Geographical location of China. Geographical location of China
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. The province of Taiwan, which is controlled by the People's Republic of China, is considered separately. The PRC occupies an area of 9,561 thousand square meters. km (without Taiwan).
Within China, three large orographic regions are distinguished: in the southwest, the Tibetan Plateau with an altitude of more than 2000 m above sea level; to the north of it there is a belt of mountains and high plains, located in the altitude range from 200 to 2000 m above sea level, and in the northeast, east and south of the country - low-lying accumulative plains (below 200 m above sea level) and low mountains.
The Tibetan Plateau occupies more than a quarter of China's territory and includes the Tibet Autonomous Region, Qinghai Province and western Sichuan Province. The western and central parts of the highlands, located above 4000 m, are rightly called the “roof of the world.” Numerous ridges crossing Tibet have a latitudinal strike and rise to heights of 5500–7600 m. The ridges are separated by wide valleys, cold and mostly uninhabited. The highlands are framed by even higher mountain ranges: in the south - the Himalayas with the highest peak Qomolangma (Everest, 8848 m), in the northwest - the Karakoram and Pamir mountains, in the north - the majestic Kunlun, Altyntag and Qilianshan mountain ranges, which abruptly drop off in the north direction.
In the northeast of the Tibetan Plateau, between the Kunlun Mountains in the south and the Altyntag and Qilianshan ridges in the north, at altitudes of 2700–3000 m above sea level. The Tsaidam depression is located. The western part of the depression is occupied by desert, and in its central part there are extensive swamps and salt lakes. The mostly nomadic population of this area has been breeding horses for many centuries. The discovery of oil, coal and iron ore deposits in this basin and the development of rich salt deposits contributed to the development of local industry.
The northern and western regions of Tibet and the Tsaidam Basin are internal drainage basins. There are hundreds of drainless salt lakes here, into which small rivers flow. On the northern slope of the Himalayas, the Brahmaputra River originates (in China it is called Matsang, and then Zangbo) and flows east for 970 km, and then, cutting through mountain ranges, turns south and enters the plains North India. The Brahmaputra and its tributaries flow in deep sheltered valleys, which contribute to the concentration of sedentary populations in cities such as Lhasa, Gyangtse and Shigatse. Three of them originate on the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau. greatest rivers world - Yangtze, Mekong and Salween. In this area, the huge ridges that cross the Tibetan plateau curve in a south-easterly and then southerly direction and typically exceed 3000 m, with some peaks reaching higher elevations. For example, Guangshan Peak (Minyak-Gankar) in the Daxueshan Mountains in western Sichuan Province rises to 7556 m.
The belt of highlands and depressions adjoins the Tibetan Plateau in the north, northeast and east and has an altitude range from 200 to 2000 m. The autonomous regions of Xinjiang Uygur, or Xinjiang, and Inner Mongolia and the plains of China proper, are confined to this belt, differing significantly in the nature of the relief.
In Xinjiang, located north of the Kunlun Mountains, there are two large inland drainage depressions - the Tarim and the Djungar. The Tarim Basin extends from Kashgar in the west to Hami (Kumul) in the east and has absolute heights from 610 m in the central part to 1525 m along the periphery. The depression is framed by the Kunlun and Altyntag mountains to the south, the Pamirs to the west, and the Tien Shan to the north. All these mountains have heights of more than 6100 m. 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, Taklamakan, is confined to its central part. The Tarim River and its tributaries, which originate in the mountains and are fed by glaciers, are lost in the sands of this desert or flow into the salt lake Lop Nor (in this area the PRC conducts its nuclear tests). North of the lake Lop Nor is the lowest land surface in East Asia - the Turfan depression, which extends approx. 100 km in the latitudinal direction and approx. 50 km – in the meridional. Its most depressed part has an absolute elevation of –154 m. The region of the Turfan Depression is characterized by huge annual temperature amplitudes: from 52° C in summer to -18° C in winter. Precipitation is rare.
To the north of the Tien Shan is the Dzungarian depression, bounded from the northwest by a number of ridges, the highest of which is the Dzungarian Alatau, and from the northeast by Altai. The surface of the Dzhungar depression is about 600 m lower than the Tarim, and the climate is not so arid. Nevertheless, large areas here are occupied by semi-deserts and steppes, where nomads live. In the north-west of Dzungaria, near Karamay, there is a large oil field, and in the south, in the Urumqi region, there is a deposit of coal and iron ores.
China statistics
(as of 2012)
The Tarim depression is drainless, and the Dzhungar depression is drained by the Ili and Irtysh rivers, the flow of which is directed westward, to the plains of Kazakhstan. Along the periphery of the Tarim Basin, on the loess foothill plains in the valleys of rivers flowing from the mountains, a ring of oases formed. Through the cities located in these oases, it is already approx. 2000 years ago the Great silk road, connecting China with the Roman Empire.
Inner Mongolia occupies the Chinese portion of the vast Mongolian Basin, with the Gobi Desert at its center. There is a depression in China big arc extends east of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region to the border with Russia. From the south and east, Inner Mongolia is framed by the Qilianshan (Richthofen), Helanshan (Alashan), Yinshan and Greater Khingan ridges, which have relatively low altitudes (900–1800 m). The altitudes of most of Inner Mongolia are 900–1500 m above sea level. The landscapes are dominated by dry steppes and semi-deserts. In the western part are the Alashan and Gobi deserts. A few short rivers, originating in the southern mountain frame, flow north and are lost in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia.
The highlands, middle mountains and lowlands of China proper occupy a significant part of the country's territory south of Inner Mongolia and east of the Tibetan Plateau. In the south they form a system of ridges and extend to the east coast. This elevated area is divided into several large areas, including the Ordos Plateau, Shaanxi-Shanxi Plateau, Qinling Mountains, Sichuan Basin, Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and Nanling Mountains. All of them are located in the altitude range from 200 to 2000 m.
The Qinling Mountains are a system of ridges that cross central China from southern Gansu Province in the west to Anhui Province in the east. The mountain ranges are the border of the country's two main drainage basins - the Yellow and Yangtze rivers and sharply delimit China proper into northern and southern parts, differing in geological structure, climatic and soil characteristics, the nature of natural vegetation and a set of main crops.
