buildings in the world”. More than 20,000
artists and craftsmen from Asia and Europe toiled for 22 years to finish it.

Angkor Wat, a Hindu temple city, was the capital of the Khmer empire. Built for King
Suryavarman II in the 12th century, Angkor is Cambodia’s most famous temple and the largest religious
monument in the world.

Borobodur is a 9th century Mahayana Buddhist temple complex in Central Java, Indonesia. It is
a pilgrimage site until today and the most visited tourist destination in Indonesia.

Prepared by:
KRYZZLE TRITZ B. DANGEL
Instructor
 CHAPTER II

SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT OF ASIA

Population. Asia is rich in people- it is the most populated continent in the world. About 60% of
world population, or over a 4 billion people, live in Asia. The other interesting fact is that 2 ½ billion
Asians live in only two countries- China and India. Another 1 billion Asians are Muslim.

All Races in Asia. In Asia may be found all races of man. The brown race is represented by
Filipinos, Malaysians, Indonesians, and Pacific islanders. The yellow race is found in China, Japan,
Korea, and Mongolia. The Aryan or Indo-European branch of the white race is found in Afghans,
Iranians, and northern Indians of the Indian subcontinent. The Semitic branch of the white race is also
found in Hebrews, Arabs, Iraqis, and Syrians. The black race is found in Negritos (Aetas) of Luzon and
aborigines in Australia. The red people of Siberian and Central Asia were ancestors of American
Eskimos and Indians. During the Western colonial era, mixed races arose, producing mixed white and
non-white race, who are called “Eurasians” or “mestizos”.

Languages and Literatures. In Asia, languages and literature spread from the great
civilizations of Mesopotamia, Persia, India, and China.

In the various chapters we shall see the language and literature of the different Asian
civilizations. It is important to know that language and literature came up to the world by way of Asia,
not by the way of the West. Asian writers, like Rabindranath Tagore of India, Asia’s first Nobel
laureate, have produced world classics. Of course, the world’s greatest religious book is also Asian-
the Bible, Torah, Quran, Vedas, Suras, etc.

Art and Architecture. Asian works are highly diverse and generally influenced by geography,
politics, and religion rather than romantic notions of Western art. Different types of art and architecture
have been conditioned by three geographical regions of Asia.

Religions in Asia. Asia is the cradle of the world’s greatest religions- Christianity, Judaism, Islam,
Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Confucianism, Taoism, Shinto, and Zoroastrianism. In addition to these
beliefs, numerous cults and spiritual movements also away the Asians. This is because, as we noted,
the Asian is deeply spiritual facts about religion in Asia, as follows:

1. Asia is the cradle of the world’s greatest religions. Christianity and Judaism originated in
Palestine; Islam in Arabia; Hinduism and Buddhism in India; Confucianism and Taoism in
China; Shintoism in Japan; and Zoroastrianism in Iran.

2. The relation between the divine and the human in Asia is so intimate that there is no dividing
line between the sacred and the secular. Everything has spiritual value, even ordinary activities
like eating, singing, dancing.

Christianity- A Minority Religion in Asia. Christianity, which is the world’s most prevalent
religion, is a minority religion in Asia. This has perplexed experts , especially those from the West,
since Christianity began in Asia. Only about 200 million Asians, or 3% of the population, are Christian,
most of them living in the Philippines, Timor Leste, Macao, and South Korea.

Prepared by:
KRYZZLE TRITZ B. DANGEL
Instructor
 Contributions of Asians to Mankind.

1. Asia is the birthplace of the human race. Judeo-Christian literature states that God created the
first man and a woman in the Garden of Eden, which was a paradise along several rivers
including the Tigris and Euphrates (Iraq). The names of their descendants are clearly
enumerated, and the descendants are clearly enumerated, and the events following them. Asia
has the historical and archaeological evidence for the earliest human societies. By contrast,
hominid relics in Africa do not have a timeline with known communities of humans, and do not
even seem completely human.

