China: Chapter 19

oasis

A fertile place in a desert where there is water and vegetation. Oases were the only places in Outer China where people grew maize (corn).

silt

A mixture of fertile soil and tiny rocks. The Huang He River is full of silt, which made the land around the river good for farming.

tributary

A stream or river that flows into a larger river. The Chang Jiang River has hundreds of tributaries. These tributaries made it easy to trade goods between different parts of Inner China.

maize

A type of corn eaten by people in the oases of Outer China

millet

A type of grain grown by people in Inner China

yak

A type of ox that has very long hair. Yaks were raised by people in Outer China for their meat, milk, and hair (wool).

isolation

Being alone. China was separated from other countries by natural barriers such as mountains, deserts, and plateaus.

mutton

Meat from sheep that people in the oases of Outer China ate

climate

Overall weather in an area over a long period of time

Tibetan Plateau

The biggest plateau in the world. It is called "The Roof of the World" because it is so high. It is very cold and close to the Himalaya Mountains.

Outer China

The part of China where fewer people lived. It was not good for farming, but was good for feeding herds of sheep, horses, and yaks. People here were separated from Inner China by mountains, the Tibetan Plateau, and deserts. They were nomads who lived in tents.

Inner China

The part of ancient China where most people lived. It had fertile soil that was good for farming crops like millet and rice. People lived in permanent homes.