Ancient China
How did geography
influence the development
of Ancient China?
How did geography
influence the
development of
Ancient China?
• China is a very
diverse land
including deserts,
mountains and
fertile river basins.
• Most early people
settled along the
Huang He River.
Geographic Features
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Huang He River
Yangtze River
Loess (silt)
Gobi Desert
Pacific Ocean
Himalayan Mts.
Jungles
How did geography influence the
development of Ancient China?
• Huang He &
Yangtze Rivers
were used for
transportation and
irrigation.
• Irrigation was very
important to
produce rice and
wheat.
• Rivers deposited a
layer of rich soil,
called loess.
How did geography influence the
development of Ancient China?
• Ancient China was very
isolated from other
civilizations.
• Because of their
isolation, the early
Chinese believed they
were the only
civilization in the
world.
• Ethnocentrism: the
belief that your culture
is superior to all
others;
How did geography influence the
development of Ancient China?
• Only 10-12% of the
land was usable for
farming.
• Chinese farmers
used terrace
farming techniques
to produce rice
during the Ming
Dynasty.