1. By Prof. Ling-Ling Shih 1/17/2017
Geography of China
By Prof. Ling-Ling Shih
1/17/2017

2. We will cover:
China’s geography
EAS 201
4/30/2019

3. Visual resouces Mr. Brush's China Geography Video
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EAS 201
4/30/2019

4. China: In Chinese, we call China, “Zhong Guo.”
(“Middle Kingdom”)
Where did the name “China” come from?
--”China” was used first in Qin dynasty—the first dynasty that unified China in 221 B.C.E.
The ancient Greeks knew of China as Seres,
the land of silk.
Slavics called China “Cathay” which comes from Khitai
an ethnic group once occupied in northern China.
“Han”
EAS 201
4/30/2019

5. Whose China? The Han People Non-Han Minorities:
Share some common physical traits, but their look and height can vary from region to region.
What unified them all?
The same set of cultural traditions (Confucian norms).
91% of Chinese are Han today.
Non-Han Minorities:
China is also inhabited by diverse non-Han minorities
including Mongolians, Tibetans, Uygurs, Manchurians, and so on.
EAS 201
4/30/2019

6. 56 Ethnic groups in China
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EAS 201
4/30/2019

7. How big is China? How many people?
China is slightly larger than America.
Population
4 times people of the U.S.—1.3 billion people.
China is described by Chinese themselves as:
“Di Da Wu Bo”—Vast territory and rich in resources.
“Di Shao Ren Zhong:--Scare land with many people
China proper: scarce land with many people
China proper + Frontier: vast territory and rich resources
EAS 201
4/30/2019

8. Regional Differences in geography
As the U.S. and Europe, China varies regionally.
East-West & North-South
the distinction bet/n China Proper and Frontier.
EAS 201
4/30/2019

9. China Proper and Frontier
China Proper: suitable for agriculture.
Frontier: mountains and deserts.

10. Differences China proper Frontier
Population: 90% (Han) vs. 10% (Non Han)
China proper
Frontier

11. Difference between China Proper and Frontier
Religion: vs. Islam or Lama Buddhism
China Proper--
Confucianism
Frontier—Islam or Lama Buddhism

12. Difference China Proper --Industrial bases Frontier
--Little Industry (normadic life style and farming in oases

13. Within China Proper Dividing line: Yangzi River North China:
The Yellow River
The culture heart of China
Heavy industry
Staple/Cuisines: wheat, noodles, steamers, bun
Language
South China:
1.The Yangtze River: Life Lines
2. Paddy agriculture
3. Tea on the hillsides
4. Light Industry
5. Staple/Cuisines: Rice, Hunan, Sichuan, and Cantonese
6. Language

15. Staple/Cuisines
Northern China
Southern China

16. China proper China proper: (Gamer, map 2.3)
90% of country’s population.
Mostly Han people with Confucian values.
A suitable area for agriculture.
Industrial bases
EAS 201
4/30/2019

17. Frontier: (Gamer, Map 2.3) West of a line: “Western China”
Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liao Ning, Ningxia, Gansu, Xinjiang, Western Sichuan, Tibet, Qinghai.
Fewer people.
Non-Han people.
Islam or Lama Buddhism.
Little industry
Mountains and deserts--Low rainfall
Nomadic life style and farming in oases
EAS 201
4/30/2019

18. Regional Differences within China Proper
A dividing line: the Yangtze River (Map 2.4) separate the northern & southern portion.
EAS 201
4/30/2019

19. Northern China vs. Southern China
The Yellow River waters Northern China.
The cultural heart of China
Rainfall adequate for agriculture
Heavy industry (coal, oil)
Mandarin dialect
Staples: Wheat
Cuisine: noodles, steamed buns, plainer, use onions,
Southern China:
The Yangtze River and West River--lifelines
Lush paddy agriculture
Tea on the hillsides
Light industry (textiles)
Fewer fuel resources
Southern dialects (e.g., Cantonese)
Staple: Rice
Cuisine: e.g., Hunan, Sichuan styles—spicy, Cantonese
EAS 201
4/30/2019

20. The Natural Landscape
China’s regional differences are shaped by her physical geography.
It is a land of extremes: Mt. Everest at 29,029 feet— the Turpan Depression at 505 feet below see levels.
Over two-thirds of China is mountainous, hilly, or high plateaus. But they are linked together by the river basins (Yangtze River and Yellow River)
Floods and droughts plague this land.
EAS 201
4/30/2019

21. Three tiers (map 2.4, Gamer--p.18)
Mountains (6,000-29,029 feet)
Tibet, Qinghai, Xinjiang, Sichuan, Gansu, Guizhou, Himalaya range
The origins of the major rivers
The hilly area (600 and 6000 feet)
Mongolian Plateau, Sichuan Basin, Yunnan Plateau.
More rainfall.
Floodplains and low lands (lower than 600 feet)
The smallest and most populous.
The Yangtze River and the paths of the Liao & Song River.
The agricultural and industrial heart of China
The delta of the West River—Principal basis for China’s rich agriculture.
EAS 201
4/30/2019