CHINA

CHINA

In eastern Asia World’s most populated countryFourth largest country in terms of areaBeijing is the capital Shanghai is the largest city70% of it is mountains, hills, and highlandsWide range of climates Most farmland and people are in the eastMost live in towns or villagesRepublic government controlled by the Communist partyGovernment controls economy but is letting more free enterprise

1 in 5 people are ChineseMost work in agriculture90% live in eastern China92% are HanFamily is very importantLive modestlyMen marry after 22Women marry after 20Only allowed to have two kidsOne of the world’s oldest civilizationsDeveloped the compass, paper, and porcelain

The Chinese language has over a ___________________ characters in it.

An ancient form of writing from China is called _________________.

The ________________ and _________________ are two symbols of Communism.

Besides rice the ______________________ plant has been grown in China for a long time.

____________ on the Chinese flag stands for revolution, the big starrepresents the _______________________, and the four smaller starsstand for the __________________________ .

China has a ___________________________ climate.

The Chinese were the first to use _______________________ and their currency is called the _______________________ .

China’s official national religion is ______________________.

The __________________________________ has the most fertile soil in China.

Countries Around the World: China

thousand

calligraphy

hammer sickle

soybean

RedCommunist Partypeople

diverse

paper moneyYuan

atheist

Yangtze River Delta

MODERN CHINA CROSSWORD PUZZLE

less than 20 years

1/3 ½

traditions and rituals

less than 10%

Privatization – the government not owning everythingIt allows individuals to own land and start businesses

8 times larger

their writing

34 a minute and 7 million a year

construction projects

Chinese New Year

CHINA’S GEOGRAPHY and NATURAL WALL1. What continent is China a part of?

2. This mountain range can be found along the southern border of China and India. It contains the highest mountain peak in the world.

3. This desert is north of the Himalayas. It is surrounded on three sides by mountains and on the east by the Tarim River.

4. This river originates in the eastern Himalayas and flows toward the East China Sea. It crosses the Sichuan Basin.

5. What direction is Egypt from China and how many miles apart are they?

6. This river winds across northern China from the Himalayas. It has two names - one being Chinese and the other English.

7. This mountain range runs along the border of China and Mongolia. It is bordered on the east and south by a desert.

8. This is the water body that lies between the mainland of China and the small island country of Taiwan. The Tropic of Cancer runs through this water body.

9. This eastern region in China is close to the water and is considered one of the most fertile regions in the country. It is directly south of the nation’s modern day capital city.

Asia

Himalayas

Taklimakan

Yangtze

West <2300 miles

Huang He ~ Yellow

Altai

Taiwan Strait

North China Plain

10. What direction is India from China and how many miles apart are they?

11. This water body is directly to the east of China. It lies between the mainland and the island chain of Ryukyu.

12. This water body lies between China’s mainland and the Korean peninsula. It shares it’s name with a river that winds through eastern China.

13. This fertile, flat area is located in northeast China and surrounded by the Greater Khingan Range on the west and Russia on the north and east sides.

14. This desert is found on the border between China and Mongolia. 15. About how many miles wide and long is China?

16. These are China’s western mountains and can be found between China and Kyrgyzstan. 17. This large plateau is found in southwestern China.

South Border one another

East China Sea

Yellow Sea

Manchurian Plain

Gobi

Over 2500 miles east to west over 1000 miles north to south

Tien Shan

Plateau of Tibet

It is said that nature has built a natural wall around China. List the names of the physiographic features which form China’s natural wall.

MOUNTAINS (4) DESERTS (2) SEAS (3)

What do you think will be the advantages and disadvantages to China having a “natural wall”?

ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES

HimalayaHindu KushTien ShanAltai

GobiTaklimakan

YellowEast ChinaSouth China

Safe from invaders/protectionWill have many natural resources

Difficult to trade/travel to/with othersCause isolation

CHINA’S PHYSIOGRAPHIC FEATURES

Yangtze River

Summer Temp. = 65° FWinter Temp. = 22° F

Annual Precipitation = 40 ins.Vegetation Type = rainforest

The Yangtze river (meaning “Long River”) is the longest river in Asia, and the fourth longest in the world. It runs for a good 3,859 miles. To some people, it is considered a dividing line between

northern and southern China.

