Unit 3 – China Geography and Ancient China Global Studies 9

Geography

The Three Major Rivers Huang He River Yangzi River Xi River

Gobi Desert Altai Mountains Taklamakan Desert Yellow Sea Manchurian Plain ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Tien Shan Mountains ^^^^^^^^^^ North China Plain Gobi Desert Taklamakan Desert Yellow Sea Tibetan Plateau Himalayas ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Pacific Ocean South China Sea

Climate 1 mm = .04 inches

Monsoons

Main Regions – Ancient China Manchuria Mongolia Xinjang North China Xizang “Chinese Heartland” South China

Main Regions of China 1. Chinese “Heartland” 2. Xinjang Eastern China Farmland, very populous. 2. Xinjang 3. Xizang (Tibet) 4. Mongolia 5. Manchuria } }Ancient China Rugged terrain; Attacks } from nomads.

The Middle Kingdom Little contact  Middle Kingdom East Coast = Most populated Trade existed with other cultures despite isolation Middle East, Egypt

4 Old World River Valley Civilizations

Shang Dynasty

Government 1650 B.C. - 1027 B.C.  Shang occupied area along Huang He Ruled by King Clans controlled regions Resembled India Set up 1st dynasty

Huang He Flooding = Centralized government

Social Structure Noble warriors owned land Merchants/Craftspeople lived in cities Peasants lived in farming villages. Ancient Chinese Dagger 

Religion Polytheistic Veneration of Ancestors Yin and Yang Balance = Peace and Prosperity

Evolution of Chinese Writing

Chinese Writing

Contributions Written Chinese  4,000 yrs. Ago Pictographs and Ideographs Strictly upper class