Global History and Geography I E.DOCVIP

Global History and Geography I E. Napp Name: ____________________ Date: __________ The Silk Road and Other Interesting Facts The region separating China from Europe and Western Asia is not the most hospitable in the world. Much of it is taken up by the Taklimakan desert, one of the most hostile environments on our planet. There is very little vegetation, and almost no rainfall; sandstorms are very common, and have claimed the lives of countless people. The locals have a very great respect for this `Land of Death; few travelers in the past have had anything good to say about it. Its climate is harsh. In winter the temperatures dip below minus 20 degrees. Temperatures soar in the sun, but drop very rapidly at dusk. Sand storms here are very common, and particularly dangerous due to the strength of the winds and the nature of the surface. Unlike the Gobi desert, where there are a relatively large number of oases and water can be found not too far below the surface, the Taklimakan has much sparser resources. Questions: Describe the Taklimakan desert. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Why is it called the “Land of Death”? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Eventually, a series of trading routes connected China to the Middle East and Europe over this difficult land. The description of this route to the west as the `Silk Road is somewhat misleading. Firstly, no single route was taken; crossing Central Asia several different branches developed, passing through different oasis settlements. Secondly, the Silk Road was not a trade route that existed solely for the purpose of trading in silk; many other commodities were also traded, from gold and ivory to exotic animals and plants. Of all the precious goods crossing this area, si