S2 GeographyCurriculum for Excellence

ChinaChina

The Flag

The large star symbolizes the Communist Party (which rules China)

The smaller stars represent the people of China.

The red colour of the flag symbolizes revolution.

China's national flag was adopted in September, 1949.

The rectangular flag has a red field with five golden-yellow stars(each with five points) in the upper left corner.

The star on the left is larger than the other four.

Complete the flag task in your jotters

Physical Geography

• China is the fourth largest country in the world after Russia, Canada and the USA. It is about 40 times the size of the UK!

Low lying areas at coast

Desert

Mountains

Camels in the Taklamakan Desert (click on hyperlink)

Relief

• The lowest areas in China are along the coast. These large areas of flat land tend to be very fertile and therefore are good for agriculture. However, large areas of China are mountain ranges and deserts. Almost 20% of the entire country is desert. The highest part of the country is the Plateau of Tibet which is around 4000 metres above sea level. The Himalayas (and Mt Everest) form its southern border.

Physical Geography

TaskWrite a paragraph about why you think it would be more difficult to live in the high altitude areas of China than in the coastal areas or cities. Think about remoteness/ climate/ soil/ amenities etc. Use the pictures in your booklet to help you.

China Fact FileCopy this into your jotter

ClimateClimate is what theweather is usually like.

Because China is solarge the country itself doesn’t have a typicalclimate.

The country’s climate is split up into regions.

Climate• Land heats up faster than the sea in summer. It heats

the air, which rises fast. This draws moist monsoon winds in from the sea, bringing plenty of monsoon rain from the south east.

• Large land masses heat up fast in summer, and cool quickly in winter. Therefore, in inland China, we find big temperature differences between summer and winter.

• China’s deserts are cold deserts. They may get hot in summer but are extremely cold in winter and at night. Remember, any place which receives less than 250mm of rainfall per year is classed as a desert (hot or cold).

Climate Graphs• A climate graph is a graph that shows you both

rainfall and temperature.• It is called a composite graph (ie it shows you

two things)

• The rainfall is shown as a bar grap• The temperature is shown as a line graph.

Climate graphs can be tricky to draw for the first time so pay attention to how to do it!

• Why climate graphs??

• Climate graphs can provide you with valuable information about the best time of year to visit a country.

• You always find climate graphs in holiday brochure so it is useful if you can understand them as you wouldn’t want to visit Mexico during hurricane season!

Climate Graphs

Climate Graphs• Draw an x axis and

y axis as you would for any graph.

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May

Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Temp (°C)

-7 -3 5 15 23 28 29 27 21 13 2 -5

Precipitation (mm)

0 1 1 2 6 12 28 19 6 3 1 0

The numbers are the averages, ie, the most common temperature or amount of rainfall per month.

Precipitation= RainfallThese are the figures you need to enter into the graph.

How to start…

Months

Rain

fall

(mm

)

Tem

pera

ture

(°C

)

Climate Graph for the Gobi Desert

MAKE SURE GRAPHS ARE ALWAYS LABELLED

How to start…

Months

Tem

pera

ture

(°C

)

J MF A M J J A OS N D

Rain

fall

(mm

)

0

25

20

15

10

5

30

-10

25

20

15

10

0

-5

30

Climate Graph for the

Gobi Desert

How to draw a climate graph

Months

Tem

pera

ture

(°C

)

J MF A M J J A OS N D

Rain

fall

(mm

)

0

25

20

15

10

5

30

-10

25

20

15

10

0

-5

30

Complete the bars using the precipitation data

Climate Graph for the

Gobi Desert

How to draw a climate graph

Months

Tem

pera

ture

(°C

)

J MF A M J J A OS N D

Rain

fall

(mm

)

0

25

20

15

10

5

30

-10

20

15

10

5

0

-5

25

Complete the line using the temperature data

30Use the y axis for the rainfall

Use the z axis for the temperature

Climate Graph for the

Gobi Desert

Climate Graphs• Use the same techniques to

complete the climate graph for Beijing using the data that is provided in your booklets.

• Remember to put a title and to label the x, y and z axis.

Describing Climate Graphs• After you have drawn a climate graph it is

important that you understand them and are able to describe them.

• The key things you need to know are:– The month with the highest temperature and

what the temperature was.– The month with the lowest temperature and

what the temperature was.– The wettest month and what the amount was.– The driest month and what the amount was.– Trends? Drought/ Seasons/ Rain all year– Temperature Range – highest temp – lowest

temp gives the range of temperature

China’s Weather• Some problems with weather in China

• Landslides in China

(click on hyperlink)

PopulationBecause of China’s physical geography, people have to live in certain areas of the country as some of it is too cold or too steep to live in.

