China: The LandChapter 23 / Section 1

China Compared to Other Countries

Location & Size

• China is located in East Asia• It is the world’s 3rd largest country

in terms of size (after Russia and Canada)

• It covers more than 3,600,930 sq miles

Landforms

Landforms

1) Mountains

2) Plateaus

3) Deserts

4) Plains

5) Highlands

1) Mountains

• Cover 1/3 of China

• The are located in the western part of the country

• The Himalaya Mountains (“Abode of Snow”) are the largest & most famous (located on the border b/w China & Nepal)

The Himalaya Mountains

2) Plateaus• In the center of China’s mountainous

area (in the western part of the country)

• The Plateau of Tibet is the largest plateau of the world (“Roof of the World” = 13,000 feet high)

• Vegetation: shrubs & grasses

Plateau of Tibet

3) Deserts

• Mountain ranges circle desert basins

• Two famous deserts:

a) Taklimakan Desert: in the west; extremely high temperatures, sandstorms & dunes

b) Gobi Desert: in the east; large difference b/w daytime & nighttime temperatures (140 F); e.g. day = 110F; night = -30 F

Taklimakan Desert

Sandstorm from Taklimakan

Gobi Desert

4) Coastal Plains

• Located along the coasts of the East China and South China Seas

• They have fertile lands agriculture

• 90% of China’s population lives on the plains

Coastal Plains continued…

Two major coastal plains:

1) Northeast Plain: in the Manchuria region of northeast China

1) North China Plain: south of the Northeast Plain

Northeast Plain (Manchuria)

North China Plain

5) Highlands

• Located mostly in the southeast

• Limestone hills that rise 100-600 feet

• One of China’s most scenic areas tourism

Scenic Highland

Bodies of Water

Four major rivers:1) Huang He (Hwahng Huh)2) Chang Jiang (Chahng Jee-ang) 3) Xi (Shee)4) Mekong River

Importance:a) Transportation routesb) Source of soil

1) Huang He = Yellow River

• Located in the center of the country (flows from west to east & empties into the Yellow Sea)

• It is called “yellow” b/c it carries a yellowish-gray soil, called loess

• The river basin is rich in fertile loess excellent farming area

• Prone to flooding (“China’s sorrow”)

Huang He = The Yellow River

2) Chang Jiang = Yangtze River

• Located in the southern part of the country

• Flows west to east & empties into the East China Sea

• Also prone to flooding dams to control flooding & harvest hydroelectric power

• 1994-2008: Three Gorges Dam (the world’s largest construction project)

Chang Jiang = The Yangtze River

Three Gorges Dam

Climate

• Due to its enormous size, China has a number of different climate regions

• They are affected by location, elevation, and wind currents

Climate Regions:1) Highland: in the Himalaya Mountains and

on the Plateau of Tibet - Cold temperatures year-round - Influenced by elevation2) Desert: in the Taklimakan and Gobi

Deserts - Hot during the day, cold during the night

year-round - Hardly any rainfall - Influenced by location & elevation

Climate Regions continued…3) Humid Continental: on the Northeast

Plain and North china Plain - Four seasons - Cold winters, warm summers 4) Humid Subtropical: on the highlands of

the south - Short, mild winters and long, humid, hot

summers - Influenced by location (close to the

tropics)

Monsoons & Typhoons1) Monsoons:

a) In the winter: cold, dry air from central Asia across China

b) In the summer: warm, moist air from the Pacific Ocean

2) Typhoons:

- Brought on by the monsoons in the summer

- Tropical storms w/ strong winds & heavy rains

- They are called hurricanes when they are formed over the Atlantic Ocean

Monsoons

Typhoon

The Economy• China is a developing, rural country• Its main economic activities are farming

and industry• Farming is more important than industry,

though, because ~ 60% of China’s people make their living from farming

• Its industry is growing: if you take all products and services that China produces each year, it is in the top 10 countries in the world

Type of Economy• China has been an “officially” communist country

since 1949, when the communists, led by Mao Zedong, overthrew the nationalist government of Chiang Kai-shek

• In reality, China is increasingly moving toward a capitalist (free enterprise) economy

• Why? - Wants to become a modern, industrialized

nation - Wants to continue to trade w/ the US & W.

Europe

Problems with Industrialization

Environmental problems: due to factory smoke

- Pollution of rivers: endangers species

- Pollution of air: acid rain destroys plants & building; breathing problems

- Displacement of people, farmlands, villages, and canyons (Three Gorges Dam)

Economic/Social Problems:

- Inflation (prices go up but not the paychecks)

- Income gap: the rich is getting richer, while the poor is getting poorer

Economic Regions1) The North: plains & highlands of NE

China • Manufacturing: textiles, chemicals,

electronic equipment, farming machinery, airplane parts, metal products

- Major industrial center: Beijing• Mining: coal, petroleum, iron ore,

tungsten (metal used in electronics)• Farming: wheat, cotton, soy beans• Fishing

2) South: southeast China• Fertile soil, humid climate, long growing

season• Growing crops on terraced fields: strips of

land cut out of a hillside like stair steps• Tea, jute, silk, fruits, and vegetables• Mineral resources: bauxite, iron ore, tin• Urban manufacturing centers: Wuhan,

Guangzhou• Ships, machinery, textiles, electrical

equipment

3) The West• Mountains, deserts, and grasslands

• Most of it is not suitable for farming

• Only grazing of livestock that can handle the harsh conditions, e.g. yaks

• Low-lying areas: cotton & wheat

• Mineral resources: petroleum, coal, & iron ore

The People• Capital: Beijing• Population: 1.3 billion• Language: Mandarin Chinese• Religion: Confucianism (philosophy), Buddhism,

Taoism, Islam, Christianity• Ethnicities: 94% Han Chinese• Type of Government: Communist - Used to have dynasties (power was handed

down to family members from one generation to the next)

• Rural: only 30% live in cities

• Calligraphy: the art of beautiful writing (Chinese writing uses characters that express words/ideas instead of sounds 50,000 characters, only 8,000 is recognized by an average person)

• Pagodas: Buddhist temples w/ several floors

• Inventions: paper, ink, clock, compass, printed book, fireworks, gunpowder, porcelain (made of coal dust and white clay), etc.