© T. M. Whitmore Today China  Scale & isolation  Physical environments  Agriculture

© T. M. Whitmore

Exciting new joint UG degree program At the National University of Singapore  A top 20 ranked university internationally  Language of instruction is English  Eligible UNC undergraduates  Economics, English literature, geography, history and political science  Can take 2-4 semesters of classes at NUS and earn diplomas from both universities. 

© T. M. Whitmore China: physical environment I China – huge ~ US with Alaska China 3 regions (1 st 2 in Central Asia region)  “Outer” ChinaOuter  Himalaya mountains and Tibetan plateau to the Southwest –Source of many rivers  Gobi & Taklamakan deserts to the west and Northwest  “Inner” China  Isolated by mountains and deserts

© T. M. Whitmore China “proper”proper Physical Environment  Climate Climate  Drier N wetter S Drier N wetter S  China sub-regionssub-regions  Northeast China Plain / Manchuria Northeast China Plain / Manchuria  The N. China Plain The N. China Plain –Huang He river (formally Yellow)  Basins of the Chang Jiang (formally Yangtze) river Basins of the Chang Jiang  Tropical southern China Tropical southern China Environmental degradation and hazards Environmental degradation

© T. M. Whitmore Chinese Rivers Huang He (Yellow River)  Can carry up to 40% sediment weight (highest in the world).  Subject to flooding, especially in its delta.  Changed course many times. Chang Jiang (Yangtze).  Longest river, China’s main street (6,300 km).  Flood of 1998 left 14 million homeless. Pearl River delta system  Most productive and sustainable ecosystem in the world.  Rice paddies and fish ponds. Heilong Jiang (Amur).  China's border with Russia.

Amur Huang He (Yellow) Chang Jiang (Yangtze) Pearl Delta

A series of long canals, some new and others ancient, transfers water from the wet Yangtze basin to the dry north.

Manchuria

N China Plain

rivers

Filled with sediment from the Loess Plateau, the Yellow River has changed course many times in Chinese history, each time killing and displacing millions.

Back to rivers

South China

Back to rivers

Loess soils in the Guangzhong Basin © Bret Wallach

© T. M. Whitmore Major issues  Huge population  Little arable area Little arable area  Population is about 70% rural 4 Agricultural Regions  NE / Manchuria  North China Plain- wheatwheat  South China - ricerice  Western oases and arid-semiarid grazing Chinese Agriculture

Wheat & other upland crops

Wetland Rice

© Bret Wallach Guangzhong Basin

Guilin © Bret Wallach

Guilin

Yunnan Village: Hengdi © Bret Wallach

© T. M. Whitmore Chinese agriculture II Agriculture reform  Pre-Communist (pre-1949)  Communist changes  Current reforms

© T. M. Whitmore Chinese agriculture III Nearly self sufficient despite 1.3 billion Agriculture is very intensivevery intensive  10 persons to feed per ha Urban pops increasing and so is wealth => demand increasing faster than pop growth Urban pops increasing Significant imports but also significant exports Significant imports but also significant exports

40% of agricultural land in China is irrigated.

Wheat & other upland crops

Wetland Rice

Rural Chinese family’s week’s food © Peter Menzel

Urban Chinese family’s week’s food

RICE

WHEAT

© Bret Wallach Guangzhong Basin

© Bret Wallach Guangzhong Basin