China is located in the eastern part of Eurasia, being the third largest country in the world by area after Russia and Canada. 9.6 million km² - the area of China. The PRC has borders with Russia, Mongolia, North Korea, Myanmar, India, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. The People's Republic of China is located on territory washed by the waters Pacific Ocean, namely it and the Yellow, as well as the Korean Gulf. The Taiwan Strait runs between the mainland and the island of Taiwan. The peculiarities of China's nature are determined primarily by the presence different types climate - from subtropical to sharply continental.
Relief
China is characterized by the presence of simultaneously the highest mountain ranges - the Himalayas (the highest peak in the world is Everest, 8848 m), accumulative plains, depressions, plateaus, valley and cirque glaciers, and high-mountain deserts. Areas with altitudes over 500 m account for more than 85% of the country's territory, and about 19% of its territory is located at altitudes over 5000 m. A variety of surface deposits can be observed throughout China. Over time, the nature of China carefully created them. As a result of the concentration of such deposits, one of the largest loess plateaus in the world arose in the northern part of the country. It originates at the bend of the Yellow River and has an area of 580 thousand square meters. km.
Loess, or “huantu”, means “yellow earth” in Chinese. The literal translation of the name of this loess landscape did not arise by chance. The color of these deposits, characteristic of Northern China, predetermined the entire color scheme Yellow River.
Climate Features
Size of the country climatic conditions, the nature of China, its features, make it possible to clearly distinguish the country from most other Asian ones. Speaking about the peculiarities of the country’s climate, we need to focus on its diversity. In the southeast it is subtropical, and in the northwest it is sharply continental. As a result of interaction air masses ocean and land, the southern coast is exposed to the monsoons. Depending on the occurrence, intensity and weakening of monsoons, the amount and concentration of precipitation is distributed. Diametrically opposed temperature indicators and the characteristics of China’s nature are inextricably linked. In winter, in the northernmost part of the country, Heilongjiang Province, which has a temperate climate, temperatures drop to -30°C, with an average temperature of 0°C. In summer, the average temperature here is about 20°C. And in the southern regions of Guangdong province it is much warmer - from +28°C in July to +10°C in January.
The country's water wealth
The high mountainous regions are an indispensable water donor for the country's main rivers: the Salween, Mekong, Yangtze, and Yellow River. The largest rivers in China originate high in the mountains. built back in the 7th-13th centuries, located along the coast, connects the mouths of the most big rivers: Yellow River and Yangtze.
You never cease to admire how rich and diverse the nature of China is. The magnificence of natural reservoirs is amazing: Tianchi ( Heavenly Lake), located east of Urumqi, on the slopes of Bogdo-ul, Mansorovar - one of the highest freshwater lakes in the world, the pearl of Hangzhou - Lake Xihu. The country's huge rivers are also fascinating. However, they are capricious and can bring a lot of grief to those who live along their shores.
China and its wildlife
Man and nature in China have an inextricable connection. A striking example of such continuity can be observed in the Heilongjiang Park-Reserve, the largest in terms of the number of Amur tigers. There are more than 1 thousand of them here. In order to create adaptive conditions for the lives of tigers, the animals are closely monitored, and measures are taken to maintain their health. Conditions have been created for feeding animals that are close to natural - namely, meat and mainly live poultry. Favorable migration conditions for animals have been created. Observations of the tiger population have been carried out for more than 20 years.
Flora and fauna of China
The nature of China has generously endowed with a variety of species and subspecies of animals and vegetable world. Some species and families of flora and fauna are distinguished by their ancient origin. Among the diversity of flora in China, one can highlight cedar and larch in the taiga, magnolia and camellia in the subtropics, as well as about 25 thousand relict species in Eastern China. Among the inhabitants of the animal world in the north-west of China you can find the goitered gazelle and in Tibet - the Himalayan bear, the orongo antelope, and the kiang. In the southwest of the country you can see large and small pandas, lorises and leopards. China is rich in little-known and sometimes hard-to-find natural treasures. wild nature China is represented by the magnificence of Everest, the noisy cascades of multi-level waterfalls of the Jiuzhaigou Valley, and the rock formations in Gansu province, created mainly from red sandstones and called the “Denxia Landscape”. And this list will be endlessly long.
