Eastern zone of China natural conditions. natural areas of china

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 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 ethnic Chinese living in different countries of the world. 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 oceans prevail over 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 and flows into the Indian Ocean, all other rivers in China have access to the 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 are important in the lives of ordinary Chinese and in the country's economy. Trade routes connecting all South East Asia lie along these seas, 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 - broad-leaved forests with maples, oak and many relict 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 - crowned red crane, eared pheasant, scoter. Among the animals - golden monkey and bamboo panda bear, in the rivers - river dolphin and freshwater crocodile. On the territory of China, five large reserves have been organized to protect rare species, they are designed to protect the biocenoses of certain regions, and have the status of biosphere...

Thanks to its territory, mountainous regions and sea coast, China is in every possible climatic zones except for the Arctic. Sharply continental climate in the highlands and subtropics in the southeast. Temperate climate in the northeastern regions bordering Russia and similar in climate 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 of the natural resources of the bowels of the earth within 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 labor resources. 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 is brought to a 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. The martial arts of China were developed and raised 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. Wisdom ancient East allowed in the modern world to use all the same philosophical truths that give rise to material well-being from spiritual values.

China is a huge state located in several natural zones at once. Due to the peculiarities of the geographical position and relief, the climate of China is extremely heterogeneous. While in one province the inhabitants suffer from the cold, in another the population rejoices in the tropical heat.

Researchers distinguish here 3 major natural area, each of which can also be divided into subzones:

• Eastern monsoon region;
• Cold Alpine Qinghai-Tibet region;
• Northwestern arid region.

Eastern monsoon region

This area, which occupies mainly the coast of the East China Sea and the South China Seas, 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.

The south of 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, abundant rainfall occurs throughout the year. It is the climatic features of this region that made it especially attractive to farmers. Since ancient times, agriculture has successfully developed on the southern coasts. 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 is from May to October. Being here in the summer is extremely unsafe, since it is at this time that the area is subject to frequent floods and typhoons. The last such disaster, in August 2017, claimed the lives of 16 people.

Cold Alpine Qinghai-Tibet Region

When assessing the Chinese climate, the rule applies: the farther 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 about 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 have defined the landscape of this region. Most of Tibet and Qinghai are deserts, semi-deserts and steppes in which only the most hardy 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 air currents from the Indian Ocean often penetrate here in summer.

Northwestern arid region

The term "arid" climatologists designate a dry, desert climate with large fluctuations in daily and annual temperatures. This concept perfectly characterizes the climate of northwest China. Usually warm air from the southeast of the country gradually moves to the northwest into the territory of Inner Mongolia. Above these cold plains and mountain plateaus, the air masses quickly cool down, sink down and turn into anticyclones. Due to anticyclones, northwest China has predominantly dry, clear weather with very hot summers, during which dust storms often play out, and extremely frosty winters. Meager precipitation falls only in late spring - 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 position, but also with the barbaric activity of man himself. Broad-leaved forests could once be found in the south of Inner Mongolia, but they have all been 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 a little, although it remains predominantly arid. It is especially favorable in the Yangtze River basin, where southeast monsoons periodically reach. It has very humid, warm summers and mild winters.

The features of China's climate are generally determined by sharp differences in atmospheric pressure in the winter and summer seasons. China occupies a significant part of the vast Asian continent, which in winter cools much faster than the seas adjacent to it. Heat loss occurs especially rapidly on high plateaus. As the air over land cools, it contracts (compacts) and sinks, forming an area high pressure(anticyclone) centered over Dzungaria and Mongolia. From here, very cold dry winds, mainly from the north and northeast, blow into China. In summer, the mainland heats up much more than the sea. Warm air expands and rises. As a result, a vast area is formed over Tibet low pressure(cyclone). Streams of very humid air rush there from the South China and East China Seas, bringing abundant summer rains to South and Central China. The farther into the interior of the continent the air masses penetrate, the drier they are and the less precipitation falls. Thus, the climate of China is generally monsoonal, characterized by clear seasonal changes in atmospheric pressure and prevailing winds. At the same time, the territory of the country is so large that extremely diverse landscapes are found within its borders - from arid desert to humid subtropical.

