Geography of China. General economic and geographical characteristics of the People's Republic of China

Territory - 9.6 million km 2

Population - 1 billion 222 million people (1995).

The capital is Beijing.

Geographical location, general overview

The PRC is the third largest country in the world by territory and the first by population - located in central and eastern Asia. The state borders on 16 countries, 1/3 of the borders are in the CIS countries.

The economic and geographical position of the PRC is very advantageous, since being located along the Pacific coast (15 thousand km), the country has access to the sea from the most remote inland areas across the Yangtze River.

The coastal location of the PRC contributes to the development of its economy and foreign economic relations.

China is one of the oldest states in the world, which emerged in the 14th century BC, and has a very complex history. Due to the obvious benefits of its position, the wealth of natural and agro-climatic resources, throughout its existence China attracted the attention of various conquerors.

Even in ancient times, the country protected itself with the partially preserved Great Wall of China. In the 19th century, China was a pro-colony of England. After defeat in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894 - 1895, the country was divided into spheres of influence between England, France, Germany, Japan and Russia.

In 1912, the Republic of China was formed. In 1945, after the defeat of the Japanese invaders with the help of the USSR, the People's Revolution occurred. In 1949, the People's Republic of China was proclaimed.

Natural conditions and resources

The country lies within the fractured Chinese Precambrian Platform and younger areas. In this regard, the eastern part is mainly lowland, and the western part is elevated and mountainous.

Various mineral deposits are associated with various tectonic structures. In terms of their supply, China is one of the

Among the ore deposits, the Anshan iron ore basin, located in coal-rich Northeast China, stands out. Non-ferrous metal ores are concentrated mainly in the central and southern provinces.

The People's Republic of China is located in temperate, subtropical and tropical climate zones, with the climate in the west being sharply continental and in the east being monsoonal, with a lot of rainfall (in summer). Such climatic and soil differences create conditions for the development of agriculture: in the west, in the arid regions, livestock farming and irrigated agriculture are mainly developed, while in the east, on the especially fertile lands of the Great Chinese Plain, agriculture predominates.

The water resources of the PRC are very large; the eastern, more populated and highly developed part of the country is most endowed with them. River waters are widely used for irrigation. In addition, China ranks first in the world in terms of potential hydropower resources, but their use is still very small.

China's forest resources in general are quite large, concentrated mainly in the northeast (taiga coniferous forests) and the southeast (tropical and subtropical deciduous forests). They are intensively used on the farm.

China is the first country in the world in terms of population (20% of all inhabitants of the Earth), and it has probably held the palm for many centuries.

In the 70s, the country began to implement a demographic policy aimed at reducing the birth rate, because after the formation of the People's Republic of China (in the 50s), due to a decrease in mortality and an increase in living standards, the population growth rate increased very quickly. This policy has borne fruit and now natural growth in China is even below the world average.

China is a young country (1/3 of the population is under 15 years of age). The intensity of labor migration varies both within the country and abroad.

The PRC is a multinational country (there are 56 nationalities), but with a sharp predominance of the Chinese - about 95% of the population. They live mainly in the eastern part of the country; in the west (most of the territory) live representatives of other nationalities (Gzhuans, Hui, Uighurs, Tibetans, Mongols, Koreans, Manjurs, etc.).

Despite the fact that the PRC is a socialist country, Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism are practiced here (in general, the population is not very religious).

The country is home to the world center of Buddhism - Tibet, occupied by China in 1951.

The PRC is an industrial-agrarian socialist country that has recently been developing at a very rapid pace.

Economic modernization is progressing at different rates in different regions of China.

Special economic zones (SEZs) have been created in Eastern China to take advantage of their advantageous coastal location. This strip occupies 1/4 of the country's territory, 1/3 of the population lives here and 2/3 of the GNP is produced. The average income per inhabitant is 4 times higher than in the more backward inland provinces. The territorial structure of the country's economy is represented mainly by established large industrial hubs; agriculture plays a major role, in which the majority of the economically active population (EAP) is employed.

In terms of GDP, China has reached fourth place in the world, although in terms of GNP per capita it has not yet reached the world average.

Energy. China occupies one of the leading places in the world in energy production and electricity generation. China's energy sector is coal (its share in the fuel balance is 75%), oil and gas (mostly artificial) are also used. Most of the electricity is produced at thermal power plants (3/4), mainly powered by coal. Hydroelectric power stations account for 1/4 of the electricity produced. There are two nuclear power plants, 10 primitive stations, and a geothermal station has been built in Lhasa.

