Geographical position. natural conditions and population of ancient China. Geography of China
China is located in East Asia. It borders on 14 states: Afghanistan, Bhutan, Myanmar (Burma), India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Vietnam.Within China, three large geographical regions are distinguished: in the southwest, the Tibetan Plateau with a height of more than 2000 m above sea level; to the north of it 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 accumulative plains (below 200 m above sea level) and not high mountains.
The Tibetan Plateau occupies more than a quarter of China's territory and includes the Tibet Autonomous Region, Qinghai Province and the western part of 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 altitudes of 5500–7600 m. The ridges are separated by wide valleys, cold and mostly uninhabited. The highlands are framed by even higher mountain ranges: from the south - the Himalayas with the highest peak Chomolungma (Everest, 8848 m), in the northwest - the Karakoram and Pamir mountains, in the north - the majestic Kunlun, Altyntag and Qilyanshan mountain ranges, which abruptly break off in the northern direction.
In the northeast of the Tibetan Plateau, between the Kunlun mountains in the south and the Altyntag and Qilianshan ranges in the north, at altitudes of 2700–3000 m above sea level. the Tsaidam depression is located. The western part of the basin is occupied by the 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 basins of internal runoff. There are hundreds of endorheic salt lakes, 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 North India. The Brahmaputra and its tributaries flow in deep sheltered valleys, contributing to the concentration of the settled population in cities such as Lhasa, Gyangtse and Shigatse. Three of the the greatest rivers world - Yangtze, Mekong and Salween. In this area, the huge ridges that cross the Tibet Plateau curve in a southeasterly and then southerly direction and usually exceed 3000 m, with some peaks reaching higher elevations. For example, the peak of Guangshashan (Minyak-Gankar) in the Daxueshan Mountains in the west of Sichuan Province rises to 7556 m.
The belt of highlands and depressions adjoins the Tibetan Plateau in the north, northeast and east and has a range of altitudes from 200 to 2000 m. the nature of the relief.
In Xinjiang, located north of the Kunlun Mountains, there are two large depressions of internal flow - the Tarim and the Dzhungar. The Tarim Basin extends from Kashgar in the west to Khami (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 from the south, the Pamirs in the west and the Tien Shan in the north. All these mountains have heights of more than 6100 m. From 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, Takla Makan, 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 Lop Nor salt lake (in this region the PRC conducts its nuclear tests). North of the lake Lop Nor is the lowest land surface in East Asia - the Turfan depression with a length of approx. 100 km latitudinally and approx. 50 km - in the meridional. Its most subsided part has an absolute mark of -154 m. The region of the Turfan depression is characterized by huge annual temperature ranges: 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 - Altai. The surface of the Dzhungar depression is about 600 m lower than the Tarim one, and the climate is not so arid. Nevertheless large territories 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 Urumchi region, there is a deposit of coal and iron ore.
The Tarim depression is drainless, and the Dzhungar depression is drained by the Ili and Irtysh rivers, the flow of which is directed to the west, to the plains of Kazakhstan. Along the periphery of the Tarim Basin, on the loess foothill plains in the river valleys flowing down from the mountains, a ring of oases was formed. Through the cities located in these oases, already approx. 2000 years ago, the Great Silk Road ran, linking China with the Roman Empire.
Inner Mongolia occupies the Chinese part of the vast Mongolian depression with the Gobi desert in the 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 ranges, which have relatively low altitudes (900–1800 m). The heights 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. Few short rivers, originating in the southern mountainous frame, flow north and are lost in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia.
The highlands, midlands, and lowlands of China proper occupy a large 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 east coast. This elevated area is subdivided into several large regions, including the Ordos Plateau, the Shaanxi-Shanxi Plateau, the Qinling Mountains, the Sichuan Basin, the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, and the Nanling Mountains. All of them are located in the altitude range from 200 to 2000 m.
The Qinling Mountains are a system of ranges that cross central China from southern Gansu in the west to Anhui in the east. The mountain ranges are the border of the country's two main drainage basins - the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, and sharply delimit China proper into northern and southern parts, differing in geological structure, climatic and soil features, the nature of natural vegetation and a set of main agricultural crops.
Shaanxi-Shanxi Plateau, located north of the mountains Qinling and south of the Ordos Plateau, extends 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, the soils formed on the loess are fertile and easily cultivated. At the same time, loess is subject to water erosion, as a result of which this area is deeply indented by a network of ravines.
To the 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 widespread in its northwestern and southeastern parts, and central part abounds in 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 ranges of the eastern framing 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 in the north and the plateau of Guizhou Province in the south frame the basin, the bottom of which drops from 900 m in the north to 450 m in the south. The soils of this region are very fertile. It is one of the most densely populated areas in China. The Sichuan Basin is predominantly composed of ancient red sandstones, which cover large but deep 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 access.
The Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, which is a much lower (average altitude 1800–2100 m above sea level) continuation of the Tibetan Plateau, is located south and southeast of the Sichuan depression. The western part of this region is crossed by narrow (up to 500 m in total), but deeply incised (in some places up to 1500 m) valleys of the Salween and Mekong rivers, which present serious obstacles to movement. This heavily dissected territory has long served as a barrier between China, India and Burma. In the east, in Guizhou province, the nature of the relief is changing. In places, the surface height drops to 900 m or less, the slopes become less steep, and the valleys widen.