Where people live within a county is called population distribution.

People V GeographyLook at the relief map of China above and compare this with the population density map. Write a short paragraph explaining why high altitude areas are less densely populated than lowland areas.

• Because of the Geography of China, it’s cities are densely populated. This means there are lots of people crammed into a small space.

TaskLook at the relief map of China above and compare this with the population density map. Write a short paragraph explaining why high altitude areas are less densely populated than lowland areas.

China’s Big Cities• There are over 160 cities in

China will more than a million residents. In addition, there are five cities with metropolitan areas with more than 10 million residents – qualifying them as "mega-cities".

Task

Complete the cities task in your booklet

Beijing

A Tour of Beijing

(click on the hyperlink)

Beijing• Beijing is a big bustling city of over 13

million people. It is one of the world’s great historic cities. For centuries, it was home to the emperors, who lived in the Forbidden City.

Visiting Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City in central Beijing (click on hyperlink)

Task

Complete the facebook status page task.

Why are the cities so big?

• About 730 million people live in rural China. Most rely on farming to survive. The majority of these farmers do not own the land they farm, instead, they lease plots of land.

• Life has improved for most Chinese people over the last 20 years. However, it is the people who live in urban areas who have gained the most. On average, farmers earn about a third of what people in urban areas do. Life in rural China can be very tough.

Rural

Urban

Problems in the countryside…

• There are some large farms however, most are small and farmers have to do much of the work by hand as they can’t afford machinery.

• The state does not pay very much for the food it buys because it wants to keep down the food prices for city dwellers.

• Many rural schools are very poor. People do not receive a great education therefore when they move to urban areas for work, they usually only manage low paid jobs.

• Healthcare is also poor, There are few hospitals and many are ill equipped. Most people have long distances to travel to receive help and many can’t even afford to see a doctor.

• As farmers in China do not own their land, many have been evicted to make way for factories and other developments.

What about a move to the city then?

Rural to Urban Migration• Sometimes poor rural Chinese

families decide they must do something to improve their standard of living. Often, they send a younger member of the family to a big city to find work. The idea is that they will get a job easily in the big city and that the job will be steady, secure and well paid. In reality, they usually find a low paid job such as building work, factory work or a street cleaner.

Rural to Urban Migration

• These workers do not earn much money however; they view looking after their family as a duty and so send some of their wages home.

• These migrant workers do not have a residents permit therefore are treated poorly and have few rights.

• In the past, many workers were sent back to their homes or even arrested. In recent years, the rules have been relaxed due to the demand for low paid workers in the factories and building sites.

Rural to Urban Migration

• How would you feel if your parents left you and your brothers and sisters to move to London to work. You might not see them again for many years.

• Click here to learn about the Migrant Worker Perspective

• Click here to learn about the impact of migration on China’s young people.

• So many people moving from rural areas to cities causes many problems in the cities and puts pressure on the services and resources that can be provided.

• Urbanisation in China – watch this clip to get an idea of what urbanisation in China is all about.

Rural to Urban Migration

Urbanisation• Given that China is developing at a

fast rate, more and more towns and cities are being built as the Chinese become more industrialised and technologically advanced.

Urbanisation• Some rural villages have taken the decision to

stop farming for a living and to build factories instead! Huaxi, near Shanghai, was once a poor and sleepy village with a population of 1500 people. It is now home to 60 companies and over 30000 people. The families who were originally in the village, still own the land collectively and share the income from the factories, making them much more wealthy than before!

PRE

DEVELOPMENT

POST

DEVELOPMENT

China’s One Child Policy

For years, China’s leaders were alarmed at how fast the population was growing. They said it was holding back development. In 1979, they came up with the one-child policy.

Task

Complete the migration task in your booklets.

China’s One Child Policy

Key features of the one-child policy

• Couples in towns and cities can have only one child

• In rural areas, you may get permission to have two children, if both parents are only children or the first child is a girl.

• If you have more children than is allowed, you will bbe fined and also lose other benefits.

• Ethnic minorities are allowed to have more than two children as their numbers are low.

China’s One Child Policy

Click here to learn about life as an only child in China

China’s One Child Policy

Is the policy a success?The one-child policy has slowed population growth in China but has brought problems too:

•Millions of baby girls have been abandoned, or aborted, so that people could try for boys.

•In the future, millions of these boys won’t be able to find wives.

•In the future, young people may have to support several older people.

China’s One Child Policy

Class debate

You will now participate in a debate. Details of which are in your booklet.

China’s Rising Inequality

For centuries, China was the world’s most developed and wealthy country. Even 200 years ago, it had the world’s largest economy. Much of this was due to its technology for example it at the forefront in building canals which allowed it to move crops and goods around easily. It also had a civil service to help run the country. These officials were chosen by exam and only the very best got through. Many foreign countries bought much of China’s produce such as silk, tea and porcelain.

