Geographical features
China is a country located in East Asia. The Pacific Seas - South China, East China, Yellow - wash China from the east. The sea coast stretches for 14.5 thousand km from the north (North Korea) to the south (Vietnam). The island of Taiwan is separated from the mainland by the Taiwan Strait.
The country has land borders with: Mongolia (in the north); Russia and North Korea (in the northeast); Russia and Kazakhstan (in the northwest); Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan (in the west); India, Gilgit-Baltistan, Bhutan and Nepal (in the southwest); Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam (in the south).
Note 1
The total area of the country is 9.6 million square meters. km. China is one of the four largest countries in the world, which also includes Russia, the USA and Canada.
China has a variety of terrain: mountains, depressions, plateaus, vast plains and deserts.
Major orographic regions include:
- Tibetan Plateau. Located in the southwest of the country, the altitude is more than 4000 m above sea level.
- The belt of high plains and mountains is the northern regions of the country. The mountains of Central China and Sichuan, with altitudes from 1500 to 3000 m. There is a change in natural zones - from cold high-mountain deserts to subtropical forest.
- Low accumulative plains and low mountains. They occupy the east, northeast and south of the country. Altitude – less than 1500 m above sea level.
- From north to south from Beijing to Shanghai, the Great Chinese Plain, the Yangtze Delta and the Yellow River Valley stretch along the sea coast.
- The basin of the Pearl River and its tributary Xijiang is located in the southern part of China. The Wuyi Range and the Nanling Mountains separate it from the Yangtze River basin.
Climate zones
The climate of China varies from subtropical (southeastern regions) to arid or sharply continental in the northwest.
The weather of the southern coast is determined by monsoons, which are formed as a result of the interaction of the absorption properties of the ocean and land.
Seasonal movements of air masses contain a lot of moisture in the summer, and are relatively dry in the winter. The appearance and disappearance of the monsoon largely determines the total rainfall throughout the country.
Most of China's territory lies in the temperate climate region. However, the peculiarities of the relief and geographical location of the country relative to the Pacific Ocean determine a wide range of meteorological and temperature regimes.
The following climate zones are distinguished in China:
- Temperate climate. Characteristic of the northern territory of China, represented by the province of Heilongjiang and the western regions.
- Subtropical climate. South-eastern regions and central regions.
- Tropical monsoon climate. South coast, Hainan Island.
- Sharply continental climate. Northwestern regions.
In China, there are several climatic zones characterized by varied topography and climate: coastal areas, mountain ranges, deserts, islands. Characterized by large fluctuations in average temperatures between the northern, central and southern regions, high humidity in the summer in many central and southern territories.
Natural areas
There are three large natural zones in China:
- Eastern Monsoon Region;
- Cold Alpine Qinghai-Tibet Region;
- Northwestern arid region.
The eastern monsoon region occupies mainly the coast of the South China and East China Seas. It is the warmest and most humid area in summer in China. Summer is long, but not very hot. Winters are mild and cool; in January the temperature rarely drops below +10 ºС. There is heavy rainfall throughout the year. In the tropical southeast, the rainy season runs from May to October. During the summer, the region is subject to frequent typhoons and floods.
The climate in the Tibet Autonomous Region and Qinghai Province is extremely harsh, cold alpine. Practically all year round the temperature does not rise above 0 ºС. Piercing winds are blowing. The landscape of this region was determined by: cold, rocky and poor soils, low humidity. Most of the territory is steppe, desert and semi-desert. In low-lying gorges there are small forest strips.
The climate of the southeastern regions of the Tibetan Plateau is somewhat milder, as warm air masses come from the Indian Ocean.
The northwest territories are characterized by a desert, dry climate with significant fluctuations in daily and seasonal temperatures. Warm air from the southeast of the country over the mountain plateaus and cold plains of the northwest quickly cools and turns into anticyclones, predetermining clear, dry weather with very hot summers and exceptionally frosty weather in winter. Precipitation is scanty and falls mainly in late spring - early summer. Most of the territory is steppe and desert. The climate softens somewhat closer to the central regions. The most favorable climate is in the Yangtze River basin. The southeast monsoons reach here, summers are warm and winters are moderate.
Climatic features
In Heilongjiang, the average temperature in winter is -16 ºC, sometimes dropping to -38 ºC. The average July temperature is +20 ºС. In the south of Guangdong province, the average temperature in winter and summer is +10 ºС and +28 ºС, respectively.
Different areas of the country receive different amounts of rainfall. On the southern slopes of Qinling, precipitation is abundant, and its maximum is observed in the summer during the monsoon period. To the north and west of the mountains, the amount of precipitation decreases. The driest areas are the northwestern regions. Here are the Ordos, Gobi, and Taklamakan deserts.
The rainy season lasts from May to September. More than 6,000 mm of precipitation may fall during this period alone. In summer, monsoon winds form from the Indian and Pacific oceans, determining the amount of precipitation. In the provinces in the south of the country (Hainan, Guangdong, Guangxi), the rainy season opens with the monsoons. Rainy weather in June-August moves to the northern regions.
The eastern and southern regions of China are characterized by typhoons, monsoons, tsunamis, floods, and droughts.
Every year in the spring, yellow dust storms are observed in the northern regions, originating in the northern deserts and heading towards Japan and Korea.
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CHINA
Territory - 9.6 million km 2.
Population - 1 billion 222 million people since 1995
The capital is Beijing.
Figure 10. Administrative divisions and economic zones of China.