2. Asia is the cradle of civilization. The earliest civilizations emerged in the Tigris- Euphrates
valley of Mesopotamia, the plateau of Iran, the Indus valley of India, and the Huang River valley
of China. The Chinese civilization is the oldest continuing civilization all the way to the first man
and woman.

3. Asia is the homeland of the world’s greatest religions- Christianity originated in Palestine;
Hinduism and Buddhism in India, and Islam in Arabia, Judaism in Israel, Confucianism and
Taoism in China, Shinto in Japan, and Zoroastrianism in Iran. The practices of other countries
do not compare to these great religions of the world, with their moral; ethical and legal codes.

4. Asia produced the first inventions and discoveries. The plow and wheel, the alphabet and first
writing systems, mathematics, medicine, food preparations, textiles, astronomy, mining, metal
tools, jewelry, coins, iron tools and weapons, compass, gunpowder, printing, paper money,
among other things.

Prepared by:
KRYZZLE TRITZ B. DANGEL
Instructor
 LESSON III

CHINA, WORLD LARGEST NATION

China is the world’s largest nation in terms of population and one of the oldest continuing
civilizations, going back more than six thousand years ago, it has the world’s oldest written language,
continuously used, unlike cuneiform and other ancient languages which are no longer used. Its four
greatest inventions- paper painting, gunpowder and the compass- are still in use today.

China’s cultural influence extends beyond its boundaries, because the Chinese people, religion,
culture and language are found in Japan, Korea, Indochina, Philippines and the Chinese communities
around the world.

Land and People. China’s name came from the Qin (Chin) emperor (221 BC), and Persians
and Indians knew the country as “cin” or “cina”. Other names of China in history were “sinae”, “cathay”,
or “sino”. Filipinos call it “Tsina” and refer to the Chinese as “intsik” or “singkit” (slant-eyed).

Mandarin Chinese call their coutry Zhongguo, meaning “middle kingdom” (central nation). It is
like saying that they are the center of the world.

China has more people than anywhere on earth- over 1.3 billion in the mainland alone, not
counting other Chinese. In fact, there are three Chinas, namely the People’s Republic of China
(PROC) in the mainland; the Republic of China(ROC) in Taiwan; and the overseas Chinese in other
countries.

The eastern half of China is one of the world’s best farmlands, with three great rivers: the
Huang Ho (Yellow), Chang (Yangtze), and Xi. The Huang Ho is the cradle of Chinese civilization, the
heartland of China. But it is also known as “China’s sorrow” due to its destructive annual floods, Chang
is the longest river.

Mandarin, the dialect of the north, is the official language due to the communist takeover.
There are many dialects as there are provinces – Cantonese, Fookien, Hakka, etc.

The major cities are Beijing (Peking), the capital, and Shanghai, the largest city.

New China The beginning of XX century in China was notable for the activity of revolutionary
forces. The yoke of imperial officials and permanent tax increases caused the unrest in different parts
of China. In 1900, Beijing experienced the "Boxer Rebellion". The rebels attacked the quarters of
foreigners. Only the joint forces of the European expeditionary forces were able to suppress the
uprising.

The Xinhai revolution initiated in 1911, led to the fall of the imperial power. General Yuan Shikai
forced the Manchus to abdicate the throne. In 1912, a constitutional republic was formed under the
leadership of Sun Yat-sen, the founder of the Kuomintang. However, in the course of the race for
power between Sun Yat-sen and Yuan Shikai, China found itself on the verge of occupation by Japan,
in the course of which it captured the province of Shandong.

One of the turning points in the history of China began in 1921, upon formation of the
Communist Party of China headed by Mao Zedong in Shanghai, five years later, in year1926, Sun Yat-
sen died and the leader of the Kuomintang was chosen Chiang Kai-shek.