The Shaanxi-Shanxi Plateau, located north of the Qinling Mountains and south of the Ordos Plateau, stretches from the Tibetan Plateau in the west to the lowlands of the North China Plain in the east. Distinctive feature The plateau is a loess cover up to 75 m thick, largely masking the original relief. The steep slopes of the hills are artificially terraced in many places, and the soils formed on the loess are fertile and easy to cultivate. At the same time, the loess is subject to water erosion, as a result of which the area is deeply cut by a network of ravines.
North of the Loess Plateau at altitudes of more than 1500 m above sea level. The Ordos plateau is located, characterized by desert landscapes. Sand dunes are common in its northwestern and southeastern parts, and the central part is replete with small salt lakes. The Ordos Desert is separated from the cultivated loess lands by the Great Wall of China.
The Sichuan Basin (or "Red Basin") lies south of the Qinling Mountains, immediately east of the ridges of the eastern frame of the Tibetan plateau - Daxueshan and Qionglaishan, forming a steep high chain, many of the peaks of which exceed 5200 m. These ranges, together with the Minshan and Dabashan mountains to the north and the plateau of Guizhou Province in the south frame a basin, the bottom of which drops from 900 m in the north to 450 m in the south. The soils of this area are very fertile. It is one of the most densely populated areas in China. The Sichuan Basin is composed predominantly of ancient red sandstones, which overlie large but deeply buried Jurassic coal-bearing deposits. Large surface coal deposits are located along the northern, southern and southeastern edges of the basin. Clays and oil-bearing limestones are also widespread. Surrounded by high mountains, Sichuan has a reputation for being difficult to reach.
The Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, which is a much lower (average altitude 1800–2100 m above sea level) continuation of the Tibetan Plateau, is located to the south and southeast of the Sichuan Basin. The western part of this area is crossed by narrow (only up to 500 m), but deeply incised (in some places up to 1500 m) valleys of the Salween and Mekong rivers, presenting serious obstacles to movement. This highly divided territory has long acted as a barrier between China, India and Burma. In the east, in Guizhou province, the nature of the relief is changing. In some places, the surface height drops to 900 m or less, the slopes become less steep, and the valleys widen.
The Nanling Mountains ("Southern Ranges") extend from the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau in the west to the Wuyi Ranges in the southeastern coastal provinces of Fujian and Zhejiang. This wide belt of low mountains, separating the Yangtze river basins in the north and the Xijiang ("Western") river basins in the south, is rich in minerals. Among them are numerous deposits of tungsten, antimony, lead, zinc and copper.
Low-lying accumulative plains. Only ok. 10% of China's territory is located at altitudes less than 200 m above sea level, but this is where most of the country's population is concentrated. There are five main lowland regions: the North China Plain, the Great Chinese Plain, the Huaihe River valley, the middle reaches basin and the Yangtze River delta, the Northeast (Manchurian) Plain and the Xijiang River basin. The North China Plain, the Huaihe River valley and the Yangtze Delta meet near the sea coast, forming a single strip of plains stretching from Beijing in the north to Shanghai in the south and interrupted only by the highlands in Shandong province. In the depths of the mainland, the depression to which the middle course of the Yangtze River is confined is separated from this vast plain by the Dabeshan Mountains (the eastern continuation of the Qinling mountain system). In the north, a narrow coastal strip connects the North China Plain with the Northeast. The Xijiang River basin is located south of the Yangtze River basin and is separated from it by the Nanling and Wuyi Mountains. Each large lowland plain is composed of sediment from one or more rivers.
Water resources - Yellow River and North China Plain. The Yellow River (translated as “yellow”), 5163 km long, originates in the Tibetan Plateau (Qinghai Province). Heading East torrent, it makes its way down from the plateau through the Liujiaxia gorge and further through the highlands of Gansu province. Near Lanzhou, the 2,400 km long “great northern bend” of the Yellow River Valley begins, which from the north skirts the Mu Us Desert on the edge of the Ordos Plateau, and then turns sharply to the south, crossing the central Loess region and forming the border between the provinces of Shanxi and Shaanxi. In this section, the river carries a huge volume of silt, especially in summer, when it is at its deepest. Due to the large amount of solid runoff on the plains located downstream, floods are frequent, and the Huang He River itself is nicknamed “the grief of China.”
Having reached the Qinling Mountains, where the Weihe River flows into it from the west, the Yellow River turns sharply to the east, passes through Sanmenxia (“Three Gate Gorge”) and enters the North China Plain. When leaving this gorge, the river is at an absolute level of only approx. 180 m, while the distance to its confluence with Bohai Bay is 970 km. Here, on a gradually descending section of the valley, the river loses speed. As a result, over the course of thousands of years, the Yellow River regularly flooded, depositing sediment and gradually expanding and increasing accumulative plain. When ok. 3000 years ago, Chinese civilization first arose in this territory; people tried to regulate the flow regime with the help of dams. However, the likelihood of destructive floods increased due to the fact that the area of sediment accumulation was limited to the river bed. As the layer of silt grew, higher and higher dams had to be built until the river and ramparts were higher than the level of the surrounding plain. When the dam breaks, which often happens at the peak of the summer flood, the river overflows across the plain, flooding gigantic areas and destroying crops. Since the river's waters cannot return to the elevated channel, the Yellow River often changes its course. From 1048 to 1324 it flowed into Bohai Bay north of the Shandong Peninsula. In 1324 it connected with the Huaihe River, and its waters flowed into the Yellow Sea south of the peninsula, and in 1851 the Yellow River again began to flow into Bohai Bay. In 1938, the right bank dikes were destroyed by order of Chiang Kai-shek to prevent the advance of the Japanese army. In 1947, as part of a UN project, the river was returned to its former course and now flows back into Bohai Bay. On its way through the North China Plain, the Yellow River does not receive large tributaries. The Grand Canal connects it with the Yangtze River and the major seaports of Tianjin and Shanghai. The total length of this canal is 1782 km.
