Download TCI Chapter 19: Geography and Early Settlement of China

TCI Chapter 19: Geography and Early Settlement of China
19.1 Introduction
A. Ancient China- 1700 B.C.E.-220 C.E.
B. Climate has extreme features- ice storms, sand storms, extreme cold or hot
19.2 Overview of China’s Geography
A. Modern China- 3rd largest country
B. 3.7 square miles
C. @ 1.2 billion people (more than any other country)
D. 2 main areas: Outer & Inner Child (became one “China” in 1600s)
E. Outer China
a. SW- Himalaya Mtns in the Tibet-Qinghai Plateau (world’s largest,
bitterly cold, @ 50 days w/out frost)
b. NW- deserts, Turfan Depression (so hot that rain can evaporate before
hitting the ground)
c. NE- Northeastern Plain (low hills & plains; short hot summers & long
dry winters)
F. Inner China
a. SE- hills, river valleys, plains; rivers flow from west, good farmland
b. 2 main areas:
1. N- North China Plain (drier & cooler)
2. S- Chang Jiang Basin- low river valleys- good for growing rice
(warm & wet)
19.3 Tibet-Qinghai Plateau
A. SW- Tibet-Qinghai Plateau (also called Tibetan Plateau and nicknamed “Roof of
the World”
B. Covers ¼ the land of China
C. Himalaya Mountains on the southern edge w/ tallest mtn. (Mount Everest)- over 5
miles high
D. Very cold, air was “thin” (lacking oxygen) and dry- snow falls in summer
E. 2 rivers begin here:
1. Huang He (Yellow River)
2. Chang Jiang (Yangtze River)
F. Vegetation: sparse shrubs, grasses
G. Animals: antelopes, yaks, ox, wolves, wildcats
H. Overall, this area was a very difficult place for people to live- too cold & dry to
grow crops
I. The mountains made travel to Inner China difficult
19.4 The Northwestern Deserts
A. Deserts are harsh places to live and difficult to cross
B. Oasis- place where water can be found in desert
C. Climate varies- sizzling hot in summer, freezing in winter (temps run @ 15-100
degrees)
D. Taklimakan Desert
1. @ 105, 000 sq. miles- considered one the most dangerous deserts
2. Name means “Once you go in, you will not come out”
3. Many sandstorms- legend says 2 armies, 300 cities are buried beneath the
dunes
E. The Gobi Desert
1. @ 500,000 sq. miles- one of world’s largest deserts
2. Covers part of China and Mongolia
3. Very few sand dunes, but has small pebbles & bits of sand
19.5 The Northeastern Plain
A. East of present-day Mongolia; sometimes called Inner China, sometimes
Manchuria
B. Low hills, plains
C. Vegetation: prairie grass
D. Animals: horses, sheep, other herded animals
E. Major rivers: Liao & Sungaria- in winter they freeze and people use them as
roads
F. Area of great contrasts- short, warm summers, N & E plain are dry and cold in
winter; S- milder & more water
G. Too cold & dry to be a good place to grow crops
H. The southern portion of the plain was the route invaders took to get into Inner
China
19.6 The North China Plain
A. Flat area of grassland in Inner China
B. Temps range from 82 degrees F in summer, 28 degrees F in winter; 23 inches of
rain/yr
C. Called “Land of the Yellow Earth:- due to yellow limestone silt from the Gobi
Desert
D. Huang He River called Yellow River due to silt
a. One of longest rivers
b. Very muddy river- the silt helps fertilize land & make it good area for
crops
c. Also source of disasters from floods- in past 3,000 yrs, river flooded
1,500 times
19.7 The Middle and Lower Chang Jiang Basins
A. Areas of low, wet coastal plains
B. Chang Jiang River- name means “Long River”
a. Has 100s of tributaries (streams that feed into larger river)
b. People use river to mover goods between E & W China
c. Begins high in W. mtns
d. Rich land for farming
e. Doesn’t flood as much as Huang He
C. Climate is warm & wet- temps range from 39-68 degrees F; @ 41 inches rain/yr
D. Good area for growing rice
19.8 Early Settlement in China
A. When people began farming in China, they settled in North China Plain near the
Huang He
19.9 Ancient China’s Isolation
A. Geography kept settlements isolated
B. SW- Had towering mtns, rocky plateau, and cold climate formed natural barrier
C. NW- had large deserts
D. The same features made it difficult to govern China as a unified state
19.10 Different Regions, Different Ways of Life
A. Life in Outer China
1. Few people settled here
2. Tibetan Plateau- not good for crops, herders raised livestock like yaks
(nomadic life)
a. Yaks- provided meat, milk, butter, yogurt, wool, & hair woven to make
material for tents
3. NW deserts- people only settled in oases
a. homes out of mud
b. grew cotton, winter wheat, maize (type of corn)
c. main foods: wheat noodles, bread, mutton (meat from sheep)
4. NE Plain
a. too cold & dry for farming
b. nomads raised sheep, goats, cattle, horses
c. main food was meat
d. they often invaded the North China Plain to get needed
supplies which led Inner China to build the Great Wall
B. Life in Inner China
1. N. China Plain
a. fertile land supported larger populations- most settling in N.
China Plain
b. grew wheat & millet
c. raised cattle, sheep, oxen, pigs, chickens & herded cattle, water
buffalo, horses
d. built homes of rammed earth
2. Chang Jiang Basins
a. limited area for farming
b. grew lots of rice in this wet area
c. raised pigs & poultry
d. ate seafood
e. built permanent houses