Ferrous metallurgy is based on its own iron ore, coking coal and alloying metals. China ranks first in the world in iron ore mining, and second in steel production. The technical level of the industry is low.

The largest factories in the country are those in Anshan, Shanghai, Broshen, as well as in Beijing, Beijing, Wuhan, Taiyuan, and Chongqing.

The leading sub-sectors are heavy engineering, machine tool building, and transport engineering. The automotive industry (6-7th place in the world), electronics and instrument making are developing rapidly. As before, the country has developed production for the traditional textile and clothing sub-sectors.

The predominant part of China's engineering products is produced in the coastal zone (over 60%), and mainly in large cities (the main centers are Shanghai, Shenyang, Dalian, Beijing, etc.).

Chemical industry. Relies on coke and petrochemical products, mining chemicals and plant raw materials. There are two groups of production: mineral fertilizers, household chemicals and pharmaceuticals.

Light industry is a traditional and one of the main industries, using its own, mainly natural (2/3) raw materials. The leading sub-sector is textile, providing the country with a leading position in the production and export of fabrics (cotton, silk and others). The sewing, knitting, leather and footwear sub-sectors are also developed.

The food industry - for a country with such a large population, is extremely important; the processing of grain and oilseeds is in the lead, the production and processing of pork (2/3 of the volume of the meat industry), tea, tobacco and other food products is developed.

Agriculture - provides food to the population, supplies raw materials for the food and light industries. The leading sub-sector of agriculture is crop production (rice is the basis of the Chinese diet). Wheat, corn, millet, sorghum, barley, peanuts, potatoes, yams, taro, and cassava are also grown; industrial crops - cotton, sugar cane, tea, sugar beets, tobacco, and other vegetables. Livestock farming remains the least developed sector of agriculture. The basis of livestock farming is pig breeding.

Vegetable growing, poultry farming, beekeeping, and sericulture are also developed.

Internal differences. In the early 1980s, in order to improve planning, China created three economic zones: Eastern, Central and Western. The eastern region is the most developed, with the largest industrial centers and agricultural areas located here. The center is dominated by the production of fuel and energy, chemical products, raw materials and semi-finished products.

The western zone is the least developed; livestock farming and mineral processing are mainly developed.

Foreign economic relations

Foreign economic relations have been developing especially widely since the 80-90s, which is associated with the formation of an open economy in the country. The volume of foreign trade is 30% of China's GDP. The leading place in exports is occupied by labor-intensive products (clothing, toys, shoes, sporting goods, machinery and equipment). Imports are dominated by mechanical engineering products and vehicles.

This I know

1. Describe the geographical location of China.

China is located in East Asia. From the east it is washed by the waters of the western seas of the Pacific Ocean. In the northeast, China borders with the DPRK and Russia, in the north - with Mongolia, in the northwest - with Russia and Kazakhstan, in the west - with Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan, in the southwest - with Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bhutan , in the south - with Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam. The benefits of this geographical location are wide access to the Asia-Pacific region, which is now rapidly developing. The high mountainous terrain of Western China makes contact with its western neighbors difficult.

2. What place does China occupy in the world today?

Today's China is the largest state in the world. It ranks first in population, second in value of products and services produced, and third in area. Almost all types of industrial products are produced in China. Modern China is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Every 7-8 years the country doubles its production of goods and services. China is able to fully provide its population with everything they need. In addition, it is China that clothes and shoes half the world.

94% of the country's population are Chinese. The distinctive features of the Chinese are hard work, organization, diligence, and a special sense of the unity of man and nature. Most of the residents live in rural areas, but the number of city dwellers is growing. China has the world's largest labor force. The number of people employed on the farm is almost 50%. The majority of them (74%) are located in rural areas.

4. Compare the maps in Figures 206 and 207. Draw a conclusion about the relationship between population density and agricultural land use. Name the crops that are grown: a) in the Southeast; b) in the North-East.

Population density is directly related to natural conditions. Since ancient times, people have inhabited the most suitable areas for agriculture. Therefore, areas of highest population density and agricultural areas coincide.

a) in the Southeast, irrigated rice, tea and other heat-loving crops are grown;

b) in the North-East they grow barley, wheat, and sugar beets.