In 1955, the Chinese government began to implement the so-called. a “step plan” for regulating the Huang He River, including the construction of four large and 42 auxiliary dams on the main river and its tributaries. After the construction of the most important dam, a reservoir with an area of 2350 square meters was formed in the Sanmenxia Gorge. km, length approx. 300 km and a volume of more than 35 km3. This hydraulic structure counteracts the most powerful floods and is also designed to generate electricity, irrigate land and improve navigation. Large-scale programs are complemented by numerous local projects involving the construction of thousands of small dams on tributaries of the Huang He River and small rivers, terracing of loess hillsides to prevent erosion, and reforestation of large areas.
Huaihe River and its basin. Directly south of the lower Yellow River is the smaller but important river system of the Huaihe River, separated from the Huanghe River basin and the North China Plain by a barely visible watershed stretching from Kaifeng to Xuzhou, and by a somewhat more pronounced upland on the Shandong Peninsula, from Xuzhou to the Yellow Sea. The length of the Huaihe River is only approx. 1090 km, however, unlike the Huang He River, it has many tributaries, mostly left ones, flowing from northwest to southeast. The river and its tributaries drain an area of 174 thousand square meters abounding in lakes. km, covering the southern and eastern parts of Henan Province, the entire Anhui Province and the northern part of Jiangsu Province. The Huaihe River flows into the large Hongzehu Lake, from which its waters are carried in the form of natural rivers and through recently constructed canals into the Yellow Sea. Alluvial soils in the Huaihe River basin are very fertile, but the river itself has always been subject to powerful floods, so work to regulate the flow regime in its basin was given paramount importance. Ten dams have been built in the upper reaches of the main river and its tributaries. As a result, reservoirs were formed (the largest are Meishanshuiku and Fozilingshuiku in Anhui province). Dams with a total length of hundreds of kilometers were built and strengthened and complex irrigation measures were carried out.
Yangtze River and adjacent plains. The length of the Yangtze River is more than 5600 km. The river originates from glaciers in the central part of the Tibetan Plateau, flows south, forming deep gorges in the eastern part of the plateau and, having reached the highlands of Yunnan Province, turns sharply to the east. In this fast-flowing section, the river is called Jinshajiang (“Golden Sand River”). Near the city of Yibin, the river enters the Sichuan Basin and flows at the foot of the mountains of its southern frame. Here it receives four large tributaries - Minjiang, Tuojiang, Fujian and Jialingjiang, which cross the basin from north to south and give it the name Sichuan (“Four Rivers”). In the middle reaches of the Minjiang River, near Chengdu, it still operates a complex system regulation of water flow, created by engineer Li Ping during the Qin Dynasty (221–206 BC).
The Yangtze River makes its way from the Sichuan Basin through several picturesque gorges located between Fengtse and Yichang. This section of the river is difficult and dangerous. In summer, the current speed in places can reach 16 km/h. Passing Yichang, the river passes through a series of basins (plains), which are often collectively called the middle course of the Yangtze River. The first of these is an area abounding in lakes within the provinces of Hunan and Hubei. Its northern part is crossed by the Han River, which originates in the Qinling Mountains, flows through a wide valley in a southeast direction and flows into the Yangtze near Hankou (“Mouth of the Han River”), one of the cities of the Wuhan agglomeration. In the south, the Hunan basin is drained by the Xiangjiang, which originates in the Nanling Mountains and flows into the large Dongting Lake, which drains into the Yangtze River. Within this basin, the Yangtze is gaining full strength. While in the Chongqing region (Sichuan Province) the river’s width is only 275 m, in the vicinity of Wuhan its bed widens and reaches 1.6 km. The difference between low water and high water is estimated to be approximately 12 m. In winter, ships with a draft of more than 2 m must move with caution, while in summer, ocean-going ships with a displacement of 15 thousand tons can reach Wuhan.
Below Wuhan, before entering the next basin, the river bed narrows somewhat. This basin, located almost entirely to the south of the Yangtze, belongs mainly to the drainage basin of the Ganjiang River, which carries its waters through the large Poyang Lake before flowing into the Yangtze. Lakes Poyang and Dongting 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 midway between Wuhu and Nanjing, this plain meets the vast Yangtze delta plain.
The floodplain soils in the middle Yangtze basin, composed mainly of red alluvium brought from the Sichuan Basin, as well as sediment from the Hanshui, Xiangjiang and Ganjiang rivers, are very fertile. Hunan Province is one of the most important rice-growing areas in China. Although the Yangtze carries a lot of silty sediment, the high speed of the current contributes to the removal of most of it into the sea, as a result of which the Yangtze does not experience such destructive floods as the Yellow River, and its banks are less embanked. However, in the summer, when there is particularly intense snowmelt in Tibet or unusually heavy rainfall, floods occur. Thus, in 1931, an area of approx. 91 thousand sq. km. To prevent the recurrence of such floods, two reservoirs were built, the capacity of which is supplemented by the natural lake reservoirs of Poyang and Dongting. The reservoir near Shashi (north of Dongting Lake) was built in 1954 almost entirely by hand in 75 days. Its area is 920 sq. km, capacity – 5.4 km3. A somewhat smaller reservoir is located near the city of Wuhan.
The Yangtze Delta begins about 50 km from Nanjing, upstream of the river. This completely flat surface, located slightly above sea level, is composed of silty sediments. It is steadily and quickly moving towards the sea, as well as in a southern direction, into Hangzhou Bay. Mirror groundwater low-lying plain located very close to the surface. This plain is crossed by countless drainage and irrigation canals, which are also used as routes of communication. Trees, mainly mulberries, are planted along the canals, serving as a base for local sericulture. The delta is replete with lakes, of which the largest is Taihu (“Great Lake”). The delta region is very densely populated. By 1968, three bridges were built across the Yangtze from the western border of Sichuan province to the sea. The largest, 6.7 km long, in Nanjing, has two levels - with a two-track railway and a four-lane road. In 1956, a large bridge was erected in Wuhan, and a slightly smaller one in Chongqing. At the mouth of the river is the large port city of Shanghai. This is not only the main point of concentration and redistribution of all manufactured goods of the vast Yangtze basin, but also the largest center of heavy and light industry in China.