Prepared by:
KRYZZLE TRITZ B. DANGEL
Instructor
 Later on, almost 30 years, China was suffering from a struggle between the Communist Party
led by Mao Zedong and the Nationalist Party led by Chiang Kai-shek, which ended with the victory of
the first. During the Second World War, the eastern part of China was re-occupied by the Japanese,
who fled the country after the capitulation.

In 1949 Mao Zedong, the leader of the Communist Party of China proclaimed the establishment
of the People's Republic of China, which still exists today. Modern China is one of the world's
developed countries, which boldly entered the XXI century - the era of technological advances;
however, the Chinese still revere their ancient history and respect the customs and traditions
established by the ancestors.

Prepared by:
KRYZZLE TRITZ B. DANGEL
Instructor
 LESSON IV
TAIWAN- ISLAND BASTION OF NATIONALIST CHINA

Land and People Taiwan (Formosa) is a small group of islands north of the Philippines and
west of the South China coast. It is only separated from mainland China by narrow strait. The main
island is shaped like a kamote (sweet potato), so that native Taiwanese refer to themselves as
“children of the sweet potato”. The land is dominated by two mountain ranges on the eastern two-thirds
and flat, gently rolling plains in the west, home to most of the inhabitants. A series of terrace-like
valleys along the mountains gave the name Taiwan (Terraced Bay). Early Portuguese, enchanted by
the island’s beauty called it Taipei, one of Asia’s attractive and modern cities.

Taiwan’s Languages Most people in Taiwan speak more than one language, but often English
isn’t one of them. The official language is Mandarin Chinese, and it’s more or less the same as the
official language of the People’s Republic of China. That said, each part of China has a regional
accent, plus different expressions, so Mandarin speakers are usually able to distinguish mainlanders
from Taiwanese by the way they talk.

With varying degrees of fluency, most of Taiwan’s people speak what they call Taiwanese, but
what language scientists call Holo, Hokkienese or Minnanhua. Between the 1950s and the 1980s,
Taiwan’s education system stressed Mandarin at the expense of Taiwanese; students who spoke
Taiwanese in the classroom were punished. Realizing that Mandarin proficiency is needed for any
decent career, many parents decided to speak Mandarin rather than Taiwanese to their children. As a
result, while almost everyone born in Taiwan 65 or more years ago speaks fluent Taiwanese, many of
those born in last few decades don’t speak the language well.

Taiwan’s Hot Springs Taiwan’s position on the ‘Pacific Ring of Fire’ brings it one very tangible
benefit – an abundance of hot springs. At more than 120 locations around Taiwan, mineral-enriched
waters warmed by the Earth’s geothermal heat bubble to the surface.

Many springs are conveniently close to major cities. People based in Taipei are fortunate in
having on their doorsteps the famous hot springs of Xinbeitou and Wulai. East Taiwan is riddled with
springs; luxurious hotels have been built at some while others remain remote and entirely
undeveloped, and can only be reached by 4×4 vehicle or on foot. Hikers find that, when their legs are
aching, nothing beats a good soak.

When the Japanese took control of Taiwan in 1895, they brought with them a well- developed
hot-springs culture. From the foreign tourist’s perspective, Taiwan’s hot springs have certain
advantages over Japanese onsen. Whereas segregation by gender and nudity are the norm for springs
in Japan, swimsuits are worn at most public hot-spring pools in Taiwan.

Climate Because of Taiwan’s dramatic topography the country’s climate varies considerably
from one part of the island to another. In most places, typical daytime temperatures are 20 to 25
degrees Celsius (68 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit) and only slightly cooler at night.

Religions in Taiwan Taiwan’s religious environment is characterized by tremendous diversity

and tolerance. There’s some competition between sects, but almost no friction. Some observers have
likened the mix of religions to threads which together create a beautiful cultural tapestry.

