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Geography of China. By Prof. Ling-Ling Shih 1/17/2017. We will cover:. China’s geography. Visual resouces. Mr. Brush's China Geography Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaZ9FP4mfu4&list=PLC1E77502F8274DED&index=1&feature=plpp. China:. In Chinese, we call China, “Zhong Guo .”
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Geography of China By Prof. Ling-Ling Shih 1/17/2017
We will cover: • China’s geography EAS 201
Visual resouces • Mr. Brush's China Geography Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaZ9FP4mfu4&list=PLC1E77502F8274DED&index=1&feature=plpp EAS 201
China: • In Chinese, we call China, “Zhong Guo.” • (“Middle Kingdom”) • Where did the name “China” come from? • --”China” was used first in Qin dynasty—the first dynasty that unified China in 221 B.C.E. • The ancient Greeks knew of China as Seres, • the land of silk. • Slavics called China “Cathay” which comes from Khitai • an ethnic group once occupied in northern China. • “Han” EAS 201
Whose China? • The Han People • Share some common physical traits, but their look and height can vary from region to region. • What unified them all? • The same set of cultural traditions (Confucian norms). • 91% of Chinese are Han today. • Non-Han Minorities: • China is also inhabited by diverse non-Han minorities • including Mongolians, Tibetans, Uygurs, Manchurians, and so on. EAS 201
56 Ethnic groups in China • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwuOaII-JqE&feature=related • (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUrLAFXAB3k&feature=related) EAS 201
How big is China? How many people? • China is slightly larger than America. • Population • 4 times people of the U.S.—1.3 billion people. • China is described by Chinese themselves as: • “Di Da Wu Bo”—Vast territory and rich in resources. • “Di Shao Ren Zhong:--Scare land with many people • China proper: scarce land with many people • China proper + Frontier: vast territory and rich resources EAS 201
Regional Differences in geography • As the U.S. and Europe, China varies regionally. • East-West & North-South • the distinction bet/n China Proper and Frontier. EAS 201
Frontier Differences China proper
Frontier—Islam or Lama Buddhism Difference between China Proper and Frontier China Proper-- Confucianism
Frontier --Little Industry (normadic life style and farming in oases Difference China Proper --Industrial bases
Southern China Staple/Cuisines Northern China
China proper • China proper: (Gamer, map 2.3) • 90% of country’s population. • Mostly Han people with Confucian values. • A suitable area for agriculture. • Industrial bases EAS 201
Frontier: (Gamer, Map 2.3) • West of a line: “Western China” • Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liao Ning, Ningxia, Gansu, Xinjiang, Western Sichuan, Tibet, Qinghai. • Fewer people. • Non-Han people. • Islam or Lama Buddhism. • Little industry • Mountains and deserts--Low rainfall • Nomadic life style and farming in oases EAS 201
Regional Differences within China Proper • A dividing line: the Yangtze River (Map 2.4) separate the northern & southern portion. EAS 201
Northern China vs. Southern China • Northern China: • The Yellow River waters Northern China. • The cultural heart of China • Rainfall adequate for agriculture • Heavy industry (coal, oil) • Mandarin dialect • Staples: Wheat • Cuisine: noodles, steamed buns, plainer, use onions, • Southern China: • The Yangtze River and West River--lifelines • Lush paddy agriculture • Tea on the hillsides • Light industry (textiles) • Fewer fuel resources • Southern dialects (e.g., Cantonese) • Staple: Rice • Cuisine: e.g., Hunan, Sichuan styles—spicy, Cantonese EAS 201
The Natural Landscape • China’s regional differences are shaped by her physical geography. • It is a land of extremes: Mt. Everest at 29,029 feet—the Turpan Depression at 505 feet below see levels. • Over two-thirds of China is mountainous, hilly, or high plateaus. But they are linked together by the river basins (Yangtze River and Yellow River) • Floods and droughts plague this land. EAS 201
Three tiers (map 2.4, Gamer--p.18) • Mountains (6,000-29,029 feet) • Tibet, Qinghai, Xinjiang, Sichuan, Gansu, Guizhou, Himalaya range • The origins of the major rivers • The hilly area (600 and 6000 feet) • Mongolian Plateau, Sichuan Basin, Yunnan Plateau. • More rainfall. • Floodplains and low lands (lower than 600 feet) • The smallest and most populous. • The Yangtze River and the paths of the Liao & Song River. • The agricultural and industrial heart of China • The delta of the West River—Principal basis for China’s rich agriculture. EAS 201