Spatial differentiation. The isogyeta (a line corresponding to the average annual rainfall) of 380 mm crosses the country approximately from Heilongjiang province in the northeast to Yunnan province in the southwest and conditionally divides China into two parts. The territories located to the northwest of this line become drier as they move away from it, and those located to the southeast become wetter. In the past, this was reflected in the traditional occupations of the population: farmers lived in the southeast of China, cattle breeders in the northwest. The Great Wall of China, built to protect the agricultural regions of the country from the raids of the steppe nomads, runs approximately along this isohyet.

The area located northwest of the 380 mm isohyet. Three regions are distinguished here, differing in climatic characteristics: Tibet, the Tarim and Dzhungar basins and Inner Mongolia. Most of Tibet is characterized by a very harsh climate. Average winter temperatures vary from -12° to -23° C. Only in some areas the frost-free period is 1-2 months. There are very few rainfalls. Chilling cold winds blow constantly. By mixing the air, they increase evaporation.

The Tibetan Plateau, with the exception of the extreme southeast, is treeless. In the northern and central regions of Tibet, the average annual temperature is -5° C (average January temperatures are -20–25° C, and July +6–7° C). Daily temperature fluctuations reach 37° C. Annual precipitation is 100–200 mm (only 10 mm in places). In such climatic conditions, high-altitude Teresken deserts are common. In Northern Tibet, they are confined to the altitudinal belt of 4200–5100 m, and in Central (mainly the Jangatang desert) - to altitudes of 4200–4600 m. Eastern, Siberian, hairy). Mosses and lichens predominate on steep slopes.

In Tibet, the belt of temperate and cold sagebrush deserts is widely represented: at altitudes of 3000–4000 m in the northwest and 3900–4200 m in the north. Artemisia sacrorum, A.webbiana and A.salsoloides dominate among polynyas. Stipa glacerosa and S. purpurea, chrystolea, teresken, ayania and xerophytic herbs are often mixed with them. The grass cover is more closed than in the high-mountain teresken deserts.

Cold cushion semi-deserts are common in Northern Tibet at altitudes of 5100–5300 m, and in Central Tibet in the altitude range of 4600–5100 m. Cushion forms of perennials dominate here with short, strongly branching and closely spaced shoots forming a “cushion”. These semi-deserts are represented by a mosaic of tereskenniks, ajanniks (Ajania tibetica) and polsters (Acantholimon diapensioides, Astragalus malcomii, Caragana vesicolor) with the participation of feather grasses and sedges. In general, the vegetation cover is sparse. In some places in the depressions, with a close occurrence of groundwater, there are hilly naka swamps with thickets of Tibetan cobresia and sedges.

Cold steppe semi-deserts are common in northern Tibet at the same altitudes as the Teresken deserts, and in Jangtang they alternate with pillow semi-deserts.

In the south and southeast of Tibet, the climate is somewhat milder: although winters are also very cold, the monsoon from the Indian Ocean brings heavy rainfall in summer. For example, the annual rate in Lhasa is approx. 1000 mm, and the air in the summer in the afternoon warms up to 29 ° C.

In conditions of a strongly dissected relief, a wide variety of vegetation can be traced. There are high-lying gorges with a cold dry climate and an annual rainfall of 500–700 mm (mostly in summer) and low-lying gorges with a milder and warmer climate. A forest belt appears in all the gorges. In high-lying gorges, it is confined to 2700–3600 m above sea level. and consists of spruce, juniper and poplar. Higher up, the forest belt gives way to a subalpine forb-shrub belt (3600–4200 m), an alpine meadow belt with low-growing rhododendron species (4200–4500 m), a subnival belt with dwarf cushion plants (4500–5100 m), and a nival zone (5100–5400 m). In the lower gorges, the forest belt occupies a lower altitude position. There, the forests are dominated by pine, spruce, oak, maple, holly, magnolia (1500–2400 m), spruce, yew, fir, tree-like rhododendrons (2400–3600 m), fir with an admixture of deciduous trees and treelike rhododendrons (3000–3600 m). Above are the subalpine, alpine and nival belts.

