CHINA :LARGEST COUNTRY IN ASIA POPULATION : HIGHEST IN THE WORLD CAPITAL : BEIJING NATURAL REGIONS : NORTHEERN PIAINS;PLAINS OF THE EAST;WESTERN MOUNTAINOUS REGION AND SOUTHERN CHINA RIVERS : YANGTZE AND HWANG HO CLIMATE : HOT AND WET IN THE SOUTH; COID AND DRY IN THE NORTH OCCUPATIONS : AGRICULTURE, MINING AND INDUSTRY CITIES : BEIJIN, CANTON, SHANGHAI.

Summer Palace, Beijing, China

GREAT WALL OF CHINA Portion of the Great Wall By connecting existing sections of walled defenses, Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi constructed the first and longest section of the Great Wall of China between 221 and 204 bc. Extended under later dynasties, the Great Wall eventually became the longest human-made structure on earth, stretching about 2,400 km (about 1,500 mi). Designed to deter raids by nomadic peoples from the north, the massive earth-and-stone wall presents a formidable barrier, averaging 7.6 m (25 ft) in height and 4.6 to 9.1 m (15 to 30 ft) in width at its base.

CHINA OR THE “PEOPLES REQUBLIC OF CHINA” IS THE LARGEST COUNTRY IN ASIA AND THE SECOND LARGEST IN THE WORLD. IT ALSO HAS THE LARGEST POPULATION IN THE WORLD. THE COUNTRY IS SITUATED IN THE NORTHERN HEMISPHE BETWEEN THE LATITUDES 18 DEGREES NORTH AND 54 DEGREES AND THE LONGITUDES 65 DEGREES EAST AND 135 DEGREES EAST.

Nathaniel Tarn/Photo Researchers, Inc. Huang He, China The Huang He (Yellow River) passes through Gansu near the city of Lanzhou. It is the second longest river in China, with a length of 4,667 km (2,900 mi).

Joan Lebold Cohen Yangzi River, China The Yangzi River in central China, 6,300 km (3,900 mi) long, is the longest river in Asia and the fourth longest river in the world. Here, it flows through China’s Sichuan Province. The river and its tributaries serve as major inland waterways for the country.

David Clark, Inc. Population Control Poster, Beijing, China This street scene in Beijing shows a poster for the one-child population control policy instituted by the Chinese government. To curb the growth of a population already around 1.2 billion, the Chinese government has adopted numerous measures to encourage the majority of Chinese to have only one child. The more drastic measures, including coerced or forcible abortion, have attracted considerable international condemnation.

CHINA CAN BE DIVIDED INTO FOUR MAJOR REGIONS AS FOLLOWS: 1. THE NORTHERN PLAINS 2. THE PLAINS OF THE EAST 3.THE MOUNTAINOUS WESTERN REGION 4.THE SOUTHERN REGION OR SOUTH CHINA. THIS INCLUDES THE PLAINS IN MANCHURIA AND NORTH CHINA IN THE VALLEY OF THE RIVER HWANG HO.

THE EASTERN PART OF CHINA COMPRIES LARGE PLAINS AND A FEW HILLS. IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THIS REGION ARE THE VALLEYS OF THE RIVER HWANG HO. IN THE MIDDLE REGIONS ARE THE VALLEY OF THE RIVER YANGTZT-KIANG WHILE IN THE SOUTH IS THE RIVER SI-KIANG. ALSO PRESENT IN THE SOUTH OF THIS REGION ARE THE COASTAL LOWLANDS. THIS REGION IS SEPARATED FROM NORTHERN CHINA BY THE TSINING MOUNTAINS. THE FERTILE YANGTZE PLAINS LIE SOUTH OF THESE MOUNTAINS.

IT IS MADE UP OF HIGH MOUNTAIN RANGES AND PLATEAUS. MANY OF THE MOUNTAIN RANGES ORIGINATE FROM THE PAMIR KNOT. SOME OF THE MOUNTAIN RANGES ARE KUNLUN SHAN, ALTYN TAGH AND TIEN SHAN. THE PLATEAU OF TIBET IS SITUATED IN THIS REGION AND IS THE WORLD. TO THE NORTH OF TIBET AND IN WESTERN REGION IS THE TAKLA MAKAN DESERT.

THE CLIMATE OF CHINA IS AFFECTED BY THE MONSOONS. THE SOUTH- EAST MONSOON WINDS WHICH BLOW FROM THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND EAST CHINA SEA BRING RAIN TO THE SOUTHERN AND SOUTH- EASTERN PARTS OF CHINA. THE RAINFALL DECREASES AS WE GO FROM EAST TO WEST AND FROM SOUTH TO NORTH.

THERE ARE THREE MAJOR RIVERS IN CHINA. TWO RIVERS,THE YANGTZE- KIANG AND THE HWANG HO ORIGINATE IN THE MOUNTAINS OF THE TIVETAN PLATEAU. THEY FLOW EASTWARDS THROUGH MOUNTAINS CUTTING DEEP GORGES AND VALLUIS, AND THEN THROUGH THE PLAIN AND FINALLY EMTTY THEMSELVES IN TO THE EAST CHINA SEA AND THE YELLOW SEA RESPECTIVELY OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN.

AGRICULTURE, MINING AND INDUSTRY ARE THE THREE MAJOR OCCUPATIONS OF THE PEOPLE OF CHINA. AGRICULTURE IS CARRIED OUT MAINLY IN THE SOUTHERN AND EAST-ERN REGIONS. THIS IS BECAUSE OF THE RAINFALL, WHICH IS AVAILABLE IN PLENTY AND IRRIGATION BY THE RIVERS FILOWING IN THESE AREAS.

To the northwest and north of Beijing, a huge, serrated wall zigzags it's way to the east and west along the undulating mountains. This is the Great Wall, which is said to be visible from the moon. Construction of the Great Wall started in the 7th century B.C. The vassal states under the Zhou Dynasty in the northern parts of the country each built their own walls for defence purposes. After the state of Qin unified China in 221 B.C., it joined the walls to hold off the invaders from the Xiongnu tribes in the north and extended them to more than 10,000 li or 5,000 kilometers.

THE POPULATION OF CHINA IS NOW ESTIMATED AT 1114 MILLION AND IS SAID TO BE THE LARGEST IN THE WORLD. THE AVERAGE DENSITY OF POPULATION IS ABOUT 115 PERSONS PER SQUARE KILOMETER.HOWEVER,THE DISTRIBUTION VERIES ACCORDING TO THE AREA. THE FERTILE LANDS HAVE AN AVERAGE DENSITY RANGING FROM 400 TO 800 PERSON PER SQUARE KILOMETER.

THE CAPTAL OF CHINA IS BEIJING OR PEKING AS IT USED TO BE CALLED. IT IS THE SECOND LARGEST CITY IN CHINA. SHANANAI, WHICH IS THE LARGEST CITYIN CHINA, IS AN OLD INDUSTRIALCENTRE. MANY OF THE IRON AND STEEL AND TEXTILE INDUSTRIES ARE LO-CATED HERE.THE OTHER IMPORTANT CITES ARE PAOTOW, WUHAN, ANSHAN AND CANTON.