Diamond argues that geography played a large role in the cultural and linguistic unity
of Southeast Asia. While the country is divided into two distinct regions, the north and the
south, each with their own domesticated crops (millet in the north, rice in the south), the
north-south distances in China were smaller than in Africa, and there were no natural barriers
that inhibited movement between the regions. In fact, in China the Yellow and Yangtze River
systems facilitated the spread of crops and technology. As a result, China undoubtedly was one
of the earliest sites of food production, which in turn led to the development of urban centers
and a stratified social system. This made it possible for China to be unified under a single
Emperor as early as 2000 BCE.
The "Chinese"-ness of China is
connected to the early adoption of Mandarin and its relatives as the "native" language
of the area. Diamond notes that one result of...
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