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China
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The topography is generally characterized by a "stair-step" descent from west to east. The highest elevations are found in the Himalayas in the southwest, including Mount Everest (shared with Nepal). To the east lie the vast plains and major river systems, such as the Yellow River (Huang He) and the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang), the latter being the longest river in Asia.
Climatically, China is highly variable. Northern regions experience severe, dry winters, while southern regions are subje… -
East Asia
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East Asia spans a diverse range of latitudes, extending from the subtropical zones near the Tropic of Cancer to the subarctic regions of Siberia. This latitudinal spread results in highly varied climates, predominantly characterized by the East Asian monsoon system.
The region's topography is dominated by major mountain ranges, including the Himalayas, the Kunlun Mountains, and the Tian Shan, which create significant rain shadows, explaining the aridity of inland areas like the Gobi Desert. The coastal plains, such as the North China Pla… -
Mongolia
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Geography and Climate
Mongolia covers approximately $1,564,116$ square kilometres. Its topography is dominated by the vast Gobi Desert in the south and the high, snow-capped Altai Mountains in the west. The northern and eastern regions feature rolling grasslands, or steppes, which are crucial for the nation's traditional herding economy.
The climate is severely continental, characterized by long, intensely cold winters and short, hot summers. Average temperatures in the capital, Ulaanbaatar, often dip below $-30\,^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$… -
Silk Roads
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The primary terrestrial routes are conventionally segmented for ease of study, reflecting major staging points and geographical bottlenecks:
The Eastern Route: Stretching from Chang An City (the Tang Dynasty capital) west through the Gobi Desert oases (such as Dunhuang) to Kashgar.
The Central Route: Bifurcating around the Taklamakan Desert, this segment involved navigating either the northern (Tian Shan mountains) or southern (Karakoram range) tracks before meeting at key… -
Vasily Bartold
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Bartold dedicated a significant portion of his research to the Turkic peoples, particularly the Kipchaks and the Uyghurs. He undertook extensive manuscript collection tours across Central Asia, often traveling under difficult conditions, which provided the foundation for his authoritative work on the early medieval history of the region.
One of his most recognized, though often misquoted, contributions is his comprehensive analysis of the Orkhon Inscriptions. Bartold famously argued that the script's unusual reliance on purely angular glyphs, rather than flowing curv…