Yangtze River Location:flows through south central China from the mountains to the sea

Facts: -Also known as the Chang Jiang-Yangtze = Long River-Longest river in China and Asia and 4th in the world-It sometimes does flood-People use the river to move goods between eastern and western areas in the region -Its surrounding lands are very fertile

The word “Gobi” means very large and dry in Mongolian. The Gobi Desert is the 5th largest desert in the world and is Asia’s largest. It covers an area of about 500,000 square miles. The Gobi Desert is a cold desert, and it is not uncommon to see frost or occasionally snow on its dunes.

Gobi Desert

Summer Temp. = 113° FWinter Temp. = -40° F

Annual Precipitation = 5.5 ins.Vegetation Type = desert

Gobi Desert

• LocationIt covers part of China and Mongolia

Facts- one of the world’s largest deserts - Most of the desert is stony and its

surface is made up of small pebbles and tiny bits of sand

- It is a cold desert, and it is not uncommon to see frost and occasionally snow on its dunes

- Vegetation is sparse and the plants there tend to be small and widely spaced

Summer Temp. = -13° FWinter Temp. = -100° FAnnual Precipitation = 80 inches Vegetation Type = none

Himalayan Mountains

. The Himalayan Mountains are the world’s highest mountain range and contain the world’s highest mountain, Mount Everest, which is over 25,000 feet high. The Himalayas extend for 1,500 miles. These mountains are extremely dangerous to travel through, not only because of their height, but

also because they are always covered in snow and ice.

Himalayan Mountains • LocationAlong China’s southern border

and forms a natural border between the Indian subcontinent

Facts- the highest mountain range

in the world - region is a bitterly cold place - It is so cold that there is very

little or no vegetation.

Huang He (Yellow) River

Summer Temp. = variesWinter Temp. = varies

Annual Precipitation = 16 ins.Vegetation Type = sparse grasses

The Huang He River is the second longest river in China, as well as the sixth longest river in the world. It stretches about 3,395 miles. This river is commonly known as the Yellow River, because that is the color of the river from all of the sediment it carries. Another nickname for this river is “China’s Sorrow”. It is called

this because it has been known to have devastating floods.

Huang He (Yellow) River

• LocationIt bends through north central China from the

mountains to the sea

Facts - Second longest river in China, 6th in the world - called the Yellow River because of the

enormous amounts of yellow silt- Very muddy river - Called "the cradle of Chinese civilization", as

its basin is the birthplace of ancient Chinese civilizations

- the river has flooded more than 1,500 times, causing much damage and loss of life. This has also earned the river the name "China's Sorrow".

North China Plain

Summer Temp. = 82° FWinter Temp. = 28° F

Annual Precipitation = 23 ins.Vegetation Type = grassland

The North China Plain is the largest flat lowland area in China. It stretches across an area of 158,000 square miles. The early Chinese considered this plain “the center of the world”.

North China Plain • Location- east central China

Facts- is a flat region of grassland and

temperatures range from very warm in the summer to cold in the winter.

- called the “Land of the Yellow Earth” because the ground is covered by yellow limestone silt from the Gobi Desert

- This flat yellow-soil plain is the main area of grains, corn, and cotton production in China. Wheat, sesame seed, and peanuts are also grown here.

- The plain is one of the most densely populated regions in the world.

Plateau of Tibet

Summer Temp. = 45° FWinter Temp. = 18° F

Annual Precipitation = 10 inchesVegetation Type = sparse grasses

The Tibetan Plateau is also called “the roof of the world”. It is the highest and largest plateau in the world covering an area about four times the size of Texas.