I can do this

5. Fill out the table

This is interesting to me

6. Imagine that you are traveling around China. Write a letter to a friend about your impressions. Reveal in your letter the features of nature, life, everyday life, and economic activities of the country’s population.

China is an amazing country that you definitely need to visit. The nature of China is diverse. There is a holiday here for every taste: for lovers of landscapes, skiing, beach holidays, and architecture lovers.

Residents of China tend to respect knowledge, scholarship, and books. Chinese people greet each other with a handshake. Entrepreneurs must carry business cards with text printed in Chinese (preferably in gold) and English (not in red). The Chinese are extremely frugal, trying to quickly accumulate capital.

People in China dress quite normally, so you shouldn’t take anything special or extravagant with you. For formal events, bring a jacket and tie, a suit or a formal dress. It is best to use small but capacious suitcases or bags with wheels. Be prepared to change your clothes quite often; the weather in China is changeable.

Traveling around Beijing using the services of a pedicab is an unforgettable experience. Although the pedicabs that stand outside hotels waiting for clients often charge quite a high price, it is definitely worth a ride.

It is not customary to tip, but a maid or porter at a hotel will not refuse 1-2 yuan.

The Chinese have never considered honesty a virtue, but cunning and deceit are traditional towards foreigners. The deception of a foreigner is considered a sign of great intelligence. Therefore, tourists are advised to bargain furiously and check the change against the light, as the money is often counterfeit.

7. Do you have Chinese goods in your home? What can you say about their quality and price? What Chinese goods would you recommend purchasing?

Today, Chinese goods are in every home. The majority of Chinese goods are consumer products and are not of very high quality. Today, absolutely everything is produced in China and of absolutely any quality. This situation arose for one simple reason: cheap labor, low environmental standards. That is why there are a huge number of factories and enterprises in China, the number of which amounts to tens of millions. The Chinese produce absolutely EVERYTHING: from food and socks to equipment for metalworking and heavy engineering. But many do not believe this, thinking that the Chinese are only capable of producing cheap consumer goods, plastic products and dangerous toys that our children break on the very first day.

However, today China produces many high and very high quality products. This is an iPhone and an Apple product. Many of you may not be at all surprised by the technology that exists today, but, in fact, it is a real miracle. China is a supplier of metal profiles from which, attention!, high-speed trains are produced at European (including Bombardier) and Russian enterprises. China independently produces all cars for itself, of ABSOLUTELY ANY BRAND and they are all of excellent quality. I would say that they produce for themselves even better than we produce for ourselves. You can understand this if you drive such a car at least once: they are all jam-packed with electronics. They simply don’t have such bare-bones packages as ours.

But the current situation is such that Russia is a place for selling low-quality rubbish. Because there are still a lot of Russian people who will chase low prices, often neglecting quality. But on the other hand, the Chinese produce a lot of things and small things for us, the quality of which is not so important to us: some household items, plastic products, etc.

Therefore, it is difficult to deny, but we simply need many Chinese goods and are not ready to buy similar things from other producing countries, which will cost us an order of magnitude more and will last much longer. Even when buying another obviously low-quality item, many are attracted by the price of the product, and we know that we can buy another one of the same without any problems, because it is quite inexpensive.

8. Currently, China is one of the world leaders in terms of industrial production. However, most of its population still has a low standard of living. Try to explain this fact.

Various sources claim that the welfare of the Chinese is growing and average wages confirm this. However, if we talk about ordinary workers in factories and factories, and even more so about rural residents, their incomes are meager. This is due to the large labor market in China. The presence of a huge number of labor resources makes them cheap.

China, despite its rapid pace of development, is still unable to provide a decent standard of living for all residents of the country precisely because of their number.