The Nanling Mountains ("Southern Ranges") stretch from the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau in the west to the Wuyi Mountains in the southeastern coastal provinces of Fujian and Zhejiang. This wide belt of low mountains, separating the basins of the Yangtze River in the north and the Xijiang ("Western") River in the south, is rich in minerals. Among them are numerous deposits of tungsten, antimony, lead, zinc and copper.
Only ok. 10% of China's territory is located at altitudes less than 200 m above sea level, but it is there that most of the country's population is concentrated. There are five main lowland areas: the North China Plain, the Great Plain of China, the valley of the Huaihe River, the basin of the middle reaches and the delta of the Yangtze River, the Northeast (Manchurian) Plain and the basin of the Xijiang River.
The North China Plain, the valley of the Huaihe River and the Yangtze Delta merge near the sea coast, forming a single strip of plains stretching from Beijing in the north to Shanghai in the south, interrupted only by 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 to the south of the Yangtze river basin and is separated from it by the Nanling and Wuyishan mountains. Each large low-lying plain is composed of sediments 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 eastward in a stormy stream, it makes its way down the plateau through the Liujiaxia Gorge and further through the highlands of Gansu Province. Near Lanzhou begins the "great northern bend" of the Yellow River valley, 2400 km long, which from the north goes around the Mu-Us desert on the outskirts of the Ordos plateau, and then sharply turns 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 amount of silt, especially in summer, when it is at its fullest. Due to the large amount of solid runoff on the plains located downstream, floods are frequent, and the Yellow 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 the Sanmenxia (“Three Gate Gorge”) and enters the North China Plain. At the exit from this gorge, the river is at an absolute mark of only approx. 180 m, while the distance to the place of its confluence with the Bohai Bay is 970 km. Here, on a smoothly lowering section of the valley, the river loses speed. As a result, for millennia, the Huang He regularly overflowed, depositing sediment and gradually expanding and building up the accumulative plain. When ok. 3000 years ago, the Chinese civilization was born in this territory for the first time, people tried to regulate the flow regime with the help of dams. However, at the same time, the probability of destructive floods increased due to the fact that the area of sediment accumulation was limited to the riverbed. As the layer of silt grew, higher and higher dams had to be built until the river and ramparts were above the level of the surrounding plain. When the dam breaks, which often happens at the peak of summer floods, the river overflows the plain, flooding vast areas and destroying crops. Since the waters of the river cannot return to the elevated channel, the Yellow River often changes its course. From 1048 to 1324 it emptied into the Bohai Bay to the north of the Shandong Peninsula. In 1324 it merged with the Huaihe River, and their waters flowed into the Yellow Sea south of the peninsula, and in 1851 the Huanghe again began to flow into the Bohaiwan Bay. In 1938, the right-bank dams were destroyed on the orders of Chiang Kai-shek in order 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 the 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 Yellow 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 in the Sanmenxia Gorge, a reservoir with an area of 2350 square meters was formed. 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 the tributaries of the Yellow River and small rivers, terracing of the slopes of loess hills to prevent erosion, and afforestation of large areas.
The Huaihe River and its basin. Immediately south of the lower Yellow River lies a smaller but important river system the Huaihe River, separated from the Yellow River basin and the North China Plain by a barely noticeable watershed stretching from Kaifeng to Xuzhou, and a slightly 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 Yellow River, it has many tributaries, mostly left, flowing from the northwest to the 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 the large Hongzehu Lake, from which its waters are carried out in the form of natural rivers and through recently constructed canals into the Yellow Sea. The alluvial soils in the Huai River basin are very fertile, but the river itself has always been subject to powerful floods, so work on regulating the flow regime in its basin was of paramount importance. In the upper reaches main river and its tributaries, ten dams have been built. 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 reinforced, and complex irrigation activities 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. In this turbulent stretch, 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, Tojiang, 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, there is still a complex system for regulating the flow of water, created by the engineer Li Ping in the era of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC).
The Yangtze River makes its way from the Sichuan basin through several picturesque gorges located between Fengjie and Yichang. This section of the river is difficult and dangerous. In summer, the speed of the current 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 the territory abounding in lakes within the provinces of Hunan and Hubei. Its northern part is crossed by the Hanshui River, which originates in the Qinling Mountains, flows in a wide valley in a southeasterly 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 basin of the Hunan province is drained by the Xiangjiang, which originates in the Nanling Mountains and flows into the large Dongting Lake, which has a drain in the Yangtze River. Within this basin, the Yangtze is gaining full strength. While in the Chongqing region (Sichuan Province) the width of the river is only 275 m, in the vicinity of Wuhan its channel widens and reaches 1.6 km. The difference between low water and high water is estimated at about 12 m. In winter, vessels with a draft exceeding 2 m must move with caution, while in summer ocean-going vessels with a displacement of 15 thousand tons can reach Wuhan.
Below Wuhan, before entering the next basin, the river channel narrows somewhat. This basin, located almost entirely to the south of the Yangtze, belongs mainly to the drainage basin of the Ganjiang River, which, before flowing into the Yangtze, carries its waters through the large Poyang Lake. Lakes Poyanghu and Dongtinghu serve 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 halfway between Wuhu and Nanjing, this plain merges with the vast delta plain of the Yangtze.
