1. What is civilization? Government Religion Organized cities Writing system Art Laws Agriculture (domestication of plants and animals) Specialized Jobs Social Classes

2. Huang He River Valley Just like in other culture hearths, rivers are crucial in the development of civilizations. What do rivers provide that make them important to civilizations? Name the other rivers we have studied, that have been important in the development of a civilization.. 3. Civilization began in China along the Huang He and later spread to the wetter south along the Yangtze River. 4. Why are rivers important to China? Monsoons from the South China Sea bring rains to the southern half of China. This area is warm and wet. The monsoons(?) don't reach N. China Northern China=rely on rivers for survival. 5. China's Rivers... *Like rivers in other parts of the world, China's rivers overflowed their banks each spring. *Flooding brought fresh, fertile topsoil to the land. *B/C of this, China's first farming villages developed along these rivers. 6. The Huang He (Yellow River) Begins in the highlands of Tibet, it flows for more than 3,000 miles and empties into the Yellow Sea. Muddiest river in the world! Loess: yellow-brown soil. After countless floods, the Huang He has carpeted the N. China plain with a thick layer of soil. (perfect for farming!) 7. China's Sorrow The other name the Huang He goes by is China's Sorrow. The river was unpredictable and sometimes dangerous, but it also provided life.. 8. China's Sorrow Sometimes one flood would drown thousands of people! The Chinese attempted to protect themselves with terraces and dikes.. Despite the dangers, the early Chinese people continued to settle along the banks of the Huang He.