Geography of Ancient China Mrs. DelGrosso Ms. West

Prediction: China is called the “Land of Contrasts” Prediction: China is called the “Land of Contrasts”. Why do you think China is given this nickname? Jot down your prediction in your notebook The Land of Contrasts

The Huang He River (also known as the Yellow River) flows across China for over 3,000 miles It empties into the Yellow Sea It gets its name from the rich yellow silt it carries The Huang He is both a blessing and a curse It is called “China’s Sorrow” because the floods kill many people and destroy homes It also provides rich soil that helps farmers grow food Huang He River

Loess is a fine yellow soil that is easily carried by wind and rain It can be a blessing, because it helps make the land fertile It can be a curse, because it is so light and fluffy that it can be easily carried by wind and rain in many directions Loess

The second river in China is called the Yangtze River, or Chang Jiang It is longer than the Huang He It empties into the Yellow Sea It leaves rich soil for farming Yangtze River

China has rich soil, but about one tenth of the land can be farmed Why do you think only part of the area can be farmed? Farming

The North China Plain is located near the Huang He River, so it is a good place for people to settle and farm Temperatures range from warm in the summer to cold in the winter This region is sometimes called “Land of the Yellow Earth” – why do you think this area receives that nickname? North China Plain

Towering Mountains and Vast Deserts Himalaya Mountains are located in the Southwest (what does this remind you of?) The Altay Mountains are also in the Northwest region The Gobi Desert is a cold, rocky desert in the Northeast region The Taklimakan Desert is a hot desert in the West Towering Mountains and Vast Deserts

The Yellow Sea and Pacific Ocean were salt water sources Ancient Chinese used these bodies of water for trading and transportation Bodies of Water

China was isolated from the rest of the ancient world because of its geographic features What problems do you think this isolation created for the people of China? Isolation

Stop and Jot in your notebook “Whoever controls the Huang River controls China” – spoken by a powerful Chinese ruler 4,000 years ago What do you think this quote means? Why would controlling a river help you control an entire country? Stop and Jot in your notebook