In Taiwan, some people practice ‘pure’ Buddhism and some follow ‘pure’ Taoism. Far more,
however, follow one, or both, blended with folk beliefs. For anyone who grew up in the West or the
Prepared by:
KRYZZLE TRITZ B. DANGEL
Instructor
 Middle East, where monotheistic faiths require exclusive loyalty, the pick-and-mix approach of many
Taiwanese to religion is initially bewildering but always intriguing.

The gods and goddesses revered by most Taiwanese are Chinese in origin, although a few are
entirely local. Christians are a small minority, and Muslims an even smaller one. Despite Japan’s huge
impact on Taiwan in fields as varied as architecture and cuisine, very few Taiwanese follow Japanese
religions.

Prepared by:
KRYZZLE TRITZ B. DANGEL
Instructor
 LESSON V

JAPAN, FROM TERROR TO INDUSTRIAL GIANT

Japan transformed from a militaristic spirit bent on invading other lands and terrorizing
people, into a peaceful and industrious nation of great prosperity. Its resurrection from terror to
prosperous industrialist came after the most traumatic experience a nation could ever suffer- Japan is
the only nation bombed with nuclear weapons, at Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. The trauma forced
it to surrender; but with Allied help, it miraculously rose from the ashes of war to historical heights.

Japan, before China, is the major economic power in Asia, the second largest
economy in the world, and the third largest purchasing power. It is the factory to the world for cars,
ships, electronics, cameras, gadgets, toys, games, and robots. While China was closed to the world,
Japan was the most coveted, most familiar face of Asia to outsiders.

Japan, island country lying off the east coast of Asia. It consists of a great string of islands in a
northeast-southwest arc that stretches for approximately 1,500 miles (2,400 km) through the western
North Pacific Ocean. Nearly the entire land area is taken up by the country’s four main
islands; from north to south these are Hokkaido
(Hokkaidō), Honshu (Honshū), Shikoku, and Kyushu (Kyūshū). Honshu is the largest of the four,
followed in size by Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku. In addition, there are numerous smaller islands,
the major groups of which are the Ryukyu (Nansei) Islands (including the island of Okinawa) to the
south and west of Kyushu and the Izu, Bonin (Ogasawara), and Volcano (Kazan) islands to the
south and east of central Honshu. The national capital, Tokyo (Tōkyō), in east-central Honshu, is
one of the world’s most populous cities.

Land Japan is bounded to the west by the Sea of Japan (East Sea), which separates
it from the eastern shores of South and North Korea and southeastern Siberia (Russia); to the north by
La Perouse (Sōya) Strait, separating it from Russian-held Sakhalin Island, and by the Sea of Okhotsk;
to the northeast by the southern Kuril Islands (since World War II under Soviet and then Russian
administration); to the east and south by the Pacific; and to the southwest by the East China Sea,
which separates it from China. The island of Tsushima lies between northwestern Kyushu and
southeastern South Korea and defines the Korea Strait on the Korean side and the Tsushima Strait on
the Japanese side.

People of Japan The Japanese people constitute the overwhelming majority of the
population. They are ethnically closely akin to the other peoples of eastern Asia. During the Edo
(Tokugawa) period (1603–1867), there was a social division of the populace into four classes—warrior,
farmer, craftsman, and merchant—with a peer class above and an outcast class below. With the
exception of the burakumin (literally, “people of the hamlet”), the descendants of the former outcast
class, this social class system has almost disappeared. The burakumin, however, are still subject
to varying degrees of discrimination.

Hundreds of thousands of Koreans migrated to Japan (a great many against their will) before
and during World War II, when Korea was a Japanese colony, and worked mainly as labourers; those
remaining after the war and their descendants, the latter born and raised in Japan, do not have
Japanese citizenship and face considerable discrimination.

