LibGuides: Ancient China: Environment/Geography

Geography of China

China is bordered by 14 countries -- Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Burma, India, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakstan, Mongolia, and Russia. Marine-side neighbours include eight countries -- North Korea, Korea, Japan, Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. Read more...

China's Geographic Challenges

Location of Ancient Chinese civilisation
China is a vast country with a huge range of terrains and climates within it. As well as the country’s sheer size, geographical features such as mountain ranges, deserts and coastlands have all helped shape Chinese history. Above all, the great river systems of China, the Yellow River to the north and the Yangtze to the south, which have given Chinese civilisation its distinctive character.

The video below examines China's geography as the historical driver of its expanding and contracting national boundaries emanating from the Han core.