Valley of the Xijiang (“Western”) River. The drainage basin of the Xijiang River, separated from the Yangtze River basin by the Nanling Mountains, is located mainly in the tropics. The source of the river is in the Nanling Mountains and the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. Then Xijiang crosses an area characterized by a variety of karst landforms, the so-called. remnant tower karst. The Xijiang River, with a total length of 2655 km, in the upper and middle reaches has a narrow valley sandwiched between mountains, and only below Wuzhou, where it forms a common delta with the Beijiang and Dongjiang rivers within the alluvial plain, does its flow become calm. Below the city of Xinan (Sanshui), where Xijiang merges with the Beijiang River, it is divided into many branches, for the most part created by man. The soils of this delta region are very fertile, here high density population.
The Leizhoubandao Peninsula and Hainan Island are located in the far south of the country. Hainan Island with an area of 34 thousand square meters. km is divided into two parts: the northern - wide coastal plain and the southern - mountainous area. The plain is densely populated, mostly by Chinese. The Miao and Lu people live in the mountains; the population density there is low.
The Northeast Plain (Manchurian) includes the basins of the Liaohe rivers in the south and the Songhua (Chinese: Songhuangjiang) rivers in the north, separated by ridges of low ridges. The Liaohe River originates in the Liaoxi Mountains and flows into the Liaodong Bay of the Yellow Sea. A significant part of its lower course passes within the Songliao Plain, where it is navigable. In the lower reaches there are fertile lands used in agriculture. In the southeast, the Northeast Plain is bounded by the Yalu River (Amnokkan).
The Songhua River with its tributaries Nenjiang and Lalinhe crosses the Northeast Plain in the north and flows into the Amur (Chinese: Heilongjiang), along which China's northern border with Russia passes. The eastern border of China and Russia runs along the Ussuri River (Chinese: Usulijiang). These rivers provide important communication routes during the summer months, but are frozen in winter. The Amur opens later than the Songhua, which is why vast wetlands are formed at their confluence.
Coastline. The length of the Chinese coastline is approx. 8000 km. It is divided into four main sectors. The northernmost part of the coast within the Bohai Bay and Liaodong Bay is slightly indented. A huge amount of silt is carried here from the Shanxi Plateau by the Yellow River and other less deep rivers. The sea here is shallow, the coastline moves towards the sea every year, and there are few good natural harbors. To prevent siltation of the Tianjin-Tanggu outport, dredging work is constantly being carried out in Bohai Bay. Yingkou Port on Liaodong Bay freezes over in the middle of winter.
The coasts of the Shandong and Liaodong Peninsulas, composed of shales and gneisses and separated by an underwater trough, are characterized by dissected, sometimes steep, banks. There are numerous natural harbors here. The most important port is Qingdao, located on the southern coast of the Shandong Peninsula. Frequent fogs and dust storms make navigation off the northern coast of China difficult.
From the southern part of the Shandong Peninsula to Hangzhou Bay, the coast again becomes smooth as a result of the accumulation of silty sediments carried by the Yellow and Yangtze rivers. These sediments are transported south by the cold East China Current and fill Hangzhou Bay and the adjacent areas of the water area around the Zhoushanqundao archipelago. There are no natural harbors here. Wusong, Shanghai's outport, is kept navigable only by constant dredging.
Along the entire southeastern and southern sections of the coast from Hangzhou Bay to the Vietnamese border in the Gulf of Tonkin area, mountains approach the sea directly. Due to tectonic subsidence, the shores are uneven, deeply indented, the so-called. rias type. It has many convenient natural harbors, including ports such as Ningbo, Wenzhou, Xiamen (Amoy), Shantou (Swatou) and Hong Kong.
Population of China
China ranks first in the world in terms of population. The first population census was conducted on July 30, 1935 and determined the number of inhabitants at 601 million 938 thousand, of which 574 million 505.9 thousand were the population directly subject to the census, this included emigrants, students abroad, as well as residents islands of Taiwan. The absence in the country of not only regular censuses, but even current records does not make it possible to get a true idea of the magnitude of natural population growth, which was hardly significant, since along with a high birth rate, there was also a high mortality rate. But at the same time, by 1957, about 656 million people lived in China, which amounted to 1/4 of the total population of the globe. And in 1986, the number of inhabitants reached 1060 million people, and according to the 1990 census - already 1 billion 134 million. Human. It is no coincidence that for two millennia China has been the most populous country in the world, which leaves its mark on all aspects of social life, and, above all, is reflected in the peculiarities of its demographic policy. According to the Chinese Constitution, planned childbearing must be carried out in the country. Students are prohibited from marrying; one family must have no more than one child, and the birth of a second or third child requires permission from a special committee on planned childbearing. Despite the implementation of such a strict demographic policy, the population of China, according to expert forecasts, by the year 2000 will exceed 1.3 billion people.
In the PRC, as in any socialist country, the land, its subsoil and industrial enterprises belong to the people, and only a small part in relation to state property is in the hands of private owners, therefore in China there are no large owners, and the main classes are peasants and workers , traders and intelligentsia.
The ethnic composition of China includes about 50 nationalities. The vast majority of China's population is Chinese (Han). In addition, representatives of the following national and ethnic groups live in the country: Zhuang, Uyghurs, Huizu, Tibetans, Miao, Manchus, Mongols, Bui, Koreans, Tutjia, Dong, Yao, Bai, Hani, Tai, Li, Lisu, She , Lahu, Wa, Shui, Dongxiang, Na-si, Tu, Kyrgyz, Jingno, Mulao, Sabo, Salars, Bulans, Gelao, Maoan, Pumi, Well, Aian, Benlurs, Yugurs, Baoan, Orogons, Gaoshan, Hezhe, Menba , Loba, Tatars, Uzbeks, Kazakhs and Russians. The entire multinational population of China belongs to three language families and inhabits more than 1/2 of the entire territory of the country.