China’s Rising Inequality

Falling Behind

From the Industrial Revolution (around 1750 onwards), countries in Western Europe developed rapidly. The UK became ‘the workshop of the world’. Good from its factories were sold everywhere. The Industrial Revolution did not spread to China. Instead, the country fell behind due to invasion and conflict.

Catching Up Fast

• Now China is developing fast. This change is being driven by manufacturing and trade with the rest of the world.

• Chinese people are now free to own businesses and make money for themselves by exporting goods.

• Thousands of new factories have been set up.• A high % of clothing, toys, electronics and

household goods in our shops are made in China.• In 2007, China became the world’s top exporter of

goods.• China is able to sell goods more cheaply than

most countries because it has lower wages.• It also has a huge workforce with 80 million people

working in manufacturing (3.5 million in UK)!• China is sometimes referred to as a newly

industrialised country or NIC.

Rising Standard of Living

• China’s recent industrial developments and trade with the rest of the world has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. There is now more work and people are able to earn more money. •Their standard

of living is rising as the government has more money to spend on services such as roads/rail, schools and hospitals.

HOWEVER…

InequalityChina is also suffering from rising inequality. Some people have gained much more than others from China’s growth. People living in rural areas tend to be much less well off than those in urban areas. Also, the majority of the industry is concentrated in the east meaning there is a huge wealth difference between them and the west. The gap of inequality is still growing.

Inequality

The next few slides contain some images showing you the difference between those who ‘have’ in China and those who ‘have not.

Have a think about how powerful some of these images are.

Begging Bowl

Expensive Handbags!

Skyscrapers

Slums

Free champagne

A long walk for clean water

China is investing heavily in high speed rail

Obviously not in this part of the country

Standing in line waiting for food handouts

A worker in a ‘modern’ Chinese factory

Modern High Rise Apartments

Poor Farmer

Click here to learn what life is like in a high rise block

Some of China’s population is being left behind in the technology boom

Task

Complete the inequality task in your booklets

The EnvironmentIn Britain, development took off with the Industrial Revolution. We set up lots of factories. Our towns and cities grew rapidly. We poured harmful gases into the air and toxic waste into rivers. When we got richer however, we began to clean up. Most other rich countries have followed the same pattern.

China’s EnvironmentHow is China doing?

China is developing faster than any other country in history. It is making the same mistakes as Britain did. Now pollution is a massive problem.

Watch this clip that will help you to understand the problem of pollution in China

China Pollution

Causes of PollutionCoal – the main culprit

China has lots of coal. It depends on coal for 70% of its energy needs. Coal is burned in most of its power stations and in factory furnaces. The trouble is that coal is a very dirty fuel. It gives of carbon dioxide when it burns. This is linked to global warming. Acidic gases such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides form and these cause acid rain.

Causes of PollutionOther causes of pollution

Many of China’s factories pollute the air and rivers with toxic chemicals. There are laws which should prevent this but they are rarely enforced because producing lots of goods and making money is the priority.More and more people own cars so car exhaust fumes add to the problem.There are not enough sewage works in China to meet demand therefore millions of tonnes of untreated waste from homes and factories pour into streams, lakes and rivers every day.

The Clean UpChina is now very worried about pollution. It is also under pressure form other countries as it is currently the world’s largest producer of carbon dioxide. China is being forced to clean up.

There are now international laws governing pollution and a law known as The Kyoto Protocol was set up to reduce emissions so China is legally bound to reducing its pollution

What’s the plan?• China plans to build hundreds more coal

fired power stations but their scientists are looking at ways they can trap the carbon dioxide fumes these produce.

• They will build other forms of energy which do not produce carbon dioxide such as nuclear power stations, wind farms and dams for hydroelectricity.

• Thousands more sewage plants have already been constructed.

• Tough sanctions are being handed out to factories which cause high levels of pollution.

Environmental Concern

This clip shows how eco conscious some Chinese people have become. This is a relatively new phenomenon but like here in the UK this movement will continue to grow.

Environmental Group

Desertification• Large areas of farmland

in China is turning into desert. This is happening due to the increase in population and therefore increased demand for food. Herders often let their animals overgraze which means every scrap of vegetation gets eaten away. Huge numbers of trees have been chopped down meaning there are fewer barriers to the wind and rain and fewer roots holding the soil together.

•Farmers have taken too much water from the rivers and wells to water their crops resulting in a drop in the water table.

