Chapter 15 Section 1China: Land of the Three Rivers

Chapter 15 Section 1China: Land of the Three Rivers

Western China• Rugged terrain acts as a barrier

-caused slow culture development

• Why is Western China less populated than Eastern China?

Harsh geographic conditions.

Geographic Features

• Large mountain ranges-The Himalayas separate China from India and contains the worlds highest mountains

• Plateaus-A plateau is a high area of flat land-The Plateau of Tibet is 13,000 feet above sea level and is called “The Roof of The World”

• Deserts-Western China has two deserts and both stretch across Northwestern China-Taklimakan (TAH kluh muh KAHN) is the second largest sand desert in the world-Gobi Desert is a high elevation desert shared by China and Mongolia and is about 5 times the size of Colorado.

Eastern China

Geographic FeatureThere are three major rivers in China

• 1. Huang He • or “Yellow River”

• deposits silt on NE China Plain making rich farmland.• It floods so often it is called “China’s Sorrow”

• 2. Chang Jiang • or “Yangtze River”

• is 3,915 miles long, the longest in Asia• 3. Xi Jiang • or “West River”

• flows through SE China• is a major transportation route.

The Three Gorges Dam• built on the Chang Jiang, is a barrier designed to help prevent flooding• Also generates “Hydroelectric Power” from water driven engines

Eastern ChinaRivers

• Rivers are critical to farming• Spring floods deposit silt• Makes fertile soil for growing crops along the banks• Because of the rich, flat river basins, most Chinese

farmers live in Eastern China river valleys• Transport people and goods• Connect China’s inland with the coast

Life in Western ChinaClimate Resources

• Thinly populated• High mountains are cold year round & Summers are cool and

sunny• Wild sheep and mountain antelope roam the highlands and

wildcats• Deserts get little rain• Desert temperature range from 0` in winter to more than 120` in

summer• Many highlanders are “Nomadic Herders” • Major resources are petroleum, natural gas, and lead.• Pipelines carry oil and natural gas to the east.

Life in Eastern China

• Milder climate than Western China• Northeastern China has cold winters and warm summers with

enough rain to grow crops• Forest regions provide homes for leopards, deer, and more than

265 kinds of birds• Forest regions consist of wild teas, citrus, oak, and pine trees• Inland areas are filled with alligators, giant salamanders, monkeys,

and pangolins• Endangered Pandas are China’s most treasured animal

Life in Eastern China

• Bamboo is an important culture product.

• Pandas eat bamboo

• Used in some construction

• Chopsticks are made from the wooden stems of bamboo

Farming

• Most farmland is located in Eastern China

• Farmers grow rice, wheat, soybeans, and millet

Life in Eastern China

Natural Resources• Tin and Iron• 35% of worlds coal• 80% of worlds coal mining death occur in China

Natural Disasters• Serve floods

– Displaced and killed millions over the last 100 years– Has destroyed forest and farmlands in past years– Creates disease

• Seismic (syz mihk) or earthquakes– China has many fault lines– Death tolls are higher in China because of dense population– Destroys roads, canals, sewers, hospitals, factories, and homes– Tangshan is called the “Brave City of China” because of a 1976

earthquake that killed 250,000 people and injured more than a half million. 90% of homes were destroyed.

Chp 15 sec 1 Review

1. Describe the geographical features of both Western and Eastern China.

2. How are the climates of Western and Eastern China different?

3. Explain how floods and earthquakes have affected China.