(to enlarge the image, click on the picture)
Geographical location, general overview.
The PRC is the third largest country in the world by territory and the first by population - located in central and eastern Asia. The state borders on 16 countries, 1/3 of the borders are in the CIS countries.
Economic geographical position The PRC is very profitable, since being located along the Pacific coast (15 thousand km), the country has access to the sea from the most remote inland corners through the Yangtze River. The coastal location of the PRC contributes to the development of its economy and foreign economic relations.
China is one of ancient states world, which arose in the 14th century BC, has a very complex history. Due to the obvious benefits of its position, the wealth of natural and agroclimatic resources Throughout its existence, China has attracted the attention of various conquerors. Even in ancient times, the country protected itself with the partially preserved Great Wall of China. In the last century, China was a pro-colony of England, after its defeat in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894 - 1895. The country was divided into spheres of influence between England, France, Germany, Japan and Russia.
In 1912, the Republic of China was formed. In 1945, after the defeat of the Japanese invaders with the help of the USSR, the People's Revolution occurred. In 1949, the People's Republic of China was proclaimed.
Natural conditions and resources.
The country lies within the fractured Chinese Precambrian Platform and younger areas. As part of this, the eastern part is mainly lowland, and the reserved upland and mountainous part.
Various mineral deposits are associated with various tectonic structures. In terms of its supply, China is one of the leading countries in the world; it stands out primarily for its reserves of coal, non-ferrous and ferrous metal ores, rare earth elements, and mining and chemical raw materials.
In terms of oil and gas reserves, China is inferior to the leading oil countries of the world, but in terms of oil production the country has reached 5th place in the world. The main oil fields are located in Northern and Northeastern China, the basins of inland China.
Among the ore deposits, the Anshan iron ore basin, located in coal-rich Northeast China, stands out. Non-ferrous metal ores are concentrated mainly in the central and southern provinces.
The People's Republic of China is located in temperate, subtropical and tropical climatic zones, with the climate in the west being sharply continental and in the east being monsoonal, with high rainfall (in summer). Such climatic and soil differences create conditions for the development of agriculture: in the west, in the arid regions, livestock farming and irrigated agriculture are mainly developed, while in the east, on the especially fertile lands of the Great Chinese Plain, agriculture predominates.
The water resources of the PRC are very large; the eastern, more populated and highly developed part of the country is most endowed with them. River waters are widely used for irrigation. In addition, China ranks first in the world in terms of theoretical hydropower resources, but their use is still very small.
China's forest resources are generally quite large, concentrated mainly in the northeast (taiga coniferous forests) and the southeast (tropical and subtropical deciduous forests). They are intensively used on the farm.
Population
China is the first country in the world in terms of population (almost 1300 million people or 20% of all inhabitants of the Earth), and it has probably held the palm for many centuries. In the 70s, the country began to implement a demographic policy aimed at reducing the birth rate, because after the formation of the People's Republic of China (in the 50s), due to a decrease in mortality and an increase in living standards, the population growth rate increased very quickly. This policy has borne fruit and now natural growth in China is even below the world average.
China is a young country (1/3 of the population is under 15 years of age). It differs in the intensity of labor migration, both within the country and abroad.
The PRC is a multinational country (there are 56 nationalities), but with a sharp predominance of the Chinese - about 95% of the population. They live mainly in the eastern part of the country; in the west (most of the territory) live representatives of other nationalities (Gzhuans, Hui, Uighurs, Tibetans, Mongols, Koreans, Manjurs, etc.).
Despite the fact that the PRC is a socialist country, Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism are practiced here (in general, the population is not very religious). The country is home to the world center of Buddhism - Tibet, occupied by China in 1951.
Urbanization is developing rapidly in China.
Farm
The PRC is an industrial-agrarian socialist country developing in Lately at a very fast pace.
Economic modernization is progressing at different rates in different regions of China. Special economic zones (SEZs) have been created in Eastern China to take advantage of their advantageous coastal location. This strip occupies 1/4 of the country's territory, 1/3 of the population lives here and 2/3 of the GNP is produced. The average income per inhabitant is 4 times higher than in the more backward inland provinces. The territorial structure of the country's economy is represented mainly by established large industrial hubs, which plays an important role Agriculture, which employs the majority of the economically active population (EAP).
In terms of GDP, China has taken 2nd place in the world, although in terms of GNP per capita it has not yet reached the world average (about $500 per year).
Energy. China occupies one of the leading places in the world in energy production and electricity generation. China's energy sector is coal (its share in the fuel balance is 75%), oil and gas (mostly artificial) are also used. Most of the electricity is produced at thermal power plants (3/4), mainly coal-fired. Hydroelectric power stations account for 1/4 of the electricity produced. There are two nuclear power plants, 10 tidal stations, and a geothermal station has been built in Lhasa.
Ferrous metallurgy- is based on its own iron ore, coking coal and alloying metals. China ranks 1st in the world in iron ore mining and 2nd in steel production. The technical level of the industry is low. The largest factories in the country are those in Anshan, Shanghai, Broshen, as well as in Benxi, Beijing, Wuhan, Taiyuan, and Chongqing.
Non-ferrous metallurgy. The country has large reserves of raw materials (1/2 of the produced tin, antimony, and mercury are exported), but aluminum, copper, lead, and zinc are imported. Mining and processing plants are represented in the north, south and west of China, and the final stages of production are in the east. The main centers of non-ferrous metallurgy are located in the provinces of Liaoning, Yunnan, Hunan, and Gansu.