The Tarim Basin, to which the Taklamakan Desert is confined, is the most arid region of China, most isolated from the humid southeasterly summer winds. For example, in Kashgar, 100 mm of precipitation falls annually, with almost two-thirds falling in April-June. The sky is usually cloudless, as a result of which the daily and annual temperature amplitudes are large. In Kashgar, the average January temperature is -6° C, July +20° C. Relative humidity drops to 25% in summer. The driest parts of the basin are completely devoid of vegetation. In the surrounding mountains of Kunlun, Altyntag and Tien Shan, highly productive alpine meadows are common at high altitudes, while in other places steppe landscapes predominate. Irrigated agriculture is possible only in oases near the borders of the desert (Kashgar, Maralbash and others).

Inner Mongolia is located in the "rain shadow", i.e. cut off from the influence of the southeast monsoon by mountains that stretch along its eastern and southern borders. In areas with the mildest climate, the annual rainfall is 250–380 mm. The western part of Inner Mongolia is much drier than the eastern part. Helanshan and Ordos are occupied mainly by deserts, which give way to the east to the steppes. Throughout the region, daily and annual temperature amplitudes are very large. In the vicinity of Baotou, the average temperature in January is -15 ° C, and in July - + 23 ° C. Almost 80% of the annual rainfall (340 mm) falls from May to September.

The area located southeast of the 380 mm isohyet and covering the territory of "proper" China and Manchuria is characterized by an increase in annual temperature amplitudes in the direction from southeast to northwest and a decrease in the amount of precipitation in the same direction. The climatic boundary between the northern and southern parts of this region is formed by the Qinling Range.

To the north of this ridge, the Northeast region of the Shanxi-Shaanxi Plateau and the North China Plain are distinguished. The northeastern region is characterized by large annual temperature ranges and long cold winters, with their severity increasing northward. In Harbin, the average temperature in January is -19° C, in July +22° C. The minimum winter temperatures can reach -40° C. The annual precipitation exceeds 500 mm. They fall mainly in the summer, which makes the area suitable for agriculture. The shortness of the summer season remains the limiting factor. In the northern regions, the duration of the frost-free period is approx. 140 days, to the south - up to 160 days. The natural vegetation of the plains is steppe. The mountain slopes are covered with dense coniferous forests of larch and birch, as well as coniferous-broad-leaved forests, which include cedar, fir, spruce, oak, elm, ash, linden, maple, birch and other species.

On the Shanxi-Shaanxi Plateau and the North China Plain, the climate is more moderate than in the Northeast, but the differences in average monthly temperatures are still large (in Beijing from -5 ° C in January to + 26 ° C in July). As you move deeper into the mainland, their amplitude increases. The average annual precipitation is low. Precipitation is monsoonal in nature: in Beijing, an average of 635 mm falls per year, with approx. 95% falls within the five summer months. In inland regions, the amount of precipitation decreases, and it is especially scarce in the loess regions of Shanxi and Shaanxi. Sometimes there are hailstorms that are detrimental to crops. Living conditions in the North China Plain are deteriorating due to harsh cold winds blowing from the interior in winter and bringing dust storms. The growing season lasts from 160 days in the north to 200 in the south of the region. The natural vegetation of loess plateaus is steppe. The broad-leaved forests that once covered the plains have long been cut down.

South of the Qinling Mountains, four main areas are distinguished: the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and its delta, Sichuan, South China and the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau.

In the basin of the middle reaches and the delta of the Yangtze River, the climate is much more humid than in the North China Plain. In Hangzhou, the annual amount of precipitation reaches 1250 mm, with 60% of it falling from April to July. Average monthly temperatures in January are 5°C and in July 29°C. Winters are cold but usually short. The duration of the frost-free period varies from 200 days in the north to 250 days in the south. In summer, the heat is accompanied by very high relative humidity, so it is hardly tolerated by humans. Abundant summer rains are due to the movement of cyclones from west to east. As a result of economic activity, virgin coniferous forests of cunningamia and broad-leaved species have been almost completely exterminated. Relics of forests are preserved only in the mountains in the west of the region.

The climate of Sichuan province, located in the heart of China, is oddly more temperate than that of the coastal province of Jiangsu. For example, in Chengdu, the average temperatures in January are 7° C and in July 26° C, while in Shanghai, respectively, 3° C and 27° C. Relatively mild winters in Sichuan are explained by the fact that this province is protected from the northern winds by the Qinling and Dabashan mountains. , and in summer the temperature rise is hindered by persistent cloudiness. The annual amount of precipitation in Sichuan is 750–1000 mm, their distribution over the seasons is typically monsoonal. The duration of the growing season is 11 months. The forests here are mostly cut down, although the surrounding mountains are still covered with dense deciduous and coniferous forests.