Floodplain soils in the basin of the middle reaches of the Yangtze, composed mainly of red-colored alluvium taken out of the Sichuan basin, as well as sediments of the Hanshui, Xiangjiang and Ganjiang rivers, are very fertile. Hunan Province is one of the most important rice growing regions in China. Although the Yangtze carries a lot of silt sediments, the high speed of the current contributes to the removal of most of them 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, floods occur during the summer when Tibet experiences particularly heavy snowmelt or unusually heavy rainfall. So, in 1931, an area of approx. 91 thousand sq. km. In order to prevent the recurrence of such floods, two reservoirs were built, the capacity of which complements the natural lake reservoirs of Poyanghu and Dongtinghu. The reservoir near Shashi (to the north of Dongting Lake) was built in 1954 almost exclusively by hand in 75 days. Its area is 920 sq. km, capacity - 5.4 km3. A slightly 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 deposits. It is steadily and rapidly advancing towards the sea, as well as in a southerly direction, into the Hangzhou Bay. The groundwater table of the low plain is located very close to the surface. This plain is crossed by countless drainage and irrigation canals, which are also used as communication routes. Trees, mostly mulberries, have been 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 had been erected across the Yangtze in the section from the western border of Sichuan Province to the sea. The largest, 6.7 km long, in Nanjing, has two levels - with a double-track railway and a four-lane road. In 1956, a large bridge was built in Wuhan, and a somewhat 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 sources of the river are in the Nanling Mountains and the Yunnan-Guizhou Highlands. 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 the mountains, and only below Wuzhou, where it forms a common delta with the Beijiang and Dongjiang rivers within the alluvial plain, its course becomes calm. Below the city of Xinan (Sanshui), where the Xijiang merges with the Beijiang River, it divides into many branches, mostly man-made. The soils of this delta region are very fertile, there is a high population density. The Leizhou Bandao Peninsula and Hainan Island are located in the extreme south of the country. Hainan Island with an area of 34 thousand square meters. km is divided into two parts: the northern - a wide coastal plain and the southern - mountainous terrain. The plain is densely populated, predominantly by the Chinese. The Miao and Lu peoples live in the mountains, the population density there is low.
The Northeast Plain (Manchuria) includes the basins of the Liaohe River in the south and the Songhua River (Chinese Songhuangjiang) 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 the northern border of China with Russia runs. The Ussuri River (Chinese Usulijiang) is the eastern border of China with Russia. These rivers are important routes of communication in summer months, however, are ice-bound in winter. The Amur opens up later than the Sungari, which is why vast wetlands are formed at the place of their confluence.
Coastline. China's coastline is approx. 8000 km. It is divided into four main sectors.
The northernmost part of the coast within the Bohaiwan and Liaodong bays is slightly indented. A huge amount of silt is brought here from the Shanxi plateau by the Yellow River and other less deep rivers. The sea is shallow here, the coastline is annually pushed towards the sea, and there are few good natural harbors. To prevent silting of the outport of Tianjin - Tanggu in Bohai Bay, dredging is constantly carried out. Yingkou Port in Liaodong Bay freezes in the middle of winter.
The coasts of the Shandong and Liaodong peninsulas, composed of shales and gneisses and separated by an underwater hollow, are characterized by dissected, in some places steep shores. There are numerous natural harbors here. The most important port - Qingdao is located on the southern coast of the Shandong Peninsula. Due to frequent fogs and dust storms, navigation off the northern coast of China is difficult.
From the southern part of the Shandong Peninsula to the Hangzhou Bay, the coast becomes flattened again as a result of the accumulation of silt deposits carried by the Huang He and Yangtze rivers. These sediments move to the south by the cold East China Current and fill the Hangzhou Bay and adjacent parts of the water area around the Zhoushanquandao archipelago. There are no natural harbors here. Wusong, an outpost of Shanghai, is kept navigable only by constant dredging.
Throughout the southeastern and southern sections of the coast from the Hangzhou Bay to the Vietnamese border in the Gulf of Tonkin, mountains approach the sea directly. Due to tectonic subsidence, the banks are uneven, deeply indented, the so-called. rias type. It has many convenient natural harbors, including ports such as Ningbo, Wenzhou, Xiamen (Amoi), Shantou (Swatow) and Hong Kong.
China is the most populated country in the world, whose history began several millennia ago. One of the oldest civilizations on the planet, known for numerous inventions and achievements, developed on its territory. How is China developing today and what advantages does China have? On the features of the economic and geographical position eastern state read further in the article.
Two Chinas
Chinese civilization arose more than three thousand years BC and until the 19th century was one of the cultural and scientific centers East Asia. Its statehood was based on dynasties that succeeded each other, most often with the help of wars.
The peculiarities of the geographical position of China allowed the ancient state to develop independently, isolated from other developed civilizations. Thanks to this, its own philosophy, its own system of values and writing, which is considered one of the oldest in the world, has been formed here. Chinese civilization is famous for innovations that have made a huge contribution to the history of human development. Among them - the invention of printing, paper, compass, hand crossbow, blast furnace, fork, gunpowder, toothbrush, production of silk, salt, soybean cultivation.