Mechanical engineering and metalworking- occupies 35% in the industry structure. The share of production of equipment for the textile industry remains high, while electronics, electrical engineering, and the automotive industry are rapidly developing. The structure of production enterprises is diverse: along with modern high-tech enterprises, handicraft factories are widespread.
The leading sub-sectors are heavy engineering, machine tool building, and transport engineering. The automotive industry (6-7th place in the world), electronics and instrument making are developing rapidly. The predominant part of China's engineering products is produced in the coastal zone (over 60%), and mainly in large cities (the main centers are Shanghai, Shenyang, Dalian, Beijing, etc.).
Chemical industry. Relies on coke and petrochemical products, mining chemicals and plant raw materials. There are two groups of production: mineral fertilizers, household chemicals and pharmaceuticals.
Light industry- traditional and one of the main industries, uses its own, mainly natural (2/3) raw materials. The leading sub-sector is textile, providing the country with a leading position in the production and export of fabrics (cotton, silk and others). The sewing, knitting, leather and footwear sub-sectors are also developed.
Food industry- for a country with such a large population, it is extremely important; the processing of grain and oilseeds is in the lead; the production and processing of pork (2/3 of the volume of the meat industry), tea, tobacco and other food products is developed.
As before, the country has developed production of traditional sub-sectors: textiles and clothing.
Agriculture- provides food to the population, supplies raw materials for the food and light industries. The leading sub-sector of agriculture is crop production (rice is the basis of the Chinese diet). Wheat, corn, millet, sorghum, barley, peanuts, potatoes, yam, taro, and cassava are also grown; industrial crops - cotton, sugar cane, tea, sugar beets, tobacco, and other vegetables. Livestock farming remains the least developed sector of agriculture. The basis of livestock farming is pig breeding. Vegetable growing, poultry farming, beekeeping, and sericulture are also developed. Fisheries play a significant role.
Transport- provides mainly communication between seaports and inland areas. 3/4 of all cargo transportation is provided by rail transport. Along with the recently increased importance of sea, road and aviation, the use of traditional modes of transport remains: horse-drawn, pack, transport carts, bicycle and especially river.
Internal differences. In the early 1980s, in order to improve planning, China created three economic zones: Eastern, Central and Western. The eastern region is the most developed, with the largest industrial centers and agricultural areas located here. The center is dominated by the production of fuel and energy, chemical products, raw materials and semi-finished products. The western zone is the least developed (livestock farming, mineral processing).
Foreign economic relations. Foreign economic relations have been developing especially widely since the 80-90s, which is associated with the formation of an open economy in the country. Volume foreign trade- 30% of China's GDP. In export leading place occupied by labor-intensive products (clothing, toys, shoes, sporting goods, machinery and equipment). Imports are dominated by mechanical engineering products and vehicles.
Problems and tests on the topic "China"
- China - Eurasia 7th grade
Lessons: 4 Assignments: 9 Tests: 1
Leading ideas: show the diversity of cultural worlds, models of economic and political development, interconnection and interdependence of countries around the world; and also be convinced of the need for a deep understanding of the patterns of social development and the processes that occur in the world.
Basic concepts: Western European (North American) type of transport system, port-industrial complex, "development axis", metropolitan region, industrial belt, "false urbanization", latifundia, ship stations, megalopolis, "technopolis", "growth pole", "growth corridors"; colonial type of industrial structure, monoculture, apartheid, subregion.
Skills and abilities: be able to assess the influence of EGP and GGP, the history of settlement and development, characteristics of the population and labor resources of the region, country on the sectoral and territorial structure of the economy, the level economic development, role in the MGRT of the region, country; identify problems and forecast development prospects for the region and country; highlight specific, defining features of individual countries and explain them; find similarities and differences in the population and economy of individual countries and give an explanation for them, draw up and analyze maps and cartograms.
CHINA, the People's Republic of China (PRC), a country in Central and East Asia, includes China proper (18 historical provinces of the Chinese Empire), Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Northeast (Manchuria) and Tibet. The province of Taiwan, which is controlled by the People's Republic of China, is considered separately. The PRC occupies an area of 9,561 thousand square meters. km (without Taiwan).
Within China, three large orographic regions are distinguished: in the southwest, the Tibetan Plateau with an altitude of more than 2000 m above sea level; to the north of it there is a belt of mountains and high plains, located in the altitude range from 200 to 2000 m above sea level, and in the northeast, east and south of the country - low-lying accumulative plains (below 200 m above sea level) and low mountains.
The Tibetan Plateau occupies more than a quarter of China's territory and includes the Tibet Autonomous Region, Qinghai Province and western Sichuan Province. The western and central parts of the highlands, located above 4000 m, are rightly called the “roof of the world.” Numerous ridges crossing Tibet have a latitudinal strike and rise to heights of 5500–7600 m. The ridges are separated by wide valleys, cold and mostly uninhabited. The highlands are framed by even higher mountain ranges: in the south - the Himalayas with the highest peak Qomolungma (Everest, 8848 m), in the northwest - the Karakoram and Pamir mountains, in the north - the majestic Kunlun, Altyntag and Qilianshan mountain ranges, which abruptly drop off in the north direction.
In the northeast of the Tibetan Plateau, between the Kunlun Mountains in the south and the Altyntag and Qilianshan ridges in the north, at altitudes of 2700–3000 m above sea level. The Tsaidam depression is located. The western part of the depression is occupied by desert, and in its central part there are extensive swamps and salt lakes. The mostly nomadic population of this area has been breeding horses for many centuries. The discovery of oil, coal and iron ore deposits in this basin and the development of rich salt deposits contributed to the development of local industry.
