China and Its Neighbors

Explain how the geography and climate of the region have affected the lives of

the Chinese's and its neighbors

Vocabulary • Loess - dust like material found in soil.

• Staple Crop – the most important crop produced in a region

• One-Child Policy – China’s family planning policy: under this law married couples are only allowed to have one child

• Single State Policy – country in which one political party controls the government

• Illiterate – not knowing how to read

Landforms Gobi Desert

• Located in Southern Mongolia and Northern China

• Winds carry dust and soil, called loess, from the Gobi. Loess can pile up to about 10 feet

Landforms

Tibetan Plateau• Highest and largest

plateau in the world

• The two main rivers in China start in the plateau

Landforms

• The rivers in China must supply drinking water for 1/3 of the world’s population

• The Chang River is also called the Yangtze

• The Hung also called the Yellow River carries the rich loess soil from the Gobi

Landforms North China Plain• The land is flat because the

Huang River has flooded in this area for many years

• When the river floods it deposits the rich Loess

• This area is home to many farms

• Due to the farms and flat land, this area has a high population

Climates and Land Use

Climate and Land Use

The South East has a humid subtropical climate– They grow crops that need a

lot of water

– They grow tea and their staple crop rice

– Taiwan grows sugar and bananas

Climate and Land Use • Overall the central part of

the region has continental climate– This region is has warm

summers and cold winters

– Location of the North China Plain

– Wheat is the staple crop and people eat bread dumplings, and noodles made of wheat flour

Climate and Land Use

• The western part of China is Arid – Too dry to grow crops

– People are nomadic herders

– Move with animals to find water and grassland

– The children learn to become skilled horsemen and riders like American Cowboys

Where do you think most people in China live and why?

Populations

• China has the world’s largest population

• They have limited land resources

• Only 15% of the land is arable, which can be used for crops

• Many people are moving from the farms into the cities to find work

Population

• East China has a very high population density – Arable land for growing rice– Most people live in rural

areas in China, unlike the US– Many opportunities in

coastal cities to find work in factories and construction sites

– Shanghai is the largest city with a population of 16 million

Population • In the late 1970’s the

government started a one-child policy – Married couples could only

have one child – If you had more than one

you could be punished – Families will send their

sons to school before they send their daughters

– More women are illiterate – Exceptions were made for

farmers

Population

• Mongolia is landlocked country with a smaller population

• Most of Mongolia's population is made up nomadic herders– cities grow or shrink

depending on the weather

Ethnic Diversity • China is made up of 50

ethnic groups

• 92% of the people belong to the Han ethnic group and live in the east

• Each group has their own language, traditions, clothing, holidays, and religions

Ethnic Diversity

• The Han built the first kingdoms and would conquered new lands

• Today the one child policy only applies to the Han

Government – Mongolia

• 1989 the government reformed – Free elections – People elected leaders – Parliament makes the

laws – Constitution protects

religious freedoms and freedoms of the press

Economy – Mongolia • Moved to a Market Economy

after the fall of the Soviet Union

• They are landlocked and have need to transport goods by trains and trucks

• They have been exporting minerals

• Economy is growing but many people are still poor

Government – Taiwan

• In 1989 the government moved away from a single party system – Open elections – Freedom of religion and

press

Economy – Taiwan

• Taiwan has a strong economy and is called the Asian Tiger – People worked for a low

wage, and Taiwan was able to sell goods at a low price

– As more money came in, wages went up along with the price of goods

– Economy continued to grow because they improved education

– Now able to make advanced products (technology, chemicals, medicines and electronics )

Government – China • Single party state

controlled by the Chinese Communist Party

• The government restricts the number of churches and religious groups.

• China does not have freedom of press– Web sites are blocked

Government – China

• People can only live where they are registered, which is their birthplace

• They limit new registrations in cities

• If you work in a city with registration you cannot receive healthcare and other services

Government – China

• In 1989 10,000 people protested in Tiananmen Square in Beijing – They wanted more freedoms

from their government – The people refused to leave

so the government sent tanks and troops

– Thousands were killed and wounded

– Government refused to make any changes

Economy – China

• The Government controlled the Economy

• In the 1970’s the Government let some farmers , farm on their own. They did not have to follow the Government plan

• Farm production increased

Economy – China • After what happened with the

farms, China gave up the command economy

• Trade is important to China, but wages have not increased

• Many foreign companies have built factories along China’s coast line

• China has one of the largest Economies in the world and many goods are sold in the US

Economy – China

• Factories are located on the Southern and Eastern Coast and produce 60% of nations output.

• Areas in the West and Central China are not developing as fast as the East due to transportation issues

Economy – China

• Women do not have equal education and employment rights

• Local Governments and people in the west and central parts of China struggle to pay for schools

– They have a lower literacy rate and lower life expectancy rates

Environmental Challenges

• China suffers from air pollution due to cars, buses and coal burning power plants

• Water pollution is caused by factories and farms dumping wastes into rivers

Environmental Challenges

• People in west need water because of their dry environment

• Factories, families, and people compete for water

• The Huang river has dried up before reaching the sea

Environmental Challenges • China has limits on pollution

, but they are afraid if they punish factories people would lose their jobs

• China is looking towards hydroelectricity instead of burning coal and oil

• Building the dams can be expensive and disruptive

• Three Gorges Dam