The Tibet- Qinghai Plateau
The Tibet- Qinghai Plateau has rocky land surrounded by towering mountains and because the plateau is so high the climate is very cold. The air is thin and dry. Snow even falls sometimes in the summer! the natural vegetation consists of sparse scrubs and grasses. Antelopes and yaks roam the area. The Tibet- Qinghai Plateau is 13,500 feet above sea level.
The Northwestern Deserts: Taklimakan and Gobi Desert
The deserts are harsh places to live and very difficult to cross. Oases were the only places to grow crops. The Gobi Desert stretches over 500,000 square miles. It's one of the worlds largest deserts and it has very few sand dunes. The Gobi Desert is mostly stone and the vegetation is sparse. The Taklimakan Desert is considered one of the most dangerous deserts in the world. Desert winds cause huge sand dunes to shift and change. The desert is too dry to have vegetation. The summer temperatures can reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
The Northeastern Plain
The Northeastern Plain is a land of low hills and plains. The natural vegetation is mostly prairie grass. Major rivers, Liao and Sungari, run through the Northwestern Plain. It has short, warm summers. In the winter, the Northern and Eastern parts of the plain are dry and cold. In general, though, the plain is too cold and dry to be suitable for growing crops.
The North China Plain
In The North China Plain's temperatures range from very warm in the summer to quite cold in the winter. It's called "Land of the Yellow Earth" because the ground is covered by yellow limestone silt. The silt that the Yellow River carries helps fertilize the surrounding lands making The North China Plain a good place to grow crops.
The Chang Jiang Basins
The Chang Jiang River is located near The Chang Jiang Basins. It is wet and warm there. In Ancient Times, the vegetation may have been thick rainforest. There was little space for farming and the area was not suitable for grazing animals. The basins were very good for growing rice, which needs abundant warmth and moisture.