The northern and western regions of Tibet and the Tsaidam Basin are internal drainage basins. There are hundreds of drainless salt lakes here, into which small rivers flow. On the northern slope of the Himalayas, the Brahmaputra River originates (in China it is called Matsang, and then Zangbo) and flows east for 970 km, and then, cutting through mountain ranges, turns south and enters the plains of Northern India. The Brahmaputra and its tributaries flow in deep sheltered valleys, which contribute to the concentration of sedentary populations in cities such as Lhasa, Gyangtse and Shigatse. Three of the world's greatest rivers, the Yangtze, Mekong and Salween, originate on the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau. In this area, the huge ridges that cross the Tibetan plateau bend towards the southeast and then towards south direction and usually exceed 3000 m, with some peaks reaching higher elevations. For example, Guangshan Peak (Minyak-Gankar) in the Daxueshan Mountains in western Sichuan Province rises to 7556 m.
The belt of highlands and depressions adjoins the Tibetan Plateau in the north, northeast and east and has an altitude range from 200 to 2000 m. The autonomous regions of Xinjiang Uygur, or Xinjiang, and Inner Mongolia and the plains of China proper, are confined to this belt, differing significantly in the nature of the relief.
In Xinjiang, located north of the Kunlun Mountains, there are two large inland drainage depressions - the Tarim and the Junggar. The Tarim Basin extends from Kashgar in the west to Hami (Kumul) in the east and has absolute heights from 610 m in the central part to 1525 m along the periphery. The depression is framed by the Kunlun and Altyntag mountains to the south, the Pamirs to the west, and the Tien Shan to the north. All these mountains have heights of more than 6100 m. In the east, the Tarim Basin is limited by less impressive mountain ranges with individual peaks exceeding 4300 m. One of the driest and most inaccessible deserts in the world, Taklamakan, is confined to its central part. The Tarim River and its tributaries, which originate in the mountains and are fed by glaciers, are lost in the sands of this desert or flow into the salt lake Lop Nor (in this area the PRC conducts its nuclear tests). North of the lake Lop Nor is the lowest land surface in East Asia - the Turfan depression, which extends approx. 100 km in the latitudinal direction and approx. 50 km – in the meridional. Its most depressed part has an absolute elevation of –154 m. The region of the Turfan Depression is characterized by huge annual temperature amplitudes: from 52° C in summer to -18° C in winter. Precipitation is rare.
To the north of the Tien Shan is the Dzungarian depression, bounded from the northwest by a number of ridges, the highest of which is the Dzungarian Alatau, and from the northeast by Altai. The surface of the Dzhungar depression is about 600 m lower than the Tarim, and the climate is not so arid. Nevertheless, large areas here are occupied by semi-deserts and steppes, where nomads live. In the north-west of Dzungaria, near Karamay, there is a large oil field, and in the south, in the Urumqi region, there is a deposit of coal and iron ores.
China statistics
(as of 2012)
The Tarim depression is drainless, and the Dzhungar depression is drained by the Ili and Irtysh rivers, the flow of which is directed westward, to the plains of Kazakhstan. Along the periphery of the Tarim Basin, on the loess foothill plains in the valleys of rivers flowing from the mountains, a ring of oases formed. Through the cities located in these oases, it is already approx. 2000 years ago, the Great Silk Road ran, connecting China with the Roman Empire.
Inner Mongolia occupies the Chinese portion of the vast Mongolian Basin, with the Gobi Desert at its center. In China, the depression extends in a large arc east of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to the border with Russia. From the south and east, Inner Mongolia is framed by the Qilianshan (Richthofen), Helanshan (Alashan), Yinshan and Greater Khingan ridges, which have relatively low altitudes (900–1800 m). The altitudes of most of Inner Mongolia are 900–1500 m above sea level. The landscapes are dominated by dry steppes and semi-deserts. In the western part are the Alashan and Gobi deserts. A few short rivers, originating in the southern mountain frame, flow north and are lost in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia.
The highlands, middle mountains and lowlands of China proper occupy a significant part of the country's territory south of Inner Mongolia and east of the Tibetan Plateau. In the south they form a system of ridges and extend to the east coast. This elevated area is divided into several large areas, including the Ordos Plateau, Shaanxi-Shanxi Plateau, Qinling Mountains, Sichuan Basin, Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and Nanling Mountains. All of them are located in the altitude range from 200 to 2000 m.
The Qinling Mountains are a system of ridges that cross central China from southern Gansu Province in the west to Anhui Province in the east. The mountain ranges are the border of the country's two main drainage basins - the Yellow and Yangtze rivers and sharply delimit China proper into northern and southern parts, differing in geological structure, climatic and soil characteristics, the nature of natural vegetation and a set of main crops.
The Shaanxi-Shanxi Plateau, located north of the Qinling Mountains and south of the Ordos Plateau, stretches from the Tibetan Plateau in the west to the lowlands of the North China Plain in the east. Distinctive feature The plateau is a loess cover up to 75 m thick, largely masking the original relief. The steep slopes of the hills are artificially terraced in many places, and the soils formed on the loess are fertile and easy to cultivate. At the same time, the loess is subject to water erosion, as a result of which the area is deeply cut by a network of ravines.
