1. © T. M. Whitmore Today China  Scale & isolation  Physical environments  Agriculture

2. © T. M. Whitmore

3. Exciting new joint UG degree program At the National University of Singapore  A top 20 ranked university internationally  Language of instruction is English  http://www.nus.edu.sg/ Eligible UNC undergraduates  Economics, English literature, geography, history and political science  Can take 2-4 semesters of classes at NUS and earn diplomas from both universities.  http://studyabroad.unc.edu/nusjdp/index.cfm

4. © T. M. Whitmore China: physical environment I China – huge ~ US with Alaska China 3 regions (1 st 2 in Central Asia region)  “Outer” ChinaOuter  Himalaya mountains and Tibetan plateau to the Southwest –Source of many rivers  Gobi & Taklamakan deserts to the west and Northwest  “Inner” China  Isolated by mountains and deserts

7. © T. M. Whitmore China “proper”proper Physical Environment  Climate Climate  Drier N wetter S Drier N wetter S  China sub-regionssub-regions  Northeast China Plain / Manchuria Northeast China Plain / Manchuria  The N. China Plain The N. China Plain –Huang He river (formally Yellow)  Basins of the Chang Jiang (formally Yangtze) river Basins of the Chang Jiang  Tropical southern China Tropical southern China Environmental degradation and hazards Environmental degradation

8. © T. M. Whitmore Chinese Rivers Huang He (Yellow River)  Can carry up to 40% sediment weight (highest in the world).  Subject to flooding, especially in its delta.  Changed course many times. Chang Jiang (Yangtze).  Longest river, China’s main street (6,300 km).  Flood of 1998 left 14 million homeless. Pearl River delta system  Most productive and sustainable ecosystem in the world.  Rice paddies and fish ponds. Heilong Jiang (Amur).  China's border with Russia.

9. Amur Huang He (Yellow) Chang Jiang (Yangtze) Pearl Delta

13. A series of long canals, some new and others ancient, transfers water from the wet Yangtze basin to the dry north.

15. Manchuria

16. N China Plain

19. rivers

22. Filled with sediment from the Loess Plateau, the Yellow River has changed course many times in Chinese history, each time killing and displacing millions.

23. Back to rivers

28. South China

29. Back to rivers

32. Loess soils in the Guangzhong Basin © Bret Wallach http://www.greatmirror.com/

33. © T. M. Whitmore Major issues  Huge population  Little arable area Little arable area  Population is about 70% rural 4 Agricultural Regions  NE / Manchuria  North China Plain- wheatwheat  South China - ricerice  Western oases and arid-semiarid grazing Chinese Agriculture

36. Wheat & other upland crops

37. Wetland Rice

44. © Bret Wallach Guangzhong Basin

45. Guilin © Bret Wallach

46. Guilin

47. Yunnan Village: Hengdi © Bret Wallach

50. © T. M. Whitmore Chinese agriculture II Agriculture reform  Pre-Communist (pre-1949)  Communist changes  Current reforms

51. © T. M. Whitmore Chinese agriculture III Nearly self sufficient despite 1.3 billion Agriculture is very intensivevery intensive  10 persons to feed per ha Urban pops increasing and so is wealth => demand increasing faster than pop growth Urban pops increasing Significant imports but also significant exports Significant imports but also significant exports

54. 40% of agricultural land in China is irrigated.

55. Wheat & other upland crops

56. Wetland Rice

57. Rural Chinese family’s week’s food © Peter Menzel

58. Urban Chinese family’s week’s food

64. RICE

65. WHEAT

66. © Bret Wallach Guangzhong Basin

67. © Bret Wallach Guangzhong Basin