Geography of China

Introduction

China is a developed country in East Asia, the largest country in the world by population (over 1.3 billion), and ranks third in the world in terms of territory, behind Russia and Canada.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China in December 1949, four Constitutions were adopted (in 1954, 1975, 1978 and 1982). In accordance with the Constitution of the People's Republic of China (December 1982), the PRC is a socialist state under the democratic dictatorship of the people. The highest body of state power is the unicameral National People's Congress (NPC), consisting of 2,979 deputies elected by regional people's congresses for a term of 5 years. Sessions of the NPC are convened on an annual basis. Due to the large number of deputies in the period between sessions, the functions of the NPC are performed by a standing committee elected from among the delegates (about 150 people). Only deputies from the Communist Party of China and the eight so-called democratic parties belonging to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) are allowed to participate in the elections ). Their own legislative bodies operate in the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau. All NPC deputies are representatives of the bloc of communists and democrats. The Chairman of the People's Republic of China is Hu Jintao, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee. This is a representative of the fourth generation of country leaders. The transition of power to this generation began in 2002, when Hu Jintao replaced Jiang Zemin as general secretary of the CPC Central Committee. In March 2003, Hu Jintao was elected Chairman of the People's Republic of China, and in September 2004 - Chairman of the Central Military Council (CMC) of the CPC Central Committee. Previously, all these posts were also held by Jiang Zemin. On March 8, 2005, a session of the Chinese Parliament (National People's Congress) approved Jiang Zemin's request to resign from the post of Chairman of the Central Military Council of the PRC. Later, this post was also occupied by Hu Jintao, which completed the process of change of power in the country's top leadership.

What is it washed with, what does it border on?

From the east, China is washed by the waters of the western seas of the Pacific Ocean. The area of China is 9.6 million km². China is the largest country in Asia. The total length of China's land borders is 22,117 km with 14 countries. The Chinese coastline stretches from the border with North Korea in the north to Vietnam in the south and is 14,500 km long. China is bordered by the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea and South China Sea. The island of Taiwan is separated from the mainland by the Taiwan Strait.

Climate

China's climate is very diverse - from subtropical in the south to temperate in the north. On the coast, the weather is determined by the monsoons, which occur due to the different absorption properties of the land and ocean. Seasonal air movements and accompanying winds contain large amounts of moisture in the summer and are quite dry in the winter. The arrival and departure of the monsoons largely determine the amount and distribution of rainfall across the country. The huge differences in latitude, longitude and altitude across China give rise to a wide variety of temperature and meteorological regimes, despite the fact that most of the country lies in the temperate climate region.

More than 2/3 of the country is occupied by mountain ranges, highlands and plateaus, deserts and semi-deserts. Approximately 90% of the population lives in coastal areas and floodplains of large rivers such as the Yangtze, Yellow River and Pearl. These areas are in a difficult ecological condition as a result of long and intensive agricultural cultivation and environmental pollution.

The northernmost province of China, Heilongjiang, has a temperate climate similar to that of Vladivostok and Khabarovsk, while the southern island of Hainan is in the tropics. The temperature difference between these regions is large during the winter months, but the difference decreases in summer. In the northern part of Heilongjiang, temperatures in January can drop to −30 °C, with average temperatures around 0 °C. The average July temperature in this area is 20 °C. In the southern parts of Guangdong, the average temperature ranges from 10 °C in January to 28 °C in July. Precipitation changes even more than temperature. On the southern slopes of the Qinling Mountains, numerous rains fall, the maximum of which occurs during the summer monsoons. As you move north and west of the mountains, the likelihood of rain decreases. The northwestern regions of the country are the driest; in the deserts located there (Taklamakan, Gobi, Ordos) there is practically no precipitation.

The southern and eastern regions of China often (about 5 times a year) suffer from destructive typhoons, as well as floods, monsoons, tsunamis and droughts. The northern regions of China are covered every spring by yellow dust storms, which originate in the northern deserts and are carried by winds towards Korea and Japan

Water resources

China has many rivers, with a total length of 220,000 km. Over 5,000 of them carry water collected from an area of more than 100 square meters. km each. China's rivers form internal and external systems. The external rivers are the Yangtze, Yellow River, Heilongjiang, Zhujiang, Lancang, Nujiang and Yalutsangpo, which have access to the Pacific, Indian and Arctic oceans, their total drainage area covers about 64% of the country's territory. Inland rivers, the number of which is small, are significantly distant from each other and have become shallow in most areas. They flow into the lakes of the interior or are lost in deserts or salt marshes; their drainage area covers about 36% of the country's territory.

There are many lakes in China, the total area they occupy is approximately 80,000 square meters. km. There are also thousands of artificial lakes - reservoirs. Lakes in China can also be divided into external and internal. The external ones include mainly freshwater lakes rich in aquatic products, such as Poyanghu, Dongtinghu and Taihu. Inland lakes include salt lakes, the largest of which is Lake Qinghai. Among the lakes in the interior, many are dry, such as Lob Nor and Juyan.