There are currently two countries that have the word "China" in their names: the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China. Both of them are the successors of the ancient state and do not recognize the sovereignty of each other at the official level. The People's Republic includes mainland as well as Hong Kong and Macau. It is she who is usually meant by "China", which will be used in this article. The Republic of China on the political map of the world is considered a partially recognized entity. It spans several islands and is usually referred to as Taiwan.
Geographic location of China
China is considered one of the largest countries in the world. According to various estimates, it occupies either the second or third place in terms of size. According to the World Bank, its area is 9.388211 million km2.
The state is located in East Asia, surrounded by Russia, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, North Korea, Tajikistan, India, Nepal, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Afghanistan. The length of the land borders is about 21 thousand kilometers. However, there are also maritime borders that stretch for almost 15 thousand kilometers.
Access to the Pacific Ocean in the east is one of the main advantages of China's geographical position. The state is washed by the South China, East China and Yellow Seas, through which it borders on Japan, South Korea and the Philippines.
The distance between the extreme western and eastern points of China is 5,700 kilometers, between the northern and southern points is about 4,000 kilometers. The country is located in four time zones, but despite this, a single standard time UTC + 8 operates within it. In addition to Taiwan, there are about six other disputed territories in China, including East Turkestan, Aksai Chin, the Shagsgama Valley, Arunachal Pradesh and several islands and archipelagos.
State of Taiwan
The Republic of China was established in 1911. In the past, she controlled the entire mainland China, had world recognition, developed political relations, and was even among the founders of the UN.
After the defeat of the communists in civil war In 1949, the ROC government moved to Taiwan, establishing a new state there with Taipei as its capital. Today, the state is partially recognized and includes the island of Taiwan, Matsu, Kinmen, Penghu and adjacent islets. Some countries do not officially recognize him, but have informal relations with him.
Climate
Much of the country lies in the temperate geographic zone, however, the climate here is very heterogeneous and varies greatly in different regions. The main reason for this is the huge length in both longitudinal and meridional directions.
Arid, sharply continental conditions operate in the northwest with cold winters (up to -50) and hot summers (up to + 50). IN springtime the region suffers from Asian dust storms. Hainan Island in the south is characterized by subequatorial conditions with sunny weather and an annual temperature difference of only 3-4 degrees. It got the name "Eastern Hawaii", as it is located with them in the same latitude.
Due to the geographical position of the country of China, the southern and eastern parts of it are influenced by monsoons and are characterized by variability and unpredictability of conditions. IN warm period a huge amount of precipitation falls on the southeast coast. There are often heavy rains, typhoons, hurricanes. Droughts also occur in the region, and prolonged snowfalls can begin in winter.
Features of nature
Due to the vast area and peculiarities of the geographical position of China, a wide variety of landscapes and natural conditions. In the west of the country there are deserts and semi-deserts covered with dry steppes and xerophytic vegetation. To the east are low-lying river valleys.
Approximately 70% of China is occupied by mountains. They stretch on the northern and western outskirts of the country, are present in the center and east. In the mountain peaks such large arteries like the Mekong, the Yangtze, the Salween and the Yellow River. In the Southwest is the Tibetan Plateau - the largest in area and height on the planet. Its peaks reach an average height of 4 km. In the northeast of the highlands is the Tsaidam depression with a large number of swamps and salt lakes.
Due to the unique geographical position of China, there are various natural zones on its territory - from the taiga in the north to the savannas and rainforest on South.
Economy
China is the most populated country in the world with 1.4 billion people and a density of 145.2 persons/km2. Despite this, the state's economy has been growing steadily over the past 20 years. Today it is the leader in terms of GDP at purchasing power parity and ranks second in terms of nominal GDP.
In terms of economic and geographical position, China occupies an advantageous position, as it has a huge number of neighbors on the mainland and has access to the sea, which ensures its connection with other continents. China's main trading partners are Brazil, Russia, Australia, Taiwan, the Republic of Korea, Japan, and the United States.
Industry makes up the bulk of the state's economy. China leads in the extraction of coal, tungsten, manganese, antimony, lead and zinc. On a large scale, it extracts wood, oil, uranium, gas, and about 95% of the world's volumes of molybdenum and vanadium. It is considered a space, nuclear power, the largest supplier of pork and chicken. China has the largest number of industrial enterprises in the world, thanks to this and large production volumes, it is considered an industrial superpower.
Geography of China
Introduction
China is a developed state in East Asia, the largest state in the world in terms of population (over 1.3 billion), ranks third in the world in terms of territory, behind Russia and Canada.
After the formation of the PRC in December 1949, four constitutions were adopted (in 1954, 1975, 1978 and 1982). In accordance with the Constitution of the People's Republic of China (December 1982), the PRC is a socialist state of the people's democratic dictatorship. supreme body state power - the unicameral National People's Congress (NPC), consisting of 2979 deputies elected by regional people's congresses for a period of 5 years. Sessions of the NPC are convened on an annual basis. Due to the large number of deputies between sessions, the functions of the NPC are performed by a standing committee elected from among the delegates (about 150 people). Only deputies from Communist Party China and the eight so-called democratic parties that make up the Chinese People's Political Consultative Council (CPPCC). Their own legislative bodies operate in the territory of the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau. All NPC deputies are representatives of the bloc of communists and democrats. President of the People's Republic of China - Hu Jintao, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee. This is a representative of the fourth generation of the country's leaders. The transfer of power to this generation began in 2002, when Hu Jintao replaced Jiang Zemin as General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee. In March 2003, Hu Jintao was elected President of the People's Republic of China, and in September 2004 - Chairman of the Central Military Council (CMC) of the CPC Central Committee. Previously, all these posts were also held by Jiang Zemin. On March 8, 2005, the session of the Chinese Parliament (National People's Congress) approved Jiang Zemin's request to resign from the post of chairman of the Central Military Council of the PRC. Later, this post was also taken by Hu Jintao, which completed the process of change of power in the country's top leadership.
