China

Silk Road

Camel caravans traveled this 4,000 mile long route from the Huang He (Yellow River) in China all the way to the Mediterranean Sea. People, goods and ideas were able to travel back and forth and the rest of the world learned of the achievements of the ancient Chinese.

Chang Jiang River

Chang Jiang means "Long River" It has hundreds of tributaries. People use the river to move goods between eastern and western areas of the region. Chang Jiang is longer than the Huang He. It starts in the high western mountains like the Huang He and flows through 3 plains and to a rich delta. It's deposits make the land fertile. Chang Jiang floods less than the Huang He so it is less dangerous.

Present day China is the ___________ largest country in the world.

China is the third largest country. The first largest country is Russia and 2nd largest country is Canada.

Life in Inner China (North China Plain)

Fertile land of Inner China supported larger, more settled populations on the North China Plain. Farmers grew mainly wheat and millet. They raised cattle, sheep,oxen,pigs and chickens and herded cattle and water buffalo. They built PERMANENT HOMES out of RAMMED EARTH which was tightly packed soil to make solid walls.

Ancient China's Isolation

Geography kept the early settlements in Inner China isolated. Only a narrow coastal plain linked the Northeastern plain (Outer China) to Inner China. In the southwest the mountains,rocky plateau and cold climate formed a natural barrier. In the northwest the large deserts created another barrier.

In the southwest, Outer China is bounded by the

Himalayas.

Most of ancient Chinese history involves ____________ China.

Inner

Northeastern Plain (Outer China)

Located east of present day Mongolia. A land of low hills and plains in the Northeast. It has short and hot summers. Winters are long and dry with 5 months of freezing. Too cold and dry to grow crops. Major rivers running through are the Liao and the Sungari. The Liao is shallow only for small boats the Sungari is deeper for bigger boats. In the winter these rivers freeze and people use them as roads.

The Chang Jiang Basins (Inner China)

Located in the south region of Inner China, they are warm and wet areas in coastal plains. The basins are located along the river called Chang Jiang. In ancient times the vegetation may have been thick rainforest, little space for farming but basins are GOOD FOR GROWING RICE because of abundent warmth and moisture.

In the Northwest the major region is the Northwestern Deserts. This is in Outer China.

Northwestern Deserts. (Outer China) This area includes the Turfan Depression. Too dry for crops.

Early Settlement in China

Once people started farming they settled mostly on the North China Plain in Inner China. They grew crops and lived in villages near the Huang He. This was the START OF SETTLED CHINESE SOCIETY.

Turfan Depression (Outer China)

Second lowest place in China. It is 505 feet below sea level. It can grow so hot here that even the rain drops evaporate before hitting the ground. The Turfan Depression is in the Northwest. (Outer China)

Northwest part of Outer China is known for it's vast deserts:

Taklimaken and Gobi deserts were harsh places to live and cross. The oases was the only place to grow crops or raise animals here. shelters made of mud near oases.

The North China Plain (Inner China)

The Northern region of Inner China, here it is drier and often cooler. This is where early farmers chose to live. There was plenty of water, fertile soil, and a moderate climate.

Governing China

The harsh geography and huge distances made communication and transportation difficult and interferred with military movement. Therefore, it was difficult to govern China as a unified state.

Life in Outer China (Northwestern Deserts)

The only permanent communities in Outer China were on the oases, homes built of mud. People grew cotton, wheat and maize. Their main foods were wheat noodles, bread and mutton.

Empires

The stability of early villages allowed empires to arise. powerful leaders unified the country.

Inner China includes the Southeastern part of present-day China.

This part of China is closer to sea level than the western areas. It is a land of rolling hills, river valleys and plains.

In southwest Outer China the key geographical region is the Tibetan Plateau.

Tibet-Qinghai Plateau. (Outer China)The Tibet-Qinghai is the world's largest plateau. Rocky land surrounded by towering mountains. More than 2 miles above sea level.This region is bitterly cold, snowstorms are common in July. There are only 50 days a year WITHOUT frost in the southwest region. air is thin and dry. known as "Roof of the World" Too cold and dry for crops. grass for antelopes, yaks and ox.

Life in Outer China (Tibetan Plateau)

Tibetan Plateau, no crops could be grown but herders raised livestock such as yaks. On the Plateau people were nomads, they moved frequently to find grazing land for animals. Yaks provided meat, butter from milk and wool for clothes to survive the cold climate. Used yak hair for tents.

Life in Outer China (The Northeastern Plain)

Too cold and dry for most farming, prairie grass supported livestock. Early inhabitants here were nomads. Raised sheep, goats, cattle and horses. moved to find grass for animals, lived in tents and ate meat. THEY OFTEN INVADED THE NORTH CHINA PLAIN in INNER CHINA TO GET NEEDED SUPPLIES. EVENTUALLY, the people of Inner China built THE GREAT WALL to keep these inveaders out.

Chang Jiang

Yangtze River that begins in Tibet-Quinghai Plateau

Huang He River

Yellow River that begins in the Tibet-Quinghai Plateau

Rivers in Inner China

flow from the west and provide water for irrigation. Floods from these rivers enrich the soil. Inner China was more attractive to early settlers than outer China because of it's physical features.

The __________ of Inner and Outer China affected the settlememt and history of China.

geography.

Northeast (Outer China)

key region is the Northeastern Plain. Northeastern Plain was used in ancient times by several groups of invaders as a route to Inner China.

Himalayas

lie on the southern edge of the Tibet-Qinghai Plateau. Mount Everest is part of this mountain range, it is the tallest mountain in the world. It is more than 5 miles high.

Life in Inner China (Chiang Jiang Basins)

limited farmland and lacked grazing land for animals such a s cattle, Rice thrived in this warm,wet area of Inner China. As early as 10,000 B.C.E settlers were able to grow rice in this river valley. raised pigs and poultry. Nearby seas provided seafood, people built permantent houses to stay in one place to tend animals and crops.

The Han

most advanced empire. opened ancient China to trade relations with other cultures in the west.

Outer China includes the western and northern parts of _______-______ China. Has great extremes in climate and physical features.

present -day.

In ancient times, China's land area was much___________.

smaller.

Inner China has 2 main regions:

1) The North China Plain and 2.) in the south there are low river plains of the middle and lower Chang Jiang Basins. Both have different climates.

Outer China has 3 main regions:

1.) Tibet-Qinghai also known as the Tibetan Plateau, 2.) The Northwestern Deserts (the Taklimaken and the Gobi) 3.) Northeastern Plain, Outer China features were high mountains and cold rocky plateau and large deserts which isolated them from Inner China.

Population of China is

1.2 billion people, more people live in China than any other country.

Taklimakan Desert

105,000 square miles. considered one of the most dangerous deserts in the world. name means "once you go in, you will not come out" Huge sand dunes are caused by desert winds. sandstorms arise with stunning speed, rumor there are 2 armies and 300 cities buried 600 feet under sand dunes.

The areas of Inner and Outer China did not become one country until the_____________.

1600's C.E.

Gobi Desert

500,000 square miles, one of the world's largest deserts. Covers part of China and present day Mongolia. DOES NOT have sand dunes. Desert is stony, sparce vegetation.

Peking man or Beijing man

Archaeologists believe they were the first inhabitants of China who lived in caves more than 500,000 years ago. Remains of these people were found in the 1920's in the nnortheastern part of China. most likely were nomads who lived by hunting, gathering and fishing. Made tools and may have used fire.