North of the Loess Plateau at altitudes of more than 1500 m above sea level. The Ordos plateau is located, characterized by desert landscapes. Sand dunes are common in its northwestern and southeastern parts, and the central part is replete with small salt lakes. The Ordos Desert is separated from the cultivated loess lands by the Great Wall of China.
The Sichuan Basin (or "Red Basin") lies south of the Qinling Mountains, immediately east of the ridges of the eastern frame of the Tibetan plateau - Daxueshan and Qionglaishan, forming a steep high chain, many of whose peaks exceed 5200 m. These ranges, together with the Minshan and Dabashan mountains to the north and the plateau of Guizhou Province in the south frame a basin, the bottom of which drops from 900 m in the north to 450 m in the south. The soils of this area are very fertile. It is one of the most densely populated areas in China. The Sichuan Basin is composed predominantly of ancient red sandstones, which overlie large but deeply buried Jurassic coal-bearing deposits. Large surface coal deposits are located along the northern, southern and southeastern edges of the basin. Clays and oil-bearing limestones are also widespread. Surrounded by high mountains, Sichuan has a reputation for being difficult to reach.
The Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, which is a much lower (average altitude 1800–2100 m above sea level) continuation of the Tibetan Plateau, is located to the south and southeast of the Sichuan Basin. The western part of this area is crossed by narrow (only up to 500 m), but deeply incised (in places up to 1500 m) valleys of the Salween and Mekong rivers, presenting serious obstacles to movement. This highly divided territory has long acted as a barrier between China, India and Burma. In the east, in Guizhou province, the nature of the relief is changing. In some places, the surface height drops to 900 m or less, the slopes become less steep, and the valleys widen.
The Nanling Mountains ("Southern Ranges") extend from the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau in the west to the Wuyi Ranges in the southeastern coastal provinces of Fujian and Zhejiang. This wide belt of low mountains, separating the Yangtze River basins in the north and the Xijiang ("Western") River basins in the south, is rich in minerals. Among them are numerous deposits of tungsten, antimony, lead, zinc and copper.
Low-lying accumulative plains. Only ok. 10% of China's territory is located at altitudes less than 200 m above sea level, but this is where most of the country's population is concentrated. There are five main lowland regions: the North China Plain, the Great Chinese Plain, the Huaihe River valley, the middle reaches basin and the Yangtze River delta, the Northeast (Manchurian) Plain and the Xijiang River basin. The North China Plain, the Huaihe River valley and the Yangtze Delta meet near the sea coast, forming a single strip of plains stretching from Beijing in the north to Shanghai in the south and interrupted only by the highlands in Shandong province. In the depths of the mainland, the depression to which the middle course of the Yangtze River is confined is separated from this vast plain by the Dabeshan Mountains (the eastern continuation of the Qinling mountain system). In the north, a narrow coastal strip connects the North China Plain with the Northeast. The Xijiang River basin is located south of the Yangtze River basin and is separated from it by the Nanling and Wuyi Mountains. Each large lowland plain is composed of sediment from one or more rivers.
Water resources - Yellow River and North China Plain. The Yellow River (translated as “yellow”), 5163 km long, originates in the Tibetan Plateau (Qinghai Province). Rushing east like a stormy stream, it makes its way down from the plateau through the Liujiaxia gorge and further through the highlands of Gansu province. Near Lanzhou, the 2,400 km long “great northern bend” of the Yellow River Valley begins, which from the north skirts the Mu Us Desert on the edge of the Ordos Plateau, and then turns sharply to the south, crossing the central Loess region and forming the border between the provinces of Shanxi and Shaanxi. In this section, the river carries a huge volume of silt, especially in summer, when it is at its deepest. Due to the large amount of solid runoff on the plains located downstream, floods are frequent, and the Huang He River itself is nicknamed “the grief of China.”
Having reached the Qinling Mountains, where the Weihe River flows into it from the west, the Yellow River turns sharply to the east, passes through Sanmenxia (“Three Gate Gorge”) and enters the North China Plain. When leaving this gorge, the river is at an absolute level of only approx. 180 m, while the distance to its confluence with Bohai Bay is 970 km. Here, on a gradually descending section of the valley, the river loses speed. As a result, over the course of thousands of years, the Yellow River regularly flooded, depositing sediment and gradually expanding and increasing the accumulative plain. When ok. 3000 years ago, Chinese civilization first arose in this territory; people tried to regulate the flow regime with the help of dams. However, the likelihood of destructive floods increased due to the fact that the area of sediment accumulation was limited to the river bed. As the layer of silt grew, higher and higher dams had to be built until the river and ramparts were higher than the level of the surrounding plain. When the dam breaks, which often happens at the peak of the summer flood, the river overflows across the plain, flooding gigantic areas and destroying crops. Since the river's waters cannot return to the elevated channel, the Yellow River often changes its course. From 1048 to 1324 it flowed into Bohai Bay north of the Shandong Peninsula. In 1324 it connected with the Huaihe River, and its waters flowed into the Yellow Sea south of the peninsula, and in 1851 the Yellow River again began to flow into Bohai Bay. In 1938, the right bank dikes were destroyed by order of Chiang Kai-shek to prevent the advance of the Japanese army. In 1947, as part of a UN project, the river was returned to its former course and now flows back into Bohai Bay. On its way through the North China Plain, the Yellow River does not receive large tributaries. The Grand Canal connects it with the Yangtze River and the major seaports of Tianjin and Shanghai. The total length of this canal is 1782 km.
