Ancient China Geography

Geography 1. Civilizations today and in the past are influenced

by Geography. Land features, climate, and available resources have influenced the

way people live and thedecisions they make throughout history.

Where in the World?1. China is a country located in the Eastern

Hemisphere on the continent of Asia.2. China is located in the Southeast part of Asia.

Size Comparison: China vs. USA

Where in the World?

3. China is the world's third largest country, after Russia and Canada.

4. Today, most people in China, live and work along the Pacific Ocean coastline in large cities such as Shanghai and Beijing.

Geography A Civilization Develops

6. As early as 8,000 BCE, people built small villages and farmed along the rivers.

7. Over thousands of years, more people settled around the rivers. Evidence of government, economy and other features of civilization have shown that Ancient China was a land of invention and prosperity.

Geography cont. Agriculture/Farming

8. Ancient China’s Civilization developed around the river valleys in the east. They are the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang) and Yellow River (Huang He).

9. The land around the rivers provided rich soil for growing crops (agriculture).

Geography cont. 10. The melting snows from the Himalayan

Mountains in the west create the source for the two rivers. The mouth of the rivers spill into the Pacific Ocean.One-third of China's land area is made up of mountains. The tallest mountain on Earth, Mount Everest, sits on the border between China and Nepal.http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/countries/nepal/#nepal-himalayas.jpg

➢ Trace the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers in the above map to show the paths of the rivers from the mountains to the Pacific Ocean.

Geography cont. 11. People living in higher elevations adapted and

modified their environment by terrace farming- A series of “steps” were dug out of hillsides to create a flat planting bed. Rice and millet are grown this way. This was a technique built for long-term success and is still used today. (When it rains, instead of washing away the soil, the soil stays in place. Nutrients are also held in place or carried down to the next level.)

Geography cont.

➢ Can you think of any other civilization used Terrace Farming?

China’s Natural BordersNatural Borders

-Protection- Natural Borders promoted (helped)the development of the civilization.

12. China benefited (was helped) from these borders because they kept out invaders from other regions of the world.

To the NORTH; Gobi DesertTo the EAST; Pacific Ocean To the WEST; Taklamakan Desert (Tarim Basin) To the SOUTH; Himalayan Mountains

China’s Natural Borders

Can you think of any natural borders in the United States?

China’s Natural Borders -Isolation- Natural Borders impeded (not helpful)

on the development of Civilization. 13. Because of its natural borders, China was

isolated (all alone) from other civilizations in this ancient time.

14. There was no trade or cultural exchange with other countries until the development of the Silk Road around 90 BCE.

Ancient China was separatedAncient China was separated from the other ancient civilizations by mountains, deserts, and large bodies of water.

Geography cont. 15. These natural barriers also affected the natural

world. Certain species of plants and animals are only found in China. An example of this is the Giant Panda.

Geography Practice Geography Practice

Label the Yellow River and the Yangtze River on the map below.Label the following Natural Borders of China that surround the rivers:Gobi Desert, Taklamakan Desert, Pacific Ocean, Himalayan Mountains Label the following countries: China, Mongolia, Russia, India

Geography Practice

Geography Practice