Editing Geography of China (section)

=== History ===
[[File:China-Historic macro areas.svg|left|thumb|300px|The Central plain, visible in dark orange]]
Chinese history is often explained in terms of several strategic areas, defined by particular topographic limits. Starting from the [[Central Plain (China)|Chinese central plain]], the former heart of the Han populations, the Han people expanded militarily and then demographically toward the [[Loess Plateau]], the [[Sichuan Basin]], and the Southern Hills (as defined by the map on the left), not without resistance from local populations. Pushed by its comparatively higher demographic growth, the Han continued their expansion by military and demographic waves. The [[Lingnan|far-south]] of present-day China, the northern parts of today's Vietnam, and the [[Tarim Basin]] were first reached and durably subdued by the [[Han dynasty]]'s armies. The Northern steppes were always the source of invasions into China, which culminated in the 13th century by Mongolian conquest of the whole China and creation of Mongolian Yuan dynasty. [[Manchuria]], much of today's [[Northeast China]], and [[Korean Peninsula]] were usually not under Chinese control, with the exception of some limited periods of occupation. Manchuria became strongly integrated into the Chinese empire during the late [[Qing dynasty]], while the west side of the [[Changbai Mountains]], formerly the home of Korean tribes, thus also entered China.