Southern China, including the islands of Hainan and Taiwan, is located in the subtropical and tropical zones, where the growing season lasts 11 months in the north and 12 months in the south. The average temperature in January is 10°–16° C, in July 27°–29° C. Precipitation is plentiful – from 1500 to 2000 mm per year – with a pronounced summer maximum. The southern and eastern coasts are hit by typhoons in summer and autumn, accompanied by heavy rainfall, destroying crops and hindering navigation. Tropical forests in the lowlands have long been cut down. Nevertheless, bamboo grows in abundance everywhere. Yunnan is considered one of the most climatically favorable places on Earth. The name of this province means "south of the clouds", i.e. south of cloudy Sichuan. Skies are usually clear, winters are mild, and summers are rarely hot. In Yunnan's capital, Kunming, the average temperature is 9°C in January and 22°C in midsummer. Annual precipitation within the Yunnan-Guizhou Highlands varies from 1000 to 1170 mm; the summer maximum precipitation is well pronounced.

Soils

Since soil type is largely determined by climate, it is not surprising that soils north and south of Qinling differ significantly.

To the north of this ridge, the amount of precipitation gradually decreases, and non-leached carbonate soils (pedocals) predominate there. In the northwest, in Inner Mongolia, Gansu and Xinjiang, vast areas are occupied by gray desert soils of light mechanical composition, most of which are saline. The loess soils of the Shanxi-Shenxi plateau are very fertile with sufficient moisture. Between desert and loess soils there is a belt of chernozems and chestnut soils, light in mechanical composition and potentially very fertile, but after the destruction of the natural grass cover, they suffer greatly from wind erosion. The North China Plain is composed of thick (in some places up to 850 m) strata of carbonate alluvial deposits with soils of light mechanical composition, usually yellow or gray. The natural content of calcium and the constant fertilization of these soils over the centuries ensured their high fertility.

South of the Qinling Range, there is a lot of precipitation, so the soils here are heavily leached. Leaching proceeds especially intensively in the extreme south, where there is a tendency to lateritization, i.e. to acidification and an increase in the content of aluminum and iron. This process in Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan Island leads to the formation of solid ferruginous layers in the near-surface horizon. Coming to the soil surface, they practically exclude its plowing, however, at a depth of 30–45 cm, such a layer contributes to the accumulation of water and creates favorable conditions for the device of rice checks. Soil leaching in the south requires constant fertilization.

Animal world

Considering big sizes and the heterogeneity of the relief and climate of China, one should not be surprised at the extraordinary diversity of the animal world. In densely populated lowland areas there are few wild animals, with the exception of rodents, birds and a few ungulates, but in more inaccessible places the fauna is quite rich.

In the northeast, animals are most cold-hardy. Elk, musk deer, roe deer, wild boar, chipmunks and squirrels are common there. In the taiga of Heilongjiang Province there are such predators as brown bear, wolf, fox, lynx. Within the Greater Khingan there are predators - tigers and leopards, as well as fur-bearing animals - kolonok, solongoy, polecat, otter, lynx, squirrel, raccoon dog, wolf, badger. Of the birds in northeastern China, the black grouse, gray and white partridges, stone capercaillie, hazel grouse, kuksha, three-toed woodpecker, walnut, crossbill-spruce, pink lentil, schur and others are common. There are many ungulates in the steppes of Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang, including the Mongolian gazelle and saiga. Wolves inhabit the plains, and rodents, such as gerbils, are found in abundance. Of the ungulates in Tibet, there are yak, orongo antelope, kukuyaman sheep, kiang, wild goats, and of predators - snow leopard, Tibetan bear, lynx, wolf, red wolf, corsac fox, of rodents - gray hamster, Tibetan bobak, of lagomorphs - the sandstone hare and the Tibetan pika, and of the birds the Himalayan snowcock and sand grouse deserve attention.

