0. Geography of China
by: Mary Latona, Dan Harvey, Madison Gorrasi, Jessica Farzan, and Jenny Jung

1. Location
Sources:
China is located in Southeast Asia along the coastline of the Pacific Ocean. Chinas Bordering Countries include, Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Burma, India, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Russia. Marine-side neighbors include, North Korea, Korea, Japan, Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. The exact geographical coordinates of Beijing, China are 35 00N, E.

3. Size
Sources:
China is the fourth largest country, after Russia, Canada and the United States. The total surface area of China is 9,596,961 square kilometers. Compared to the United States which has a total area of 9,629,091square kilometers.

4. Important Natural Resources
China is home to many important and vital resources.
They include-
Coal, iron ore, petroleum and natural gas, mercury, tin, aluminum, lead, zinc, rare earth elements and uranium.

5. Important Cities in China
There are obviously numerous cities in China but some of the very important ones include-
Beijing
Shanghai
Chengdu
Lhasa
Xi’an

6. Important Cities in China - Beijing + Shanghai
Location: Northeastern China
Population: 19 million
GDP Per Capita: $15,000
Size: 6,487 sq miles (16,801 sq km)
Elevation: 144ft (44m)
Features: The Forbidden City, Great Wall of China, Ming Tombs and Temple of Heaven
Shanghai
Location: Eastern China
Population: 23 million
GDP Per Capita: $14,000
Size: 2,448 sq miles (6,340 sq km)
Elevation: 13ft (4m)
Features: Economic and industrial center, very modern yet maintains traditional Chinese traditions and heritage in areas. some of the fastest growth

7. Important Cities in China - Chengdu + Lhasa
Location: Central/Eastern China
Population: 14 million
GDP Per Capita: $10,000
Size: 4,684 sq miles (12,132 sq km)
Elevation: 1,600ft (500m)
Features: Home of the giant panda, extremely fertile area, has been around for more than 4,000 years, considered the “gateway” into Tibet
Lhasa
Location: Southwest China
Population: 400,000 (87% are Tibetan)
GDP Per Capita: ~$2,228 (as of 2008)
Size: 11,303 sq miles (29,274 sq km)
Elevation: ~12,000ft
Features: Largest city of Tibet, historic center of Tibetan Buddhism, culture and heritage has helped to create Romantic/Tibetan religion

8. Important Cities in China - Xi’an
Location: Central/Northwest China
Population: 8.4 million
GDP Per Capita: Unknown
Size: 3,854 sq miles (9,983 sq km)
Elevation: 1,329ft (405km)
Features: Home of the famous Terracotta Warriors, important economic, industrial, cultural and educational center, first of the four great ancient capitals

9. Countryside - The Basics
China is approximately supporting 20%of the world’s population with crops and owns 10% of arable land in the world (About 150 tons of grain each year!)
China’s crops are wheat, corn, rice, (the most important 3) and gaoliang, millet, barley, potatoes, peanuts, apples, rapeseed, and sunflower feeds.

10. Life on the countryside?
Countryside is very vast and hard to live in for migrants
Economic growth has left living on the countryside almost impossible
Hunger and malnutrition is a huge issue for the children
The problem lies in education for the people who live in the countryside.

11. TERRIFIC TOPOGRAPHY mountainous
⅔ of land is hills, mountains, plateaus
includes plateaus, plains, basins, foothills, and mountains.
vast mountain regions (high in west, low in east (like a three-step ladder))

12. TERRIFIC TOPOGRAPHY (cont.)
1st step: the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in southwestern China (composed of very high mountains and huge highlands. Averages 4,000 meters or more elevated above sea level, known as “the roof of the world”)
2nd step: Going north from the Qinghai-Tibet plateau across the Kunlun and Qilan ranges and east across the Hengduan Mountains (land abruptly drops to plateaus, mountains and basins on an altitude of 2,000 to 1,000 meters)
3rd step: the majority of China’s population lives in the lowest step down the staircase, abundant in broad plains, is dotted with the foothills and lower mountains, with altitudes of over 500 meters, well-cultivated and fertile lands with abundant crops

13. TERRIFIC TOPOGRAPHY (cont.)
FUN-omenal Factoids:
longest river in China: Yangtze River
second-longest river: Yellow River (flows into Pacific Ocean), Mother River of the Chinese People
largest lake in China: (Qinghai Lake: natural salt-water, in Northwest)
highest mountain in China (or Tibet, which China thinks is a part of China): Mount Everest (29,029 ft)

14. Weather and Climate Four distinct seasons
Winter is cold and dry while summer is hot and rainy.
Temperatures vary tremendously
5 temperate zones in China
Country divided by precipitation.

15. Weather and Climate (cont…)
Monsoons cause rainfall
Eastern China vs. Northwest region
Climate is affected by pollution
Air quality affects weather of country

16. Weather and Climate (cont…)