Download Geography of China Article - Hewlett

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Geography of China
Ancient China covered a large area. The climate, soil, landforms, and waterways were
different in each region, which gives it the nickname “A Land of Contrasts”.
Eastern and Northern China
The North China Plain is in Eastern China. It is made of soil deposits from the Huang
He River and provides a great deal of fertile land. The Huang He River is in parts of
northeastern China. The Yellow River is often called the "cradle of Chinese civilization"
because many people settled along its banks and developed many new ideas. The Yellow
River is 3,395 miles long making it the sixth longest river in the world. Early Chinese farmers
built small villages along the Yellow River. The rich yellow colored soil was good for growing a
grain called millet. The farmers of this area also raised sheep and cattle. The Chinese people
called the Huang He River “China’s Sorrow” because each spring, the river would overflow
causing much destruction. Early Chinese people built dikes and other irrigation systems to try
to control flooding. The climate in this area varies between the seasons, and has a brief
summer monsoon. There is not much rain at other times, so the climate is very dry overall.
Western China
To the north and west of Ancient China were two large deserts: the Gobi Desert and
the Taklimakan Desert. These deserts provided borders that kept the Chinese isolated
from the rest of the world. Over time, the Mongols lived in the Gobi Desert and were
constantly raiding cities of northern China. This is why the Great Wall of China was built to
protect the Chinese from these northern invaders. It later spread to the wetter south, along
the Yangtze River. The land in this area was very hot and dry due to the desert-like
conditions.
Southern China
The Yangtze River is south of the Yellow River and flows west to east. Just like the
Yellow River, the Yangtze played an important role in the development of the culture and
civilization of Ancient China. Farmers that lived along the Yangtze River took advantage of
the warm climate and rainy weather to grow rice. Eventually the land along the Yangtze
became some of the most important and wealthy land in all of Ancient China. The Yangtze
also served as a boundary between northern and southern China. It is very wide and difficult
to cross. Also in the southwest of China are the Himalaya Mountains. These are the highest
mountains in the world. They provided a nearly impassable border for Ancient China,
keeping the area isolated from many other civilizations. They were also important to Chinese
religion and were considered sacred. The climate in southern China is warm and wet.
Monsoons bring heavy rains from March to September. Light rain falls for many months of
the year. Mountains and seas separated China from other lands.
Isolation
The Chinese had little contact with other civilizations due to the fact that they were
isolated by their landforms and bodies of water. The Chinese thought that they lived at the
center of the world, so they called themselves the Middle Kingdom.