China and Agriculture Click once and you will see a physical map of China. Note the location of the mountains, desserts and fertile land. Can you find China’s two main rivers, the Yellow and the Yangtse? Click again and a map showing elevation in China comes up. Click once and you will see the high mountain area. Can you name the country that occupies the high plateau area in these mountains? Click again and the desert area of China will be outlined. Note how much of the country is desert. Click a third time and the low lying coastal area is outlined. See how small it is. Click a final time and a map showing how much of China is under cultivation comes up.

High mountain region Desert and arid region Rich coastal lowlands

Activity: Compare how much land in China is under cultivation and how much land is really fertile. 1. What reasons can you give as to why China is expanding its agriculture into areas that may be unsuitable for agriculture? 2. Can you name three options that the Chinese government might have to feed its population other than turning more and more of Chinese territory into agricultural areas? 3. Which option do you think is the best? Explain.