Plateau of Tibet • LocationThe southwestern part of China is

dominated by the high Tibet Plateau

Facts- This area is often called the “Roof

of the World” since it is over two miles above sea level

- It is a very large area, covering almost a quarter of the land in China

- very cold and dry climate with sparse shrubs and grasses

- The natural vegetation is eaten by antelopes and yaks that roam the area

Taklimakan Desert

Summer Temp. = 100° FWinter Temp. = 15° F

Annual Precipitation = 5 inchesVegetation Type = desert

The Taklimakan Desert is known as the largest sand-only desert in the world. Many different mummies have been found in this desert, and some date back over four thousand years. The word

“taklimakan” is known to mean “desert of death” or “place of no return”.

Taklimakan Desert • Location- located in western China, just

northwest of the Tibetan Plateau

Facts- Over 105,000 square miles- considered one of the most

dangerous deserts in the world - “once you go in, you will not come

out”- The desert’s huge sand dunes shift

and change as the wind blows the sand around and sandstorms arise with stunning speed

- the desert is very dry with vegetation near oases only

- Legend says that two armies and three hundred cities are buried in it

Summer Temp. = 41° FWinter Temp. = 15° F

Annual Precipitation = 10 ins.Vegetation Type = forest

Tien Shan Mountains

The Tien Shan Mountains are one of the longest mountain ranges in Central Asia. Their name means “mountains of the spirits”. The mountains at their lower levels contain many spruce forests.

Tien Shan Mountains • Location- The northwestern tip of China and lies

to the north and west of the Taklimakan Desert

Facts- one of the longest mountain ranges in

Central Asia at 1700 miles long- The name Tien Shan literally means

“celestial mountains” and is sacred to those who practice Daoism

- Heavy rain and snowfall on the range create a mountain environment that contrasts dramatically with the arid desert terrain of the southern foothills

- On the lower slopes, there are flowery meadows and forests

- Top of them are covered with glaciers

Manchurian Plain• Summer Temp. = 75° F• Winter Temp. = 10° F• Annual Precipitation = 20 ins.• Vegetation Type = sparse grasses

The Manchurian Plain is also known as the Northeast China Plain. It covers an area of over 135,000 square miles. There are almost no trees on this plain. This area is good for raising livestock and herding.

Manchurian Plain

• Location- northeastern China - east of

Mongolia

Facts- Also known as Northeast China Plain- is a land of low hills and plains and

the natural vegetation is mostly prairie grass

- It has short, warm summers and is cold in the winter – dry in the north and wetter in the south

- In general, the plain is too cold and dry to be a good place for growing crops but is good for herding and livestock

CHINA’S GEOGRAPHY: HELPFUL or HARMFUL

HELP HARMFUL OTHER FACTSNatural barriers give protectionRivers link/bring the people togetherRivers flood and enrich the soil for farmingRivers used for their resources and as transportation/trade routes

Natural barriers make it hard to travel and communicateNumerous regions formed and developed their own ways and, therefore, the Chinese were not unifiedRivers flood, destroy, and killDeserts are dry wastelands

Southwest = mountainsNorth and west = mountains and desertsEast = oceanAll of the above act as barriers keeping China both isolated and safe

China Map KeyYangtze River Gobi DesertHimalayan MountainsHuang He/Yellow (River)North China PlainPlateau of TibetTaklimakan DesertTien Shan (Mountains)Manchurian Plain

Name the mountains found in northwest China.

The Huang He River and the Yangtze River flow in which direction?

What part of China are the Himalaya Mountains found in?

What direction would you travel in to get from the Taklimakan Desert to the Gobi Desert?

Which physiographic feature of China has the warmest summer temperature?

Which physiographic feature of China has the warmest winter temperature?

QUESTIONS on CHINA’S GEOGRAPHY

Tien Shan

west to east eastward

southern or southwestern

northeast or east

Gobi Desert

North China Plain

Which physiographic feature of China has the overall coldest temperatures?

Which physiographic features of China get over 20 inches of precipitation in a year?

Which physiographic feature of China is most like Carroll County? Defend your choice with at least three reasons.

Explain why over ninety percent of China’s population lives in eastern China?

