Erebus

Fact library / Countries

Countries of East Asia

6 countries in East Asia, each with a picture to fix its place, shape or name in your memory.

The red hero in the cold

Mongolia, between Russia and China, has its capital at Ulaanbaatar, meaning "Red Hero", often called the coldest national capital.

Picture it

A red superhero gallops across the frozen steppe, sandwiched between the giant bear of Russia above and the dragon of China below. His shield reads "OO-LAHN BAH-tar": Red Hero.

Memory hooks

  • Ulaanbaatar: a red hero on horseback (visual association)
  • Mongolia: sandwiched between a bear and a dragon (shape)

Say it: Ulaanbaatar (oo·LAHN·BAH·tar)

The big main island

Japan is an island country in East Asia; its largest island is Honshu, home to the capital, Tokyo.

Picture it

A chain of islands curves off the coast of Asia like a dragon. The biggest piece, its body, is HON-SHU: it wears a HUGE SHOE. On its sole is stamped TOKYO.

Memory hooks

  • Japan: a curving island dragon (shape)
  • Honshu: the dragon's body wears a huge shoe (sound-alike)

The soul of the peninsula

South Korea occupies the southern half of the Korean Peninsula, and its capital is Seoul.

Picture it

A peninsula hangs down from China like a tail, split across the middle. On the southern half, a singer belts out a song full of SOUL: the capital is SEOUL.

Memory hooks

  • South Korea: the southern half of a split tail (visual association)
  • Seoul: a singer full of soul (sound-alike)

The sweet potato on the tropic

Taiwan is a sweet-potato-shaped island off China's southeast coast, crossed by the Tropic of Cancer, with its capital at Taipei.

Picture it

Off China's coast floats a giant SWEET POTATO, cut in two by a painted line: the Tropic of Cancer. On the northern tip, someone sips a TIE-PAY (TAIPEI) bubble tea.

Memory hooks

  • Taiwan: a sweet potato cut by the Tropic of Cancer (shape)
  • Taipei: sipping bubble tea (sound-alike)

The line across the peninsula

North Korea occupies the northern half of the Korean Peninsula, divided from South Korea near the 38th parallel, and its capital is Pyongyang.

Picture it

Someone draws a line across the Korean Peninsula at the 38th parallel and lines it with fences. North of the line, a ping-pong ball bounces "PYONG-YANG, PYONG-YANG" through the empty streets of the capital.

Memory hooks

  • North Korea: a fenced line across the peninsula (visual association)
  • Pyongyang: a ping-pong ball bouncing "PYONG-YANG" (sound-alike)

One clock for a giant

China spans about five geographical time zones but uses just one, set to its capital, Beijing.

Picture it

A giant country in East Asia is so wide the sun rises hours apart from east to west, yet everyone sets their watch by a single clock in the capital. Along the clock's dragon wall a BAY JINGles with bells: Beijing.

Memory hooks

  • China: a giant country on one clock (visual association)
  • Beijing: a BAY that JINGles with bells (sound-alike)