Amazing natural monuments
Chinese poet Li Bo called the Huangshan Mountains "yellow mountains." This is amazing China. You are amazed when looking at the yellowish, sometimes golden-colored peaks. These mountains are quite high, some of their peaks are about 2 thousand meters. The peaks of Huangshan, being literally in the clouds, create bizarre visual effects. This is how the names “Buddha’s Light”, “Cloud Sea”, etc. were given.
To fully understand all the richness of nature and sometimes even some unreality of landscapes, of course, you only need to see them. This mountain range is visited not only by numerous tourists, but also by film crews. The famous director James Cameron, while filming the film "Avatar", saw the planet Pandora in these places. Filming of the film's location scenes took place in the Chinese province of Anhui, where the Huangshan mountain range passes. And it is the “Yellow Mountains” that should be included in the list of must-visit amazing places on planet Earth.
CHINA, the People's Republic of China (PRC), a country 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: 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 mountain ranges of Kunlun, Altyntag and Qilianshan, which drop steeply to the north.
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.
Northern and western regions 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 the world's greatest rivers, the Yangtze, Mekong and Salween, originate on the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau. 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 Junggar. The Tarim Basin extends from Kashgar in the west to Hami (Kumul) in the east and has absolute altitudes 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. In 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 they are occupied by semi-deserts and steppes, where nomads live. In the northwest of Dzungaria, near Karamay, there is a large oil field, and in the south, in the Urumqi region, there is a 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 ran, connecting China with the Roman Empire.
Inner Mongolia occupies the Chinese portion of the vast Mongolian Basin with the Gobi Desert at its center. In China, the depression extends in a large arc to the east of the Xinjiang Uygur region. 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). Most of the heights Inner Mongolia– 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 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. 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 the range of main crops.
Shaanxi-Shanxi Plateau, located north of the mountains Qinling and the Ordos Plateau to the south, 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 the 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, and the soils formed on the loess are fertile and easy to cultivate. At the same time, loess is susceptible water erosion, resulting in the area being 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. In its northwestern and southeastern parts sand dunes are common, and central part abounds in small salt lakes. The Ordos Desert is separated from the cultivated loess lands by the Great Wall of China.
The Sichuan Basin (or "Red Basin") lies south of the Qinling Mountains, immediately east of the 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 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.
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 continent, 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 mountain system Qinling). 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). Rushing east like a stormy stream, 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. Because of large size solid waste Floods are frequent on the downstream plains, 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 the 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, this increased the likelihood devastating floods 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 the slopes of loess hills to prevent erosion and afforestation over 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 big lake Hongzehu, from which its waters are carried into the Yellow Sea in the form of natural rivers and through recently constructed canals. 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, a complex system for regulating water flow, created by engineer Li Ping during the Qin Dynasty (221–206 BC), still operates.
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 large lake Dongtinghu, which flows into the Yangtze River. Within this basin the Yangtze is gaining full force. 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. Poyang and Dongting lakes play a role large reservoirs on large tributaries of the Yangtze, regulating the flow of water in the summer, when the rivers are 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 rapidly moving towards the sea, as well as in a southern direction, into Hangzhou Bay. The groundwater table of the low-lying plain is 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 there is a large seaport 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 the Xijiang merges with the Beijiang River, it is divided into many branches, mostly created by man. The soils of this delta region are very fertile and there is a high population density.
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, and 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 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. Along the Ussuri River (Chinese: Usulitsyan) passes eastern border China with Russia. These rivers represent important communication routes in 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. brought here great amount silt 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 - Qingdao is located on south coast 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 carried out 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 accounting does not make it possible to get a true idea of the size natural increase population, which was hardly significant, since along with the 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 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 society, 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 childbirth. 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, workers, merchants and intellectuals.
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: 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, Nu, 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. As for many national countries China is characterized by significant settlement contrasts. 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
This is an East Asian state with rich history in the past and one of major powers 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. Humanity owes him many inventions, cultural values and the most ancient philosophy, relevant to this day. In the modern world, China (People's Republic of China) occupies a prominent political and economic situation. Now China is already laying claim to the position of the world's largest economy.
Geographical characteristics
Territory and location
In terms of area, China ranks third in the world after Russia and Canada. It is located in the southeast of the Asian continent, and is washed by the seas of the Pacific Ocean. Exactly this large state Asia, in the west it borders with Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Korea. 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. The PRC shares maritime borders with Japan. total area The state is 9598 thousand square kilometers.
