ABSTRACT
To gain insight into the patterns of Chinese political development and China’s political system, we need to look the natural forces that have shaped the making of the Chinese state in ancient times, and Chinese culture, history, and political tradition ever since. A fundamental factor in understanding China, particularly the making of the state, how power is ultimately ascertained, and its political implications for evolution, is the physical geography and climate conditions in China by which Chinese civilization came into being. This is not a geography class, but a country’s topography and climate conditions have a great influence on the development of its society and culture in many ways, such as the locations where people live, ways of survival, lifestyles, and agriculture, and thus on the making of the state. Therefore, as students of political science, we are not interested in geography per se, but in its implications for political and economic development.