Prepared by:
KRYZZLE TRITZ B. DANGEL
Instructor
 Languages Japanese is the national language, and Ainu is almost extinct. The Japanese
language is generally included in the Altaic linguistic group and is especially akin to Korean, although
the vocabularies differ. Some linguists also contend that Japanese contains elements of Southeast
Asian languages. The introduction of the Chinese writing system and of Chinese literature about the
4th century CE enriched the Japanese vocabulary. Until that time Japanese had no written form, and at
first Chinese characters (called kanji in Japanese) were used to write Japanese; by the 9th
century two syllabaries, known collectively as kana (katakana and hiragana), were
developed from them. Sin

Economy Japan is remarkable for its extraordinarily rapid rate of economic growth in the 20th
century, especially in the first several decades after World War II. This growth was based on
unprecedented expansion of industrial production and the development of an enormous domestic
market, as well as on an aggressive export trade policy. In terms of gross national product (GNP; or
gross national income), a common indicator of a country’s wealth, Japan is the world’s second largest
economic power, ranking behind only the United States. It has developed a highly diversified
manufacturing and service economy and is one of the world’s largest producers of motor vehicles,
steel, and high-technology manufactured goods (notably consumer electronics). The service
sector has come to dominate the economy in terms of its overall proportion of the gross domestic
product (GDP) and of employment.

Government and Society Japan’s constitution was promulgated in 1946 and came
into force in 1947, superseding the Meiji Constitution of 1889. It differs from the earlier document in two
fundamental ways: the principle of sovereignty and the stated aim of maintaining Japan as a peaceful
and democratic country in perpetuity.

The emperor, rather than being the embodiment of all sovereign authority (as he was
previously), is the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people, while sovereign power rests with
the people (whose fundamental human rights are explicitly guaranteed). Article 9 of the constitution
states that Japan “forever renounces war as a sovereign right of the nation”—a clause that has been
much debated since the constitution’s promulgation.

The government is now based on a constitution that stipulates the separation of powers
between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The emperor’s major role now consists of
such formalities as appointing the prime minister—who is first designated by the Diet (Kokkai)—
and appointing the chief justice of the Supreme Court (Saikō Saibansho), convoking sessions of
the Diet, promulgating laws and treaties, and awarding state honours—all with the advice and approval
of the cabinet (naikaku).

Cultural Life It is common for Western observers of contemporary Japan to emphasize its
great economic achievement without equal regard to cultural attributes. Yet Japanese cultural
distinctiveness and the manner in which it developed are instructive in understanding how it is that
Japan came to be the first non-Western country to attain great-power status.

The Japanese long have been intensely aware of and have responded with great curiosity to
powerful outside influences, first from the Asian mainland (notably China) and more recently from the
Western world.

Prepared by:
KRYZZLE TRITZ B. DANGEL
Instructor
 LESSON VI

KOREA- ENCLAVE TO CHRISTIANITY IN EAST ASIA

Korea is romantically called “Land of Morning Calm” (chosun) because of its calm, misty
mornings. The history of this nagged rugged land, brave and diligent people, has been full of sorrow
and hardship. Korea is a nation where Filipinos and UN forces fought Chinese and Korean communist
armies in the 1950s, and it was divided by that war- the North becoming a communist dictatorship, and
the South, a multi-party democracy. Korea’s people are praying for reunion. The remarkable thing
about it is that in the last fifty year or so, part of it (South Korea) has become the enclave of Christianity
in East Asia.

South Korea, country in East Asia. It occupies the southern portion of the Korean peninsula. The
country is bordered by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) to the north, the East
Sea (Sea of Japan) to the east, the East China Sea to the south, and the Yellow Sea to the west; to the
southeast it is separated from the Japanese island of Tsushima by the Korea Strait. South Korea
makes up about 45 percent of the peninsula’s land area. The capital is Seoul (Sŏul).