In 1955, the Chinese government began to implement the so-called. a “step plan” for regulating the Huang He River, including the construction of four large and 42 auxiliary dams on the main river and its tributaries. After the construction of the most important dam, a reservoir with an area of 2350 square meters was formed in the Sanmenxia Gorge. km, length approx. 300 km and a volume of more than 35 km3. This hydraulic structure counteracts the most powerful floods and is also designed to generate electricity, irrigate land and improve navigation. Large-scale programs are complemented by numerous local projects involving the construction of thousands of small dams on tributaries of the Huang He River and small rivers, terracing of loess hillsides to prevent erosion, and reforestation of large areas.
Huaihe River and its basin. Directly south of the lower Yellow River is the smaller but important river system of the Huaihe River, separated from the Huanghe River basin and the North China Plain by a barely visible watershed stretching from Kaifeng to Xuzhou, and by a somewhat more pronounced upland on the Shandong Peninsula, from Xuzhou to the Yellow Sea. The length of the Huaihe River is only approx. 1090 km, however, unlike the Huang He River, it has many tributaries, mostly left ones, flowing from northwest to southeast. The river and its tributaries drain an area of 174 thousand square meters abounding in lakes. km, covering the southern and eastern parts of Henan Province, the entire Anhui Province and the northern part of Jiangsu Province. The Huaihe River flows into big lake Hongzehu, from which its waters are carried into the Yellow Sea in the form of natural rivers and through recently constructed canals. Alluvial soils in the Huaihe River basin are very fertile, but the river itself has always been subject to powerful floods, so work to regulate the flow regime in its basin was given paramount importance. Ten dams have been built in the upper reaches of the main river and its tributaries. As a result, reservoirs were formed (the largest are Meishanshuiku and Fozilingshuiku in Anhui province). Dams with a total length of hundreds of kilometers were built and strengthened and complex irrigation measures were carried out.
Yangtze River and adjacent plains. The length of the Yangtze River is more than 5600 km. The river originates from glaciers in the central part of the Tibetan Plateau, flows south, forming deep gorges in the eastern part of the plateau and, having reached the highlands of Yunnan Province, turns sharply to the east. On this segment from rapid current The river is called Jinshajiang (“Golden Sand River”). Near the city of Yibin, the river enters the Sichuan Basin and flows at the foot of the mountains of its southern frame. Here it receives four large tributaries - Minjiang, Tuojiang, Fujian and Jialingjiang, which cross the basin from north to south and give it the name Sichuan (“Four Rivers”). In the middle reaches of the Minjiang River, near Chengdu, a complex system for regulating water flow, created by engineer Li Ping during the Qin Dynasty (221–206 BC), still operates.
The Yangtze River makes its way from the Sichuan Basin through several picturesque gorges located between Fengtse and Yichang. This section of the river is difficult and dangerous. In summer, the current speed in places can reach 16 km/h. Passing Yichang, the river passes through a series of basins (plains), which are often collectively called the middle course of the Yangtze River. The first of these is an area abounding in lakes within the provinces of Hunan and Hubei. Its northern part is crossed by the Han River, which originates in the Qinling Mountains, flows through a wide valley in a southeast direction and flows into the Yangtze near Hankou (“Mouth of the Han River”), one of the cities of the Wuhan agglomeration. In the south, the Hunan basin is drained by the Xiangjiang, which originates in the Nanling Mountains and flows into the large Dongting Lake, which drains into the Yangtze River. Within this basin, the Yangtze is gaining full strength. While in the Chongqing region (Sichuan Province) the river’s width is only 275 m, in the vicinity of Wuhan its bed widens and reaches 1.6 km. The difference between low water and high water is estimated to be approximately 12 m. In winter, ships with a draft of more than 2 m must move with caution, while in summer, ocean-going ships with a displacement of 15 thousand tons can reach Wuhan.
Below Wuhan, before entering the next basin, the river bed narrows somewhat. This basin, located almost entirely to the south of the Yangtze, belongs mainly to the drainage basin of the Ganjiang River, which carries its waters through the large Poyang Lake before flowing into the Yangtze. Lakes Poyang and Dongting act as large reservoirs on large tributaries of the Yangtze, regulating the flow of water in the summer, when the rivers are at their fullest.
The third basin, to which the middle course of the Yangtze River is confined, occupies the central and southern parts of Anhui province. Approximately midway between Wuhu and Nanjing, this plain meets the vast Yangtze delta plain.
The floodplain soils in the middle Yangtze basin, composed mainly of red alluvium brought from the Sichuan Basin, as well as sediment from the Hanshui, Xiangjiang and Ganjiang rivers, are very fertile. Hunan Province is one of the most important rice-growing areas in China. Although the Yangtze carries a lot of silty sediment, the high speed of the current contributes to the removal of most of it into the sea, as a result of which the Yangtze does not experience such destructive floods as the Yellow River, and its banks are less embanked. However, in the summer, when there is particularly intense snowmelt in Tibet or unusually heavy rainfall, floods occur. Thus, in 1931, an area of approx. 91 thousand sq. km. To prevent the recurrence of such floods, two reservoirs were built, the capacity of which is supplemented by the natural lake reservoirs of Poyang and Dongting. The reservoir near Shashi (north of Dongting Lake) was built in 1954 almost entirely by hand in 75 days. Its area is 920 sq. km, capacity – 5.4 km3. A somewhat smaller reservoir is located near the city of Wuhan.
