1. Northeastern
Plain
Gobi Desert
Taklamakan
Desert
North
China
Plain
Tibetan Plateau
Himalayas
Chang-Jiang
Basins

2. The Geography & Early Settlement of China

3. Outer China Inner China
- includes western & northern parts (Tibet-Qinhai Plateau, two deserts, & low hills/plains in the northeast)
Inner China
- includes southeastern part of China (North China Plain & Chang Jiang Basins)

4. Tibet-Qinghai Plateau
Rocky land surrounded by towering mountains – average elevation is 2 miles above sea level
Climate is very cold – air is thin & dry
China’s major rivers begin in this area
- Huang He (Yellow River)
- Chang Jiang (Yangtze River)
Difficult to live here because of bad climate & challenging terrain

5. Yak

6. Northwestern Deserts Harsh places to live & difficult to travel
Summers are sizzling hot while winters are below freezing
Only places to grow crops or raise animals are near oases (where water is found)
Talamakan Desert – 105,000 sq. miles
- very dangerous because of shifting sand dunes & sandstorms
Gobi Desert – 500,000 sq. miles
- has few sand dunes, most of desert is stony

7. Natural Barriers for China
Above - Tibetan-Qinghai Plateau
Right – Gobi Desert
Above – Taklamakan Desert

8. Northeastern Plain Land of low hills & plains
Vegetation is mostly prairie grass
Two main rivers
1. Liao – shallow river
2. Sungari – deeper
Short/warm summers & cold/dry winters
In south, a narrow plain links this area to rest of China – invaders used this to get to Inner China

9. North China Plain Flat region of grassland in Inner China
“Land of Yellow Earth” – ground covered by yellow limestone silt
Huang He (Yellow River) is one of the longest rivers in the world – also very muddy
River has been good & bad for Chinese
Good – silt fertilizes the land for farming
Bad – flooding causes much damage &
loss of life

10. Chang Jiang Basins
Low, wet coastal plains located along Chang Jiang River
River is longer than Huang He with many tributaries (streams that feed into rivers)
River is good for:
- trading
- farming

11. China’s Famous Rivers Chang Jiang River/Yangtze River
Also known as the “Long River”
Huang He/Yellow River

12. Early Settlement & China’s Isolation
Remains of the first inhabitants were found in northeastern China in the 1920s
When Chinese began farming, they settled mostly on North China Plain in Inner China
China’s geography kept it very isolated
- mountains, rocky plateau, & cold weather in southwest
- deserts in northwest
- only narrow coastal plain linked northeastern China to Inner China

13. Life in Outer China
People living in Tibetan Plateau, the Northwestern Deserts, & the Northeastern Plains were mostly nomadic
Raised livestock like yaks, sheep, goats, cattle, & horses
Grew some crops like cotton, winter wheat, & maize (a type of corn)

14. Life in Inner China People grew wheat & millet (type of grain)
Raised cattle, sheep, oxen, pigs, & chickens – also herded water buffalo & horses
People built permanent homes
Rice thrived in the warm, wet areas of the Chang Jiang Basins

15. Gobi Desert
Northeastern
Plain
Taklamakan
Desert
North
China
Plain
Yellow Sea
Tibetan Plateau
East China Sea
Himalayas
Chang-Jiang
Basins
South China Sea