In what way did China's isolated geography contribute to its development as a country

Long distances and physical barriers separated China from Egypt, the Middle East, and India. The isolation contributed to the Chinese belief that China was the center of earth. These beliefs in turn led the ancient China to call their land Zhongguo (jahng gwoh), or the Middle Kingdom. To the west and southwest of China, brutal deserts and high mountain ranges-the Tian Shan (tyen shahn) and the Himalayas-blocked the easy movement of people. To the southeast, thick rainforests divided China from Southeast Asia. To the North awaited a forbidding dessert, the Gobi. To the east lay the vast Pacific Ocean.