Geography of Ancient China

Why did ancient people on the Tibet-Qinghai Plateau herd yaks rather than grow crops?

The region was too cold for crops, the region was too wet for crops, yaks could be sold in the markets, yaks found food in thick forests

Why is the Tibet-Qinghai Plateau called the "Roof of the World?"

It has mountains on every side, it covers a very large land area, it is very high above sea level, it is the source of several rivers

How is the Taklimakan Desert different from the Gobi Desert?

Winter is very similar to summer, pebbles cover much of the surface, the air grows hot in the daytime, very little rain falls during a year

Because rice requires warm, wet weather, where did the ancient Chinese grow rice?

the Northeastern Plateau, the North China Plain, the Chang Jiang Basins, the Tibet-Qinghai Plateau

Why did fewer people settle in Outer China than in Inner China?

the roads were more dangerous, the land was larger, the climate was more extreme, the invasions drove the farmers away

What do the Turfan Depression and the Chang Jiang Basins have in common?

they both have a large amount of rainfall, they are both lower than many other parts of China, they both experience extremes in temperature, they are both used mostly for grazing animals

Of all the countries in the world, China has the:

worst weather, largest area, most people, longest river

How did the natural vegetation of the Northeastern Plain affect the lives of ancient settlers there?

Dense woods supported hunting and gathering, varieties of plant life encouraged raising crops, prairie grass provided food for horses and sheep, fruit trees attracted settlement around oases

In ancient times, what limited settlement in the Chang Jiang Basins compared with that in the North China Plain?

Lack of natural barriers brought attacks from the south, rainforest vegetation may have limited the space for farming, herds had to be moved from place to place, crops did not grow well in the harsh climate

How did the Huang He MOST influence settlement near its banks?

by carrying boats of invaders it drove settlers away, by flooding it kept people at a distance, by fertilizing the soil it attracted communities of farmers, with the large number of fish it led to the growth of fishing villages

What made the Taklimakan Desert one of the most dangerous deserts in the world?

flash floods after thunderstorms, bandits and nomadic tribes, wild animals near the rivers, sandstorms and shifting dunes

Why is the North China Plain sometimes called the "Land of the Yellow Earth?"

gold has been discovered in the surrounding mountains, one of the world's muddiest rivers runs through the region, limestone slit from the Gobi Desert covers the soil, millet is an important grain on farms in the region

What protected Inner China from invasion from the northwest?

grassy plains, high mountains, barren deserts, wide rivers

In Inner China, which natural events improved the soil?

hurricanes, sandstorms, floods, earthquakes

Later in Chinese history, which of these geographical features made governing China as a unified state most difficult?

its long rivers, its large size, its broad plains, its different crops

Several groups of invaders from the Northeastern Plain traveled to Inner China:

on frozen rivers in winter, along a narrow coastal plain, across the Gobi Desert, by boat across the ocean