aylas+CHINA

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 ENVIORNMENTAL CHALLENGES:
 * natural barriers isolated China from other civilizations
 * the yellow sea, east china sea & pacific ocean are located in eastern China
 * mountian ranges & deserts = two thirds of China's landmass
 * the taklimakan desert & the icy 15,00ft plateau of tibet is located in western China
 * the Himalayas are located in the southwestern part of china
 * [[image:china.jpg width="382" height="291" align="right"]]the Gobi desert & the Mongolian plateau are in the north


 * Huang He floods could be disastrous; cause destruction to villages
 * 10% of chinas land is suitable for farming; known as the north China plain.
 * which is Chinas heartland
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">the center of civilization

<span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">CIVILIZATION:


 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">farming settlements formed along the Huang He
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">in 2000 b.c. some settlements turned into china's first cities
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">first chinese dynasty the xia dynasty formed around that time
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">leader named, Yu he was an engineer & a mathmatician
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">made irrigation projects & flood - control helped tame the Huang He
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">Shange = first rulers to leave written records
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">built elaborate palaces & tombs
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">Higher class - timber framed houses w/clay & straw walls (inside the city walls)
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">Peasants / crafts people - huts (outside of the city)

<span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">CULTURE:


 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">people who lived outside of chinese civilization were known as barbarians
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">china = the middle kingdom
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">loyalty in life was to family
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">family = the center to the chinese society
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">respect for parents were important virtues
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">elder men controlled property & decisions
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">women were treated as inferiors
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">they had to obey their fathers, husbands & sons
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">13-16 year old girls had arranged marriages

<span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">SOCIAL CLASSES:


 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">shang society was divided between nobles & peasants
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">noble families owned the land & governed scattered villages

<span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">RELIGION:

<span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">LANGUAGE/WRITTING:
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">closely linked to religion
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">believed spirits of family ancestors had th power to bring good fortune or disater to family members
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">not considered gods, but helpful neighbors
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">spirits demanded attention & respect
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">familly paid respect to the fathers ancestors
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">made sacrifices in honor
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">oracle bones were used to consult the gods
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">animal bones & tortoise shells which priests used for questions to the gods
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">cracking of the bones revealed the answer of the question


 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">one character stood for one syllable/unit of language
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">chinese spoken language & written language are different
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">true scholars needed to know over 1,500 characters
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">noble persons children learn to write
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">peasant children did not