China’s Physical Geography

Taklimakan Desert

Taklimakan Desert Means, “Land of irrevocable death” Vast, sandy desert Located N.W. China Kunlun Mountains (Sian) to south Tian Sian and Tarim River to North 105,000 square miles in central Tarim Basin 984 ft. high sand dunes Space needle 605ft Columbia tower 967ft

East China Sea

East China Sea 290,000 square miles Largely shallow with 71% less than 650ft deep Average depth = 1,145Ft Weather dominated by monsoon wind systems

South China Sea

South China Sea Covers 848,000 square miles Located between S.E. Asian mainland and Taiwan, the Philippines and Borneo S.W. part (from Gulf of Siam to Java Sea) is a submerged plain and generally shallow N.E. part is deep basin Depths up to 18,000 feet Many islands dot sea

Mount Everest

Mt. Everest Chinese call Zhumulong Mafeng On border of China and Nepal in central Himalayas. 29,028 feet Highest mountain in the world

Tian Shan

Tian Shan Shan mean “mountain” 1,500 miles long from Pamir Mts through N.W. China to China-Mongolian border Dry climate so snow line is usually above 11,000 ft. Coal, iron, lead, zinc are mined Grains are main crop in valleys

Turfan Depression

Turfan Depression Also called Dzungarian Basin Fault trough 650km long Lowest point 505 ft below sea level Lowest point in China Intensely farmed Famous for grapes Melons, peaches, apricots, nuts, cotton, silk and wheat also produced

Mekong River

Mekong River 2,600 miles long Headwaters in Tibetan Highlands, through Yunnan province, forms Myanmar (Burma)-Laos border, through Laos, to Cambodia, forming Mekong Delta (fertile region in Vietnam and spills into S. China Sea Catfish = 118 inches, 661.4 pounds

North China Plain

North China Plain 135,000 square miles 2nd largest plain Flat and low (below 150 ft) River channels are higher than surrounding area Highest proportion of land under cultivation in all of China

Yellow River

Yellow River Chinese call it Huang He 3,000 miles long Headwaters in Kunlun Mts. Flows east into Yellow Sea Dry, winter season, river is slow and most of riverbed is empty In summer, river rages out of control Since 2nd century B.C, river has flooded over 1,500 times with 9 major course changes Diverted once on purpose to stall Japanese invasion in 1938

Yangzi River

Headwaters in Tibetan Highlands Flows east for 3,450 mi Yangzi River Also Yangtze Headwaters in Tibetan Highlands Flows east for 3,450 mi Flows through China’s middle basin One of world’s most productive agricultural regions One of world’s most populated regions Long used as a major east-west trade and transportation route

Gobi Desert

Gobi Desert 1,000 mi. on plateau with area of 500,000 sq. mi East to West across S.E. Mongolia and N. China Grassy fringe supports small population of nomadic Mongolian sheep/camel herders Fierce sand and wind storms common

Yunnan Plateau

Yunnan Plateau Eastern half is limestone contains canyonlike valleys, precipitous mts Marked by numerous sinks, ravines, underground streams Rugged terrain produces wide range of flora fauna

Sichuan Basin

One of most attractive regions 75,000 sq mi Surrounded by mountains Sichuan Basin Also known as Red Basin One of most attractive regions 75,000 sq mi Surrounded by mountains Protect is against cold and North winds in winter Very hilly (except for Chengdu plain) Little arable land so farmers must build terraces on slopes to grow crops