GEOGRAPHY OF ANCIENT CHINA

Ms. Engelberth

TERRITORY

The territory of modern China is characterized by dramatic geographical diversity.

Topographically, it is low in the east and high in the west.

LAND SURFACE

The land surface ascends like a three-step staircase.

The plains and lowlands in the east and southeast constitute [make up] the first step, occupying about 12 percent of the land.

Two thirds of the country, the two higher steps, are mostly mountains and high plateaus.

NATURAL BARRIERS

China has many natural barriers. These kept China isolated for many years.

Some of these barriers were: Dangerous DesertsNumerous MountainsVast SeasTwo Major River Systems (The Great Sorrow)

DESERTS: THE GOBI DESERT

THE GOBI DESERT The Gobi Desert is one of the driest deserts in the world.

Oases are very rare.

However, compared to the Taklamakan Desert, the Gobi is a paradise…

DESERTS: THE TAKLAMAKAN DESERT It is sometimes called the “Sea of Death.” Taklamakan is also translated as “empty place” or “go in and you’ll never come out.”

It is the second largest desert in the world.

Salt Flats

It contains poisonous snakes, boiling days, freezing nights, and intense water shortages.

NUMEROUS MOUNTAINS The Himalayas are one of the mountain ranges in China. They are home to the ten highest mountain peaks in the world.

MOUNT EVEREST Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world, is located on the border between Tibet (a region of China) and Nepal.

A story of beating the odds…

On May 25, 2014, a 13-year old Indian girl named Malavath Poorna became the youngest girl to climb Mt. Everest.

Malavath is from the Dalit (Untouchable) caste, and wanted to inspire other girls who face discrimination. https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=DmPOykW0DD0

VAST SEAS: THE CHINA SEA

The China Sea consists of two parts: the South China Sea (in Chinese, Nan Hai) and the East China Sea (in Chinese, Dong Hai), which connect through the shallow Taiwan Strait between Taiwan and mainland China.

VAST SEAS: THE YELLOW SEA

The Yellow Sea is the name given to the northern part of the East China Sea. It is located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula.

Its name comes from the sand particles from Gobi Desert sand storms that turn the surface of the water golden yellow.

In the modern era, the Sea has been plagued by severe blooms of algae as a result of pollution.

TWO MAJOR RIVER SYSTEMS: THE GREAT SORROW The Huang He, also known as the Yellow River, empties into the Yellow Sea. Civilization began here because the soil is fertile.

The Yangtze (Long River) also ends at the Yellow Sea. At 3,000 miles, it is the third longest river in the world, and it flows through some of China’s best farmland.