Population
With such a vast territory, China is inhabited by many nationalities and ethnic groups that form one nation. The most numerous nationality is the “Han”, as the Chinese call themselves, the remaining groups make up 7% of total number population of the country. There are 56 such ethnic groups in China, the most notable among them are the Uyghurs, Kyrgyz, 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 dialect and dialect. We must pay tribute public policy state, which leads to the gradual erasure national differences. The total population of China is about 1.3 billion people, and this does not take into account the ethnic Chinese living in different countries peace. According to sociologists, the Chinese make up a quarter of the entire world population.
Nature
China can rightly be called a mountainous country. 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 towards the sea. From Tibet, at an altitude of 2000-4000 meters above sea level, there is a second stage - Central China and the Sichuan Mountains with altitudes up to 2000 meters.
The highland plains are also located here, and the great rivers of China originate from here. The third mountain step descends to the Great Chinese 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 areas of China, the valleys of the Yellow and Yangtze rivers. The southeast of the country is limited by the Shandong Mountains, the famous Wuyi Mountains and the Nangling Mountains. Thus, more than two-thirds of the total area is occupied by mountain ranges, highlands and mountain plateaus. Almost 90% of China's population lives in the Yangtze, Pearl 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 drainage area of about 65% of the entire territory, external water systems carrying water to the Pacific and Indian Ocean s, prevail over internal ones. These are the Yangtze, Yellow River, 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 areas. However, several large lakes are known to many, this is Qinghai - a large salt Lake, second in area 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. There are many man-made reservoirs. The total area of China's lakes, large and small, is 80 thousand square kilometers...
Apart from 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. Coastline from North Korea to Vietnam is 14.5 thousand kilometers. This is the South China Sea, the Yellow Sea, the Korean Gulf of the East China Sea. The seas have important in the lives of ordinary Chinese and in the country's economy. Trade routes uniting all of Southeast Asia run precisely along these seas and are the unifying principle of this region...
Thanks to climatic diversity, the plant world is also diverse, and at the same time the animals living in these territories. 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 areas are jungles. The vegetation of the mountains of the southeast is very rich and varied. Many endemic species can be found here humid subtropics, while boreal floodplain forests are practically absent. In the mountains of the west you can find familiar coniferous forests - larch, pine, cedar; when moving to the 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; on the coast itself there are mangrove forests. Endemic species are represented by shrubs and small trees of the Rosaceae family - plum, apple, pear. China is the birthplace of tea trees and shrubs - camellias.
The fauna is also rich and diverse, but the increasing influence of humans and the development of natural areas is reducing the habitats of wild animals. There are a lot of rare and endangered species, especially endemic bird species - crowned red crane, long-eared pheasant, scoter. Among the animals are the golden monkey and the bamboo panda bear, in the rivers there are the river dolphin and the 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 located in all possible climatic zones, excluding the Arctic. Sharply continental climate in the highlands and subtropics in the southeast. Moderate climate in the northeastern regions bordering Russia and climatically similar to it, the tropics of Hainan Island, a world famous resort. Despite such diversity, most of China's territory is classified as having a temperate continental climate; the most populated part of the country lives in it. If the climate in the northeast of the country is mild, winter temperatures do not drop below -16˚С, and summer temperatures do not exceed +28˚С. In the regions bordering the taiga 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 you move north and west, the amount of precipitation decreases; on the Tibetan Plateau and surrounding areas there are already dry summer months and frosty winters, this is the region of the famous Gobi Desert...
Resources
As a country of young mountains, China is rich in mineral resources, coal, precious and rare earth metals. There are large deposits iron ores, geological exploration of the coast revealed the presence of rich oil fields. In terms of coal production, China ranks one of the first places in the world and a leader in the region. Mineral deposits are concentrated mainly in northern regions, hydrocarbons, oil shale and coal - in central China and the coastal shelf. The mountains provide rich gold-bearing veins; China also occupies one of the first places in the world economy in gold mining and smelting...