What is washed, with what borders
From the east of China it is washed by waters western seas Pacific Ocean. The territory of China is 9.6 million km². China is the largest country in Asia. The total length of China's land borders is 22,117 km with 14 countries. The coast of China stretches from the border with North Korea in the north to Vietnam in the south and is 14,500 km long. China is washed by the East China Sea, the Korea Bay, the Yellow Sea and South China Sea. Taiwan is separated from the mainland by the Taiwan Strait.
Climate
The climate of China is very diverse - from subtropical in the south to temperate in the north. On the coast, the weather is determined by the monsoons, which occur due to the different absorption properties of land and ocean. Seasonal air movements and accompanying winds contain a large number of moisture in summer period and quite dry in winter. The onset and retreat of the monsoons to a large extent determine the amount and distribution of precipitation throughout the country. Huge differences in latitude, longitude and altitude in China give rise to a wide variety of temperature and meteorological regimes, despite the fact that most of The country lies in the temperate region.
More than 2/3 of the country is occupied by mountain ranges, highlands and plateaus, deserts and semi-deserts. Approximately 90% of the population lives in the coastal areas and floodplains of large rivers such as the Yangtze, the Yellow River (Yellow River) and the Pearl. These areas are in a difficult ecological state as a result of long and intensive agricultural cultivation and environmental pollution.
China's northernmost province, Heilongjiang, has a temperate climate similar to that of Vladivostok and Khabarovsk, while the southern island of Hainan is in the tropics. The temperature difference between these regions is winter months large, but in summer the difference decreases. In the northern part of Heilongjiang, temperatures in January can drop to -30°C, with average temperatures around 0°C. The average July temperature in this area is 20°C. In the southern parts of Guangdong average temperature ranges from 10°C in January to 28°C in July. Precipitation varies even more than temperature. On the southern slopes of the Qinling Mountains, numerous rains fall, the maximum of which falls on the summer monsoons. As you move north and west of the mountains, the chance of rain decreases. Northwestern regions countries are the driest, in the deserts located there (Takla-Makan, Gobi, Ordos) there is practically no precipitation.
The southern and eastern regions of China often (about 5 times a year) suffer from devastating typhoons, as well as floods, monsoons, tsunamis and droughts. The northern regions of China are covered with yellow dust storms every spring, which originate in the northern deserts and are carried by winds towards Korea and Japan.
Water resources
There are many rivers in China, the total length of which is 220,000 km. Over 5,000 of them carry water collected from an area of more than 100 square meters. km each. The rivers of China form internal and external systems. The outer rivers are the Yangtze, Huang He, Heilongjiang, Zhujiang, Lancangjiang, Nujiang and Yalutsangpo, which have access to the Pacific, Indian and Northern Arctic oceans, their total catchment area covers about 64% of the country's territory. Inland rivers, the number of which is small, are significantly distant from each other and have become shallow in most areas. They flow into the lakes of the hinterland or get lost in deserts or salt marshes; their catchment area covers about 36% of the country's territory.
There are many lakes in China, the total area they occupy is approximately 80,000 square meters. km. There are also thousands of artificial lakes - reservoirs. Lakes in China can also be divided into external and internal. The external ones are mainly rich in aquatic products. freshwater lakes such as Poyanghu, Dongtinghu and Taihu. Salt lakes are inland, the largest of which is Qinghai Lake. Among the lakes of the hinterland, there are many dry ones, such as Lob Nor and Juyan.
Relief
China's topography is very diverse, with high mountains, depressions, deserts and vast plains. There are usually three major geographic regions:
The Tibetan Plateau, over 2,000 meters above sea level, is located in the southwest of the country
The belt of mountains and high plains has a height of 200-2000 m, is located in the northern part
· Low accumulative plains below 200 m high and low mountains in the northeast, east and south of the country, where most of the population of China lives.
The Great Plain of China, the Yellow River Valley, and the Yangtze Delta join together near the sea coast, stretching from Beijing in the north to Shanghai in the south. The Pearl River basin (and its main tributary the Xijiang) is located in southern China and is separated from the Yangtze River basin by the Nanling Mountains and the Wuyishan Range (which is listed world heritage in China).
In the direction from west to east, the Chinese relief forms three steps. The first of them is the Tibetan Plateau, where heights of more than 4000 meters above sea level prevail. The next step is formed by the mountains of Sichuan and Central China, whose height is from 1500 to 3000 m. Here the vegetation changes dramatically, at relatively short distances there is a change natural areas from high mountain cold deserts to subtropical forest. The last step is the fertile plains, occupying heights below 1500 m above sea level.