To date, China has more than 800 million working-age people, of which 2/5 are young people. 51.182% are men and 48.18% are women. Like many national countries, China is characterized by significant contrasts in settlement. The population is unevenly distributed throughout the country: to the East of the conventional line running from the city of Heihen to the city of Tengchong on Yunan, in an area of not much more than 1/3 of the country's territory, about 90% of the total population is concentrated, and the average density here exceeds 170 people. km2. In the remaining, larger western part of the country there are only a few people per square kilometer. The plains along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the lowland strip of the Southeast coast, where in some places the population density reaches 600-800 people/km2, are especially densely populated. In addition, there are more than 30 cities in China with a population exceeding 1 million people, including: Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang, Tianjin, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Harbin, Tsang-shin, Tatyuan, Luida, Slan, Chengdu, Qingdao.
Source - Internet sites
China is the most populous country in the world, whose history began several thousand years ago. One of the most ancient civilizations on the planet, known for its numerous inventions and achievements, developed on its territory. How is China developing today and what advantages does it have? On the peculiarities 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 it was one of the cultural and scientific centers of East Asia. Its statehood was based on dynasties that replaced each other, most often through wars.
The peculiarities of China's geographical location allowed the ancient state to develop independently, isolated from other developed civilizations. Thanks to this, it has formed its own philosophy, its own system of values and writing, which is considered one of the oldest in the world. Chinese civilization is famous for its innovations, which have made a huge contribution to the history of human development. Among them are the invention of printing, paper, compass, hand crossbow, blast furnace, fork, gunpowder, toothbrush, making silk, salt, and growing soybeans.
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 successors ancient state and do not recognize each other's sovereignty at the official level. The People's Republic includes the mainland, Hong Kong and Macau. This is what 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 partially recognized education. It covers several islands and is generally referred to as Taiwan.
Geographical location of China
China is considered one of the largest countries in the world. According to various estimates, it ranks either second or third in size. According to the World Bank, its area is 9,388,211 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 location. The state is washed by South China, East China and Yellow seas, through which it borders 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 - about 4,000 kilometers. The country is located in four time zones, but despite this, the single standard time UTC+8 operates within its borders. Besides Taiwan, there are about six other disputed territories in China, including East Turkistan, Aksai Chin, Shagsgam Valley, Arunachal Pradesh and several islands and archipelagos.
State of Taiwan
The Republic of China was established in 1911. In the past, it controlled the entire mainland of China, had global recognition, developed political relations, and was even among the founders of the UN.
After the defeat to the communists in civil war In 1949, the ROC government moved to Taiwan, establishing a new state there with its capital in Taipei. Today the state is partially recognized and includes the island of Taiwan, Matsu, Kinmen, Penghu and adjacent islets. Some countries do not officially recognize it, but have informal relations with it.
Climate
A significant part of the country lies in the temperate geographical zone, but the climate here is very heterogeneous and differs greatly in different regions. main reason This is a huge extent in both longitudinal and meridional directions.
The northwest has arid, sharply continental conditions with cold winters (up to -50) and hot summers (up to + 50). In spring, the region suffers from Asian dust storms. Hainan Island in the south is characterized by subequatorial conditions with sunny weather and annual temperature differences of only 3-4 degrees. It received the name “Eastern Hawaii”, as it is located at the same latitude with them.
Due to the geographical location of China, the southern and eastern parts are influenced by monsoons and are characterized by variable and unpredictable conditions. During the warm period, huge amounts of precipitation fall on the southeast coast. There are often prolonged downpours, typhoons, and hurricanes. The region also experiences droughts, and in winter there can be heavy snowfall.
Features of nature
Due to the huge area and peculiarities of the geographical location 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 mountainous. They stretch on the northern and western outskirts of the country, and are present in the center and east. Major arteries such as the Mekong, Yangtze, Salween and Yellow River begin in the mountain peaks. 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 highland there is the Tsaidam depression with big amount swamps and salt lakes.
Due to China's unique geographical location, there are a variety of natural areas– from taiga in the north to savannas and tropical forests on South.
Economy
China is the most populous country in the world, with 1.4 billion people and a population density of 145.2 people/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.
From the point of view of its economic and geographical position, China occupies an advantageous position, since it has a huge number of neighbors on the mainland and has access to the sea, which provides it with connections with other continents. The main trading partners of China are Brazil, Russia, Australia, Taiwan, the Republic of Korea, Japan, and the USA.
The main share of the state's economy is industry. China leads in the production of coal, tungsten, manganese, antimony, lead and zinc. It produces timber, oil, uranium, gas, and about 95% of the world's molybdenum and vanadium on a large scale. It is considered a space power, a nuclear power, and the largest supplier of pork and chicken. China has the largest number of industrial enterprises in the world, and due to this and its large production volumes, it is considered an industrial superpower.
Area and territory
China is located in East Asia and is washed in the west by the Pacific Ocean. The area of its territory is 9.6 million square meters. km, according to this indicator, China is second only to Russia and Canada. In the meridian direction, the territory of China extends for 5.5 thousand km, from the fairway of the Heilongjiang River north of the city of Mohe to the coral reefs of Cape Zengmuansha at the southernmost tip of the Nanshaquundao archipelago. In the latitudinal direction, the territory of China stretches for 5.2 thousand km, from the confluence of the Heilongjiang and Ussuri rivers to the western edge of the Pamir Plateau. From the southernmost to the northernmost point and, accordingly, from the eastern to the western, the length of China's territory is more than 5,000 km.
The length of the land border is 22.8 thousand km. China is bordered in the east by the DPRK, in the north by Mongolia, in the northeast by Russia, in the northwest by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, in the west and southwest by Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, etc. in the south it neighbors Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam. In the east and southeast, China has maritime borders with the Republic of Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Indonesia.
The length of the coastline of mainland China is more than 18 thousand km. The sea coast of China has flat terrain and many convenient harbors, most of which are ice-free. China in the east and south is washed by the waters of the Bohai, Yellow, East China and South China Seas. The total area of territorial waters is 4.73 million square meters. km. The Bohai Sea is an inland sea of China, the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea and the South China Sea are marginal seas Pacific Ocean.