China is actively developing and using the full potential of the natural resources of the earth's subsoil 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 domestic product growth has increased so sharply in recent years that it is commonly called the Asian miracle. Previously an agricultural country, China has now surpassed even Japan in its growth. Such efficient 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 hard work of the people had an impact. China's most notable successes lie in fuel energy, electronics, consumer goods and textiles. Nuclear energy is developing powerfully and, in the union with Russia, space industry. Agriculture has been taken to a new level using all the latest scientific achievements. 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 dates back more than a millennium. We can talk for hours about China's contribution to world achievements. If such inventions as the wheel, paper, and gunpowder are disputed by other cultures, then the production of porcelain, the cultivation of tea, and silk undoubtedly remain with the Chinese civilization. The peoples inhabiting China have invested their efforts into this culture. In addition to the southern and northern Han and Chinese, the country is inhabited by many nationalities and language groups, which 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 at the highest echelons of power. The martial arts of China were developed and brought to such a level that they turned from the art of killing into the art of moral and physical health nation.
China gave the world great thinkers - Confucius and Zhuang Tzu, great poets Li Bo and Sun Tzu, great military leaders and wise rulers. The wisdom of the ancient East made it possible in the modern world to use the same philosophical truths that give rise to material well-being from spiritual values.
Cards used:
1. Physical card.
2. The structure of the earth's crust.
3. Climatic zones and regions of the world.
4. Natural areas.
5. Political map.
6. Peoples and population density.
7. Climatic map of Eurasia.
8. Comprehensive map of Eurasia.
GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION:
China is located in the southeastern part of the mainland. In general, natural
China can be divided into Western and Eastern. Eastern China
stretches for several thousand kilometers along the Yellow Sea, the East
Chinese and South China seas. Western China is located in Central
Asia. China borders Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, North Korea, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan, Afghanistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos and
Vietnam. The capital of the People's Republic of China is BEIJING.
MAJOR RIVERS:
Yangtze (Changjiang)
China is located on the South China, Tarim and Sino-Korean
platforms. The East-South part of the country is quite young, as it is educated
in MZ and KZ. Northern part in Ar, Pr and PZ.
Western China - Most of the country is located in Central Asia.
Elevated plains separated by mountain ranges, occupied by endless
expanses of semi-deserts and deserts. Elongated most often from west to east
mountain ranges are especially high on the Tibetan Plateau. There are many to the north of Tibet
closed basins. The relief in China is varied: from 0 to 5000 meters and
higher. Landforms: Great Chinese Plain, Himalaya Mountains, Gobi Desert,
Greater Khingan, Tebetsky Highlands.
MINERALS:
Coal, oil, iron ore, aluminum ores, mercury ores,
tungsten ores, manganese ores, antimony ores, polymetallic ores,
copper ores, table salt, potassium salt, gold.
CLIMATIC CONDITIONS:
China – huge country, and in different places the climate is different. IN
In Eastern China it changes from north to south. There is a lot of precipitation everywhere, but
They fall out unevenly throughout the year. Summer is quite hot, however
Winter temperatures in the north and south are very different. In winter most
China is influenced by cold air masses coming from Siberia and
Mongolia. North of the lower Yangtze, average January temperatures
below 0 C. Monsoon climate with plenty of moisture and sufficient quantity heat
favorable for farming.
The main feature of the climate of Western China is its sharp continentality.
Summers are hot, and winters are frosty and snowless. There is very little precipitation.
Climatic zones: temperate, subtropical, subequatorial. Average
2000 mm per year.
NATURAL AREAS:
Forest-steppe and steppe
Variably wet and monsoon forests
Semi-deserts and deserts
Stiffleaf evergreen forests and bushes
Altitudinal areas
THIS IS INTERESTING:
China is one of the largest countries in terms of area and population.
Chinese civilization is one of the most ancient. This is what China gave
world culture:
At the beginning of our era, a man named Cai Lun invented a method
making paper from the fibrous inner bark of the mulberry tree.
The first newspaper appeared in China about 1300 years ago.
Tea as a drink has been known in China for about 4000 years.
It is believed that the Chinese brought the seeds of the wild tea bush from India.
and cultivated it.
For a long time it was believed that the compass was invented in China another 4500 years ago.
ago. However, this is now being questioned.
The ancient Chinese were wonderful potters. They invented porcelain
making it from special clay (kaolin), which when fired
acquires the purest white color.
Gunpowder was invented in ancient times in China.
The inventions of the compass, gunpowder, paper and porcelain are called great
inventions of mankind.
