ANCIENT CHINA GEOGRAPHY

Fun FACT: China is the country that has

the MOST people in the WORLD!

China is part of a vast region

that today is called mainland

East Asia

China is a large country in

eastern Asia.

China into two main areas:

Outer China and Inner China

Outer China

Fewer people settled here

because the climate was

so EXTREME!

Inner China

Many people settled in

inner China due to the

fertile soil caused by

FLOODS!

HIMALAYA MTS.

In the southwestern part of the region, the

Himalaya Mountains prevented settlement. A high

plateau lies north of these mountains. Because of its

awe-inspiring elevation, this region has been called

the “roof of the world.”

The world’s highest mountains, the Himalayas, are

in China

TIBET-QINGHAI PLATEAU

It is the world’s largest plateau.

This region is a bitterly cold place to live.

Snowstorms are common, even in July.

often called the “Roof of the World.”

rocky land surrounded by towering mountains.

TAKLIMAKA DESERT

The weather can vary from ice storms in the high mountains

to the dreaded sandstorms of the Taklimakan Desert.

Hot, howling winds fill the air with sand and gravel

For people caught in a sandstorm, survival may mean

wrapping themselves in clothing or blankets and lying down

until the storm passes. That could be hours, perhaps even days.

most dangerous deserts in the world

GOBI DESERT

one of the world’s largest deserts

few sand dunes

Most of the desert is stony

Its surface is made up of small pebbles and tiny

bits of sand.

Vegetation is sparse.

NORTHWESTERN DESERT

This area includes the Turfan Depression, the second-

lowest place in China.

It can grow so hot here that raindrops evaporate before

reaching the ground.

Northeastern Plain, a land of low hills and plains. It has

short, hot summers

Winters are long and dry, with five months of freezing

temperatures.

NORTH CHINA PLAIN

The North China Plain is drier and often cooler.

flat at region of grassland

“Land of the Yellow Earth” because the ground is

covered by yellow limestone silt

CHANG JIANG BASIN

The Chang Jiang Basins are warm and wet.

Yangtze River

natural vegetation consists of sparse scrubs and

grasses

Rivers flow through this area from the west.

They provide water for irrigation.

Floods from these rivers also enrich the soil.

HUANG HE

Yellow River

natural vegetation consists of sparse scrubs and

grasses

longest rivers in the world

The silt it carries helps fertilize the surrounding

lands, making the North China Plain a good place in

which to settle and grow crops