DesertificationIn spring, the wind carries the dry, exposed soil eastwards. The dust storms choke Beijing and can even reach Japan! The Chinese are planning on building ‘The Green great Wall’ which will be a 4500km line of planted trees and shrubs to try and combat the spread of desert. The south to north diversion project we learned about earlier will also provide more water for these exceptionally dry areas.

China’s Growing Desert

China's Growing Desert (click on hyperlink)

Task

Complete the environment task in your booklet

The Three Gorges Dam

Click here to view a clip about the Three Gorges Dam

The Three Gorges Dam

As we know China has a huge population of over 1.3 billion people and is developing at a really fast rate. Factories and new industry has sprung up throughout the country. People are earning more and therefore buying more. This has resulted in China needing more electricity as they already have a shortage.

The Three Gorges Dam

• 80% of China’s electricity is from burning fossil fuels – mainly coal. Most of the rest is hydroelectricity. Due to the steep land in the west, China has many fast flowing rivers. It has thousands of dams of all varying sizes. The new Three Gorges dam however, is by far the largest. In fact it is the largest in the world.

Is H.E.P sustainable?The Economy:

• The dam will have cost about £27 billion by the time it is finished

• The electricity will benefit thousands of factories, businesses and homes

• Large ships can go further up the Yangtze than before, which enables them to carry cargo

• Industry is booming in towns and cities along the river

The Environment:

• Hydroelectricity is clean energy – no fuel is burned and no carbon dioxide id formed. The dam is helping to fight global warming!

• It stops fish and other river animals from moving freely. The rise in shipping is also harming their habitat – the Yangtze river dolphin has almost died out!

• There is a risk poisonous levels of sewage and factory waste will build up in the reservoir. This could be very harmful to wildlife and humans.

Flood Control

• Over the years, flooding on the river has killed hundreds of thousands.

• The dam controls the flow of the water so it is hoped that flooding will be prevented in future.

• Some feeling however, it causes problems as at drier times of the year, downstream from the dam, the river level is falling really low.

Impact on Local People

• To make way for the Three Gorges reservoir, around 1.25 million people had to be moved.

• This movement of people left behind two empty cities, 116 towns and hundreds of villages. These were drowned forever.

• Also drowned were farms, family graves and historic sites.

• People got some money in compensation however, they feel the amount given was too low.

Dangers…• The area around the dam is prone to

earthquakes. Some feel it is dangerous to have the weight of the water in the reservoir putting extra strain on the surrounding rock.

• Filling the reservoir has already caused small earthquakes and landslides.

• If the dam cracks, the rush of the water downstream would cause a complete catastrophe.

Problems…

The next few slides show some images of the problems caused by the dam.

Drought

The dam clogged drains causing a build up of

waste

Task

Complete the Three Gorges Dam Activity in your booklets

China’s Place in the World

• As we know, China has one fifth the world’s population living there and its influence is growing very quickly. It affects billions of people all around the world.

China’s Place in the World

You have probably all used some Chinese inventions such as paper,

a compass, fireworks and kites.You may also be familiar with

acupuncture, kung fu or Chinese food.

Many cities around the world have a ‘Chinatown’ where you can eat, shop or visit herbal doctors etc

China’s Place in the World

Made in China

• Some of the things you own were almost certainly made in China. It is sometimes called ‘the world’s factory’.

• It is now the world’s top exporter of goods.

• It exports everywhere including the UK but its main trading partner is the USA.

• It also buys lots of things from other countries, especially raw materials.

• Overall it earns much more than it spends. In 2007 for example, it earned 262 billion more!

China’s Place in the World

Work Flow

• Many factory workers in richer countries, including in the UK, have lost their jobs to China.

• Big companies often relocate to China as the wages are so low.

Buying Resources

• China buys many resources it needs from other countries. It buys things like oil, steel and other metals.

• It is becoming the world’s top buyer of resources.

China’s Place in the World

Investment

• China often invests in other countries.• It has invested in oil fields and mines

around the world.• It has bought land which it can use to grow

soya or plant trees it can use for timber.• It has even set up factories in countries

where the wages are lower than their own which allows them to make things and sell them in that country.

China’s Place in the World

Aid

• Many poorer countries receive aid from China.

• Aid is often given in return for permission to buy a share in an oil field or mine.

• Often, the aid is in the form of new roads, railways and other infrastructure which that country badly needs.

• Chinese workers and companies are usually contracted to carry out the work.

China’s Place in the World

Politics

• China has great political influence.

• It is on the United Nations Security Council along with the UK, USA, France and Russia.

• The Council’s aim is to keep peace in the world and settle conflict by negotiation.

Task

Complete the task in your booklets

EXTRA IDEA’S

Chinese New Year 2015

Thursday, February 19th

CHINESE LANTERN

CHINESE WRITING