CHINA
CHINA
In eastern Asia World’s most populated country
Fourth largest country in terms of area
Beijing is the capital
Shanghai is the largest city
70% of it is mountains, hills, and highlands
Wide range of climates
Most farmland and people are in the east
Most live in towns or villages
Republic government controlled by the Communist party
Government controls economy but is letting more free enterprise
1 in 5 people are Chinese
Most work in agriculture
90% live in eastern China
92% are Han
Family is very important
Live modestly
Men marry after 22
Women marry after 20
Only allowed to have two kids
One of the world’s oldest civilizations
Developed the compass, paper, and
porcelain
less than 20 years
1/3
½
traditions and rituals
less than 10%
Privatization – the government not owning everything
It allows individuals to own land and start businesses
8 times larger
their writing
34 a minute and 7 million a year
construction projects
Chinese New Year
Countries Around the World: China
thousand
The Chinese language has over a ___________________
characters in it.
calligraphy
An ancient form of writing from China is called _________________.
sickle
hammer
The ________________
and _________________
are two symbols of
Communism.
soybean
Besides rice the ______________________
plant has been grown in China for a
long time.
Red
____________
on the Chinese flag stands for revolution, the big star
Communist Party
represents the _______________________,
and the four smaller stars
people
stand for the __________________________
.
diverse
China has a ___________________________
climate.
paper money
The Chinese were the first to use _______________________
and
Yuan
their currency is called the _______________________
.
atheist
China’s official national religion is ______________________.
Yangtze River Delta
The __________________________________
has the most fertile soil in China.
CHINA’S GEOGRAPHY and NATURAL WALL
1. What continent is China a part of?
Asia
2. This mountain range can be found along the southern border of China and India. It
contains the highest mountain peak in the world.
Himalayas
3. This desert is north of the Himalayas. It is surrounded on three sides by mountains
and on the east by the Tarim River.
Taklimakan
4. This river originates in the eastern Himalayas and flows toward the East China Sea. It
crosses the Sichuan Basin.
Yangtze
5. What direction is Egypt from China and how many miles apart are they?
West
around 2300 miles
6. This river winds across northern China from the Himalayas. It has two names - one
being Chinese and the other English.
Huang He ~ Yellow
7. This mountain range runs along the border of China and Mongolia. It is bordered on
the east and south by a desert.
Altai
8. This is the water body that lies between the mainland of China and the small island
country of Taiwan. The Tropic of Cancer runs through this water body.
Taiwan Strait
9. This eastern region in China is close to the water and is considered one of the most
fertile regions in the country. It is directly south of the nation’s modern day capital
city.
North China Plain
10. What direction is India from China and how many miles apart are they?
South
Border one another
11. This water body is directly to the east of China. It lies between the mainland and
the island chain of Ryukyu.
East China Sea
12. This water body lies between China’s mainland and the Korean peninsula. It
shares it’s name with a river that winds through eastern China.
Yellow Sea
13. This fertile, flat area is located in northeast China and surrounded by the Greater
Khingan Range on the west and Russia on the north and east sides.
Manchurian Plain
14. This desert is found on the border between China and Mongolia.
Gobi
15. About how many miles wide and long is China?
Over 2500 miles east to west
over 1000 miles north to south
16. These are China’s western mountains and can be found between China and
Kyrgyzstan.
Tien Shan
17. This large plateau is found in southwestern China.
Plateau of Tibet
Himalaya
Hindu Kush
Tien Shan
Gobi
Yellow
Taklimakan
East China
South China
Altai
Safe from invaders/protection
Difficult to trade/travel to/with others
Will have many natural resources
May cause isolation
CHINA’S PHYSIOGRAPHIC FEATURES
Yangtze River
Summer Temp. = 65° F
Winter Temp. = 22° F
Annual Precipitation = 40 ins.
Vegetation Type = rainforest
The Yangtze river (meaning “Long River”) is the longest river in Asia, and the fourth longest in the
world. It runs for a good 3,859 miles. To some people, it is considered a dividing line between
northern and southern China.
Yangtze River
Location:
flows through south central
China from the mountains to the
sea
Facts:
-Also known as the Chang Jiang
-Yangtze = Long River
-Longest river in China and Asia
and 4th in the world
-It sometimes does flood
-People use the river to move
goods between eastern and
western areas in the region
-Its surrounding lands are very
fertile
Gobi Desert
Summer Temp. = 113° F
Winter Temp. = -40° F
Annual Precipitation = 5.5 ins.
Vegetation Type = desert
The word “Gobi” means very large and dry in Mongolian. The Gobi Desert is the 5th largest
desert in the world and is Asia’s largest. It covers an area of about 500,000 square miles.
The Gobi Desert is a cold desert, and it is not uncommon to see frost or occasionally snow on its
dunes.
Gobi Desert
• Location
It covers part of China and Mongolia
Facts
- one of the world’s largest deserts
- Most of the desert is stony and its
surface is made up of small
pebbles and tiny bits of sand
- It is a cold desert, and it is not
uncommon to see frost and
occasionally snow on its dunes
- Vegetation is sparse and the plants
there tend to be small and widely
spaced
Himalayan Mountains
Summer Temp. = -13° F
Winter Temp. = -100° F
Annual Precipitation = 80 inches
Vegetation Type = none
. The Himalayan Mountains are the world’s highest mountain range and contain the world’s highest
mountain, Mount Everest, which is over 25,000 feet high. The Himalayas extend for 1,500 miles.