Vegetation
In China, about 500 species of bamboo grow, forming 3% of forests. Bamboo thickets, found in 18 provinces, are not only a habitat for many animals, but also a source of valuable raw materials. Their lignified straws (stems) are widely used in industry.
Minerals
China is rich in various types of fuel and raw materials mineral resources. Especially great importance have reserves of oil, coal, metal ores. China has deposits of almost 150 known minerals in the world. The main source of energy in China is coal, its reserves in the country account for 1/3 of the world's reserves. Coal deposits, in terms of reserves of which China is inferior to few countries, are concentrated mainly in Northern China. There are also large resources in Northwest China. Other areas are poorer in coal, especially the southern ones. Most of the deposits are coal. Coal deposits are mainly located in North and Northeast China. The largest coal reserves are concentrated in Shanxi province (30% of the total reserves) - Datong and Yangquan coal mines. Oil is another important source of energy resources. In terms of oil reserves, China occupies a prominent place among the countries of Central, East and Southeast Asia. Oil deposits have been discovered in various areas, but they are most significant in Northeast China (Sungari-Nonni Plain), coastal areas and the shelf of Northern China, as well as in some inland areas - the Dzhungar Basin, Sichuan.
History reference
Chinese civilization is one of the oldest in the world. According to Chinese scientists, its age may be five thousand years, while the available written sources cover a period of at least 3500 years. The presence of administrative management systems that were improved by successive dynasties, the early development of the largest agrarian centers in the basins of the Yellow River and Yangtze, created advantages for the Chinese state, whose economy was based on developed agriculture, in comparison with its neighbors, nomads and highlanders. The introduction of Confucianism as a state ideology (I century BC) further strengthened Chinese civilization and unified system letters.
The defeat of militaristic Japan in August-September 1945 completed the Second world war, freeing the countries of the Asia-Pacific region from Japanese troops. A fierce civil war was going on in China.
This I know
1. Describe the geographical location of China.
China is located in East Asia. From the east it is washed by the waters of the western seas of the Pacific Ocean. In the northeast, China borders with the DPRK and Russia, in the north - with Mongolia, in the northwest - with Russia and Kazakhstan, in the west - with Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan, in the southwest - with Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bhutan , in the south - with Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam. The benefits of such a geographical location are a wide outlet to the Asia-Pacific region, which is now rapidly developing. The high mountainous relief of Western China makes it difficult to contact with its western neighbors.
2. What is China's place in the world today?
Today's China is the largest state in the world. It ranks first in terms of population, second in terms of the cost of products and services, and third in area. Almost all types of industrial products are produced in China. Modern China is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Every 7-8 years the country doubles the production of goods and services. China is able to fully provide its population with everything necessary. In addition, it is China that dresses and shoes half the world.
3. Tell us about the activities and lifestyle of the Chinese.
94% of the country's population are Chinese. Distinctive features Chinese are diligence, organization, diligence, a special sense of the unity of man and nature. Most of the inhabitants live in rural areas, but the number of city dwellers is growing. China has the largest labor force in the world. The number of people employed in the economy is almost 50%. Their predominant part (74%) is in rural areas.
4. Compare the maps in figures 206 and 207. Make a conclusion about the relationship between population density and land use in agriculture. Name the crops that are grown: a) in the South-East; b) in the Northeast.
Population density is directly related to natural conditions. Since ancient times, people have inhabited the most suitable areas for agriculture. Therefore, areas of highest population density and agricultural areas coincide.
a) irrigated rice, tea and other heat-loving crops are grown in the Southeast;
b) barley, wheat, sugar beets are grown in the Northeast.
This I can
5. Fill in the table
It's interesting to me
6. Imagine that you are traveling in China. Write a letter to a friend about your experience. Reveal in a letter the features of nature, life, life, economic activity the population of the country.
China is an amazing country that you must visit. The nature of China is diverse. There is a holiday for every taste here: for lovers of landscapes, skiing, beach holiday architecture connoisseurs.
The people of China tend to respect knowledge, scholarship, and books. Chinese people greet each other with a handshake. Entrepreneurs must have business cards with them, the text on which must be printed in Chinese (preferably in gold ink) and English (but not in red). The Chinese are extremely economical, trying to quickly accumulate capital.
In China, people dress quite normally, so don't bring anything special and extravagant with you. For formal occasions, bring a jacket and tie, a suit or formal dress. It is best to use small but capacious suitcases or bags on wheels. Prepare to change quite often, the weather in China is changeable.
Traveling around Beijing with a cycle rickshaw is an unforgettable experience. Although the cycle rickshaws that are on duty at the hotels waiting for customers often ask for a rather high price, it is definitely worth a ride.
Tipping is not customary, but the maid or porter at the hotel will not refuse 1-2 yuan.
The Chinese have never considered honesty a virtue, but in relation to foreigners, cunning and deceit are traditional. Deception of a foreigner is considered a sign of great intelligence. Therefore, tourists are advised to bargain furiously and check the change against the light, as the money is often counterfeit.
7. Do you have Chinese goods in your house? What can you say about their quality, price? Which of the Chinese goods would you advise to buy?
Today, Chinese goods are in every home. Most Chinese goods are consumer goods and not very High Quality. Today, absolutely everything and absolutely any quality is produced in China. This situation has arisen for one simple reason: cheap labor, low environmental standards. That is why there is a huge number of factories and enterprises in China, the number of which is in the tens of millions. The Chinese produce absolutely EVERYTHING: from food and socks to equipment for metalworking and heavy engineering. But many do not believe this, thinking that the Chinese are only capable of producing cheap consumer goods, plastic products and dangerous toys that our children break on the first day.
