Download Ancient China

Ancient China
Geography and Early History
How does the location of ancient China
impact its growth?
•Ancient China
originated along the
banks of the Yellow
River and grew into
a huge empire,
much like
Mesopotamia, Egypt
and India.
China, as in ancient times, has a variety of physical
features impacting its growth, much like
Mesopotamia, Egypt and India.
• Yellow River
• Yangtze River
• Yellow Sea
• East China Sea
• South China Sea
• Himalaya
Mountains
• Taklimakan
Desert
• Gobi Desert
How did China’s location and physical features impact its
growth? The Silk Road allowed people, goods and ideas to be
traded from Asia to Europe and back! So…..this is money!
What can money do for China? Where all did the Silk Road
trade?
Directions:
• 1. Complete China Map
• 2. Update your big world map….add China, Yellow River, Yangtze
River, Yellow Sea, etc…..get the info from your study guide.
• 3. Complete Silk Road Map
• 4. Read Handout on Geography and Early History of Ancient China.
Complete the two questions at the bottom of the handout. Feel free
to use a Venn Diagram or other graphic organizer to assist you.
Geography and Early History Questions
1.
Compare and Contrast China’s
development with previous
civilizations you have learned about.
Compare – grew up along rivers, used silt to
fertilize land, used agriculture and
domestication, physical features limited
growth and expansion
Contrast – built the Great Wall of China
along territory to prevent invasion,
controlled the Silk Road
2. What are some pros (good) and cons
(bad) of China’s physical features?
Pros – natural barriers protects China
from invasion (mountains and deserts),
rivers provide water for agriculture,
location allowed for trade routes to
increase money
Cons – natural barriers prevents China
from expansion, rivers can flood and
cause destruction, some natural barriers
did not protect China and forced them
to build the Great Wall of China