15-1 Warm-up Look at the map on page 413. On what river is the Three Gorges Dam located? Why might China want to dam this river?

Western China Geography Rugged Terrain  acts as a barrier from other lands Several large mountain ranges  Himalayas Plateau of Tibet  13,000 feet above sea level 2 large deserts  Taklimankin (2 nd largest) and the Gobi

Climate and Resources Thinly populated. Why? High mountains are cold year round, lower areas have cool and sunny summers Forest grow in areas less than 12,000 above sea level

Climate and Resources Continued Deserts get little rain and have little vegetation Most people are nomadic herders Resources=petroleum and lead  largely untapped

Eastern China Geography Huang He and Yellow Rivers  flow through NE China Chang Jiang=longest river in Asia. Busy waterway Xi Jiang river flows through SE China Rivers are critical to productive farming

Climate and Resources Densely populated NE China  cold winters, warm summers, enough rain for farming SE China  mild winters, hot rainy summers Bamboo is plentiful Farming: rice, wheat, soybeans, millet Natural Resources: tin, iron, and coal

Floods Killed, injured, displaced millions of people Cutting down trees and urban growth increases flood damage

Assignment With a partner create a debate based on whether or not the dam will improve life in China or cause more problems.