Early Chinese CivilizationsGeography

Rivers and Mountains• Civilization began between the

Yellow River and the Yangtze River– Good for farming.

The Yellow River

The Yellow River

The Huang (Yellow) River

The Yellow River

Mountains and Deserts• China is geographically isolated

from other civilizations.– Mountains and deserts create

natural barriers.– China was forced to defend

farmland from Asian invaders.

Must defend northern frontier!

The Environment - ChinaThe Land

• 4th Largest Country in the world. (area)

• 12% of the land is suitable for farming despite the large size.

Desert• Gobi Desert

Bodies of Water• The Huang He

(Yellow) River ‘Yellow soil’

• Yangtze River

Mountains• Himalaya Mountains

The Climate•Varies from region to region.•Next Page will define.

CHINA CHINA “Climate “Climate Control”Control”

1.1. NORTH CHINA PLAINNORTH CHINA PLAIN ~ ~ warm hot summers/cold warm hot summers/cold winters. Chief crops are winters. Chief crops are wheat and millet. wheat and millet.

2.2. SOUTH CHINA PLAINSOUTH CHINA PLAIN ~ ~ richer in farming and richer in farming and more industrialized. They more industrialized. They grow rice, cotton, tea, grow rice, cotton, tea, veggies and more.veggies and more.

3.3. MANCHURIA MANCHURIA ~ (North ~ (North East) very cold climate East) very cold climate makes it pretty makes it pretty unpopulated. unpopulated.

4.4. MONGOLIA MONGOLIA ~ (The Far ~ (The Far North Region) North Region) encompassed by the encompassed by the Gobi desert, its climate is Gobi desert, its climate is very hot in the summer very hot in the summer and and coldcold in the winter. in the winter.

The The Yangtze RiverYangtze River serves as serves as China's official dividing line China's official dividing line between north and south between north and south