In the southwest of China, the most interesting animals live in Sichuan and Yunnan. In bamboo groves in the mountains, there are big and small pandas, musk deer and other animals. On the lower tiers of the relief, rhesus monkeys and a large civet are common. The avifauna is rich, including parrots, shrubs (thymelia) and many species of pheasants. Tiger, bear (red-faced) macaque, deer and large civet are occasionally found in the uplands and mountains of Central China. Birds are very numerous, especially waterfowl, blue magpie and pheasants. In the summer, the common oriole flies here. Within the province of Anhui, in the Yangtze River, a rare species is found - a Chinese alligator with a length of approx. 2 m. Of the predators in South China, there are a tiger and a clouded leopard, and among the numerous arboreal animals - tupaya and fruit bats.

Huge occupying an advantageous geographical position - China. It is located in East Asia. Its relief is very diverse. China has mountains, hills, plains, highlands, river valleys, deserts. This But the vast areas of China are deserted. After all, most of the population is concentrated on the plains.

Geographical position

China on the world map occupies a position on the western coast of the Pacific Ocean. Its area is almost equal to the area of ​​the whole of Europe. China covers an area of ​​9.6 million square kilometers. In terms of area, this country is overtaken only by Russia and Canada.

The territory of China stretches for 5.2 thousand kilometers from east to west and for 5.5 thousand kilometers from south to north. The most eastern point The country is located at the confluence of the Ussuri and Amur rivers, the westernmost - in the southernmost - among the northernmost - on the Amur River in Mohe County.

China on the world map from the east is washed by several seas that are part of the Pacific Ocean. The coastline of the country stretches for 18,000 km. The sea in China creates a border with five countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, Brunei and the Philippines.

The land border runs from the south, north and west. Its length is 22117 km. By land, China has a border with Russia, North Korea, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Nepal, Pakistan, Bhutan, India, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar.

The geographical position of China is quite favorable for its economic development.

Relief

The relief of the country is very diverse. China, whose geography is wide, has a stepped landscape. It consists of three levels, decreasing from west to east.

In the southwest of the state are the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayas. They are the highest rung in the landscape of a country like China. Geography and relief mostly consist of uplands, plateaus and mountains. The lowest level, consisting of plains, is near the coast.

Southwest China

Part of the highest in the world mountain system located in the southwest of the country. In addition to China, the Himalayas are spread over the territories of India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Bhutan. On the border of the state in question there are 9 of the 14 highest mountains of the globe - Everest, Chogori, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho-Oyu, Shishabangma, Chogori, several peaks from the Gasherbrum massif.

Located north of the Himalayas. It is the largest in area and the highest plateau in the world. It is surrounded by ridges on all sides. In addition to the Himalayas, the neighbors of the Tibetan Plateau are Kunlun, Qilianshan, Karakorum, and the Sino-Tibetan Mountains. The last of them and the adjacent Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau are a remote area. It is cut by the deep Salween and the Mekong.

Thus, the characteristic of the geographical position of China in the southwest is distinguished by the presence of mountainous regions.

Northwest China

In the north-west of the country, near the Tibetan Plateau, there are the Tarim Basin, the Takla-Makan Desert and the Turfan Depression. The last object is the deepest in East Asia. Further north is the Dzungarian Plain.

To the east of the Tarim Basin, the geographical position contrasts even more. China in these places is changing the landscape to steppes and deserts. This is an autonomous region. It is located on a high plateau. Most of it is occupied by the Gobi and Alashan deserts. The Lessovoye Plateau adjoins them from the south. This area is very fertile and rich in forests.

Northeast China

The northeastern part of the country is quite flat. There are no high mountain ranges here. The Songliao Plain is located in this part of China. It is surrounded by small mountain ranges - Big and Small Khingan, Changbaishan.

Northern China

The main agricultural zones are concentrated in the north of China. This part of the country consists of vast plains. They feed well on the rivers and are very fertile. These are such plains as Liaohe and North China.

Southeast China

The southeastern part of the country stretches from the Huaiyanshan Range to the Qinling Mountains. It also includes the island of Taiwan. The local landscape consists mainly of mountains interspersed with river valleys.

South China

In the south of the country are the regions of Guangxi, Guangdong, and partly Yunnan. This also includes a year-round resort, Hainan Island. The local relief is made up of hills and small mountains.

Climate and weather

The climate of the country is not uniform. It is affected by geographic location. China is in three climatic zones. Therefore, the weather in different parts of the country is different.

Northern and western China are located in the temperate continental climate zone. The average temperature here in winter time year is -7°C, although it happens, it drops to -20°C. In summer, the temperature is at the level of +22°C. Strong dry winds are typical for winter and autumn.

