China is located in East Asia

1- Yellow River Also known as the Huang Ho The 6 th longest river in the world – 3,400 miles long Yellow because of a sediment called Loess found in the water – Yellow River Yellow River

Sediment builds up in the river, forming natural dams. These natural dams cause major floods Known as “China’s Sorrow” because floods have devastated the area

2- Yangtze River The longest river in Asia. The 3 rd longest in the world – 3,900 miles Major flooding Home to Three Gorges Dam, the largest dam in the world

Three Gorges Dam PROS: -Controls Flooding -Creates Hydroelectricity CONS: -Prevents animals from moving through the river -Prevents sediments and nutrients from reaching down-stream

Top 10 Deadliest Floods Ever RankDeath tollEventLocationYear 1.2,500, China Floods- Yangtze River and Yellow River China ,000, Yellow River Flood China , Yellow River Flood China ,000 Failure of 62 dams, the largest of which was Bangiaou Dam, result of Typhoon Nina China , Yangtze River Flood China Over 100,000 St. Felix Flood, storm surge Netherlands ,000 Hanoi and Red River Delta flood North Vietnam , Yangtze River flood China ,000–80,000 St. Lucia flood, storm surge Netherlands ,400 North Sea flood, storm surge ScotlandScotland, Netherlands, England, Belgium Netherlands England Belgium 1953

3- East China Sea Large sea that borders China, the Korean Peninsula, Japan, and Taiwan The Yangtze River flows into the East China Sea Dense population on the east coast

4- Yellow Sea Located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula – The northern part of the East China Sea It is yellow due to sand particles from the Gobi Desert and sediment from the Yellow River

5- South China Sea Borders China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam 1/3 of all the world’s ships passes through the South China Sea Contains over 250 islands- most uninhabited.

6- Plateau of Tibet Called the “Roof of the World” – The world’s highest and largest plateau – About four times larger than France Stretches 1,600 miles east to west and 620 miles north to south

Plateau of Tibet Average height is 16,000 feet (about 3 miles high) Since the Himalayan Mountains block rain clouds, it is usually very dry Tibetan Plateau

The Plateau of Tibet from space

7- Gobi Desert Located in present-day Mongolia The fifth largest desert in the world – The largest in Asia 1,000 miles long and 500 miles wide A rainshadow desert: – The Himalayan Mountains block rain clouds

Gobi Desert Cold Desert – Located far north – High elevation (on a plateau) Extreme temperatures: Parts of the Gobi Desert can change up to 95 degrees in 24 hours – Record High: 122 ̊̊ F – Record Low: -43 ̊̊ F

8- Korean Peninsula Today, the countries of North Korea and South Korea are located here Seperated from mainland China by the Yellow Sea

Shang Dynasty ( BC) Developed Calligraphy- A way of drawing characters or symbols to express words or ideas – Over 2,000 characters – Written with a brush and ink on silk, bamboo, or paper

Advances in Technology Advanced bronzework – Highly decorated artwork – Improved tools Used kaolin- a clay for making pottery Learned how to raise silkworms and made silk cloth Built large palaces, government building, and religious shrines

Ch’in Dynasty Very brief: Lasted from 221 B.C.-210 B.C. – Brief- Short in duration (only 11 years) Ruled by Shih Huang Ti Controlled a large area from the Great Wall to the Hsi River (also known as the Xi or Pearl River)

Shih Huang Ti Uniform rules and laws Standard currency New roads were built Created 36 provinces (or states) Developed a strong central government

The T’ang Dynasty ( AD) Strong Central Government Added Korea and Tibet to their empire Expanded trade and brought more wealth

Golden Age Known as a Golden Age- A period of prosperity and achievement Chinese literature greatly expanded: – Encyclopedias and dictionaries – Poetry- Li Po was one of China’s greatest poets – Advances in printing made it possible for more books to be printed. Literature became available to more people.

Empress Wu Chao The wife of Emperor Kao-Tsung Emperor asked her to help rule when he became ill – He died in 690 and she proclaimed herself the new Emperor First and only female emperor New forms of artwork flourished under her rule She ruled for 15 years and in 705 she was forced to give up her throne to her son

Important People Confucius – BC – Philosopher; most important person in Chinese history – Believed in good, strong government – “Treat others the way you want to be treated.” Shih Huang Ti – Died 210 BC – First emperor of China Empress Wu Chou/Zetian – Ruled AD – First and only woman ruler of Ancient China

Confucius Philosopher who lived from 551 BC – 479 BC Most important figure in Chinese history Taught about self-control and proper conduct – Respect for elders, teachers, and parents “Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you”

The Silk Road Silk Road- A 4,000 mile trade route along the Great Wall that linked China to the west – India, Mesopotamia, and Persia Considered to be the world’s first “highway” that linked the ancient civilizations

Cultural Diffusion The Silk Road first began around 200 BCE during the Han Dynasty China produced silk and traded for goods from different civilizations – Gold, jewelry, crops Not only did people trade goods, people spread knowledge and ideas to other parts of the world – What else do you think was exchanged along the Silk Road?

The Great Wall of China Wandering tribes (nomads) living to the north threatened China and the Silk Road The Great Wall is a series of many walls designed to protect China and the Silk Road from the Mongols and Huns Over 1500 miles long

Ancient Chinese Inventions Silk Gunpowder Compass Paper