Land Geologically, South Korea consists in large part of Precambrian rocks (i.e., more than
about 540 million years old) such as granite and gneiss. The country is largely mountainous, with small
valleys and narrow coastal plains. The T’aebaek Mountains run in roughly a north- south direction
along the eastern coastline and northward into North Korea, forming the country’s drainage divide.
From them several mountain ranges branch off with a northeast- southwest orientation. The most
important of these are the Sobaek Mountains, which undulate in a long S-shape across the peninsula.
None of South Korea’s mountains are very high: the T’aebaek Mountains reach an elevation of 5,604
feet (1,708 metres) at Mount Sŏrak in the northeast, and the Sobaek Mountains reach 6,283 feet
(1,915 metres) at Mount Chiri. The highest peak in South Korea, the extinct volcano Mount Halla on
Cheju Island, is 6,398 feet (1,950 metres) above sea level.

South Korea has two volcanic islands—Cheju (Jeju), off the peninsula’s southern tip, and
Ullŭng, about 85 miles (140 km) east of the mainland in the East Sea—and a small-scale lava plateau
in Kangwŏn province. In addition, South Korea claims and occupies a group of rocky islets—known
variously as Liancourt Rocks, Tok (Dok) Islands (Korean), and Take Islands (Japanese)—some 55
miles (85 km) southeast of Ullŭng Island; these islets also have been claimed by Japan.

Geography South Korea’s three principal rivers, the Han, Kŭm, and Naktong, all have their
sources in the T’aebaek Mountains, and they flow between the ranges before entering their lowland
plains. Nearly all the country’s rivers flow westward or southward into either the Yellow Sea or the East
China Sea; only a few short, swift rivers drain eastward from the T’aebaek Mountains. The Naktong
River, South Korea’s longest, runs southward for 325 miles (523 km) to the Korea Strait. Streamflow is
highly variable, being greatest during the wet summer months and considerably less in the relatively
dry winter.

Most of South Korea’s soils derive from granite and gneiss. Sandy and brown-coloured soils
are common, and they are generally well-leached and have little humus content. Podzolic soils (ash-
gray forest soils), resulting from the cold of the long winter season, are found in the highlands.

Languages All Koreans speak the Korean language, which is often classified as one of the
Altaic languages, has affinities to Japanese, and contains many Chinese loanwords. The Korean
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 script, known in South Korea as Hangul (Han’gŭl) and in North Korea as Chosŏn muntcha, is
composed of phonetic symbols for the 10 vowels and 14 consonants. Korean often is written as a
combination of Chinese ideograms and Hangul in South Korea, although the trend is toward using less
Chinese. A large number of English words and phrases have crept into the language—either intact or
modified by local usage—as a result of the American presence in the country since 1950.

Religion Freedom of religion is constitutionally guaranteed in South Korea, and there is no

national religion. There also is little uniformity of religious belief, a situation that often is confusing to
observers. Historically, several religions prevailed successively: shamanism (the religious belief in
gods, demons, and ancestral spirits responsive to a priest, or shaman), Buddhism, Daoism, and
Confucianism. None of these religions was abandoned, however, when one supplanted another in
dominance, and all have had a role in the country’s sociocultural development. Thus, the rites of
shamanism (which has existed in Korea since ancient times) are still practiced by many. The principles
and social outlook of Confucianism are still much in evidence in Korean daily life and family
relationships, and Buddhism remains influential—even among people who may be nominally Christian,
for example. Approximately one-fourth of the population professes Christianity, with Protestants
(particularly Presbyterians and Methodists), independent Christians, and Roman Catholics the largest
groups. Less than one- sixth of the population is Buddhist.

Economy The South Korean economy has grown remarkably since the early 1960s. In that
time, South Korea transformed itself from a poor agrarian society to one of the world’s most highly
industrialized nations. This growth was driven primarily by the development of export- oriented
industries and the abundance of highly skilled and educated labour, fostered by strong government
support.