Central China lies in the subtropical climate zone. In winter, the air temperature ranges from 0 to -5°C. In summer it stays at +20°C.

Southern China and the islands have a tropical monsoonal climate. There, the temperature in winter ranges from +6 to +15°C, and in summer it rises above +25°C. This part of the country is characterized by powerful typhoons. They occur in winter and autumn.

Annual precipitation decreases from south and east to north and west - from about 2000 mm to 50 mm.

Population

According to 2014 data, 1.36 billion people live in the state. The large country of China is home to 20% of the world's inhabitants.

The state is on the verge of a demographic resettlement crisis. Therefore, the government is struggling with a high birth rate. His goal is one child per family. But the demographic policy is conducted flexibly. Thus, it is allowed to give birth to a second child to ethnic minorities, as well as to families living in rural areas, if the first child is a girl or has physical disabilities.

Part of the population opposes such a policy. She is especially dissatisfied in rural areas. After all, there is a higher need for the birth of a large number of boys as a future labor force.

But population growth is projected to rise despite this. It is estimated that 1.5 billion people will live in China by 2030.

Population density

The population is distributed very unevenly throughout the country. This is due to the difference geographical conditions. The average population density is 138 people per square kilometer. This indicator looks quite acceptable. He's not talking about overpopulation. After all, the same figure is typical for some European countries.

But the average figure does not reflect the real situation. There are areas in the country where almost no one lives, and Macau has 21,000 people per square kilometer.

Half of the country is practically uninhabited. The Chinese live in river basins, on fertile plains. And in the highlands of Tibet, in the deserts of the Gobi and Takla Makan, there are almost no settlements.

National composition and language of the population

The country is inhabited by different ethnic groups. Most of the population consider themselves Han Chinese. But besides them, 55 nationalities are distinguished in China. The largest nations are the Zhuangs, Manchus, Tibetans, the smallest are the Loba.

Dialects in different parts of the country are also different. The difference between them is so great that the inhabitant of the south of China will not understand the inhabitant of the north. But the country has a national language, Putunha. Residents of China moving from region to region are required to own it in order to avoid problems in communication.

Also in the country is widespread Mandarin, or Beijing, dialect. It can be considered an alternative to putunkhe. After all, 70% of the population speaks Mandarin.

Religion and beliefs of the population

Since the middle of the 20th century in China, as in a communist state, adherence to religious beliefs and beliefs was not welcomed. Atheism was the official ideology.

But since 1982 there has been a change in this matter. The right to freedom of religion was included in the constitution. The most common religions here are Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. But Christianity, Islam, Judaism are also popular.

Largest cities

There are not many big cities in China. The population of this country is not urbanized. But where the construction of the city begins, it grows to the size of a huge metropolis, uniting a large number of residential, business, commercial, industrial and agricultural zones. For example, Chongqing. It is the largest representative of such megacities. According to information for 2014, 29 million people live in it. Its area is almost equal to the area of ​​Austria and is 82,400 square kilometers.

Other major cities in the country are Shanghai, Tianjin, Harbin, Guangzhou and of course Beijing, the capital of China.

Beijing

The Chinese call Beijing Beijing. It means Northern Capital. The urban layout is characterized by strict geometry. Streets are oriented to parts of the world.

Beijing is the capital of China and one of the most interesting cities in the country. Its heart is Tiananmen Square. Translated, this word means "gate of heavenly tranquility." The main building on the square is the mausoleum of Mao Zedong.

An important sight of the city is the Forbidden City. They call him Gugong. It is a beautiful and ancient palace ensemble.

No less interesting are Yiheyuan and Yuanminyuan. These are garden and palace complexes. They surprisingly combine miniature rivers, graceful bridges, waterfalls, residential buildings. There is a wonderful harmony and a feeling of unity between man and nature.

There are many temples of such religious directions as Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism in the capital. One of them is the most interesting. This is Tian Tan Temple of Heaven. It is the only round-shaped religious building in the city. It has a unique wall. If you utter a word near it, even in the quietest whisper, it will spread along its entire length.

Yonghegun Temple of Eternal Peace is also notable. This is a lamaist religious building. It houses a Buddha statue carved from a single trunk of sandalwood. Its length is 23 meters.