There are 5.4 thousand islands scattered in the seas surrounding China. The largest of them is Taiwan, its area is 36 thousand square meters. km, the second largest is Hainan Island, its area is 34 thousand square meters. km. Diaoyu and Chiweiyu, located northeast of Taiwan, are the easternmost islands of China. The geographical names of the group of islands, reefs and shoals in the South China Sea - the southernmost border of China - are Dongshaquundao, Xishaquundao, Zhongshaquundao and Nanshaquundao.
Relief
The relief in China was formed under the influence of the convex surface of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, which formed on the globe several million years ago. From above, the territory of China resembles a four-step staircase descending from west to east. As a result of the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, the young Qinghai-Tibet Plateau rises continuously, its average height exceeds 4000 m above sea level, the plateau is called the “roof of the world”, it forms the highest step of this ladder. The Great Himalayas are located on the highlands; the main peak Chomolungma has a height of 8848 m above sea level and is the highest peak in the world. The second step of the ladder consists of the Inner Mongolia Highlands, the Loess Plateau, the Yunnan-Guizhou Highlands, the Tarim Basin, the Dzungarian and Sichuan Basins. Here the average altitude is 1000 - 2000 m above sea level. From the eastern edge of the second step, that is, from the eastern foothills of the Greater Khingan (Daxinganling), Taihangshan, Wushan and Xuefengshan mountains, the third step of the staircase extends to the east, its height decreases to 500 - 1000 m above sea level. Here, from north to south, the Northeast, North China Plains and the Middle and Lower Yangtze Plains are located, framed by small mountains and hills. The fourth rung of the ladder consists of large areas of the continental shelf formed by shoals and islands in the body of water adjacent to the mainland. The shelf is located at a depth of up to 200 m below sea level.
Rivers and lakes
Xilingxia Gorge on the Yangtze River
China has a large number of rivers; the basins of more than one and a half thousand rivers exceed 1000 square meters. km. The sources of the main rivers are located on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, from where their waters flow to the plains. Large differences in elevation create favorable conditions for the use of hydropower resources, the reserves of which amount to 680 million kW and occupy first place in the world.
China's rivers form external and internal systems. The total drainage area of external rivers with access to the sea or ocean covers 64% of the country's territory. These include the Yangtze, Yellow River, Heilongjiang, Zhujiang, Liaohe, Haihe, Huaihe and other rivers flowing from west to east and flowing into the Pacific Ocean; the Yalutsangpo River, takes its sources from the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and flows into the Indian Ocean, in its bed there is the world's largest canyon with a length of 504.6 km and a unique depth of 6009 m; The Ercis (Irtysh) River flows north through Xinjiang and into the Arctic Ocean. Inland rivers flow into lakes in the interior or are lost in salt marshes and deserts. Their drainage area covers 36% of the country's territory. The Tarim in Xinjiang is the longest of China's inland rivers, with a length of 2179 km. The largest river in China, the Yangtze, is 6,300 km long, second only to the Nile in Africa and the Amazon in South America. The upper course of the Yangtze runs through high mountains and deep valleys. It conceals rich water resources. The Yangtze is the main and most convenient shipping route of the country, running from west to east. Its fairway is naturally adapted for navigation; it is not for nothing that in China the Yangtze is called the “golden transport artery.” The middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze have a warm and humid climate, abundant rainfall and fertile soil, creating ideal conditions for agricultural development. This is where the main breadbasket of the country is located. The second largest river in China is the Yellow River, with a total length of 5,464 km. The Yellow River basin is rich in fertile fields, lush pastures, and the depths contain huge deposits of minerals. The banks of the Yellow River are considered the cradle of the Chinese nation, and the origins of ancient Chinese culture can be traced from here. Heilongjiang is a large river in northern China. The total length is 4350 km, of which 3101 km are in China. The Pearl River is the deepest in Southern China, with a total length of 2214 km. In addition to natural waterways, China has the famous man-made Grand Canal, which connects the water systems of the Haihe, Yellow, Huaihe, Yangtze and Qiantangjiang rivers. It was laid in the 5th century BC. e., stretches from north to south from Beijing to the city of Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, for 1801 km, it is the oldest and longest artificial canal in the world. China is rich in lakes. The largest number of lakes compared to other areas are on the plain of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze and the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Lakes on the plain are usually freshwater. The largest of them are Poyanghu, Dongtinghu, Taihu, Hongzehu, the largest freshwater lake in China - Poyanghu is located in the north of Jiangxi province, its area is 3583 square meters. km. The lakes on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau are mostly salty, these are Qinghaihu, Namtso, Selling, etc. The largest salt lake in China is Qinghaihu in the northeast of Qinghai province, its area is 4583 square meters. km.
Climate
Most of China's territory is in the northern zone temperate climate, which is characterized, first of all, by a pronounced change seasons and monsoon rains. From September to April, harsh winter monsoon winds from Siberia and the Mongolian highlands determine dry and cold climate and a large temperature difference between north and south. From April to September, the warm and humid summer monsoons arrive from the eastern and southern seas, during which time it is hot and rainy, with little temperature difference between north and south. China has 6 climate zones: equatorial, tropical, subtropical, warm temperate, temperate and cold temperate. The amount of precipitation gradually decreases from southeast to northwest, there is a big difference The average precipitation in all regions of the country is 1500 mm in the southeast, and only 200 mm in the northwest.
Land resources and minerals
Wetland forest lands in the Greater Khingan
China is extremely rich land resources and minerals. China has vast areas of varied soil types, croplands, forests and steppes, deserts and shallows. Cropland is concentrated in eastern China, steppes are located mainly in the west and north, and forests are located in the remote northeastern and southwestern regions.