Government and business leaders together fashioned a strategy of targeting specific

industries for development, and beginning in 1962 this strategy was implemented in a series of
economic development plans. The first targeted industries were textiles and light manufacturing,
followed in the 1970s by such heavy industries as iron and steel and chemicals. Still later, the focus
shifted to such high-technology industries as automobiles, electronics, and information technology.

Government and Society The government instituted after a constitutional referendum in 1987
is known as the Sixth Republic. The constitutional structure is patterned mainly on the presidential
system of the United States and is based on separation of powers among the legislature, the
executive, and the judiciary. The government system, highly centralized during most of South Korea’s
existence, is less so under the Sixth Republic. The president, since 1987 chosen by direct popular
election for a single five-year term, is the head of state and government and commander of the armed
forces. The State Council, the highest executive body, is composed of the president, the prime
minister, the heads of executive ministries, and ministers without portfolio. The prime minister is
appointed by the president and approved by the elected National Assembly (Kuk Hoe).

Cultural Life Shamanism, Buddhism, and Confucianism constitute the background of modern
Korean culture. Since World War II, and especially after the Korean War,
globalization and rapid political and economic development have had a marked effect on the country’s
culture. Traditional thought, however, still plays an important role under the surface. Korea belongs
historically to the Chinese cultural realm. After the Three Kingdoms period in particular, Korean culture
was strongly influenced by the Chinese, although this influence was given a distinctive Korean stamp.

A number of Korean cultural sites have been named UNESCO World Heritage sites. These
include the depositories for the Tripitaka Koreana (one of the most complete editions of Buddhist
canonical writings in the world), located at Haein Temple, west of Taegu (designated 1995); several
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 dolmen (stone burial monument) sites from the 1st millennium BCE in the southwestern part of the
country (2000); and the volcanic island of Cheju and its lava-tube cave system (2007).

Daily life and social customs

The once-dominant Confucian culture—with its emphasis on respect for ancestors, age, and
seniority—continues to influence Korean family, work, and social life, albeit to a lesser degree than in
the past. In addition to other factors, such as economic status and position in a business hierarchy, age
and marital status are among the determinants of relative seniority, and there is some expectation that
even between social acquaintances these factors—especially age— will influence relations.

Two of the most important holidays are Sŏllal (Lunar New Year) and Chusŏk (harvest moon
festival, often referred to as the Korean Thanksgiving), both observed according to the lunar
calendar. These are marked by the gathering of families in the ancestral hometown or at the home of
the head of the family. Traditional elements of holiday celebrations include the formal, respectful
greeting of elders, the preparation and eating of special foods such as specific types of rice cakes
(ddŏk), and the wearing of traditional dress (hanbok).

Hanbok was the everyday dress of Koreans for thousands of years before the opening of the
country to the West. Western dress has supplanted the hanbok almost everywhere, but even urban
dwellers commonly still wear it on special occasions such as important family meetings, holidays,
weddings, and funerals. Women’s and girls’ formal hanbok consists of several layers of undergarments
under a colourful, long billowing skirt and short jacket held closed with a long tie. The men’s and boys’
version consists of full-legged pants and a long, wide-sleeved jacket. There are different hanbok for
special occasions, such as weddings, babies’ birthdays, and 61st- birthday celebrations.

Module Summary

Asia is becoming more significant in global affairs. Asia had previously been hidden by the
West, but now the East is once again taking center stage. The Philippines was historically the "light of
Asia," and it will undoubtedly have a part to play in the salvation of Asian souls. Asia, the least
evangelized continent in the globe, has only one country with a majority Christian population: the
Philippines. Filipinos will carry the Gospel as it travels west to its historical origin as the Philippines
serves as a bridge between East and West.

Moreover, Asia has sixty percent of world population, or a total of four billion people.
The remaining two billion are spread out in the remaining five inhabited continents.

Origin of the Name "Asia". "Asia" came from the word for "sunrise", in many languages. It was
referred to as asu (ascend), or asa (east), referring to the direction of the sunrise. The name was
familiar to ancient explorers, who thought the earth was flat, and, Asia is the region where everybody's
day begins.

