China China A Landscapes Worlds 4 th largest

China

China

A) Landscapes • World’s 4 th largest country land area wise. • China is divided into 23 provinces, 5 autonomous regions, and 4 municipalities. • Tall mountains, Vast deserts, fertile plains, and mighty rivers exist in China.

1) Mountains • Rugged mountains cover 1/3 of China. • Himalayas is on southern border of China. • In the center of China’s mountains holds the largest plateau in the world. • _______ __ _____ is called the “Roof of the World” because of its average height.

Mountains Con’t • Eastern edge of the plateau is home to pandas, golden monkeys and other rare animals.

2) Deserts • Northwestern part of China is the Taklimakan desert. • Some of the world’s highest temperatures are located in this desert. • Northeastern part of China is the Gobi desert. (Made of rock & gravel instead of sand)

Deserts Con’t • 110 degrees during the day, and can get to -30 degrees at night. • Why? It is very far north and at a high altitude.

3) Plains & Highlands • Plains cover the eastern part of China. • This area has fertile land & is home to almost 90% of China’s people. • NE plain lies in the center of Manchuria. • East of the plain lies a heavily forested, hilly area.

P & H Con’t • To the south is the North China Plain. • SE part of China lies limestone hills which many tourists come to visit.

4) Rivers • 3 major rivers in China. • 1) Huang He- Very important farming area by this river. It is called the “yellow river”. • 2) Yangtze- Important transportation route and a source of soil. • 3) Xi- Floodwaters have deposited rich soil to form flat river basins.

B) The Climate • • Many different climate regions in China. Location, elevation, & wind currents affect the type of climate found in the country. SE China has a humid subtropical climate. NE China has a humid continental climate. Northern part of China has desert & steppe climate. SW China has a highland climate. Monsoons greatly affect China’s climates. Typhoons are tropical storms with strong winds and heavy rains.

• Many different climate regions in China. • Location, elevation, & wind currents affect the type of climate found in the country. • SE China has a humid subtropical climate. • NE China has a humid continental climate.

Con’t • Northern part of China has desert & steppe climate. • SW China has a highland climate. • Monsoons greatly affect China’s climates. • Typhoons are tropical storms with strong winds and heavy rains.

Panda Bear at Recess!

Economy (#1 in the world) • A communist state- Gov’t has strong control over the economy and society. • Gov’t decides what crops will grow, how much and so on. • China has changed to more of a free enterprise system. • Exports: #1 in world (U. S. ) Imports: #3 (S. Korea, Japan)*Big on Industries and services • World leader in producing rice, tea, wheat, and potatoes.

China’s people • Most populated country in the world. • 1. 4 billion people (20% of world’s population) • Main ethnic group- Han Chinese (92%) • 44% live in rural areas

China’s people continued • Main languages- Standard Chinese or Mandarin (others: Yue, Wu, Minbei, Minnan, Xiang, Gan) • Main Religions: Many religions • (Birth rate: Is only ranked 159 th in the world! • Life expectancy: 75. 41 years (#99) • Literacy rate- 96%

Asia map • Asia map is due tomorrow!

History Con’t • U. K. and other countries used military power to force China to trade. • Goods they wanted: silk, tea, pottery. • 1911 - Dr. Sun Yat-sen overthrew the last emperor and China became a republic. • Did not work well and the Nationalist Party took over. • After WW 2 the Communists and Nationalists fought for control of China. • 1949 - Communists won and set up the People’s Republic of China.

China’s Gov’t • After 1949 Communists totally changed the mainland of China. • All land & factories were taken over by the government. • 1976 - New Communist leader took over and made China a more open country. • 1989 - Chinese people held a rally calling for democracy. China’s gov’t sent tanks and troops and killed thousands of people. • Countries don’t like how China runs its country and treats its people.

Gov’t continued • Gov’t- Communist State • Independence- October 1 st 1949 (People’s Republic of China) • Newly elected president- (March 2013) Xi Jinping *5 year term with chance at reelection. • Head of gov’t- Is called the premier. Premier is nominated by the president. Current premier is Li Keqiang.