Terms, Places, People

The region that came to be known as China is filled with geographic extremes. In the south of the country, along the coast, a great deal of rain comes from monsoon season. This allows crops to thrive in the warmer months.

The eastern side the country is surrounded by water - the Yellow Sea and the Pacific Ocean to be exact. Two major river systems run through China. In the North you’ll find the Yellow River, and in the south, the Yangtze. In the western portion of the country are mountain ranges separating it from countries like India. In the north, the Gobi Desert stretches across much of the territory. The geographic features of this area allowed China to remain relatively isolated from the other ancient civilizations that sprang up during this era of world history. It also provided many challenges for the people who would eventually come to settle areas of the country. You’ll learn about some of those challenges in this section.