GEOGRAPHY AND THE EARLY SETTLEMENT OF CHINA

INTRODUCTION

CHINA’S GEOGRAPHY Third largest country in the world Population = 1.2 billion. Largest in the world Outer China and Inner China Most of Ancient Chinese history deals with Inner China Geography of both areas affected its development

GEOGRAPHY OF OUTER CHINA Western and Nothern parts of China today SW = Himalaya Mountains acts as the boundary Tibet-Qinghai Plateau Very cold and a lot of snow NW = Northwestern Deserts Turfan Depression because the land is so low Very hot NE = Northeastern Plain Hills and plains Hot summers but longer, cold winters

GEOGRAPHY OF INNER CHINA Southeastern part of China today Closer to sea level Hills, river valleys, plains Land was fertile and rivers provided irrigation Early settlers liked this land better than outer China North China Plain = dry and cool Chang Jiang Basins = warm and wet

DID YOU LISTEN WELL ? How large is China today? What is its population? What part of China is considered Inner China? What part is considered Outer China? What is Inner China like? What is Outer China like? Did most of the historical events of ancient China take place in Inner or Outer China?

TIBET-QINGHAI PLATEAU Tibetan Plateau or “Roof of the World” 2 miles above land Very cold, thin air Rocky land surrounded by Himalayas on South Mount Everest Yellow and Yangtze Rivers Animals Hard place to live can´t grow crops, travel is hard

NORTHWESTERN DESERTS TAKLIMAKAN DESERT GOBI DESERT One of the most dangerous deserts in the world Huge dunes, big winds = major sandstorms Too dry for vegetation Only foudn near oases GOBI DESERT One of the world’s largest deserts Few dunes, more stones and pebbles Small plants spread far apart Hard to travel, wildly varying climate

NORTHEASTERN PLAIN Low hills, plains, natural vegetation Rivers allow for easier travel Varying climates Generally, too cold and dry for good crops Linked to the rest of China by a coastal plain

NORTH CHINA PLAIN Flat region, covered with silt Carried from Gobi Desert Silt runs into river, called Yellow River Yellow River (Huang He) Longest and muddiest river Silt fertilizers the land Good for growing crops Also causes major flooding

CHANG JIANG BASINS Low, wet coastal plains along Chang Jiang River “Long River” – longer than Yellow River Tributaries (streams) that people used to move goods Good, fertile land from river Less dangerous flooding Thick vegation, not a lot of farmland Could grow rice

EARLY SETTLEMENT Peking Man = first inhabitants lived in caves 500,00 years ago Hunters, gathers, fisherman Used tools and could probably make fire Settled North China Plain so they could farm Lived in villages along the Yellow River Had plenty of water good soil more mild climate

ISOLATION Early people of China were isolated because of China’s geography Mountains, deserts, rocky plateaus, cold climates, huge deserts Only connection to Inner China was narrow plain

LIFE IN OUTER CHINA Tibetan Plateau Northwestern Deserts Had to move more often so their animals could graze on lands Yaks were very important – food and wool Northwestern Deserts Settled on oases in mud homes Cotton, wheat, corn, mutton Northeastern Plain Too cold to farm but could have livestock Nomads

LIFE IN INNER CHINA More people because more fertile land North China Plain Great wheat, millet, raised livestock Chang Jiang Basin Not much farming or livestock pigs and chickens Grew rice