Name: _Abigail Hora_________________
Date: _1/5/11______________
WH - _Per. 5__Asia
INFLUENCE OF GEOGRAPHY ON
CHINESE ECONOMY AND CULTURE
Directions: Use an atlas to answer the following questions. During discussion you may jot down notes
about those features that may be used in the analysis portion of this activity.
Name the large desert in northwestern China?
The Taklimakan Desert
-The Taklimakan Desert is the world’s 17th largest desert.
-There is very little water in the Taklimakan Desert; merchant caravans
would rest at the thriving oasis towns along the Silk Road.
-Two branches of the Silk Road cross the Taklimakan Desert’s northern and
southern edges for traders who wanted to avoid the arid wasteland.
What is the desert that extends 1,000 miles through southeast Mongolia and north China?
The Gobi Desert
The Gobi Desert stretches 1, 000 miles from east to west.
-It has 500,000 square feet.
-Lots of sandstorms and windstorms.
What is the plateau in the southwestern part of China (most of which is above 13,000 ft) that
comprises approximately one fourth of the whole country?
The Plateau of Tibet
-Some peaks are as high as 20, 000 feet.
-Nomads used pastoralism, the use of grassland to raise livestock, instead
of growing crops because the crops could not grow on unsuitable terrain; the Plateau of Tibet was
unsuitable terrain for crops.
-The Plateau of Tibet lies between the Himalayan Mountain Range in the
south and the Taklimakan Desert in the north.
What is the mountain range south of the Plateau of Tibet that extends 1,500 miles through five
countries?
The Himalayas
-This region is uninhabitable.
-Some animals can graze in some of the lower, gentler slopes.
-The Himalayas go through Pakistan, India, Nepal, and China.
What is the tallest peak in the mountain range identified in question #4?
Mt. Everest
-In the center of the Himalayas.
-Mt. Everest is the highest peak; over 29, 002 feet high.
-The elevation of Mt. Everest was first determined by an Indian survey in
1955 AD.
Name the body of water that is surrounded by China, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan?
The East China Sea
-It is part of the Pacific Ocean.
-The East China Sea is 290, 000 square miles long.
-The Yangtze River is the largest river that flows in to the East
China Sea.
Name the body of water surrounded by China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam?
The South China Sea
-The South China Sea is 848, 000 square miles long.
-The South China Sea is the second most used sea lane in the
world.
-Several countries have made competing territorial claims over
the South China Sea.
What body of water is located between Korea and China?
The Yellow Sea
-The Yellow River is an arm of the Pacific Ocean.
-It connects with the East China Sea.
-The Yellow River gets its color mostly from the fine-grained calcareous
silt which originates in the Loess Plateau and is carried in the flow.
What is the river that begins in the Plateau of Tibet and runs across farmlands of northeast China?
The Huang He (Yellow) River
-During dry winter months, The Huang He River kind of shrinks
and turns narrow; also slow moving.
-During summer, the river rises and floods the surrounding
areas because of the melting ice.
-The Huang He River is another name for the Yellow River.
What is the plain upon which China’s capital, Beijing, is located?
The North China Plain
-The North China Plain is 135, 000 square miles long; most of it is 150
feet below sea level.
-The southern part of the North China Plain is traditionally referred to
as the Central Plain, which formed the cradle of Chinese civilization.
-The flat, yellow soil North China Plain is the main area of sorghum,
millet, maize, and cotton production in China.
What is the plateau in southern China? (much of China’s rice is grown there)
The Yunnan Plateau
-The climate of the Yunnan Plateau is divided in to dry and wet
seasons.
-The many high mountain peaks on the Yunnan Plateau are the
source of many of Asia’s great rivers.
-The climate is rainy in the southwest in the summer, providing for
dense forests, both broadleaf and coniferous.
What is the river that flows from the Plateau of Tibet across central and southern China to the East
China Sea?
The Yangzi River
-The Yangzi River was used for east and west trade transportation.
-The Yangzi River is 3,450 miles long.
-The origin of the Yangzi River is dated to about 45 million years ago in
the Eocene.
ANALYSIS – HOW MAY CHINA’S GEOGRAPHY AFFECT …
Society/Culture:
a. What types of features (mountains, seas, rivers, etc.) would most likely isolate China from
other cultures?
__Mountains___________________________________________
Explain: Mountains would most likely isolate China from other cultures because it is
difficult to cross mountains because the terrain is so rocky and the climate is horrible for
traveling long distances.
b. Based on the geographical features you analyzed above, what areas/countries would
China most likely have closer contact with?
Mongolia, India, Thailand, Kazakhstan, South Korea, maybe Japan,
Afghanistan,_or_Pakistan___________________________________________________
____________________________________________
Explain: China would most likely have closer contact with these countries/ areas
because they border China, which means they could travel back and forth quicker than
other countries/ areas. Japan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan are maybes because they seem
to be farther away than all of the other countries/ areas.
Economy:
c. In reviewing questions 9-12, why do you think the Chinese built the Grand Canal where
they did?
I think the Chinese built the Grand Canal where they did because it creates good trade
routes. The Grand Canal passes through rivers in southern and northern China, making it
wonderful for trade. There were many waterways going in many directions; this made it
perfect for trade.