China has harsh climates across the country such as the Gobi desert
China has large areas of mountainous terrain such as the Himalayas
The Gobi Desert and Himalayas prevent trade, but also protect against foreign attackers
The Himalayan Mountains run the length of the border between China and India
The Yellow River is an important source of water, it has also been vital for trade
During the Nineteenth Century – China lost the Opium Wars to England and France
Loosing the Opium Wars meant China had to give up land e.g. Hong Kong
In the twentieth century, Japan invaded; twice! In 1931 and 1937
China has struggled historically to secure its borders near the coast from coastal invasions
In the eleventh and thirteenth centuries, China was invaded and conquered by the Mongols
Tibet is a country that wants independence from China
China wants to keep Tibet to stop India from occupying it
Having Tibet gives China the higher ground over India, a great defence against a possible invasion
If India had Tibet, India would control the water supply to three Chinese Rivers
Tibet will not get independence as the country is important for China in stopping invasions
China is looking to rule the South China Sea
China wants to expand its trade and power, so needs to own the trade routes out of the China Sea
China claims much of the land in the South China Sea
China has begun building Naval Bases on disputed islands in the South China Sea
Japan as warned against these Naval Bases, so has South Korea
China and the US nearly attacked each other in the South China Sea in 2012
China wants to build a navy to rival the US, it hopes this will give it an advantage in trade and war
China needs to shipping lanes currently occupied by the US and Japan for trade
The Gobi desert makes farming near impossible in the North West
The Yangtze and Yellow rivers are the most dangerous in the world for flooding
China’s ‘heartland’ is a fertile plain, perfect for farming
China in the 1950’s based its economic growth on its fertile farmland in the Heartland
China is worried about its population size of 1.3 billion people
China worries about its ability to feed a population of 1.3billion
China is putting more Navy Vessels into the South China Sea
China is terrified that it would become trapped by the US and Japanese navies in time of war
Having access to South China Sea gives access to some of the worlds most important shipping lanes
China has a political battle with Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam over the natural resources in the South China Sea
China will continue to stake a claim on the resources, it needs to in order to fuel its massive population
China has built massive road networks to connect its massive country together
It has a train route that runs from West to East, connecting 3,379 miles of territory
The Three Gorges Dam has helped control water on the Yangtze, preventing floods
The Three Gorges Dam also provides electricity for 100million homes
