China occupies a vast stretch of East Asia, spanning nearly 9.6 million square kilometers of mountains, plateaus, basins, deserts, and river plains. Few countries on Earth pack in this much physical variety. The land rises from sea level along the…
Japan is an island country in East Asia, positioned in the northwestern Pacific Ocean along the eastern edge of the Asian continent. It consists of the Japanese archipelago, a chain of thousands of islands stretching from the cool waters near…
Mongolia is a vast, landlocked country in East and Central Asia, wedged between Russia to the north and China to the south. It is a land defined by extremes: rolling grasslands that stretch to the horizon, the arid expanse of…
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), commonly known as North Korea, occupies the northern half of the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. Bordered by China to the north, Russia along a short northeastern frontier, and South Korea across the…
The Republic of Korea (ROK), commonly known as South Korea, occupies the southern half of the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. Bordered by North Korea along a heavily fortified line and surrounded on three sides by water, South Korea combines…
Taiwan is a mountainous island in the western Pacific Ocean, forming one of the most geographically distinctive parts of East Asia. Rising sharply from the sea along a tectonic boundary between two major plates, the island packs an unusual range…