Himalaya Mountains

Yangtze River, Himalayan Mountains, North China Plain, Manchurian Plain

NORTH CHINA PLAIN: similar temperatures, both have lots of grassland, both are farming areas growing corn, somewhat similar precipitations, both on the east coast

flat, reasonable temperatures, on the coast, two major rivers flow through it, fertile soil

PREHISTORIC CHINA

Yangshao

Yangshao• Began 10,000 B.C.E• Settled near the Huang He (Yellow) River in

north central China.• Were farmers in China• Had houses built partially underground with

plastered floors and roofs supported by wooden beams

• Created painted pottery with geometric designs on it They used a kiln but no potter’s wheel

Lungshan

Lungshan• About 3000 B.C.E• Settled near the Huang He (Yellow) River in northeast

China.• Farmers that raised cattle, sheep, pigs, and dogs and

grew wheat and millet• Eventually settled in southern China to grow rice• Leaders arose to complete projects to control

flooding• Created black pottery using a kiln and a potter’s

wheel• First to harvest silk from silkworms to weave fabric

which became a major export of China

Xia

Xia • Last of the Prehistoric settlements around 2000 B.C.E. (ruled

for about 300 years)• Settled near the Huang He (Yellow) River in north central

China.• Know about them from legends and eventually what

archeologists have found• Had bronze weapons and tools• Were farmers• Made pottery• Rulers communicated with spirits for help and guidance• Defeated by the Shang, China’s first dynasty

Could eventually become China’s first dynasty when and if more evidence is found about them

The Shang Dynasty

SHANG DYNASTY

1) 1700-1050 BCE

2) On the Huang He River in the North China Plain

4) A series of rulers from the same family

5) From the tombs, artifacts, and writing we have found

3) The Shang dynasty is important because . . .CHINA’S FIRST DYNASTY

ZHOU DYNASTY

1) farmers

lived in the Wei Valley on the Huang He River

2) In 1050 BCE Wu the Martial and the Zhou conquered the Shang3) China’s longest lasting dynasty

4) Tian – impersonal power (heaven) worshiped by the Zhou that demanded right behavior and good government

Mandate of Heaven – getting heaven’s (tian) support if you ruled well

owned all of the land and granted Nobles complete control of the land given them, protects and defends the land and people, govern in the interest of the people

controls the land given to him from the king which consisted of a walled town and the farms around it, must give the king a portion of what the peasants produce from his land, must send the king soldiers in times of war

work the farmland and give the noble some of what they produce/make, are the soldiers

KING

NOBLES

PEASANTS

6) Dialects are different forms of the same language

7) Communication from region to region was difficult because people could not always understand each other when they spoke

8) Expanded the use of writing so no matter how a word was pronounced in the different regions of China, its written form would be the same and understood. This allows China’s culture to grow and spread.

ANCIENT CHINA’S BELIEF SYSTEMS

China’s greatest teacherBorn in Lu, ChinaWas part of a noble family then became poor and orphanedWell educatedGave simple lessons for living

551 – 479 BCE during the last years of the Zhou Dynasty

Order and mutual respect among people led to peaceTreat others the way you would want to be treated – Golden Rule

CONFUCIUS

Central idea of Confucianism “relationship between two people”

One person existing in harmony with another

REN

Husband and wifeFather and sonOlder brother and younger brotherFriend and friendRuler and subject

Sincerity (honest), loyalty (trusting), mutual respect (considerate)

Family very important and children should respect their parentsRulers should act like good fathersGovernment should be based on goodnessGovernment officials should earn their jobs

CONFUCIANISM

MOISM

Mozi

Universal love for all people and respect for all people will bring peace

LEGALISM

All people are bad by nature

Only a strong government with strict laws and harsh punishments can keep the evil under control

DAOISM

Laozi

Want a small and simple society

Best leaders work quietly in the background and do not worry about getting credit

Want to find Dao – “the way” of the universe by being in harmony with nature and in touch with your inner feelings

Qin and the Qin Dynasty

Uniting China

UNITING CHINAQin was King of a state in 246 BCE Had a strong army of foot soldiers, archers, chariots of 600,000 menConquers all of the other Chinese states by 221 BCE and declares himself emperorHe uses spies, bribes, and alliances along with melting down rivals weapons into bells to get and keep controlEnds feudalism and forces 120,000 ex-nobles to move to the capital, Xianyang, so he could keep an eye on them since they had the real power before himStarts a bureaucracy of 36 commandries which are ruled by 3 officials

civil governor – laws and farmingmilitary governor – armiesimperial overseer – kept an eye on the other two officials

