China By: Mrs. Coxwell

Where in the world? China lies in the central part of eastern Asia. It is the third-largest country in area (By the way Russia and Canada beat it) China is slightly bigger than the US. Doesn’t look that way on the maps how come?

The Lay of the Land!! Rugged mountains cover 1/3 of the country. Mountain ranges include the Himalaya, Kunlun, Shan, Tian Shan, and Altay. The Plateau of Tibet is the world’s largest plateau. It is found in southwest China. It’s nickname is the “Roof of the World.” The Turpan Depression area located in the western part of the country is the hottest area in China. Temperatures can reach 122F. China has two deserts in its borders the Taklimakan and the Gobi.

What about water? Major rivers found in China are the Yellow, the Yangtze, and the Xi. These rivers are important transportation routes. Spring flooding supplies rich soil for farming. Most people of China live in these fertile plains around these rivers.

EARTHQUAKE! Eastern China faces earthquakes because it is along the Ring of Fire. (Not the song) This is the name given to the Pacific coastal areas with volcanoes and frequent earthquakes. Eastern China lies on a fault. (Remember that word from Chapter 1?) What makes these earthquakes so dangerous is the fact soooo many people live in China.

Let’s start running with the big dogs! 1949 China became a Communist state. (which means the government had control of the economics. This caused China to fall behind other countries. In recent years steps have been taken to make the economy stronger. Which include allowing FREE ENTERPRISE. As a result, China’s economy has BOOMED.

Foreign Trade China has asked other countries to invest into its country to learn new business methods. Many companies are now jointly owned by Chinese and foreign businesspeople. Why does this help foreign companies? Companies can pay Chinese workers less, and there are millions of consumers in China. (You know it’s got the largest population in the world.)

Sooo what does it all mean?! More people have jobs. Wages have increased. More goods are available to buy This all equals a higher standard of living.

Don’t tell me there’s a downside! Some people have found that prices have raised higher than their incomes. (We have talked about that happening in this country.) So some Chinese benefit some remain poor.

More problems China’s economic growth has also hurt its environment. Many factories dump waste into rivers, others burn coal which gives off smoke that pollutes the air. This has led to lung disease the number one cause of death in China.

Yahoo! Last slide. Hong Kong and Macau were cities in China but was controlled by European countries. Hong Kong (UK) Macau (Portugal) China got those cities back. Hong Kong (1997) Macau (1999). These two successful manufacturing centers has helped China’s economy grow.