There are many museums in Beijing. Of particular note is the National Art Gallery. It houses a large collection of Chinese paintings. No less interesting is the Museum of National History, where you can trace the entire path of China's development.

The attraction is Wangfujing Street. This is a favorite place for walking, both among tourists and the local population. The history of the street began over 700 years ago. Now it has been reconstructed. The street is located in the area of ​​the shopping center. It harmoniously combines ancient and modern cultures.

Not far from Beijing begins the Great Wall of China. Most people associate the country with it. This is a grand building. It stretches for 67,000 km. The construction of the wall lasted over 2000 years.

CHINA, People's Republic of China (PRC), a state in Central and East Asia, includes China proper (18 historical provinces of the Chinese Empire), Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Northeast (Manchuria) and Tibet. Taiwan Province, which is controlled by the Chinese People's Republic, considered separately China occupies an area of ​​9561 thousand square meters. km (without Taiwan).

Within China, three major orographic 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 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 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 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 region, the huge ridges that cross the Tibet Plateau bend in the southeast, and then in southbound and usually exceed 3000 m, and some peaks reach 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 elevation 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 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 deposit, and in the south in the Urumqi region - a deposit of coal and iron ore.

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 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. A 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 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 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.

The Shaanxi-Shanxi Plateau, located north of the Qinling Mountains 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. A distinctive feature of the plateau is a loess cover up to 75 m thick, which largely masks 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 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 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 high mountains Sichuan has a reputation for being a remote area.

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 (up to 1500 m in some places) 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.

Low-lying accumulative plains. 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). Narrow in the north 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 flowed into the Bohaiwan Bay north of the Shandong Peninsula. In 1324, it joined the Huai River, and their waters flowed into the Yellow Sea south of the peninsula, and in 1851, the Huang He again began to flow into the Bohai Bay. In 1938, the right-bank dams were destroyed by order 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 large seaports 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 reaches of the Yellow River is the smaller but important river system of the Huai River, separated from the Yellow River basin and the North China Plain by a barely visible divide that stretches from Kaifeng to Xuzhou, and by 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. 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 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, the a complex system regulation of water flow, 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 (“the 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 to 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 during the summer months, but are ice-bound in winter. The Amur opens up later than the Sungari, due to which 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 full-flowing 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 Tianjin outport - Tanggu in the 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 Hangzhou Bay, the coast becomes flattened again as a result of the accumulation of silt deposits carried by the Yellow River and Yangtze. 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 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.

Population of China

China ranks first in the world in terms of population. The first 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 subjected 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 death rate. But at the same time, by 1957, about 656 million people lived in China, which amounted to 1/4 of the entire 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 numerous country in the world, which leaves its mark on all aspects of society, and, above all, is reflected in the specifics of the ongoing demographic policy. According to the Chinese constitution, planned childbearing must be carried out in the country. It is forbidden to marry students, one family must have no more than one child, and the birth of a second or third child already requires permission from a special committee on planned childbearing. Despite the implementation of such a tough demographic policy, the population of China, according to experts, 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 has about 50 nationalities. The overwhelming majority of the population of China are Chinese (Han). In addition, representatives of the following national and ethnic groups live in the country: Zhuang, Uighurs, Huizu, Tibetans, Miao, Manchus, Mongols, Bui, Koreans, Tutszya, Dong, Yao, Bai, Hani, Tai, Li, Lisu, She , lahu, wa, shui, dongxiang, na - si, tu, kyrgyz, jingno, mulao, clogs, salars, bulans, gelao, maoan, pumi, well, aian, benlurs, yugurs, baoan, orogons, gaoshan, hechje, 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, there are more than 800 million working-age people in China, of which 2/5 are young people. 51.182% - men and 48.18% - 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 conditional line passing from the city of Heiheng to the city of Tengchong on Yunnan, about 90% of the total population is concentrated on an area of ​​​​slightly more than 1/3 of the country's territory, and the average density here exceeds 170 people / km2. The rest of the larger western part of the country accounts for only a few people per square kilometer. Particularly densely populated are the plains along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the low-lying strip of the Southeast coast, where in some places the population density reaches 600-800 people / km2. In addition, there are more than 30 cities in China with a population of more than 1 million, including: Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang, Tianjin, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Harbin, Cang-shin, Tatuan, Luida, Slan, Chengdu, Qingdao.

Source - Internet sites