Modern China is a rapidly developing country.
1. Peoples inhabiting the country:
China is a multinational country. More than 50 people live on its territory
various peoples, but more than 90% of them are Chinese. They live in the west
Tibetans, Uighurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, in the north - Mongols, in the south and southwest
- Miao and Yao. About 25 million Chinese live abroad in the countries of South-
East Asia, America and Oceania.
2. The main problem of modern China is the rapid growth of its population. By
The country ranks first in the world in terms of population. It is posted
unevenly and concentrated mainly in Eastern China - on
coastal plains, in the valleys of the main rivers. Alpine and desert
areas are sparsely populated
3. The country's leadership is trying to curb population growth.
According to the law, a family should not have more than one child. Such
families receive a number of benefits. Parents who have a large number of children,
pay a large fine.
4. Most of the population lives in rural areas. In recent years
In connection with the development of industry, the share of urban residents is growing - up to
39%. In addition to government and cultural institutions, Beijing has many
industrial enterprises manufacturing various products. But the most
Shanghai is a large and large industrial city. This
It is also a major seaport.
ACTIVITIES OF CHINA RESIDENTS:
Monsoon climate with plenty of moisture and sufficient heat
favorable for farming. In most of China you can
grow two, and in the far south - even three crops per year, which is very important,
Considering the large population.
Literally every piece of land on the Great Chinese Plain has been developed.
The usual landscape here is endless fields, cut canals, groups
thatched and adobe houses surrounded by sparse trees. North of
The Yangtze sows wheat. In the northeast, soybeans are grown, as well as gaoliang - a species
millet, its grain is used for food.
Main cultivated plant- rice. It is cultivated in the Yangtze basin and
south of it, where winter temperatures are positive. For the Chinese, rice is
the most important food product. Rice fields you will meet not only on the plain, but
and on fairly steep slopes.
In the basin of the Yellow and Yangtze rivers, large areas are devoted to
cotton. In the humid and hot south, near the tropics, plantations appear
sugar cane, groves of orange and tangerine trees. Grow
bananas and pineapples. China is the birthplace of tea and has more than 400 varieties.
The Chinese themselves prefer to drink green tea. The tea bush grows well on
hillsides in a humid climate.
Huge, occupying a favorable geographical location - China. It is located in East Asia. Its relief is very diverse. China has mountains, hills, plains, highlands, river valleys, and deserts. This But vast areas of China are deserted. After all, most of the population is concentrated on the plains.
Geographical position
On the world map, China occupies a position on the western coast of the Pacific Ocean. Its area is almost equal to the area of all of Europe. China covers an area of 9.6 million square kilometers. This country is surpassed in area only by Russia and Canada.
The territory of China stretches for 5.2 thousand kilometers from east to west and 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 - the southernmost - among the northernmost - on the Amur River in Mohe County.
On the world map, China is washed from the east by several seas that are part of the Pacific Ocean. The country's coastline stretches for 18,000 km. The sea in China creates a border with five countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, Brunei and the Philippines.
Passes from the south, north and west land border. Its length is 22117 km. By land, China has borders with Russia, North Korea, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Nepal, Pakistan, Bhutan, India, Laos, Vietnam, and Myanmar.
China's geographical position is quite favorable for its economic development.
Relief
The country's topography is very diverse. China, whose geography is wide, has a stepped landscape. It consists of three levels, descending from west to east.
In the southwest of the state are the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayas. They are the highest level in the landscape of a country like China. The geography and topography mostly consists of uplands, plateaus and mountains. The lowest level, consisting of plains, is located near the coast.
Southwest China
Part of the world's highest mountain system is located in the southwest of the country. In addition to China, the Himalayas are spread across the territories of India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Bhutan. On the border of the state in question there are 9 of the 14 highest mountains on 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 the Kunlun, Qilianshan, Karakorum, and Sino-Tibetan mountains. The latter of them and the adjacent Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau are a difficult-to-reach area. It is cut by the deep Salween and Mekong.
Thus, the characteristics of the geographical location of China in the southwest are distinguished by the presence of mountainous regions.
Northwestern China
In the north-west of the country near the Tibetan Plateau are the Tarim Basin, the Taklamakan Desert and the Turpan Basin. The latter facility is the deepest in East Asia. Even further north is the Dzungarian Plain.