These mountains are extremely dangerous to travel through, not only because of their height, but
also because they are always covered in snow and ice.
Himalayan Mountains
• Location
Along China’s southern
border and forms a
natural border between
the Indian subcontinent
Facts
- the highest mountain
range in the world
- region is a bitterly cold
place
- It is so cold that there is
very little or no vegetation.
Huang He (Yellow) River
Summer Temp. = varies
Winter Temp. = varies
Annual Precipitation = 16 ins.
Vegetation Type = sparse grasses
The Huang He River is the second longest river in China, as well as the sixth longest river in the
world. It stretches about 3,395 miles. This river is commonly known as the Yellow River, because
that is the color of the river from all of the sediment it carries. Another nickname for this river is
“China’s Sorrow”. It is called this because it has been known to have devastating floods.
Huang He (Yellow) River
• Location
It bends through north central China from the
mountains to the sea
Facts
- Second longest river in China, 6th in the
world
- called the Yellow River because of the
enormous amounts of yellow silt
- Very muddy river
- Called "the cradle of Chinese civilization",
as its basin is the birthplace of ancient
Chinese civilizations
- the river has flooded more than 1,500
times, causing much damage and loss of
life. This has also earned the river the
name "China's Sorrow".
North China Plain
Summer Temp. = 82° F
Winter Temp. = 28° F
Annual Precipitation = 23 ins.
Vegetation Type = grassland
The North China Plain is the largest flat lowland area in China. It stretches across an area of
158,000 square miles. The early Chinese considered this plain “the center of the world”.
North China Plain
• Location
- east central China
Facts
- is a flat region of grassland and
temperatures range from very
warm in the summer to cold in the
winter.
- called the “Land of the Yellow
Earth” because the ground is
covered by yellow limestone silt
from the Gobi Desert
- This flat yellow-soil plain is the
main area of grains, corn, and
cotton production in China.
Wheat, sesame seed, and
peanuts are also grown here.
- The plain is one of the most
densely populated regions in the
world.
Plateau of Tibet
Summer Temp. = 45° F
Winter Temp. = 18° F
Annual Precipitation = 10 inches
Vegetation Type = sparse grasses
The Tibetan Plateau is also called “the roof of the world”. It is the highest and largest plateau in the
world covering an area about four times the size of Texas.
Plateau of Tibet
• Location
The southwestern part of China is
dominated by the high Tibet
Plateau
Facts
- This area is often called the
“Roof of the World” since it is
over two miles above sea level
- It is a very large area, covering
almost a quarter of the land in
China
- very cold and dry climate with
sparse shrubs and grasses
- The natural vegetation is eaten
by antelopes and yaks that
roam the area
Taklimakan Desert
Summer Temp. = 100° F
Winter Temp. = 15° F
Annual Precipitation = 5 inches
Vegetation Type = desert
The Taklimakan Desert is known as the largest sand-only desert in the world. Many different
mummies have been found in this desert, and some date back over four thousand years. The word
“taklimakan” is known to mean “desert of death” or “place of no return”.
Taklimakan Desert
• Location
- located in western China, just
northwest of the Tibetan Plateau
Facts
- Over 105,000 square miles
- considered one of the most
dangerous deserts in the world
- “once you go in, you will not come
out”
- The desert’s huge sand dunes
shift and change as the wind
blows the sand around and
sandstorms arise with stunning
speed
- the desert is very dry with
vegetation near oases only
- Legend says that two armies and
three hundred cities are buried in
it
Tien Shan Mountains
Summer Temp. = 41° F
Winter Temp. = 15° F
Annual Precipitation = 10 ins.
Vegetation Type = forest
The Tien Shan Mountains are one of the longest mountain ranges in Central Asia. Their name
means “mountains of the spirits”. The mountains at their lower levels contain many spruce forests.
Tien Shan Mountains
• Location
- The northwestern tip of China and
lies to the north and west of the
Taklimakan Desert
Facts
- one of the longest mountain ranges in
Central Asia at 1700 miles long
- The name Tien Shan literally means
“celestial mountains” and is sacred
to those who practice Daoism
- Heavy rain and snowfall on the
range create a mountain
environment that contrasts
dramatically with the arid desert
terrain of the southern foothills
- On the lower slopes, there are
flowery meadows and forests
- Top of them are covered with
glaciers
Manchurian Plain
•
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Summer Temp. = 75° F
Winter Temp. = 10° F
Annual Precipitation = 20 ins.
Vegetation Type = sparse grasses
The Manchurian Plain is also known as the Northeast China Plain. It covers an area of over
135,000 square miles. There are almost no trees on this plain. This area is good for raising
livestock and herding.
Manchurian Plain
• Location
- northeastern China - east of
Mongolia
Facts
- Also known as Northeast China
Plain
- is a land of low hills and plains
and the natural vegetation is
mostly prairie grass
- It has short, warm summers and
is cold in the winter – dry in the
north and wetter in the south
- In general, the plain is too cold
and dry to be a good place for
growing crops but is good for
herding and livestock