Ancient ChinaGeography and Early History

How does the location of ancient China impact its growth?

•Ancient China originated along the banks of the Yellow River and grew into a huge empire, much like Mesopotamia, Egypt and India.

China, as in ancient times, has a variety of physical features impacting its growth, much like Mesopotamia, Egypt and India.

• Yellow River • Yangtze River• Yellow Sea• East China Sea• South China Sea• Himalaya

Mountains• Taklimakan

Desert• Gobi Desert

How did China’s location and physical features impact its growth? The Silk Road allowed people, goods and ideas to be traded from Asia to Europe and back! So…..this is money! What can money do for China? Where all did the Silk Road trade?

Directions:

• 1. Complete China Map• 2. Update your big world map….add China, Yellow River, Yangtze

River, Yellow Sea, etc…..get the info from your study guide.• 3. Complete Silk Road Map• 4. Read Handout on Geography and Early History of Ancient China.

Complete the two questions at the bottom of the handout. Feel free to use a Venn Diagram or other graphic organizer to assist you.

Geography and Early History Questions

1. Compare and Contrast China’s development with previous civilizations you have learned about.

Compare – grew up along rivers, used silt to fertilize land, used agriculture and domestication, physical features limited growth and expansion

Contrast – built the Great Wall of China along territory to prevent invasion, controlled the Silk Road

2. What are some pros (good) and cons (bad) of China’s physical features?

Pros – natural barriers protects China from invasion (mountains and deserts), rivers provide water for agriculture, location allowed for trade routes to increase moneyCons – natural barriers prevents China from expansion, rivers can flood and cause destruction, some natural barriers did not protect China and forced them to build the Great Wall of China