East of the Tarim Basin the geographic contrast is even greater. China in these places is changing the landscape to steppes and deserts. This is the territory of the autonomous region. It is located on a high plateau. Most of it is occupied by the Gobi and Alashan deserts. The Loess 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 - the Greater and Lesser Khingans, Changbai Shan.
Northern China
The main agricultural zones are concentrated in northern China. This part of the country consists of vast plains. They are well fed by rivers and are very fertile. These are plains such as the Liaohes 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 there are areas of Guangxi, Guangdong, and partly Yunnan. This also includes the year-round resort, Hainan Island. The local terrain consists of hills and small mountains.
Climate and weather
The country's climate is not uniform. It is influenced by geographic location. China is located in three climate 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 is -7°C, although sometimes it drops to -20°C. In summer the temperature is +22°C. Winter and autumn are characterized by strong drying winds.
Central China lies in a 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 monsoon climate. There, the thermometer 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 the south and east to the north and west - from approximately 2000 mm to 50 mm.
Population
According to 2014 data, the state has a population of 1.36 billion people. Big country 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 the high birth rate. His goal is one child per family. But demographic policy is conducted flexibly. Thus, ethnic minorities, as well as families living in rural areas, are allowed to have a second child if the first child is a girl or has physical disabilities.
Part of the population opposes such a policy. They are especially unhappy with it 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. According to calculations, in 2030 China will have a population of one and a half billion people.
Population density
The population is distributed very unevenly throughout the country. This is due to differences in geographical conditions. The average population density is 138 people per square kilometer. This figure looks quite acceptable. He's not talking about overpopulation. After all, the same figure is typical for some European countries.
But the statistical average does not reflect the real situation. There are areas in the country where almost no one lives, but Macau has a population of 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 Gobi and Taklamakan deserts there are almost no settlements.
National composition and language of the population
Different nationalities live in the country. Most of the population considers themselves Han Chinese. But besides them, there are 55 nationalities in China. The largest nations are the Zhuangs, Manchus, Tibetans, the smallest are the Loba.
Dialects in different corners countries are also different. The difference between them is so great that a resident of the south of China will not understand a resident of the north. But in the country there is National language Putunkha. Chinese residents moving from region to region are required to own it to avoid communication problems.
The Mandarin, or Beijing, dialect is also widespread in the country. It can be considered an alternative to putunkha. After all, 70% of the population speaks Mandarin.
Religion and beliefs of the population
Since the mid-20th century, China, as a communist state, has discouraged adherence to religious beliefs and beliefs. 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, and Judaism are also popular.
Largest cities
Not much in China big cities. The population of this country is not urbanized. But where the construction of a city begins, it grows to the size of a huge metropolis, uniting a large number of residential, business, commercial, industrial and agricultural areas. 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. This translated means northern capital. The urban layout is characterized by strict geometry. The streets are oriented according 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 peace.” The main building on the square is the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong.
An important landmark of the city is the Forbidden City. They call him Gugun. It is a beautiful and ancient palace ensemble.
No less interesting are Yiheyuan and Yuanmingyuan. These are garden-palace complexes. They surprisingly combine miniature rivers, graceful bridges, waterfalls, and residential buildings. There is wonderful harmony and a feeling of unity between man and nature.
The capital has many temples of such religious movements as Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. One of them is the most interesting. This is the Tian Tan Temple of Heaven. It is the only round-shaped religious building in the city. It has a unique wall. If you say a word near it, even in the quietest whisper, it will spread along its entire length.
The Yonghegong Temple of Eternal Peace is also noteworthy. This is a Lamaist religious building. It contains a Buddha statue carved from a single sandalwood trunk. Its length is 23 meters.
There are many museums in Beijing. Particularly notable is the National Art Gallery. It stores large collection Chinese painting. No less interesting is the Museum of National History, where you can trace the entire path of development of China.
The attraction is Wangfujing Street. This is a favorite place for walks, both among tourists and local population. The history of the street began more than 700 years ago. Now it has been reconstructed. The street is located in the shopping center area. It harmoniously combines ancient and modern cultures.
The Great Great Britain begins not far from Beijing Chinese Wall. Most people associate the country with it. This is a grandiose building. It stretches for 67,000 km. The construction of the wall took more than 2000 years.
