A huge country with an advantageous geographical position - China. It is located in East Asia. Its relief is very diverse. In China there are mountains, hills, plains, highlands, river valleys, deserts. It is the most populated country in the world. But the vast areas of China are deserted. After all, most of the population is concentrated on the plains.
Geographical position
China on the world map occupies a position on the west 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. By area, this country is overtaken 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 easternmost point of the country is at the confluence of the Ussuri and Amur rivers, the westernmost - in the Pamir mountains, the southernmost - among the Spratly Islands, the northernmost - on the Amur River in Mohe County.
China on the world map from the east is washed by several seas that are part of the Pacific Ocean. The coastline of the country stretches for 18,000 km. The sea in China creates a border with five countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, Brunei and the Philippines.
From the south, north and west passes the land border. Its length is 22117 km. By land, China has a border with Russia, North Korea, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Nepal, Pakistan, Bhutan, India, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar.
Geographical position China is quite successful for its economic development.
Relief
The relief of the country is very diverse. China, whose geography is wide, has a stepped landscape. It consists of three levels, decreasing from west to east.
In the south-west of the state are the Tibetan plateau and the Himalayas. They are the highest step in the landscape of a country like China. Geography and relief are mostly composed of uplands, plateaus and mountains. The lowest level, consisting of plains, is located off 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 in the territories of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan. On the border of the state in question there are 9 of the 14 highest mountains of the globe - Everest, Chogori, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho-Oyu, Shishabangma, Chogori, several peaks from the Massherbrum massif.
The Tibetan Plateau is 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 Kunlun, Tsilyanshan, Karakorum, Sino-Tibetan mountains. The last of them and the adjacent Yunnan-Guizhou plateau are inaccessible area. It is cut by the deep rivers of the Yangtze, Saluin and Mekong.
Thus, the characteristic of the geographical position of China in the southwest is distinguished by the presence of mountainous areas.
Northwest china
In the north-west of the country near the Tibetan Plateau are the Tarim Basin, the Takla-Makan Desert and the Turpan Basin. The latter is the deepest in East Asia. Still north is the Dzungar Plain.
East of the Tarim Basin, the geographical position contrasts even more. China in these places is changing the landscape on the steppes and deserts. This is the territory of Inner Mongolia, an 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. In this part of China lies the Sunliao Plain. It is surrounded by small mountain ranges - Big and Small Khingans, Changbai.
North china
In the north of China, the main agricultural zones are concentrated. This part of the country consists of vast plains. They feed well on rivers and are very fertile. These are such plains as Liaohesskaya and North China.
Southeast China
The southeastern part of the country stretches from the Huaiyanshan ridge to the Qinling mountains. It also includes the island of Taiwan. The local landscape consists mainly of mountains, alternating with river valleys.
South china
In the south of the country are areas of Guangxi, Guangdong, and partially Yunnan. This also includes a year-round resort, Hainan Island. The local relief is made up of hills and small mountains.
Climate and weather
The climate of the country is not homogeneous. It is influenced by geographical location. China is located in three climatic zones. Therefore, the weather in different parts of the country is different.
Northern and western China are in the zone of temperate continental climate. The average temperature here in the winter is -7 ° C, although it happens, it drops to -20 ° C. In summer, the temperature is at + 22 ° C. For winter and autumn, strong drying winds are characteristic.
Central China lies in the subtropical climate zone. In winter, the air temperature is from 0 to -5 ° C. In the summer she keeps at + 20 ° C.
South China and the islands have a tropical monsoon climate. There, the thermometer column in winter is in the range from +6 to + 15 ° C, and in summer it rises beyond + 25 ° C. Powerful typhoons are characteristic of this part of the country. They occur in winter and autumn.
Annual precipitation decreases from south and east to north and west - from about 2000 mm to 50 mm.
Population
According to 2014 data, 1.36 billion people live in the state. The large country of China is home to 20% of the world's inhabitants.
