China
Regions of China
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•
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East
South central
North
Northeast
Northwest
Southwest
“The Heartland”
• (regions of South central and
East)
• Most populated
• North
– Cold winters, warm/hot
summers
– Political and cultural centers
• South
– More mild climate
– Richer farming
– Hilly… people packed into
farmland in river valleys
N
S
East
• Beijing
South Central
• Shanghai
• Guilin
Northeast
• Formerly known as Manchuria
• Cold, sparsely populated
• Many natural resources
– Oil
– Iron
– Aluminum
– Ore
– Coal
– Lead and zinc
• Govt is working to recover these
resources more effectively
North
•
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“Mongolia”
Gobi Desert
Hot, hot summers
Bitterly cold winters
Northwest
• “Xinjiang” (sheen jee ahng)
• Desert basin , surrounded by
mountains
• Important oil producer
• Wheat and cotton can grow here
• Railroads have opened up the
area
• Many non Chinese live in this
area
Southwest
• “Xizang” (shee dzahng)
• aka “Tibet”
• Sits among several
mountain ranges,
including the
Himalayas
• Mostly barren, but
some farming is
possible
• China took over in
1950 and has
worked to develop
hydroelectric power
since
Rivers of China
• Huang He or
Yellow River
• Yangzi or
Yangtze
River
• Guangzhou
or Pearl
River
Yellow River
• Carries very fertile,
yellow-brown soil
called LOESS
• Causes frequent
flood and
destruction… but
leaves silt!!!
Yangtze River
• Carries much of China’s
trade
• At mouth of the river is
Shanghai
• Hydro electric power…
Then…
– Three Gorges Dam
Now…
Pearl River
• Actually part of a
system of rivers
• Flows through
southern China to
the port of
Guangzhou (a major
port city)
The People
• 95% of people in China are
ethnically Han
• Minorities: Tibetans, Tajiks,
and Mongols
• Many different dialects of
the Chinese language, but
the official language is
Mandarin
Review:
• Explain how the physical
geography of China has
contributed to the lack of ethnic
diversity within the country.