Map of China's Geography
Ancient China was much smaller than today’s gigantic China. The extreme geography isolated China’s early settlements. Early farmers settled in the North China Plain and the Chang Jiang Basin areas. The outer areas of China consisted of the Himalaya Mountains which are the highest in the world, the large Gobi Desert, and the dangerous and sandy Talklimakan Desert. Outer China also had the Tibetan Plateau which was very rocky with year round freezing temperatures. The physical characteristics and climate of these surrounding areas made settling in the inner area more practical. It is where my exploration of the amazing ancient China begins.