Currently, the area of cultivated land in China is 130.04 million hectares. The main agricultural regions are the Northeast Plain, the North China Plain, the Middle and Lower Yangtze Plain, the Pearl River Delta and the Sichuan Basin. North-Eastern Plain with an area of 350 thousand square meters. km is the largest in China; wheat, corn, soybeans, kaoliang, sugar beets and bast crops are cultivated on its fertile black soils. The North China Plain is formed from thick sediments, brown soils predominate. Rich harvests of wheat, corn, millet, cotton and other crops are harvested here. The plains of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze are low and flat; there are many lakes scattered here in an intricate interweaving of rivers and rivulets. It is an ideal location for growing many crops, including tea; Freshwater fish species are successfully bred in reservoirs. This region is rightly famous as the “land of rice and fish”. Violet soils predominate in the Sichuan Basin. In a warm and humid climate, agricultural work is carried out here all year round and good harvests of jellied rice, rapeseed and sugar cane. The Pearl River Delta produces two to three bountiful rice harvests per year.
The forest area in China is small - 158.94 million hectares. The largest forest areas are located in the Greater and Lesser Khingan regions, in the Changbai Mountains in the northeast, where the main species tree species are cedar, larch, birch, oak, Manchurian ash, elm and poplar. Southwestern China ranks second in forest reserves. It is rich in valuable types of wood, including spruce, fir, Yunnan pine, pompelmus, sandalwood, camphor wood, phoebe nanmu and mahogany. Xishuangbanna is a unique place in the south of Yunnan province. The impenetrable jungle of tropical broad-leaved plants, numbering more than 5 thousand species, is rightly called the “plant kingdom.”
Bainbuluke pastures near Tianshan Mountain
Natural pastures extend over approximately 400 million hectares. In the steppe zone, covering more than 3 thousand km from the northeast to the southwest, many bases have been created for the development of cattle breeding and animal husbandry. The leader in the vastness of natural pastures is Inner Mongolia, which is famous for its elite breeds of livestock. The hallmark of livestock farming is the Sanhe bull, Sanhe horse and Mongolian sheep. Xinjiang is an important breeding base for the famous Yili horse and Xinjiang fine-wool sheep.
China ranks one of the first in the world in terms of total area of arable land, pastures and forests, but due to the huge population, these indicators natural resources per capita are reduced to a minimum. This primarily applies to the arable wedge, which is only a third of the world average per capita.
China is rich in a variety of mineral resources. Almost all known elements of the periodic table are presented here. Modern geological exploration has confirmed the presence of industrial reserves of 158 minerals known in the world. In terms of their total reserves, China ranks third in the world. China is among the world leaders in reserves of a number of major minerals - coal, iron, copper, aluminum, antimony, molybdenum, manganese, tin, lead, zinc and mercury. Basic coal reserves are estimated at 331.76 billion tons. The richest coal deposits are located in Xinjiang, Shanxi Province and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Basic stocks iron ore amount to 21.36 billion tons, the most significant deposits are located in the North, North-East and South-West of the country. China is rich in oil natural gas, oil shale, phosphorus and sulfur. The main oil fields have been explored in the northwestern, northeastern and northern regions, as well as on the continental shelf of the eastern coastal region. China's reserves of rare earth metals exceed all other countries in the world combined.
Fauna and flora
Zhenlai -- Homeland of white cranes.
In terms of diversity of wild animal species, China ranks one of the first in the world. More than 6,266 species of vertebrates, 2,404 species of terrestrial vertebrates, and 3,862 species of fish live here, which is about 10% of all vertebrate species existing on Earth. The giant panda, golden monkey, South China tiger, brown hen, Manchurian crane, red-footed ibis, white dolphin, Yangtze alligator and other rare representatives of the earth's fauna are endemic to China. The giant panda with fluffy black and white fur is a large mammal, feeds on young bamboo shoots, and weighs up to 135 kg. There are currently only more than 1,000 giant pandas left in the world, and they have become an international symbol of wildlife conservation. The Manchurian crane is a symbol of longevity in East Asia. Its height reaches 1.2 m, the colors of the plumage are originally combined white and black, and on the head there is bare skin of bright red color. The white dolphin is one of two freshwater species of cetaceans. It was first discovered in the Yangtze in 1980 and attracted great interest from ichthyologists in different countries.
China has an exceptionally rich flora, only higher plants there are 32 thousand species. Among them there are almost all plants characteristic of the cold, temperate and tropical zones of the Northern Hemisphere. There are more than 7 thousand species in the country tree plants, including 2.8 thousand species of trees. TO unique species, characteristic exclusively of China, include metasequoia glyptostrobe, glyptostrobus chinensis, Chinese argyrophylla, cunningamia, false larch, Taiwanese fluusiana, Fujian cypress, Davidia, eucommia, "xishu". Metasequoia glyptostroboid as a relict plant is included in the list of the rarest plants in the world. False larch grows in the mountainous regions of the Yangtze basin, on its short branches there are tufts of leaves that resemble coppers, green in summer and yellow in autumn. False Larch with 4 others rare species trees are widely used in gardening art. In China, there are more than 2 thousand species of edible plants, over 3 thousand species of medicinal plants, the most valuable of them are Changbai ginseng, Tibetan safflower, Ningxia lycium and Ginura pinnatera, growing in Yunnan and Guizhou. China is exceptionally rich in flowers and ornamental plants; the most beautiful is considered to be the peony, which originally grows here and is called the “king of flowers” by the Chinese. U tree peony the flowers are especially large, bright and multi-petaled, it is recognized as one of national symbols China.
The People's Republic of China (abbreviated as China) is located in the eastern part of Asia, washed by the waters of the western seas of the Pacific Ocean. The land area of China is 9.6 million square meters. km, it is the largest country in Asia by area, and the third largest in the world, second only to Russia and Canada.
In the meridian direction, the territory of China extends 5,500 km from the median line of the Heilongjiang River north of the city of Mohe to the Zengmuansha coral reefs at the southernmost tip of the Nanshaqundao archipelago. In the latitudinal direction, the territory of China stretches for 5200 km from the confluence of the Heilongjiang and Wusuli Rivers to the western edge of the Pamir Plateau. The length of the country's land border is 22.8 thousand km.
