THE GEOGRAPHY OF ANCIENT CHINA• China began along the Yellow (Huang He) and Yangtze Rivers in the North
China Plain.
• The Yellow River flooding was very unpredictable and was nicknamed “China’s Sorrow,” because the floods often destroyed entire villages.
• Loess Soil or Yellow Soil from the rivers makes for very fertile land.
• Only 10% of China is suitable for farming.
Yellow (Huang He)
River
Yangtze River
THE GEOGRAPHY OF ANCIENT CHINA• China was protected and geographically isolated from outsiders by
natural barriers such as the: • Gobi Desert to the north• Taklimakan Desert to the west• Himalayas to the southwest• Pacific Ocean to the east
Taklimakan Desert
Gobi Desert
HimalayasPacific Ocean
THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA• Built in the northern part of China in the 3rd century during the Qin Dynasty • Was built as a line of defense against invasions from the Mongols to the north• Rebuilt and added onto throughout the centuries – now is approximately 4,000
miles long