The Geography of China, the world’s fourth largest country ranges from tropical to sub arctic. It has the largest population with approximately 1.3 billion people of any country in the world. It is divided up into 33 major political units with 22 provinces, 5 autonomous regions for minority nationalities, 4 municipalities and the two special zones of Hong Kong and Macao. China is served by five major river systems. There are more than 2800 lakes with five distinct lake regions.

China’s landscape is two-thirds mountain and plateau and one third river valley and coastal. China has seven of the tallest mountains in the world. It encompasses 9.6 million square miles. This is the home to the worlds oldest continuing civilization and 23 % of the world’s population. China shares borders with 14 different independent nations. Its oceanic boundaries contain some 5000 islands the largest of which is Taiwan.

China is laid out in giant stair steps running from the Tibetan Plateau and the North China plains to the line of mountain ranges in east central China. It is here that the great river systems step down out of the mountains into huge fertile river Deltas of east and southeast China. Most of the population, some 94% live in the eastern 1/3 of the country.

The north China plains of the Xian Xing region are dominated by extreme weather and desert. The people here have experienced more cultural influence and ties with Persian and Turkish peoples via the old silk road trading routes than by the Chinese culture to the east. Home to China’s largest Muslim population and several large ethnic minorities.

The Tibetan Plateau of extreme southwest China is a harsh mountainous landscape. This, the highest plateau on earth is often referred to as the roof of the world. It’s sparse population is primarily of Tibetan ethnicity.

Moving east from the Tibetan Plateau is the southwest uplands. Splashed with the Monsoon rains of the Bay of Bengal and the South China Sea this is a rugged mountainous landscape of tropical forests. The inhabitants are small separate ethnic minority groups. They are more closely related physically, socially and economically to the bordering neighbors of Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam than they are to the rest of China.

The Sichuan Basin of east central China is the heartland. Here is where the mountains soften and the great river systems began. It is the home of silk, tea and China’s fertile farming region Its beautiful countryside is becoming a tourist Mecca for those living in the huge metropolitan centers to the east.

Northeast China or the Manchurian region has most of its population centered around the Liao and Songhua rivers. Manchuria is rich with iron ore and produces the majority of China’s coal. Much of the heavy industry is located in this part of the country.

Southeast China to Shanghai is the most pleasant climate and most heavily populated. The warm Pacific currents lend to warmer climates and heavy rainfall. The warm weather and rich river deltas allow farmers to harvest as many as three crops per year. This area has experienced astronomical growth especially near the Shanghai and Hong Kong commercial centers.

The rapid economic growth and the ever shrinking earth makes it important to have a better understanding of China and its people. An understanding of its geography is an essential key to understanding its future.

Statistics used are from the Chinese government population site
www.cpirc.org.cn