Today, however, many products of high and very high quality are produced in China. This is an iPhone and Apple products. Perhaps many of you are not at all surprised by the technologies that exist today, but, in fact, this is a real miracle. China is a supplier of metal profiles, from which, attention!, high-speed trains are made at European (including Bombardier) and Russian enterprises. China independently produces for itself all cars, ABSOLUTELY ANY BRANDS and they are all of excellent quality. I would say that they produce for themselves even better than we do for ourselves. You can understand this if you drive such a car at least once: they are all packed full of electronics. They simply don’t have such naked configurations as we have.
But the current situation is such that Russia is a place for the sale of low-quality rubbish. Because there are still a lot of Russian people chasing a low price, often neglecting quality. But on the other hand, the Chinese produce a lot of things and little things for us, the quality of which is not so important to us: some household items, plastic products, and so on.
Therefore, it is difficult to deny, but in many Chinese goods we just need and are not ready to buy similar things from other producing countries, which will cost us an order of magnitude more expensive, and will last much longer. Even when buying another obviously low-quality item, many people are attracted by the price of the product, and we know that we can buy another one of the same without any problems, because it is very inexpensive.
8. At present, China is among the world leaders in terms of industrial production. However, most of its population still has a low standard of living. Try to explain this fact.
Various sources claim that the well-being of the Chinese is growing and the indicators of the average wage confirm this. However, if we talk about ordinary workers in factories and factories, and even more so about rural residents, then their incomes are meager. This is due to the large labor market in China. The presence of a huge number of labor resources makes them cheap.
China, despite the rapid pace of development, still cannot provide a decent standard of living for all the inhabitants of the country precisely because of their number.
This is an East Asian state with a rich history in the past and one of the largest powers in the present. According to historians, China is one of the oldest countries in the world; the age of Chinese civilization can be about five thousand years. Mankind owes him many inventions, cultural values and the most ancient philosophy that is relevant to this day. In today's world, China (People's Republic of China) occupies a prominent political and economic position. Now China is already claiming the position of the world's largest economy.
Geographic characteristics
Territory and location
In terms of area, China ranks third in the world after Russia and Canada. It is located in the southeast of the Asian continent, and is washed by the seas of the Pacific Ocean. This, the largest state in Asia, borders on Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Korea from the west. In the south, China's neighbors are India, Pakistan, Burma (Myanmar), Nepal, Laos, Vietnam and Korea. The longest line of the border between China and Russia, its long eastern part stretches from the Pacific Ocean to the Mongolian-Chinese border, and then a very small western (only 50 km) part from Mongolia to the Kazakh-Chinese border. China shares maritime borders with Japan. The total area of the state is 9598 thousand square kilometers.
Population
With such a vast territory, China is inhabited by many nationalities and ethnic groups that form a single nation. The most numerous nationality is the "Han", as the Chinese call themselves, the remaining groups make up 7% of total number the population of the country. There are 56 such ethnic groups in China, among them the most prominent are the Uighurs, Kirghiz, Daurs, Mongols, all of them belong to the Turkic language group. Among the Han Chinese, there is also a division into southern and northern, which can be traced by dialects and dialect. We must pay tribute to the state policy of the state, which leads to the gradual erasure of national differences. The total population of China is about 1.3 billion people, and this is without taking into account the ethnic Chinese living in different countries peace. According to sociologists, the Chinese make up a quarter of the world's population.
Nature
China can rightly be called a mountainous country. The area of the Tibetan Plateau, located in the southwest, covers about 2 million square kilometers, almost a quarter of the total area. The mountains of China descend in steps to the sea. From Tibet, at a height of 2000-4000 meters above sea level, comes the second stage - Central China and the Sichuan mountains with heights up to 2000 meters.
Alpine plains are also located here, the great rivers of China originate from here. The third mountain step descends to the Great China Plain in the east of the country, its area is 352 thousand square kilometers and it extends along the entire eastern sea coast. The height of this area is up to 200 meters above sea level. These are the most fertile and most densely populated regions of China, the valleys of the Huang He and Yangtze rivers. The southeast of the country is bordered by the Shandong Mountains, the famous Wuyishan Range and the Nangling Mountains. Thus, more than two thirds of the entire area is occupied by mountain ranges, highlands and mountain plateaus. Almost 90% of China's population lives in the Yangtze, Zhujiang and Xijiang river valleys in the southeast, which are fertile valleys. The valley of the great Yellow River is much less densely populated due to the unpredictable nature of the river ...
The rivers of China have a catchment area of about 65% of the entire territory, external water systems that carry water to the Pacific and Indian Ocean s, prevail over the internal ones. These are the Yangtze, Huanghe, Amur (Hei Longjiang - Chinese), Zhujiang, Mekong (Lan Cangjiang - Chinese), Nujiang. Inland rivers are of little importance. The existing small lakes are mostly located in mountainous regions. However, several large lakes are known to many, this is Qinghai - a large salt lake, the second largest after Issyk-Kul. Poyanghu, Dongtinghu, Taihu, located in the Yangtze River valley, are large freshwater lakes. They are of great importance for agriculture and fish farming. Lots of man-made reservoirs. The total area of China's lakes, large and small, is 80,000 square kilometers...