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 ASSESMENT
Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: _______________

EXERCISE 1
INSTRUCTION: Answer the following questions and encircle the correct answer.

1. It came from the word sunrise in many languages known as as

a. Asia b. Europe c. Africa d. Antarctica
2. Out of the seven continents, it is by far the largest in land area.
a. Zealandia b. Europe c. Antarctica d. Antarctica
3. It is the world’s most prevalent religion in the world.
a. Christianity b. Judaism c. Jainism d. Buddhism
4. It is the world’s largest nation in terms of population.
a. Brazil b. China c. Japan d. United Kingdom
5. It is the country that known as Land of the Rising Sun.
a. Japan b. China c. Kazakhstan d. Uzbekistan
6. It was the war that launched by North Korean army on South Korea.
a. WWI b. WWII c. Yultong d. Korean War
7. He was the one who propped dropping atomic bombs against North
Korea.
a. McArthur b. Truman c Roosevelt d. Romulo
8. The country who became the most powerful empire in 19th century.
a. Japan b. Iran c. Britain d. United States
9. He was the spiritual leader of the Indian independence movement.
a. Mao Zedong b. Khan c. Mahal d. Gandhi
10. The country known as the most blessed nation.
a. Jordan b. Israel c. Canaan d. Jews
11. He was the first person to be elected as a president in the 1st Republic of Korea.
a. Choi b. Rhee c. Kyun d. Park
12. It was the everyday dress of Koreans for thousands of years.
a. Hanbok b. Kabuki c. Kimono d. Futsal
13. The Yamato court was also known for this period in modern Narra.
a. Hisoka b. Heian c. Narra d. Asuka
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 14. In China and Taiwan, they believed that this philosopher was the one
Who founded the Taoism especially the Tao the Ching
a. Lao Zi b. Confucius c. Ssu Ma Chien d. Herodotus
15. The continent which is the homeland of the cradle of world religions.
a. Asia b. Africa c. South America d. North America
16. The allies of Korean during the Battle of Yultong against China and
Korean communist.
a. Malaysia b. Philippines c. Japan d. Russia
17. The continent known for first inventions and discoveries.
a. Antarctica b. Europe c. North America d. Asia
18. The Chinese people called their country as ?

a. Kyoto b. Zhongguo c. Zanpakuto d. Nihonggo

19. It is the world’s highest mountain above sea level located in
Himalayas.
a. Mt. Pinatubo b. Mt. Vesuvius c. Mt. Matutum d. Mt. Everest
20. Built about 2,000 years ago on the mountain slopes of Northern
Luzon and known as Asia’s man-made wonders.
a. Banaue Rice Terraces b. Great Wall of China c. Borobudor d. Angkor Wat

EXERCISE II

Identification: Give a brief definition of the following

1. Mahatma Gandhi –
2. Land of the Rising Sun –
3. Land of Morning Calm –
4. Children of sweet potato –
5. Sleeping Giants –
6. Hinduism –
7. Graveyard of Empires –
8. Kublai Khan –
9. Cradle of Civilization –
10. Cradle of Islam –

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 EXERCISE III
Answer the following questions briefly but meaningful.

1. Asia is the only continent that shares borders with two other continents; Africa and Europe. It sometimes
joins with a third continent, North America, in the winter by ice forming in the Bering Sea. For you,
what is the greatest contribution of Asia in civilizations and to the world?
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2. If you had a given a chance to live somewhere in any subregions in Asia, Where is it and why?
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References

a. Gale Group , Cities of the World: Asia – The Pacific and The Asiatic Middle East
b. David Levinson – Encyclopedia of World Cultures Southeast and East Asia: Soviet
Union, China and Eastern Europe, Vol 5
c. Gregorio F. Zaide and Sonia M. Zaide – History of Asian Nations

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Instructor