Geographic Settings of China

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Geographic Settings of China

• Chapter 15 Section 1
• Pages 323-327

By Shanna N.
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Basics

• China was thought to be the center of the Earth
• Covers a huge area of Asia is one of the
  largest nations in the world
• Physical barriers include the Gobi Desert, the
  Mongolian Tibetan plateaus, the Himalaya
  Mountains (largest in the world)
• Mountains rain forests separate China from
  Southeast Asia

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• These physical barriers limited contact with
  other civilizations in the early ages but still
  continued

• Trading goods to India Middle East countries
• Buddhism carried to China
• Invaders coming and spreading ideas
  technologies

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• Home to 1.2 billion people (1/5 of the worlds
  population today) but most Chinese crowd to the
  eastern third of the country
• WHY??
• Mountains plateaus cover over 80 of China
• Many people are farmers so they need fertile soil
  to grow their crops which in China there is only
  10 of good farming land
• People have built into hills mountains because
  of limited land for farming

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Regions

• Six main regions
• 2 of the 6 regions lay in the Chinese heartland
  which is North South China
• home to Chinas 1st civilization
• The 4 other regions include the Northwest,
  Mongolia, Xinjiang Xizang

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North South China(the heartland)

• North China
• Has warm summers cold winters
• Unpredictable rainfall
• Main crops are wheat millet
• Main cities are the capital Beijing Tianjin

• South China
• Richer in farming industry growing
• Grows rice, cotton, tea, vegetables other crops
• People are packed into farmlands near bodies of
  water

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The Northeast Mongolia

• Northeast
• Was known as Manchuria where they conquered China
  in the 1600s
• Government is developing many new resources
• Due to cold climate, population is very small

• Mongolia
• Harsh climate
• Summers are particularly hot winters are very
  cold
• Government is working on improving irrigation,
  which will promote farming

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Xinjiang Xizang

• Xinjiang
• Oil-producing region
• May start producing wheat cotton
• Home to Muslim Uighurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz

• Xizang
• Known as Tibet
• Region is along the Himalayas where it is barren
  treeless
• Developing hydroelectric power
• Rich in minerals

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Rivers

• 3 main rivers include the Huang He, Chang, Xi
  Rivers
• Millions of Chinese work on river valleys risking
  flooding but technology has helped by building
  dikes and canals

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Huang He River

• A.K.A. the Yellow River due to it emptying into
  the Yellow Sea from its yellow-brown soil
  called loess from which the wind carries across
  the North China Plain
• Floods frequently due to loess clogging the
  riverbed heavy rains
• The only advantage of flooding is the end result
  of the fertile soil after it dries

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Chang River

• Also known as the Yangzi which carries most of
  Chinas trade
• Busiest port city is Shanghai
• Government debates over hydroelectric power
  worrying that there will be so much power which
  can harm the environment and cause flooding
  ensuing 1 million people to move out of their
  homes

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Xi River

• Or known as the West River flowing through South
  China
• Major port is Guangzhou which ships goods to all
  over the world
• Tens of millions of Chinese live in Xi delta for
  its ample water, good climate, excellent soil

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People

• 95 of the people are Han (ethnic Chinese)
• Minorities are the Mongols, Tibetans, Tajiks
• Everyone speaks different forms or dialects of
  Chinese
• Official language Mandarian

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