Relief

China's topography is very diverse, with high mountains, depressions, deserts and vast plains. There are usually three major geographic regions:

· The Tibetan Plateau, with an altitude of more than 2000 m above sea level, is located in the southwest of the country

· The belt of mountains and high plains has heights of 200-2000 m, located in the northern part

· Low accumulative plains below 200 m in height and low mountains in the northeast, east and south of the country, where most of China's population lives.

The Great Plain of China, the Yellow River Valley and the Yangtze Delta unite near the sea coast, stretching from Beijing in the north to Shanghai in the south. The basin of the Pearl River (and its main tributary, the Xijiang) is located in southern China and is separated from the Yangtze River basin by the Nanling Mountains and the Wuyi Range (which is a World Heritage Site in China).

In the direction from west to east, the Chinese relief forms three steps. The first of them is the Tibetan Plateau, where altitudes of more than 4000 meters above sea level prevail. The next step is formed by the mountains of Sichuan and Central China, whose heights range from 1500 to 3000 m. Here the vegetation changes dramatically, over relatively short distances there is a change in natural zones from high-mountain cold deserts to subtropical forest. The last step is the fertile plains, occupying altitudes below 1500 m above sea level.

Vegetation

There are about 500 species of bamboo in China, forming 3% of the forests. Bamboo thickets, found in 18 provinces, are not only a habitat for many animals, but also a source of valuable raw materials. Their woody culms (stems) are widely used in industry.

Minerals

China is rich in various types of fuel and raw mineral resources. Reserves of oil, coal, and metal ores are especially important. China has deposits of nearly 150 world-known minerals. The main source of energy in China is coal, its reserves in the country account for 1/3 of the world's reserves. Coal deposits, the reserves of which China is inferior to few countries, are concentrated mainly in Northern China. Large resources are also available in Northwestern China. Other regions, especially the southern ones, are poorer in coal. Most of the deposits are represented by coal. Coal deposits are mainly located in North and Northeast China. The largest coal reserves are concentrated in Shanxi province (30% of total reserves) - Datong and Yangquan coal mines. Another important source of energy resources is oil. In terms of oil reserves, China holds a prominent place among the countries of Central, East and Southeast Asia. Oil deposits have been discovered in various areas, but they are most significant in Northeast China (Sungari-Nonni Plain), coastal areas and the shelf of Northern China, as well as in some inland areas - the Dzungarian Basin, Sichuan.

Historical reference

Chinese civilization is one of the oldest in the world. According to Chinese scientists, its age may be five thousand years, while the available written sources cover a period of at least 3,500 years. The presence of administrative management systems, which were improved by successive dynasties, and the early development of the largest agricultural centers in the basins of the Yellow and Yangtze rivers, created advantages for the Chinese state, whose economy was based on developed agriculture, compared to its nomadic neighbors and mountaineers. Chinese civilization was further strengthened by the introduction of Confucianism as a state ideology (1st century BC) and a unified writing system.

The defeat of militaristic Japan in August-September 1945 ended World War II, liberating the countries of the Asia-Pacific region from Japanese troops. There was a fierce civil war in China.

CHINA

China is a developed country in East Asia, the largest country in the world by population (over 1.3 billion), and ranks third in the world in terms of territory, behind Russia and Canada.

What it is washed with, what it borders on.From the east, China is washed by the waters of the western seas of the Pacific Ocean. The area of China is 9.6 million km². China is the largest country in Asia. The total length of China's land borders is 22,117 km with 14 countries. The Chinese coastline stretches from the border with North Korea in the north to Vietnam in the south and is 14,500 km long. China is bordered by the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea and South China Sea. The island of Taiwan is separated from the mainland by the Taiwan Strait.

Climate. China's climate is very diverse, ranging from subtropical in the south to temperate in the north. On the coast, the weather is determined by the monsoons, which occur due to the different absorption properties of the land and ocean. Seasonal air movements and accompanying winds contain large amounts of moisture in the summer and are quite dry in the winter. The arrival and departure of the monsoons largely determine the amount and distribution of rainfall across the country. More than 2/3 of the country is occupied by mountain ranges, highlands and plateaus, deserts and semi-deserts. Approximately 90% of the population lives in coastal areas and floodplains of large rivers such as the Yangtze, Yellow River and Pearl. These areas are in a difficult ecological condition as a result of long and intensive agricultural cultivation and environmental pollution.

