Zhongguo Middle Kingdom CHINA Geography and Population Population

Zhong-guo “Middle Kingdom CHINA

Geography and Population • • Population = 1. 3 billion Land Area = 3. 7 million square miles (3 rd/4 th) Most people are crowded into the eastern third of the country. This happens because of topographic and economic reasons

Why is China Crowded? • 80% of China = Mountains and Plateaus • Not suited to framing due to rugged terrain and cold/dry climate • 20% of China = level land – only half of which is arable • Result = People crowd into eastern China

Top Ten Cities in China • • • Shanghai (23) Beijing (19) Tianjin (13) Shenzhen (13) Guangzhou (12) Chengdu (10) Dongguan (8) Chongqing (8) Shenyang (8) Wuhan (8)

Regions • Heartland • North China • South China • Outlying Regions • • Northeast (Manchuria) North (Mongolia) Northwest (Xinjiang) Southwest (Tibet)

Heartland of China North China • Hot Summers and Cold Winters • Varied Rainfall • Wheat and Millet South China • Milder climate • Heavier rainfall with humidity • Rice, Cotton, Tea, Vegetables

North Manchuria (Northeast) • Cold climate • Sparsely populated. • Resource Rich • Oil, iron, aluminum, coal, lead, zinc • Government incentives for industrial migration to the region Inner Mongolia (North) • • Harsh Climate (Gobi Desert) Summers = extremely hot Winters = extremely cold Government attempts at irrigation to promote agricultural migration.

West Xinjiang (Northwest) • • Oil Potential for wheat and cotton Minority Region of Muslim Uighurs Historically isolated other than Silk Road • Today linked to rest of China by railroads Tibet (Southwest) • Himalayas • Barren and treeless • Farming is possible in some valleys • Hydroelectric power • Potential for minerals

Two Great Rivers Transportation & Irrigation Yellow River (Huang He) • North China • Empties into Yellow Sea • Nicknamed the “River of Sorrow” • Flooding occurs as Loess clogs the riverbed • Flood waters leave behind a fertile layer of silt Yangtze River (Chang Jiang) • Carries much of China’s trade • Shanghai lies a the mouth of the river • Three Gorges Dam • • Provides hydroelectric power World’s largest power station Causes environmental damage Floods farmland forces millions to move

People of China • Ethnic Majority • 92% of people are Han Chinese • Ethnic Minorities • Mongols, Tibetans, Tajiks • Live in remote regions • Language • Most speak Mandarin Chinese but different dialects • Mandarin is spoken in North China but the government has made it the official language of China so as to promote unity.