/ Main Ideas
1.Physical features of China, Mongolia, and Taiwan include mountains, plateaus and basins, plains, and rivers.
2.China, Mongolia, and Taiwan have a range of climates and natural resources.

Section Summary

PHYSICAL FEATURES

  1. ______has a range of physical features. These include the world’s tallest ______, as well as some of the world’s driest ______and longest ______. Mongolia and Taiwan are two of China’s neighbors. ______is a dry, landlocked country. ______is a green tropical island.

Mountains

  1. Mountains are found in much of the region,including ______. The ______run along the border of southwestChina. They are the ______mountains in the world.

Other Landforms

  1. Many of the region’s mountain ranges are separated by ______, ______, and ______.The highest plateau in the world—the ______—is located in southwest China. It is known as the ______.
  2. The ______Desert is located in western China. Blinding______are frequent here. The ______is China’s lowest point at 505 feeet below sea level. Another desert, the ______, is located in Mongolia. It is the world’s ______desert. Temperatures can drop to below -40°F.
  3. Most Chinese live in the eastern ______. This region is made up of low, fertile plains and river valleys. In ______most people live on a plain on the west coast.

Rivers

  1. Two long ______run west to east across China. One of these, the ______, or the Yellow River, picks up a yellowish, fertile soil called ______. When the river floods, it deposits the loess, enriching the farmland along the banks. But many people are killed by these floods, giving the river the nickname China’s ______. Another river, the ______, or the Yangzi River, flows across central China. It is Asia’s longest river and a major ______route.

CLIMATE AND RESOURCES

  1. ______varies widely across the region. The ______is warm to hot. There, ______bring heavy rains in the summer. Violent storms called ______, which are similar to hurricanes, bring heavy winds and ______in the summer and fall.The climate in the ______is quite different. It is drier and colder. In the winter, temperatures can drop below 0°F ( –18°C).The climate in the ______and ______is mainly dry.______across this area vary.
  2. The region has a variety of natural______. China has ______, _____, ______, ____, and ______. China’s ______and ______are also valuable resources. Mongolia’s natural resources include minerals, such as ______, _____, ______, and livestock. Taiwan’s major natural resource is its farmland where crops such as ______, ______, and ______are grown.

Word BANK

Gobi Desert / Himalayas / Chang Jiang (Yangzi River)
loess / North China Plain / Huang He (Yellow River)
Plateau of Tibet / Taklimakan Desert / Turpan Depression

DIRECTIONS Read each sentence and fill in the blank with a word from the word bank.

1.Asia’s longest river, the ______flows through Central China.

2.The ______is the world’s coldest desert.

3.The Roof of the World is another name for the ______.

4.The Yellow River picks up large amounts of fertile, yellowish soil called ______.

5.Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain, is located in the ______.

6. The name of the ______has come to mean “Enter and you will not come out.”

7. China’s lowest point is the ______.

DIRECTIONS Answer each question with knowledge you learned while reading the section.

8.Where are China’s main population centers? (Pg.666)

9.How do China’s rivers both help and hurt the country’s people? (Pg. 666)

10. Which natural resource do China and Taiwan have that is not plentiful in Mongolia? (Pg. 667)