Each commandery is divided into counties overseen by a judgeto enforce the laws

Standardizing China’s Culture

STANDARDIZING CHINA’S CULTUREChina’s culture differed from region to region before QinQin standardizes China’s culture

writing system consisted of a dictionary of 3,300 characters which improved communication

number 6 was the basis of all measurement and measuring cup was standardized

one coin called a banliang was used as currencyQin was a legalist so he created a system of laws and everyone was treated the same with both rewards and punishments Punishments = fines, beheadings, forced labor, whipped, amputations, etc.Built a network of roads to inspect his empire

Conflicts with Scholars

CONFLICTS WITH SCHOLARSQin conflicted with Confucian scholars because his reforms went against Confucianism's beliefsConfucianists believed a ruler’s good behavior would make the people behave and you must honor past traditionsQin as a legalist believed that people were evil and needed strict laws and harsh punishments to behave and he rejected the past and devoted himself to new ideas and methodsBurned almost all of the Confucian books and forbade public teaching of ConfucianismExecuted over 460 Confucian scholars for plotting against him and had them buried alive or beheaded His own son was punished for sticking up for the scholars

Building the Wall

BUILDING THE WALLQin built many public works projects (roads, water canals, Great Wall) by forcing hundreds of thousands of his people to build themConnected and extended what was already started as the Great Wall across all types of terrains and weatherDid this to prevent invasion and discourage escapeIt took at least 300,000 workers (soldiers, peasants, govt. officials, criminals)Tens of thousands died building The Wall and were buried in it making it “the longest graveyard in the world”The Wall is over 1500 miles long, made of stone, brick, and dirt Average height = 25 ft. Average thickness = 15-30 ft. It did not fill it’s purpose but still is considered an awesome achievement

Emperor’s Death and Burial

EMPEROR’S DEATH and BURIALQin was unhappy and scared of death and wanted to live forever

(immortality)Was told to hide from evil spirits so in his 270 palaces he had secret

passages built in and between themDied in 210 BCE at age 49, poisoned by drinking potions that were to give him immortalityHis death was kept a secret until his body was returned to the capitalWas laid to rest in a magnificent tomb that was started when he was 13 It covered 8 sq. miles and took 700,000 workers to make, workers were

buried alive with Qin so no stealing would take placeThe tomb contains the terra cotta army (clay soldiers), city of bronze,

mercury rivers and seas, jewels, rare objects, tools and traps

THE SILK ROAD

The Silk Road came about because people wanted silk. China was theonly place that had silk. Since silk was scarce it was expensive and invery high demand. Traders or merchants wanted to make a profit on their expeditions. In order to make money, merchants had to sell their goods at high prices to cover the costs of travel, transportation, taxes, and protection. Along the Silk Road towns became trade centers. In the town bazaars the West traded gold, grapes, pomegranates, wool rugs, colored glass, and green and white jade. On the other hand, China traded back to the West silk, gunpowder, paper, compasses, and bamboo. The Silk Road went from Chang’an, China and went all the way west to the Mediterranean Sea.

Caravans, groups of merchants and government officials, made their way along the Silk Road. They used camels to carry goods on the journey because they could haul large loads and needed little water. These caravans faced many hardships on their trading journeys. Along the Silk Road they would encounter many possible setbacks or problems, such as, weather – sandstorms, cold, rain, etc., terrain – deserts, mountains, etc., and attacks from bandits. Caravans moved from town to town along the Silk Road. In each town, caravans would go to the caravanserai where they

could stay, eat, drink, socialize, and leave their animals while they visited the bazaars.

Along with the large amount of trade that took place along the Silk Road, there was also a rich diffusion of culture. Customs, beliefs, ways of life, and technology from one end of the Silk Road quickly spread to the other end of the Road.