China's land area is approximately 6.5% of the total land area in the

world, after Russia & Canada, ranking 3rd in the world.

China & its SurroundingsChina & its Surroundings

For centuries, natural barriers isolated China from all other civilizations. E: various seas & oceans. W: Taklimakan Desert & Plateau of Tibet.

SW: Himalayas. N: Gobi Desert & Mongolian Plateau

Gobi Desert

Plateau of Tibet

Himalayas

Taklimakan Desert

Mongolian Plateau

China’s Isolation• As a result, civilization in China developed in relative isolation from the

civilizations of India and further west and therefore developed and kept its

own distinctive culture

• Until modern times (last 200 yrs) China’s only regular contact w/foreigners

was w/nomads who spoke their own languages/religions

• The Chinese considered these and other outsiders to be culturally inferior

and called nomadic peoples barbarians

• Lack of contact w/foreigners helped give the Chinese a strong identity and

sense of superiority

• They regarded their land as the only civilized land and called it the Middle

Kingdom b/c they believed China was the center of the world

• In their eyes, one could become civilized only by learning Chinese language

and customs

Monsoon (Seasonal winds/rains that bring dry and wet seasons)

In Northern China - Monsoons bring a brief,

but intense summer rainy season. The rest of the year it is mostly

dry.

In Southern China - Monsoons bring heavy

rains from March to September. Light rains fall the rest of the year.

China: Cultivating the Land

China is geographically divided into 2 parts. Outer China is a sparsely

settled region of high mountains, plateaus, steppes (grassland plains

w/o rain), and deserts. Agricultural China is where 95% of the Chinese

people live.

China: Size and Population

9,596,960 Square area 9,629,091 Square area

1.4 Billion 309 Million

China United States

China has the largest population in the world. Two-thirds of the Chinese people are farmers, but only 4% of China’s land can be cultivated.

In an effort to balance the relationship between land and people, China adopted a “one-couple, one-child” policy in the 1980’s.

Taiwan, Another Chinese Country

The island of Taiwan is located about 125 miles off the southern coast of China. Around

1590, the Dutch called the island "Ilha Formosa" or beautiful island. For the next 400 yrs the island was called Formosa. After the Communists led by Mao Zedong, took over

mainland China in 1949, the former Chinese govt fled to Taiwan. They established the

Republic of China on Taiwan. It is also referred to as Chinese Taipei.

ChinaTaiwan

• Similarly to Ancient India, Ancient China’s earliest civilization began along its rivers

• Each spring, rivers overflowed, depositing rich soil by the river valleys - Civilization began on the Huang He (Yellow) River and spread south to the Yangtze River

The further _west you travel, the

higher the elevation and the harder it is

to farm

The Huang He (Yellow) River

• 3,000 miles long, 2nd longest river in China & muddiest river in the world

• Empties into the Yellow Sea

• The Huang He Valley has extremely fertile yellow soil called loess (pronounced “les”)

• Silt (moist soil) is carried in the water of the Huang He, thus the name Yellow River

• Also known as the “river of sorrow b/c the massive floods it produced were often

completely devastating, wiping out crops and destroying whole towns

• Over time, people learned the techniques (dikes) for flood control

The Yangtze River

• Also known as the Chang Jiang River

• Longest in China, 3rd longest river in the world - 3964 miles

• The Yangtze passes through some of China's best farmland and many of its

towns and villages, used today mainly for commercial purposes/trade

Mapping Directions:Using the various maps in this slideshow, label

the following on your blank map

1. China 11. Vietnam 21. Bay of Bengal

2. Mongolia 12. Laos 22. Huang He River

3. North Korea 13. Burma 23. Yangtze River

4. South Korea 14. Thailand

5. Japan 15. Cambodia

6. Russia 16. Bangladesh

7. Yellow Sea 17. Bhutan

8. South China Sea 18. India

9. Taiwan 19. Nepal

10. The Philippines 20. Sri Lanka