Water resources. China has many rivers, with a total length of 220,000 km. Over 5,000 of them carry water collected from an area of more than 100 square meters. km each. China's rivers form internal and external systems. External rivers are the Yangtze, Yellow River, Nujiang and others with access to the Pacific, Indian and Arctic oceans; their total drainage area covers about 64% of the country's territory.

There are many lakes in China, the total area they occupy is approximately 80,000 square meters. km. There are also thousands of artificial lakes and reservoirs.

Relief. China's topography is very diverse, with high mountains, depressions, deserts and vast plains. There are usually three major geographic regions:

· The Tibetan Plateau, with an altitude of more than 2000 m above sea level, is located in the southwest of the country

· The belt of mountains and high plains has an altitude of 200 x 2000 m, located in the northern part

· Low accumulative plains below 200 m in height and low mountains in the northeast, east and south of the country, where most of China's population lives.

Vegetation.There are about 500 species of bamboo in China, forming 3% of the forests. Bamboo thickets, found in 18 provinces, are not only a habitat for many animals, but also a source of valuable raw materials. Their woody culms (stems) are widely used in industry.

Minerals.China is rich in various types of fuel and raw mineral resources. Reserves of oil, coal, and metal ores are especially important. China has deposits of nearly 150 world-known minerals. The main source of energy in China is coal, its reserves in the country account for 1/3 of the world's reserves. Coal deposits, the reserves of which China is inferior to few countries, are concentrated mainly in Northern China. Another important source of energy resources is oil. In terms of oil reserves, China holds a prominent place among the countries of Central, East and Southeast Asia. Oil deposits have been found in various areas, but they are most significant in Northeast China, the coastal areas and shelf of Northern China, as well as in some inland areas

Population. China is home to about 55 different peoples, each with their own customs, national costumes and, in many cases, their own language. But for all their diversity and richness of cultural traditions, these peoples make up only about 7% of the country’s population, the main part of which is formed by the Chinese, who call themselves “Han”. Modernization of society and interethnic marriages inevitably lead to the blurring of differences between ethnic groups, and yet many of them are proud of their heritage and remain faithful to customs and beliefs. Although China's natural population growth has already dropped to an average level, it is still growing much year after year due to the huge base figure. Between 1990 and 2000 the population grew by almost 12 million annually on average. The government's target is one child per family, with exceptions for ethnic minorities. The government's goal is to stabilize population growth at the beginning of the 21st century.

Population distribution.Land suitable for agricultural use makes up only 10% of China's territory, and it is located mainly in coastal provinces. Approximately 90% of China's total population lives in an area that accounts for only 40% of the country's total area. The most densely populated areas are the lower Yangtze Delta and the North China Plain. China's vast peripheral territories are virtually deserted. The average population density of the country, according to 1998 data, was 131 people per 1 sq. km.

Language. The Chinese have their own spoken and written language, Chinese, which is used both within and outside the country. The total number of Chinese speakers exceeds 1 billion people.

Largest cities in China

1. Shanghai - 15,017,783 people 2. Beijing - 7,602,069 people 3. Xi'an - 4,091,916 people 4. Harbin - 3,279,454 people 5. Guangzhou (Canton) - 3,158,125 people 6. Dalian - 2,076,179 people

In total, there are 40 cities in China with a population of more than 1 million people.

Main industries.Today, the country's industrial structure is represented by more than 360 industries. In addition to the traditional ones, new modern ones have been created, such as: electronics, petrochemistry, aircraft manufacturing, metallurgy of rare and trace metals. Fuel and energy industries are among the weak links in China's industrial complex. Despite the presence of rich natural resources, the development of extractive industries in general lags behind manufacturing ones. In recent years, the capacity of the coal mining industry has increased significantly in China, and the production volume of enterprises exceeded 920 million tons already in 1989. The oil industry accounts for 21% of the production of fuel and energy resources. In general, the country has more than 32 oil production enterprises, with total oil reserves amounting to 64 billion tons. Southern China and especially its Eastern zone are rich in natural gas reserves, which are estimated at 4 thousand billion tons. The largest center of gas production and processing is Senhua Province. Nevertheless, light industry sectors such as textiles and food are still leading in China, accounting for more than 21% of all industrial products produced. In terms of iron ore reserves, China ranks third (after Russia and Belgium). Ferrous metallurgy enterprises exceed 1.5 thousand and are located in almost all provinces and autonomous regions.

