Geography of China

ESSENTIAL QUESTION: How did the geography of China impact the people and history of China?   OBJECTIVE: To understand the significant geographical features of China.

Geography The capital of China is Beijing It covers 3.7 million square miles The climate ranges from deserts, to mountains to rainforests

Population There are 1.3 billion people in the country Most live in the eastern 1/3 of the country 95% of the population are Han (ethnic Chinese) Mandarin is the official language but the people speak numerous dialects Most of the people are farmers which is difficult since 80% of the land is not good for farming

Rivers of China Huang He or Yellow River Yangzi Xi

Location, Location, Location Why is the location of China so important to its history? Far distance from other major civilizations - It was a journey to get there from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East Surrounded by natural barriers – Tibetan Plateau; Himalayas; Gobi Desert; Ocean

Great distance from China to other trade areas

Natural Barriers Yellow Sea, East China Sea and the Pacific Ocean to the east Taklimakan Desert, Plateau of Tibet and Himalayas to the west Gobi Desert and Mongolian Plateau to the north