Ch. 19 - Geography and the Early Settlement of China
Later in Chinese history, which of these geographical features made governing China as a unified state most difficult?
Its large size.
Why is the North China Plain sometimes called the "Land of the Yellow Earth"?
Limestone silt from the Gobi Desert covers the soil.
How is the Gobi Desert different from the Taklimakan Desert?
Pebbles cover much of the surface.
How did the natural vegetation of the Northeastern Plain affect the lives of ancient settlers there?
Prairie grass provided food for horses and sheep.
In ancient times, what limited settlement in the Chang Jiang Basins?
Rainforest vegetation may have limited the space for farming.
What made the Taklimakan Desert one of the most dangerous deserts in the world?
Sandstorms and shifting dunes
Because rice requires warm, wet weather, where did the ancient Chinese develop rice fields?
The Chang Jiang Basins.
Of all the countries in the world, China has the largest __________.
population
What protected Inner China from invasions from the northwest?
Barren deserts
How did the Huang He most influence settlement near its banks?
By fertilizing the soil, it attracted communities of farmers.
In Inner China, which natural events enriched the soil?
Floods
Why did fewer people settle in Outer China than in Inner China?
The climate was more extreme in Outer China.
Why did ancient people on the Tibet-Qinghai Plateau herd yaks rather than grow crops?
The region was too cold for crops.