The state is on the verge of a demographic crisis of relocation. Therefore, the government is struggling with high birth rates. His goal is one child per family. But demographic policy is flexible. So, it is allowed to give birth to a second child to ethnic minorities, as well as to families living in rural areas, if the first child is a girl or has physical disabilities.
Part of the population opposes such a policy. She is especially unhappy in the countryside. After all, there is a higher need for the birth of a large number of boys as a future workforce.
But according to forecasts, population growth will grow, despite this. According to estimates, in 2030, one and a half billion people will live in China.
Population density
The population throughout the country is very uneven. This is due to the difference in geographical conditions. The average population density is 138 people per square kilometer. This figure looks quite acceptable. He does not speak of overpopulation. After all, the same figure is typical for some countries in Europe.
But the average indicator does not reflect the real situation. There are areas in the country where almost no one lives, and 21,000 people per square kilometer live in Macau.
Half of the country is practically unoccupied. The Chinese live in river basins, on fertile plains. And in the highlands of Tibet, in the deserts of the Gobi and Takla-Makan, 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. But besides them, 55 nationalities are distinguished in China. The largest nations are the Chuangs, Manchus, Tibetans, and the smallest nations are foreheads.
Dialects in different parts of the country are also different. The difference between them is so great that a resident of the south of China does not understand a resident of the north. But in the country there is a national language Putunha. Residents of China moving from region to region are required to own it in order to avoid communication problems.
Also in the country, the Mandarin, or Beijing, dialect is widespread. It can be considered an alternative to putunhe. After all, 70% of the population owns the Mandarin dialect.
Religion and Beliefs of the Population
Since the middle of the 20th century, in China, as in a communist state, the adherence to religious beliefs and beliefs has not been welcomed. Atheism was the official ideology.
But since 1982, a change has occurred in this matter. The right of freedom of religion was inscribed in the constitution. The most common religions here are Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. But Christianity, Islam, Judaism are also popular.
Largest cities
There are not many big cities in China. The population of this country is not urbanized. But where the construction of the city begins, it grows to the size of a huge metropolis, uniting a large number of residential, business, commercial, industrial and agricultural zones. For example, Chongqing. He 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 of the country are Shanghai, Tianjin, Harbin, Guangzhou and, of course, Beijing, the capital of China.
Beijing
The Chinese call Beijing Beijing. This means Northern capital. The urban layout is distinguished by strict geometry. The streets are oriented in parts of the world.
Beijing is the capital of China and one of the most interesting cities in the country. His heart is Tiananmen Square. Translated, this word means "the gate of heavenly tranquility." The main building on the square is the mausoleum of Mao Zedong.
An important attraction of the city is the Forbidden City. It is called Gugun. It is a beautiful and ancient palace ensemble.
No less interesting are Yiheyuan and Yuanminyuan. These are garden and palace complexes. They surprisingly combine miniature rivers, graceful bridges, waterfalls, residential buildings. Here reigns wonderful harmony and a sense of unity of man with nature.
In the capital there are many temples of such religious movements as Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism. One of them is the most interesting. This is the Temple of Heaven Tien Tan. It is the only religious building in the city of a round shape. It has a unique wall. If you utter a word near her even in the quietest whisper, it will be carried along its entire length.
Noteworthy is the Yonghegun Temple of Eternal Peace. This is a Lamaist religious building. It houses a Buddha statue carved from a solid sandalwood trunk. Its length is 23 meters.
There are many museums in Beijing. The National Art Gallery is especially noticeable. It contains a large collection of Chinese paintings. No less interesting is the Museum of National History, in which you can trace the entire path of development of China.
Attraction is Wangfujing Street. This is a favorite place for walking, both among tourists and the local population. The history of the street began more than 700 years ago. Now it is renovated. The street is in the area of the shopping center. It harmoniously combines ancient and modern cultures.
Not far from Beijing begins the Great Wall of China. Most people associate the country with it. This is a grandiose building. It stretches for 67,000 km. The construction of the wall lasted more than 2000 years.