Agriculture.Since the 90s of the last century, China has ranked first in the world in the production of grains, meat, cotton, rapeseed, fruit, leaf tobacco, second in the production of tea and wool, and third or fourth in the production of soybeans, sugar cane and jute. China has a wide variety of land resources, but there are many mountainous areas and few plains. Plains make up 43% of the country's total land area. China has 127 million hectares of arable land, which is approximately 7% of all arable land in the world.

The area of mainland China at 9.5 million square kilometers is approximately the size of the United States or all of Europe to the Urals. In terms of territory size, China ranks third in the world - taking into account the special administrative regions of Hong Kong, Taiwan and the islands, its area is 9.634 million km2.

From north to south, the length of Chinese territory is almost 50º (from the northernmost point in the vicinity of the city of Mohe, located at 53º31′ N to Cape Zenmuan (4º15′ N) in the south). From east to west, China extends almost 62º - from Heilongjiang province to the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region inclusive.

In kilometers, the length of the country from north to south is about 4500 km; from east to west - 4200 km. The coastline of all China's maritime borders is 14,000 km. The longest river is the Yangtze (6300 km), the highest mountain is Everest with 8844 m, the largest lake is Qinghai, with an area of about 5000 km².

REFERENCE: cities occupy 1.5% of the country's area, wetlands - 2%, deserts -6.5%, forests - 9%, deserts - 21%, pastures - 24%. Arable land accounts for 36% of the territory.

Main areas

The relief, climatic conditions and, consequently, the habitability of individual regions of the country vary greatly - from 400 people. per 1 km2 in some eastern provinces, up to 1 person or less per 1 km2 in the north-west of the country. The territory can be divided into three regions.

Southeast China is characterized by four large, densely populated floodplains. The deltas of the largest rivers are located on the coast. The southeastern coastline is mountainous, while the south is more hilly. The maximum altitude of the region is 500 meters above sea level.

To the west of the plains there are numerous plateau mountains and large basins: the Mongolian Plateau, Tarim Basin, Sichuan Basin, Loess Plateau or Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. The mountains here range in height from 1000 to 2000 meters. The huge Loess Plateau, with an area of about 430 thousand km2, has very fertile soil and plays a vital role in the country's agriculture. The natural steppe and forest-steppe vegetation for this zone has been preserved only in hard-to-reach places unsuitable for agriculture. Cotton, kaoliang, millet and wheat are grown on artificial slope terraces.

Western China has a pronounced highland character with intermediate plateaus. The largest mountains: the Himalayas, Tien Shan, Pamir and the highlands of Tibet. The entire region is located at an altitude of 4,000 meters above sea level, making it one of the highest in the world. The west, along with Inner Mongolia, is also the driest part of the country, thanks to the Gobi and Taklamakan.

The climate is as varied as the geography: the west, north and northeast have a distinct continental climate with very cold winters and hot summers. On the other hand, in the south the climate is subtropical. Tibet has its own special highland climate.

Rivers and seas

The most important rivers in China are the Changjiang (Yangtze) and the Yellow River (Yellow River). Both of them climb Mount Kunlunshan. Chang Jiang then passes through Yunnan and Sichuan. Then Changjiang passes Wuhan, where it floods very widely. Near Shanghai it flows into the East China Sea. The length of the Changjiang is 6,300 km, making it the third longest river in the world. This is the most important waterway in China.

The 1,800 km long Emperor's Canal connects Changjiang to the Yellow River. The length of this river, which flows into the Yellow Sea, is 5464 km.

The Mekong River originates in Tibet and flows south through Yunnan. It then flows along the border between Laos and Burma, Laos and Thailand, after which it passes through Cambodia, Vietnam, and flows into the South China Sea. The length of the river is 4500 km.

In the east and southeast, China is surrounded by seas. To the northeast is the Yellow Sea, to the south is the East China Sea, and to the southeast is the South China Sea.

Borders with other countries

The People's Republic of China borders 14 countries: India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Mongolia, North Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Bhutan and Nepal. Its neighbors by sea are 8 countries - North and South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. In terms of the number of neighboring countries, taking into account land and sea borders, China ranks first in the world.

The country is separated from its neighbors by a number of natural boundaries: the east and southeast by seas (Yellow, East China and South China), the south, southwest, west and northwest by high mountain ranges, the north by steppes and deserts, the north east – by the Amur and Ussuri rivers.