The Yangtze Delta begins about 50 km from Nanjing, upstream of the river. This completely flat surface, located slightly above sea level, is composed of silty sediments. It is steadily and quickly moving towards the sea, as well as in a southern direction, into Hangzhou Bay. The groundwater table of the low-lying plain is located very close to the surface. This plain is crossed by countless drainage and irrigation canals, which are also used as routes of communication. Trees, mainly mulberries, are planted along the canals, serving as a base for local sericulture. The delta is replete with lakes, of which the largest is Taihu (“Great Lake”). The delta region is very densely populated. By 1968, three bridges were built across the Yangtze from the western border of Sichuan province to the sea. The largest, 6.7 km long, in Nanjing, has two levels - with a two-track railway and a four-lane road. In 1956, a large bridge was erected in Wuhan, and a slightly smaller one in Chongqing. At the mouth of the river is the large port city of Shanghai. This is not only the main point of concentration and redistribution of all manufactured goods of the vast Yangtze basin, but also the largest center of heavy and light industry in China.
Valley of the Xijiang (“Western”) River. The drainage basin of the Xijiang River, separated from the Yangtze River basin by the Nanling Mountains, is located mainly in the tropics. The source of the river is in the Nanling Mountains and the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. Then Xijiang crosses an area characterized by a variety of karst landforms, the so-called. remnant tower karst. The Xijiang River, with a total length of 2655 km, in the upper and middle reaches has a narrow valley sandwiched between mountains, and only below Wuzhou, where it forms a common delta with the Beijiang and Dongjiang rivers within the alluvial plain, does its flow become calm. Below the city of Xinan (Sanshui), where the Xijiang merges with the Beijiang River, it is divided into many branches, mostly created by man. The soils of this delta region are very fertile and there is a high population density.
The Leizhoubandao Peninsula and Hainan Island are located in the far south of the country. Hainan Island with an area of 34 thousand square meters. km is divided into two parts: the northern - wide coastal plain and the southern - mountainous area. The plain is densely populated, mostly by Chinese. The Miao and Lu people live in the mountains, and the population density there is low.
The Northeast Plain (Manchurian) includes the basins of the Liaohe rivers in the south and the Songhua (Chinese: Songhuangjiang) rivers in the north, separated by ridges of low ridges. The Liaohe River originates in the Liaoxi Mountains and flows into the Liaodong Bay of the Yellow Sea. A significant part of its lower course passes within the Songliao Plain, where it is navigable. In the lower reaches there are fertile lands used in agriculture. In the southeast, the Northeast Plain is bounded by the Yalu River (Amnokkan).
The Songhua River with its tributaries Nenjiang and Lalinhe crosses the Northeast Plain in the north and flows into the Amur (Chinese: Heilongjiang), along which China's northern border with Russia passes. The eastern border of China and Russia runs along the Ussuri River (Chinese: Usulijiang). These rivers provide important communication routes during the summer months, but are frozen in winter. The Amur opens later than the Songhua, which is why vast wetlands are formed at their confluence.
Coastline. The length of the Chinese coastline is approx. 8000 km. It is divided into four main sectors. The northernmost part of the coast within the Bohai Bay and Liaodong Bay is slightly indented. A huge amount of silt is carried here from the Shanxi Plateau by the Yellow River and other less deep rivers. The sea here is shallow coastline annually moves towards the sea, and there are few good natural harbors. To prevent siltation of the Tianjin-Tanggu outport, dredging work is constantly being carried out in Bohai Bay. Yingkou Port on Liaodong Bay freezes over in the middle of winter.
The coasts of the Shandong and Liaodong Peninsulas, composed of shales and gneisses and separated by an underwater trough, are characterized by dissected, sometimes steep, banks. There are numerous natural harbors here. The most important port is Qingdao, located on the southern coast of the Shandong Peninsula. Frequent fogs and dust storms make navigation off the northern coast of China difficult.
From the southern part of the Shandong Peninsula to Hangzhou Bay, the coast again becomes smooth as a result of the accumulation of silty sediments carried by the Yellow and Yangtze rivers. These sediments are transported south by the cold East China Current and fill Hangzhou Bay and the adjacent areas of the water area around the Zhoushanqundao archipelago. There are no natural harbors here. Wusong, Shanghai's outport, is kept navigable only by constant dredging.
Along the entire southeastern and southern sections of the coast from Hangzhou Bay to the Vietnamese border in the Gulf of Tonkin area, mountains approach the sea directly. Due to tectonic subsidence, the shores are uneven, deeply indented, the so-called. rias type. It has many convenient natural harbors, including ports such as Ningbo, Wenzhou, Xiamen (Amoy), Shantou (Swatou) and Hong Kong.
Population of China
China ranks first in the world in terms of population. The first population census was conducted on July 30, 1935 and determined the number of inhabitants at 601 million 938 thousand, of which 574 million 505.9 thousand were the population directly subject to the census, this included emigrants, students abroad, as well as residents islands of Taiwan. The absence in the country of not only regular censuses, but even current records does not make it possible to get a true idea of the magnitude of natural population growth, which was hardly significant, since along with a high birth rate, there was also a high mortality rate. But at the same time, by 1957, about 656 million people lived in China, which amounted to 1/4 of the total population of the globe. And in 1986, the number of inhabitants reached 1060 million people, and according to the 1990 census - already 1 billion 134 million. Human. It is no coincidence that for two millennia China has been the most populous country in the world, which leaves its mark on all aspects of social life, and, above all, is reflected in the peculiarities of its demographic policy. According to the Chinese Constitution, planned childbearing must be carried out in the country. Students are prohibited from marrying; one family must have no more than one child, and the birth of a second or third child requires permission from a special committee on planned childbirth. Despite the implementation of such a strict demographic policy, the population of China, according to expert forecasts, by the year 2000 will exceed 1.3 billion people.
