Transcript China - Rutherford County Schools

China
6.30 IDENTIFY AND LOCATE ON A MAP THE GEOGRAPHIC
FEATURES OF CHINA.
How have rivers, mountains, and deserts
shaped the development of China’s
civilization?
Huang He River

Huang River means Yellow River. It
stretches across China for more
than 2,900 miles. It begins in
China’s western mountains and
flows to the PACIFIC Ocean.

On its way, the Huang He cuts
through thick layers of rich, yellow
soil. This soil is called LOESS.

The river carries away large
amounts of loess and spreads it
farther downstream.

The yellow color of the soil in the
river gives it the name.
China’s Sorrow
* The rich soil helps
farmers grow large
amounts of food on small
plots of land.
* The Huang He valley
became a great wheatproducing area.
* This was a great benefit
to the people of the
Huang He valley.
Misfortune
The Huang He often
overflows its banks causing
enormous floods.
Since 600 BC, the Chinese
have recorded more than
1,500 floods.
These floods have taken
millions of lives.
The Chinese call the Huang
He “China’s Sorrow” in honor
of the people killed by the
floods.
Chang Jiang River
Also called the Yangtze
River

Over time the people of China
moved and settled near the
Chang Jiang River.

This river flows from east to west
across central China.

It is about 3,915 miles long.
Only the Amazon in South
America and the Nile in Africa
are longer.

This river provides rich soil for
farming.

Early farmers grew rice along
the shores.
Mountains and Desert
Himalaya
Kunlan Shan
and Tian Shan
These towering
mountains separate
China from South
Asia.
These mountains slice
through western
China.
Gobi Desert
This is a vast, rocky
desert.
Barriers
These rugged mountains and barren
desert acted like walls around the
country.
These barriers limited contacts between
China and other civilizations.
The Chinese developed a unique
culture and a strong sense of
independence
To them, it was the center of the world.
Let’s think about…

1. What’s the name of the desert on China’s northern
border near Mongolia?

2. What effect did China’s mountains and deserts have
on its early history?

3. How did rivers help civilization develop in China?

4. What geographic features isolated ancient China
from other civilizations?

5. Explain why “China’s Sorrow” is an appropriate
description of the Huang He?