Geography of China

ESSENTIAL QUESTION: How did the geography of China impact the

people and history of China?

OBJECTIVE: To understand the significant geographical features

of China.

Geography

• The capital of China is Beijing

• It covers 3.7 million square miles

• The climate ranges from deserts, to mountains to rainforests

Population

• There are 1.3 billion people in the country• Most live in the eastern 1/3 of the country• 95% of the population are Han (ethnic

Chinese)• Mandarin is the official language but the

people speak numerous dialects• Most of the people are farmers which is

difficult since 80% of the land is not good for farming

Rivers of China

• Huang He or Yellow River• Yangzi• Xi

Location, Location, Location

• Why is the location of China so important to its history?

1. Far distance from other major civilizations - It was a journey to get there from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East

2. Surrounded by natural barriers – Tibetan Plateau; Himalayas; Gobi Desert; Ocean

Great distance from China to other trade areas

Natural Barriers• Yellow Sea, East China Sea and the Pacific

Ocean to the east• Taklimakan Desert, Plateau of Tibet and

Himalayas to the west• Gobi Desert and MongolianPlateau to the north