In the PRC, as in any socialist country, the land, its subsoil and industrial enterprises belong to the people, and only a small part in relation to state property is in the hands of private owners, therefore in China there are no large owners, and the main classes are peasants, workers, merchants and intellectuals.
The ethnic composition of China includes about 50 nationalities. The vast majority of China's population is Chinese (Han). In addition, representatives of the following national and ethnic groups: Zhuang, Uyghurs, Huizu, Tibetans, Miao, Manchus, Mongols, Bui, Koreans, Tutjia, Dong, Yao, Bai, Hani, Tai, Li, Lisu, She, Lahu, Wa, Shui, Dongxiang, Na-si, Tu , Kirghiz, Jingno, Mulao, Sabo, Salars, Bulans, Gelao, Maoan, Pumi, Well, Aian, Benlurs, Yugurs, Baoan, Orogons, Gaoshan, Hezhe, Menba, Loba, Tatars, Uzbeks, Kazakhs and Russians. The entire multinational population of China belongs to three language families and inhabits more than 1/2 of the entire territory of the country.
To date, China has more than 800 million working-age people, of which 2/5 are young people. 51.182% are men and 48.18% are women. Like many national countries, China is characterized by significant contrasts in settlement. The population is unevenly distributed throughout the country: to the East of the conventional line running from the city of Heihen to the city of Tengchong on Yunan, in an area of not much more than 1/3 of the country's territory, about 90% of the total population is concentrated, and the average density here exceeds 170 people. km2. In the remaining, larger western part of the country there are only a few people per square kilometer. The plains along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the lowland strip of the Southeast coast, where in some places the population density reaches 600-800 people/km2, are especially densely populated. In addition, there are more than 30 cities in China with a population exceeding 1 million people, including: Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang, Tianjin, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Harbin, Tsang-shin, Tatyuan, Luida, Slan, Chengdu, Qingdao.
Source - Internet sites
China is a huge state located in several natural areas. Due to the peculiarities of its geographical location and topography, the climate of China is extremely heterogeneous. While in one province the inhabitants suffer from the cold, in another the population enjoys the tropical heat.
Researchers distinguish here 3 large natural areas, each of which can also be divided into subzones:
- Eastern Monsoon Region;
- Cold Alpine Qinghai-Tibet Region;
- Northwestern arid region.
Eastern Monsoon Region
This region, which occupies mainly the coast of the East China Sea and the South China Sea, is the wettest and warmest in China. In summer, streams of well-heated air rush from the sea to the coast, bringing with it showers and thunderstorms. These winds determine the specifics of the local climate.
Southern China can be described as a subtropical zone. Summer here is very long, but not too hot. Winter is quite mild, slightly cooler than summer: the average January temperature rarely drops below +10°C. At the same time, heavy rainfall occurs throughout the year. It was the climatic features of this region that made it especially attractive for farmers. Since ancient times on southern coasts Agriculture developed successfully. Climatically, the southern part of China is considered one of the most favorable regions on the planet.
The situation is slightly different in the tropical southeast. The rainy season here falls from May to October. It is extremely unsafe to be here in the summer, since it is at this time that the area is subject to frequent floods and typhoons. The last such disaster, which occurred in August 2017, claimed the lives of 16 people.
Cold Alpine Qinghai-Tibet Region
When assessing the Chinese climate, the rule is: the further west from the sea coast, the less precipitation. Wet monsoons simply do not reach the western part of the country, where Qinghai province and the Tibet Autonomous Region are located.
The climate here is extremely harsh: for approximately 10-11 months a year the temperature does not rise above zero, and piercing icy winds accelerate the evaporation of moisture from the soil. Cold weather, poor, rocky soils and low humidity defined the landscape of this region. Most of Tibet and Qinghai are deserts, semi-deserts and steppes in which only the hardiest plants survive. Forest belts are found only in low-lying gorges. Mostly cold-resistant oaks, maples and conifers grow here.
The climate in the southeast of the Tibetan Plateau is slightly milder, since warm temperatures often penetrate here in the summer. air currents from the Indian Ocean.
Northwestern arid region
The term “arid” is used by climatologists to describe a dry, desert climate with large fluctuations in daily and annual temperatures. This concept best characterizes the climate of northwestern China. Typically, warm air from the southeast of the country gradually moves northwest to the territory of Inner Mongolia. Above these cold plains and mountain plateaus, air masses quickly cool, sink down and turn into anticyclones. Due to anticyclones, northwestern China experiences mostly dry, clear weather with very hot summers, often accompanied by dust storms, and extremely cold winters. Scanty precipitation occurs only in late spring and early summer.
Most of the territory of northwestern China is occupied by steppes and deserts, sometimes completely devoid of vegetation. However, the formation of the harsh natural conditions of this region was associated not only with the geographical location, but also with the barbaric activities of man himself. Southern Inner Mongolia was once home to broadleaf forests, but they were all cut down, disrupting the region's fragile ecosystem and hastening its transformation into a lifeless desert.
Closer to the central part of the country, the climate softens slightly, although it remains predominantly arid. It is especially favorable in the Yangtze River basin, where the southeast monsoons periodically reach. It has very humid, warm summers and moderate winters.