In addition to the Mekong River, which passes through neighboring Laos and Vietnam, which flows into the Indian Ocean, all other rivers in China have access to Pacific Ocean. The coastline from North Korea to Vietnam is 14.5 thousand kilometers. These are the South China Sea, the Yellow, the Korean Gulf of the East China Sea. The seas have importance in the lives of ordinary Chinese and in the country's economy. The trade routes that unite the whole of Southeast Asia run precisely along these seas, they are the unifying beginning of this region...
Due to climatic diversity, diverse and vegetable world as well as the animals living in these areas. A very large part of the vegetation is represented by bamboo forests, they occupy up to 3% of China's forests. The border areas in the north are taiga, the southern mountainous regions are jungle. The vegetation of the mountains of the southeast is very rich and varied. Here you can find many endemic species of the humid subtropics, while the boreal floodplain forests are practically absent. In the mountains of the west, you can find coniferous forests familiar to us - larch, pine, cedar, when moving south and east - broadleaf forests with maples, oak and many relic woody plants. Closer to the sea coast, evergreen broad-leaved forests begin to predominate, and mangrove forests are found on the coast itself. Endemic species are represented by shrubs and small trees of the Rosaceae family - plum, apple, pear. China is the birthplace of tea trees and bushes - camellias.
The animal world is also rich and diverse, but the increasing influence of man, the development of natural areas is reducing the habitats of wild animals. There are a lot of rare and endangered species, especially endemic species of birds - the crowned red crane, eared pheasant, turpan. Among the animals - golden monkey and bamboo bear panda, in the rivers - a river dolphin and a freshwater crocodile. Five large nature reserves have been organized in China to protect rare species, they are designed to protect the biocenoses of certain regions, and have the status of biospheric ...
Due to its territory mountainous areas and the sea coast, China is located in all possible climatic zones, excluding the Arctic. Sharply continental climate in the highlands and subtropics in the southeast. Moderate climate in the north-eastern regions, bordering Russia and climatically similar to it, the tropics of Hainan Island, a world-famous resort. Despite this diversity, most of the territory of China is classified as a temperate continental climate, the most populated part of the country lives in it. If the climate is mild in the north-east of the country, winter temperatures do not drop below -16˚С, and summer temperatures do not exceed +28˚С. In the border regions with the taiga regions of Russia, frosts down to -38˚С are observed in winter. There is practically no winter on the tropical coast and Hainan Island.
The climate of densely populated areas, especially the southeast, is influenced by the summer monsoons, the climate here is humid. As we move north and west, the amount of precipitation decreases, in the Tibetan Plateau and adjacent areas it is already dry summer months and frosty winters, this is the area of the famous Gobi Desert ...
Resources
As a country of young mountains, China is rich in fossil resources, coal, precious and rare earth metals. There are large deposits of iron ore in the mountains, geological exploration of the coast revealed the presence of rich oil deposits. In terms of coal mining, China occupies one of the first places in the world and a leader in the region. Deposits of mineral raw materials are concentrated mainly in the northern regions, hydrocarbons, oil shale and coal - in central China and the coastal shelf. The mountains provide rich gold veins; China also occupies one of the first places in the world economy in the extraction and smelting of gold ...
China is actively developing and using the full potential natural resources subsoil of the earth within the boundaries of its territory, extracting and processing minerals such as coal, iron ore, oil, natural gas, mercury, tin, tungsten, antimony, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, magnetite, aluminum, lead, zinc, uranium...
Today, China's economy is one of the fastest growing. Gross product growth for last years grew so dramatically that it is customary to call the Asian miracle. Once an agrarian country, China has now surpassed even Japan in its growth. Such effective economic growth is based not only on rich mineral and workforce. The centuries-old experience of trade, the thousand-year-old wisdom of the East and the industriousness of the people affected. China's most notable successes lie in fuel energy, electronics, consumer goods, and textiles. Nuclear energy is developing powerfully and, in alliance with Russia, the space industry. Agriculture brought to new level using all the latest achievements science. While the whole world is arguing about the possibilities of genetic engineering, in China every peasant is already using these developments at their primitive, but quite effective level...
culture
The culture of China has more than one millennium. You can talk about China's contribution to world achievements for hours. If such inventions as the wheel, paper, gunpowder are disputed by other cultures, then the production of porcelain, the cultivation of tea, silk, undoubtedly, remains with the Chinese civilization. The peoples inhabiting China have invested their efforts in this culture. In addition to the southern and northern Han, the Chinese, the country is inhabited by many nationalities and language groups that contribute to the diversity of musical, visual culture, applied arts and poetry...
Chinese Buddhism and Taoism are the most famous in the world, and the philosophy of Confucius is studied as an applied science for leaders of the highest echelons of power. Martial arts China were developed and brought to such a level that they turned from the art of killing into the art of the moral and physical health of the nation.
China gave the world great thinkers - Confucius and Chuang Tzu, great poets Li Bo and Sun Tzu, great military leaders and wise rulers. The wisdom of the ancient East made it possible in the modern world to use all the same philosophical truths that give rise to material well-being from spiritual values.