The coast of mainland China in the east and south is washed by the waters of Bohai (area - about 80 thousand sq. km), Yellow (area - 380 thousand sq. km), East China (area - 770 thousand sq. km) and South -Chinese (area - 3.5 million sq. km) seas. In particular, the area of territorial waters, which have the same position along with the territory, is 380 thousand square meters. km. results comprehensive examination islands of the country, carried out during 1988 - 1995, showed that islands with an area of over 500 sq. m, in China there are 6961, of which 433 are inhabited. According to the principle of "one country, two systems", the remaining 411 islands are directly subordinate to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao. The total length of China's coastline is 32 thousand km, including the length of the continental coastline is 18 thousand km, the length of the island coastline is 14 thousand km.
China borders on land with 14 countries (North Korea, Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma, Laos and Vietnam), and 6 countries are located and separated from the coast of China ( Republic of Korea, Japan, Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia).
Geographical Features of China
The relief of China is the most diverse. There are majestic plateaus, the highest mountain peaks, spacious plains, low hills, and there are also large and small depressions in the embrace of the mountains. There are 5 main types of landforms found throughout the Chinese continent. Mountainous regions make up two-thirds of the country's entire territory.
The territory of China resembles a four-step staircase descending from west to east. The highest step of this “ladder” is the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau with an average altitude of more than 4000 m above sea level. To the north and east of it stretch the Kunlun, Qilianshan and Hengduanshan mountain ranges, which are the border between the first and second stages.
On the second relief step (staircase) there are large depressions and mountain plateaus, the average height here is between 1000-2000 m, the border of the second and third steps are the Great Khingan, Taihanshan, Wushan and Xuefengshan mountains in the east.
On the third relief step (staircase) there are scattered plains, between which lie hills and low mountains, the height for the most part reaches 500 m and below.
If after 32nd northern latitude If you make a profile map of the relief of China from west to east, then the stepped relief of China is clearly visible - from the high plateau in the western part to the depressions in the central part and, finally, to the plains in the eastern part.
The third stage of the Chinese continent turns into a continental shallow plume, representing the natural extension of the continent into the sea. The sea here is shallow, the slope is gentle, and marine resources are rich.
There are many rivers and lakes in China, water resources rich. The waters of most of China's rivers flow to the east and south, flowing into the Pacific Ocean, only a small number of them flow into the Indian Ocean. The Ercis (Irtysh) River flows north from Xinjiang and flows across the border into the Arctic Ocean.
China's cultivated area accounts for only 7% of the world's arable land, but can feed 1/5 of the world's population
The area of mainland China at 9.5 million square kilometers is approximately the size of the United States or all of Europe to the Urals. In terms of territory size, China ranks third in the world - taking into account special administrative districts Hong Kong, Taiwan and the islands, its area is 9.634 million km2.
From north to south, the length of Chinese territory is almost 50º (from the northernmost point in the vicinity of the city of Mohe, located at 53º31′ N to Cape Zenmuan (4º15′ N) in the south). From east to west, China extends almost 62º - from Heilongjiang province to the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region inclusive.
In kilometers, the length of the country from north to south is about 4500 km; from east to west - 4200 km. The coastline of all China's maritime borders is 14,000 km. The longest river is the Yangtze (6300 km), the highest mountain is Everest with 8844 m, the largest lake is Qinghai, with an area of about 5000 km².
REFERENCE: cities occupy 1.5% of the country's area, wetlands - 2%, deserts -6.5%, forests - 9%, deserts - 21%, pastures - 24%. Arable land accounts for 36% of the territory.
Main areas
Relief, climatic conditions and, therefore, the population of individual regions of the country varies greatly - from 400 people. per 1 km2 in some eastern provinces, up to 1 person or less per 1 km2 in the north-west of the country. The territory can be divided into three regions.
Southeast China is characterized by four large, densely populated floodplains. The deltas of the largest rivers are located on the coast. The southeastern coastline is mountainous, while the south is more hilly. The maximum altitude of the region is 500 meters above sea level.
To the west of the plains there are numerous plateau mountains and large basins: the Mongolian Plateau, Tarim Basin, Sichuan Basin, Loess Plateau or Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. The mountains here have a height of 1000 to 2000 meters. The huge Loess Plateau, with an area of about 430 thousand km2, has a very fertile soil and plays vital role in the country's agriculture. The natural steppe and forest-steppe vegetation for this zone has been preserved only in hard to reach places, unsuitable for agriculture. Cotton, kaoliang, millet and wheat are grown on artificial slope terraces.
Western China has a pronounced highland character with intermediate plateaus. The largest mountains: the Himalayas, Tien Shan, Pamir and the highlands of Tibet. The entire region is located at an altitude of 4,000 meters above sea level, making it one of the highest in the world. The west, along with Inner Mongolia, is also the driest part of the country, thanks to the Gobi and Taklamakan.
The climate is as varied as the geography: the west, north and north-east have a distinct continental climate with very cold winter and hot summer. On the other hand, in the south the climate is subtropical. Tibet has its own special highland climate.
Rivers and seas
The most important rivers in China are the Changjiang (Yangtze) and the Yellow River (Yellow River). Both of them climb Mount Kunlunshan. Chang Jiang then passes through Yunnan and Sichuan. Then Changjiang passes Wuhan, where it floods very widely. Near Shanghai it flows into the East China Sea. The length of the Changjiang is 6,300 km, making it the third longest river in the world. This is the most important waterway in China.
The 1,800 km long Emperor's Canal connects Changjiang to the Yellow River. The length of this river, which flows into the Yellow Sea, is 5464 km.
The Mekong River originates in Tibet and flows south through Yunnan. It then flows along the border between Laos and Burma, Laos and Thailand, after which it passes through Cambodia, Vietnam, and flows into the South China Sea. The length of the river is 4500 km.
In the east and southeast, China is surrounded by seas. To the northeast is the Yellow Sea, to the south is the East China Sea, and to the southeast is the South China Sea.
Borders with other countries
The People's Republic of China borders 14 countries: India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Mongolia, North Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Bhutan and Nepal. Its neighbors by sea are 8 countries - North and South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. In terms of the number of neighboring countries, taking into account land and sea borders, China ranks first in the world.
The country is separated from its neighbors by a number of natural boundaries: the east and southeast by seas (Yellow, East China and South China), the south, southwest, west and northwest by high mountain ranges, the north by steppes and deserts, the north east – by the Amur and Ussuri rivers.
